Considering a Polo GTI 9n3 - reliability? problems?

[jing713]

Hi everyone,

I am in the market for a hot hatch that is around $10k that is preferably 2006 or newer. I currently drive a 2000 Lancer 2 door coupe, which I think is pretty basic.
It has 4 speakers, rear drums, power windows and air con and that's it. It's got a lot of road noise and it's a bit difficult to have a conversation or listen to music without turning it up.
It's got No ABS, no airbags, no cruise control, no bluetooth (though I know the Polo GTI doesn't have that either) etc.

Basically, I'm after a newer car that is more refined with better safety and more gizmos than older cars.


One of the cars that has caught my eyes is the Polo GTI 9n3.

Many of them are around the $10k mark with anything between 80k-150k km (the lower the better..).


My understanding...
1. Some people have reported gearbox issues.... which I think would cost a significant amount to repair / replace.
2. Electronic issues such as electric windows not working.


My main questions:
1. Are there any reliability issues with these cars "because it's European"?
2. Is this car a lemon / any common and significant failures?
3. Is my understanding wrong? Are those problems actually not very common?
4. Should I stay away from them if they have 150k km or above? (I see that's on sale for $7k)

Another car that I am considering is the Peugeot 207 GTI which is similarly priced and has a bit more luxuries, toys and niceties (e.g. more powerful engine, instant fuel consumption computer, cornering lamps, climate control, auto headlights) than the Polo GTI.
There are some common problems I am aware, but those problems don't seem to affect all of them- and fixes are pretty widely known.

Any tips and thoughts is greatly appreciated!

Cheers

[seangti]

1. Some people have reported gearbox issues.... which I think would cost a significant amount to repair / replace.
This was the case for some of the 2006 models, but all failures occurred well within the warranty period. i.e. only caused grief when new, if they're still running now, there is nothing to worry about from that issue. The gearboxes are typically strong, but is not uncommon for people to neglect gearbox oil changes.

2. Electronic issues such as electric windows not working.
No more than any other car I've experienced. I've been around this site for years and can't recall any specific or common failures of windows, or another other electric related issues.

My main questions:
1. Are there any reliability issues with these cars "because it's European"?
Nope. Engines are strong, just make sure it's got a reasonable service history. Parts may be harder to source than for a lancer, but through this forum there is typically someone that knows the secret of sourcing the item at a competitive price.

2. Is this car a lemon / any common and significant failures?
Absolutely not a lemon, unlike the Polo 6r gti 1.4l twin charged engine. There's no common significant fault in the car. Just the usual wear items, e.g. clutch. The rear bush of the front lower control arms are known to wear quickly if you use the factory item, just go aftermarket and it's sweet, rubber or polyurethane.

3. Is my understanding wrong? Are those problems actually not very common?
As above. Very few known/common issues, but of them they are cheap and straight forward, nothing significant.

4. Should I stay away from them if they have 150k km or above?
Not necessarily. If it drives well, you probably have a pretty honest car. Higher kms means closer to clutch replacement and/or timing belt.

That's about it... I wouldn't be overly worried about buying a tuned car either. I can't say the cost to maintain a polo is any different to any other car, utilize the knowledge here and also best to find a mechanic that is familiar with the car (as I'd recommend for any car), so they don't waste your time and money should it need fault finding.

[jing713]

1. Some people have reported gearbox issues.... which I think would cost a significant amount to repair / replace.
This was the case for some of the 2006 models, but all failures occurred well within the warranty period. i.e. only caused grief when new, if they're still running now, there is nothing to worry about from that issue. The gearboxes are typically strong, but is not uncommon for people to neglect gearbox oil changes.

2. Electronic issues such as electric windows not working.
No more than any other car I've experienced. I've been around this site for years and can't recall any specific or common failures of windows, or another other electric related issues.

My main questions:
1. Are there any reliability issues with these cars "because it's European"?
Nope. Engines are strong, just make sure it's got a reasonable service history. Parts may be harder to source than for a lancer, but through this forum there is typically someone that knows the secret of sourcing the item at a competitive price.

2. Is this car a lemon / any common and significant failures?
Absolutely not a lemon, unlike the Polo 6r gti 1.4l twin charged engine. There's no common significant fault in the car. Just the usual wear items, e.g. clutch. The rear bush of the front lower control arms are known to wear quickly if you use the factory item, just go aftermarket and it's sweet, rubber or polyurethane.

3. Is my understanding wrong? Are those problems actually not very common?
As above. Very few known/common issues, but of them they are cheap and straight forward, nothing significant.

4. Should I stay away from them if they have 150k km or above?
Not necessarily. If it drives well, you probably have a pretty honest car. Higher kms means closer to clutch replacement and/or timing belt.

That's about it... I wouldn't be overly worried about buying a tuned car either. I can't say the cost to maintain a polo is any different to any other car, utilize the knowledge here and also best to find a mechanic that is familiar with the car (as I'd recommend for any car), so they don't waste your time and money should it need fault finding.

Thank you very much for your insights and opinion.

As long as I exercise common sense (servicing history, check everything works, no weird sounds or leaks etc) when looking at them, it looks like they are a pretty safe choice.

I will be taking a look at some cars within the next month or so, the plan is to have a look at the 207 GTis first as they are a slightly bigger car and have more technology niceties and if they don't live up to my expectations, I will consider the Polo GTI.

If anyone is interested, I will eventually report back with my experiences.

