Polo V Ralliart Colt

[PeterHBne]

Hi guys,

I'm in the market for a new car and test drove a few cars over the weekend.

Mazda SP23 - very refined, smooth well made quality car - good power. I found it lacking in character. A very 'adult' car, so not for me!

Suzuki Swift Sports & Suzuki Swift - I wanted to like the Sports before I drove it (used to own the very 1st Swift GTI back in 1987 & loved it! A real screamer and light!) but really didn't like it. Didn't feel that different to standard Swift in terms of power. Just felt like a standard Swift with overly stiff suspension. Can't see how they justify the $8,000 price difference. Buy the standard Swift (which is not a bad package for a standard car) & spend a few grand on Recaros, wheels & suspension.

Ralliart Colt - I liked it a lot! This is a car with personality! Bit of lag up to 3,000 RPM and the change from 1st to 2nd sees it annoyingly drop off boost a lot. But fun to drive. Gear box a bit rubbery I thought. Geez I love Recaro's. I really like the look of it too.

Polo GTI - I really wanted to love this car straight away, but i must admit it didn't really make me go 'WOW'. Admittedly a very short drive only a few kms. I HATE having to test drive with the dealer. It didn't feel that powerful - wouldn't know it was turboed (this is probably a good thing - no lag) & my initial impression is that it feels soft in the suspension - I like a stiff car!

I really want to love the Polo - need to drive again for a good half hour in a variety of scenarios - traffic, around town, highway some curves, etc..

I'd be interested in you guys feedback - what did you think it of it first time you drove?

Anyone else driven a Ralliart Colt?

[PeterHBne]

And can I say the posts regarding warranty issues is really worrying (particularly gear boxes, clutches, front end clunks, etc..) - not a good look for what will be a long term relationship.

[phaeton]

Welcome to VWwA Peter

While the Polo GTI seems to suffer some quality problems not all members cars have problems, if there is a problem its all fixed under warranty and usually minor.

I'm not a fan of the Ralliart Colt looks like an SUV IMO but it did win the Under 20K something Motor Bang for Your Bucks and it does come with an impressive warranty atm so I can see how thats on top of your list

Some members here also chip their cars to improve the Polo GTI's performance and they fly from what I've read

Have you thought off spending extra and looking at the Golf GTI ?

or Ford Fiesta XR4 is due soon

Anyway Good Luck with whatever you purchase.

[Timbo]

I think the main thing in favour of the Polo is its tuneability. Check my post here and you'll see what I mean. I stand to be corrected, but I suspect you won't find the range, experience of tuning houses, or performance benefits realised with the Colt

As for warranty issues, there's plenty of us here that haven't had any problems. In my experience, these forums tend to over-amplify car problems, because you hear more about them than about no problems. Having said that, it's always useful to identify some known issues.

[Shade]

Before i bought the POLO GTI the COLT Ralliart was at the top of my listed and to be honest if it wasn't for a friend informing me of the POLO GTI's existance i probably would have bought the COLT.
However once taking one for a test drive i was sold on it. IMO better car allround if you are looking of for a daily driver which is a whole lot of fun. Better build quality and finish, more features and safety. Better longevity i think too. And as it's been said, better tunability. And not mention over $3000.00 cheaper to boot. I think you really need to take it for a longer test run to appreciate it fully.

Oh yes, and i have had absolutely no problems with mine since i picked it up.

[PeterHBne]

The Colt did feel like a 'busy' car - could be a pain in the arse long term - I will be doing 600 - 800kms a week. But was fun for 15kms

Had a look on the Ralliart Colt site and some have got them for $27,000 on the road.

You are right in that the negatives always come out in a forum.

[Rocket]

Actually saw the Colt advertised in the Herald Sun or Age in melbourne (don't remember which, can check later if anyones interested) here on the weekend i think, and it was advertsied new for $25990, thats a 4k drop! Didn't specify 06 model or anything, so could be worth considering now at 1k cheaper than the pogo.

[Shade]

Wouldn't suprise me if they did drop the price of the COLT, because at the original retail price of $29,990.00 plus ORC it is a bit steep for what it is. Plus i have seen plenty of POLO GTI's on the road but not may COLT Ralliart's.

But in the end i am not going to tell you what to buy, i will give my opinion freely however biased it may be, but it will always boil down to personal choice.

