CarAdvice – Light Hatchback Comparison Polo, Clio, Rio, Fiesta

[alexaescht]

Light hatchback comparison: Renault Clio v Ford Fiesta v Kia Rio v VW Polo | CarAdvice

[Lemonskin]

4 years on and still top of its class.

[Hail22]

4 years on and still top of its class.

The question is, where would it be placed in terms of reliability / the amount of times these cars go back in for warranty work

[readerr0r]

I think the fiesta could've been a winner if its facelift wasn't so terribly lazy interior wise

[alexaescht]

I think the fiesta could've been a winner if its facelift wasn't so terribly lazy interior wise

And the engine wasn't so underpowered/torqued.

[nomadx38]

And as for reliability they were testing the 77tsi - the 1.2t been one of the most reliable of the polo engines.

If we were talking about the GTI then I would say yeah - with its high oil consumption and consequent fowling of spark plugs and coilpack failures it's definitely not good for reliability.

[Rubbadub]

And the engine wasn't so underpowered/torqued.

Sounds like the 1L Ecoboost in the upcoming "Sport" variant will help with that.

[Barracuda]

Volkswagen has always been notorious for producing quality-feeling and refined small cars. It's what they're best at, in my opinion. It comes as no surprise that, even after four years, it still comes out on top when compared to other cars in its class. It's also the oldest car there in terms of facelifts and model-year updates and it still wins.

[Mountainman]

Volkswagen has always been notorious for producing quality-feeling and refined small cars. It's what they're best at, in my opinion.

As a former owner of an Australian assembled Mk1 Golf, I and many other sufferers can vouch that "quality-feeling and refined small car" is definitely not how we would describe it. A great drive and better that way than any of its competitors but my 1982 Ford Laser was a better car in every way except looks.

[alexaescht]

As a former owner of an Australian assembled Mk1 Golf, I and many other sufferers can vouch that "quality-feeling and refined small car" is definitely not how we would describe it. A great drive and better that way than any of its competitors but my 1982 Ford Laser was a better car in every way except looks.

We are talking about cars from this century. Of course a Mk1 Golf would be no where near the same as a Mk5 Polo, they're both produced in very different times.

[Mountainman]

We are talking about cars from this century. Of course a Mk1 Golf would be no where near the same as a Mk5 Polo, they're both produced in very different times.

What I was really getting at is that VW learnt a lot from the quality problems of the Mk1 Golf to go on and produce the most refined small cars available anywhere near the price. But back in 1977 when I bought my first Golf it was noisier, less refined and of poorer build quality than the Honda Civic that it replaced. And how I envied my friend with his new Honda Accord - until it started to rust away lol

[Barracuda]

What I was really getting at is that VW learnt a lot from the quality problems of the Mk1 Golf to go on and produce the most refined small cars available anywhere near the price. But back in 1977 when I bought my first Golf it was noisier, less refined and of poorer build quality than the Honda Civic that it replaced. And how I envied my friend with his new Honda Accord - until it started to rust away lol

That's fair enough. I wasn't alive back then, so I'll have to take your word for that! Haha. But when it comes to VW's made these days, I still believe that my point stands.

[Diesel_vert]

Volkswagen has always been notorious for producing quality-feeling and refined small cars. It's what they're best at, in my opinion.

Indeed, the Mk4 Golf (1998-2004) was highly praised for its interior - so much so that the motoring press felt the interior of the Mk5 Golf was a slight step backwards. Volkswagen's significant focus on perceived quality (i.e. how the product or material engages the human senses, like sight & feel, when it is looked or touched upon) is certainly a good advantage to have in the showroom.

However, it is important to distinguish between perceived quality and mechanical quality, and not to assume that the two will always be analogous in terms of engineering depth.

When it comes down to it, VW are really no better or worse than the average European manufacturer in terms of mechanical quality IMO, and like most manufacturers, they've made their fair share of great cars and not so great cars. Even now, there are some cars in their range that I would readily recommend to family and friends, while others I would advise to avoid like the plague.

[alexaescht]

avoid like the plague.

Such as?

[Diesel_vert]

Such as?

Mk6 Golf with the 118TSI engine and 7-speed DSG springs to mind.

Other cars don't have such a fatal flaw, but have some issues that can add up and destroy the ownership experience, e.g. Polo GTI.