Anything I should buy other than a polo?

My 205 is getting unreliable to start and very rattly so I figure it's a good time to upgrade, 2 years from a free car ain't too bad! I'm thinking about a Mk4 Polo, probably with the 1.4 so cheap tax, is there any good reason why I shouldn't? Anything better out there? I do quite a lot of short trips so the big diesel lump rarely gets up to temperature and it's just killing the battery so I figure a small petrol engine would be a good idea.
Just looked on Parkers and the 1.6 appears to be insurance group 4 while the 1.4 is group 5... maybe that could work too, +15bhp!
any suggestions?

 

crap gearboxes, poorly built and very plasticy cheap interior. The old polo's were much better imo. We have had about 6 polo's from mk2-4 in our family so enough experience that even seraph would have let me comment on it.

How much you looking at?? I know it sounds rubbish, but a mk2 corsa is/was a better car, especially if you can get a 1.3cdti as they are nippy enough and do silly mpg

 

Anything other than a polo is normally what i think when looking for a car as well

 

Nice one!

 

Damn! maybe a Mk3 GT then, I just fancied something a bit newer/comfier. Not keen on the corsas, don't know why I've just never enjoyed driving one.

 

Honda Jazz?

 

i want something with a bit of character really

 

So you want a small car, for short trips, cheap to run, but with a bit of character?

 

great shout, fantastic design. I did about 300 miles in a day in a 1.6 version I think it was. If your not after a performance car and want space/mpg/build quality/reliability you couldn't do much better

 

Yeah I guess, but not so old it's rusting to bits etc. A Mk2 golf would be nice but the insurance on a gti would be dear and the 1.4/1.6 are fairly lame. I'm not keen on jap cars as there's no involvement, just feels like you're pushing pedals.. practicality isn't a great concern.
civics etc have boy racer insurance tax, not worth the extra cost. i was thinking about a 306 d turbo but that was before I decided to go back to petrol.. I'm sure the 1.4 is fairly lardy. plus it's french, i'd rather have something that won't rattle so much.
might have to try some corsas at this rate, or mk3 polos if i can find a non-rusty one. I guess that'd be something like the mk2 golf but a bit smaller/lighter, could fit the bill..

mk3 gt is cheaper still to insure! nice!

 

Ive never found the mk4 polo's to be that bad, not loads to go wrong, parts are cheap enough and easy enough to work on at home, they take well to some simple styling as well

306 diesel turbos were great little cars to chuck about and not bad for what they were but i wouldnt touch them now unless it was a later phase 3

 

mk4 1.4 16v would be my choice as they're great fun revvy cars.

1.6 glx is also ok, but not as fun as the above......and assuming you're not young the tax/insurance combinations will be similar on both.

1.4 8v's are a bit gutless IMO, and non 16v/glx spec aren't very nice inside.

 

Oh, and check rear arches for rust!

 

I'm 24 with an at fault accident nearly 3 years ago, doesn't make any difference to the price on direct line if i leave it off though.
gutless will be relative, it can't be much more gutless than a 1.8 non-turbo diesel, or worse equipped.

 

mk4 polos are the best . . my last 1 had 160k on the clock and was still going . . imo there the best runabout cars you can buy . . . and very easy to sell aswell

 

think I'm gonna go with a mk3 gt, seems to be real cheap to insure and should be a little bit nippy at least. like the look of this one but it's about as far away as you can get without being in the sea

 

What about a Mk2 Seat Ibiza GTI? The 8v is only in insurance group 11 I think and you get the Mk3 Golf GTI engine to boot. Loads of torque in a small, light car. And (in my opinion) look really good/sporty. Proper cheap to buy too.

 

I'd go for the ibiza probably, the little Polo GT's are good nippy little cars, but they're a little cramped and they rev pretty high on the motorway

 

I'd rather have something under a 1.5 for cheap tax, economy etc. it's an extra 150 odd to insure a mk2 gti, the ibiza would probably be similar, plus i just don't really care about Seats whereas I'd like to own another dub...
economy is the name of the game with a bit of fun being a bonus, as I say anything is a step up from the 205...

 

I hear what your saying about wanting another Dub, but the Ibiza is just a Polo with a different overcoat. Plus they're in a lower insurance (11) group than a Mk2 GTI (14) and would probably be more economical as well due to the engine being a bit more modern.

Plus 150 extra isn't that much really. That's exactly how much my insurance company wanted extra from my 8v Mk2 GTI to my new 16v Mk3 GTI Anniversary, and I didn't give it a second thought.