I only have one last thing to say ...............BUY A VW POLO GTI!!!!!

[Spec83]

I ran into an old mate who works at a brisbane mitsubishi dealership... we were having this exact same discussion... He took the polo for a drive and was impressed with the car - especially the interior fit and finish...

He said the only two things he prefered about the colt was the seats and the tyres.

[shaneth]

Peter you know what i think. BTW it was good to meet you on Staurday, what a fluke. I agree with the below satement as well.

I ran into an old mate who works at a brisbane mitsubishi dealership... we were having this exact same discussion... He took the polo for a drive and was impressed with the car - especially the interior fit and finish...

He said the only two things he prefered about the colt was the seats and the tyres.

[ryan_GTI]

Welcome aboard Peter,

Mate all i can say is test drive a chipped Polo and decide from there... unless you're looking forward to keep your car stock?

[VEEDUB69]

The Colt did feel like a 'busy' car - could be a pain in the arse long term - I will be doing 600 - 800kms a week. But was fun for 15kms

Had a look on the Ralliart Colt site and some have got them for $27,000 on the road.

You are right in that the negatives always come out in a forum.

Hi Peter,

I recently test drove both vehicles in fact drove the ColtR twice, as a daily driver with the k's ur talking about its a no-brainer, Polo GTI, so effortless & comfortabe. The ColtR is more involving drive no question & felt a little quicker but the Recaros grate after a while & I think the extra features & outright flexibility of the Polo GTI win out, hence why i bought one However, if I was you I would wait for the XR4 to arrive & take that for a test drive, I owned a Fiesta Zetec & to be honest it handled close to if not equal to the Polo GTI, so the further stiffened/more powerful version promises to be a cracking drive. If you cant wait then its Polo

[Wand Weaver]

I'd certainly wait for the XR4 arrives before you buy - it should be a cracking drive - and cheaper than the VW too.

Sure, the Polo's tunable, but if you're anything like me, you're probably not that inclined to mod the thing to all buggery anyway and enjoy it the way it was delivered.

My cumulative fuel consumption (I haven't reset it since delivery) dropped below 10L/100km on the weekend for the first time. It's been steadily going down - being as high as 12L/100km during the early stages of the run in. Hopefully, I'll get it down into the 8s, which will be very respectable given the 90/10 City/Highway balance I drive in. Short trips are a killer though - with consumption around the 10L/100km mark.

[shaneth]

XR4 arrives June, not sure if this will be as quick as either the Polo or the Colt. With only 190nm @ 4500rpm its going to have to be reved to get it anywhere. imho anyway. Still would like a drive though.

[beefa]

Am i correct that the blown Feista already exists O/S and doesnt get the best of reviews. I was very tempted to wait for this car to arrive before getting the polo but then started read some of the reviews. Ok motor, average handling and feel, and this was enough to put me off.
Initially I had my heart set on the Suzi Sport, great handling but no grunt. I spent 3 months lurking on the redlinegti forum and whilst some tuning houses are starting to turn out bits for the suzi, you really will always be lacking grunt even the $4k Turbo was bringing power up to the standard Polo.
If you read the comparo's that were head to head of the suzi sport and the Colt R, the Sport won just about all of them, the colt had plenty of power, but was let down in the handling stakes and ergonomics.
I needed a daily drive for my 140km round trip to work and back and after owning the original GTi swift had doubts about the longevity of the car. I had not included the polo in my original choices as I hadnt really seen it around. Found a few that looked good so went for a test drive, nice, not crazy stiff in the suspension which is nice for a daily driver, but still taught enough for some great handling in the twisties. I didnt want a car I had to mod the hell out of for so many reasons, and when a simple reflash will give close to 40% improvement in power I was sold.
Suzi probably is a better handling package but let down in other areas, The Colt has a lot of power but is let down in the handling and ergonomics of the car. The Polo to me is a perfect blend that with something as simple as a chip flash will run mid 14 quarters and put a huge smile on your face whilst maintianing a solid feel and good drivability.
With the flash I am averaging 7.8l/100 for my round trip from Campbelltown to St Leonards every day.
Every make will have its dedicated forum where you can read biased opinions about the cars which is recommended : ) but which ever way you go these cars all offer some good value for money.