Cheers

[PoloGIT]

The only thing I would suggest is taking one for a decent drive and making sure you are happy with its "refinement." It's not going to be as harsh as the Lancer, but they're also not the quietest and smoothest car on the market. But if you get one, you'll have a lot of fun

[brad]

Here you go. Started a bit expensive but you might get it <$10k now

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f23/2006-9n3-flash-red-polo-gti-115-xxx-kms-nego-sensible-mods-102651.html

[drifitz]

I have owned my 2007 Polo GTI since new... It is a rather "clunky" car. It's something you do get used to though, and I really couldn't see myself driving anything else.
The new Polos are all automatic and that annoys me slightly, which is why I have stuck it out with mine.
Find a car which has been well looked after, regularly serviced (over 90,000km timing belt done) and that it comes from a good home.
I have done all the relevant maintenance over the years, and it has never let me down.
110,000km later and it still boost just as hard

I would say that if your hesitant, get it checked out thoroughly and take it for a solid drive.

Good luck !

[flat6]

I've had mine for 5 years and its been tuned since new, has been a great car.. Often I consider upgrading yet cant bring myself to upgrade to anything less enjoyable to drive.

[noone]

For a little more, consider the Golf MkV and S3 (8L).
Both have more support for aftermarket parts.

Depends what you want, the Polo IMO needs suspension work and a tune to be 'hot', with some mods, its a lot of fun.

[jing713]

I have owned my 2007 Polo GTI since new... It is a rather "clunky" car. It's something you do get used to though, and I really couldn't see myself driving anything else.
The new Polos are all automatic and that annoys me slightly, which is why I have stuck it out with mine.
Find a car which has been well looked after, regularly serviced (over 90,000km timing belt done) and that it comes from a good home.
...
I would say that if your hesitant, get it checked out thoroughly and take it for a solid drive.

Good luck !

The newest Polo (2015) update comes in manual for the GTI, so maybe consider that

I finish my final uni assessment on Tuesday and I'm going overseas on the 28th for 2 weeks.


I think there's not too much point for me purchasing a car if I'm going overseas for 2 weeks.. but dam I really want to scratch that itch! (So far I've only been researching online and haven't inspected any or driven any)

I do agree with noone that the power outputs of the 9n Polo GTI at stock is only "warm" in todays standards, but I have factored in the cost of getting an APR ecu tune (they still do them, right?) which is just over $1k.

I'm sure you guys would all have heard / know about it, and I think ~150kw is more than enough for my desires.

As to suspension work, I wouldn't know until I've driven one

The Lancer I currently drive (I didn't buy it) was lowered by the previous owner and currently has 205/40/17 wheels and the ride is bloody hard and crashy (and it is annoying).

So I am actually looking forward to slightly softer suspension

I've also had a brief look at the Golf MkV GTI, but the cheapest I see in Sydney are ~$13k with 120-150k kms.

Which put's it a bit out of budget, also I don't want to spend more than $10k on a car this early in life (I'm still in my early 20s).

There are quite a lot of Polo GTIs on the 2nd hand market in the Sydney area actually.
On the other hand, there are not too many 207 GTis lately, most of the ones I have been looking at online for the past few weeks have been sold

I believe in taking a look at competing models of cars and products before buying... because that way you know what to compare it against!

Thanks for all your helpful comments.

Edit: I just wish the 9n3 Polo GTI had more modern tech! Don't know if you owners feel the same?
Off the top of my head, the things the 207 GTi has that the 9n3 Polo GTI doesn't have include:
rear parking sensors
cornering lamps
automatic headlights
dual zone climate control AC

(And they were roughly the same generation of cars, with the 207 GTI being slightly newer)

I would like those niceties because I think that's part of the reason why you want a new / newer car...

It would probably make my decision a lot easier haha

But it does mean more things to go wrong..

[h100vw]

The newest Polo (2015) update comes in manual for the GTI, so maybe consider that

I finish my final uni assessment on Tuesday and I'm going overseas on the 28th for 2 weeks.


I think there's not too much point for me purchasing a car if I'm going overseas for 2 weeks.. but dam I really want to scratch that itch! (So far I've only been researching online and haven't inspected any or driven any)

I do agree with noone that the power outputs of the 9n Polo GTI at stock is only "warm" in todays standards, but I have factored in the cost of getting an APR ecu tune (they still do them, right?) which is just over $1k.

I'm sure you guys would all have heard / know about it, and I think ~150kw is more than enough for my desires.

As to suspension work, I wouldn't know until I've driven one

The Lancer I currently drive (I didn't buy it) was lowered by the previous owner and currently has 205/40/17 wheels and the ride is bloody hard and crashy (and it is annoying).

So I am actually looking forward to slightly softer suspension

I've also had a brief look at the Golf MkV GTI, but the cheapest I see in Sydney are ~$13k with 120-150k kms.

Which put's it a bit out of budget, also I don't want to spend more than $10k on a car this early in life (I'm still in my early 20s).

There are quite a lot of Polo GTIs on the 2nd hand market in the Sydney area actually.
On the other hand, there are not too many 207 GTis lately, most of the ones I have been looking at online for the past few weeks have been sold

I believe in taking a look at competing models of cars and products before buying... because that way you know what to compare it against!

Thanks for all your helpful comments.

APR - High Performance Development for Audi, VW and Porsche Vehicles. $1250

Custom-Code Phase 1 is $799. Phase 2 is $899.

Gavin

[jing713]

APR - High Performance Development for Audi, VW and Porsche Vehicles. $1250

Custom-Code Phase 1 is $799. Phase 2 is $899.

Gavin

Thanks,

I'm all new to this.

How does Custom Code tuning work? I.e. Can I drive into a shop and get it done etc?

[h100vw]

There's only one agent and that's me. I have a spare phase 1 ecu which I can get to you, so you can try before you buy. Easy enough to fit. If you like it, send me your ecu, I can flash it and send back. Gavin

[noone]

Honestly, I don't know that the Polo is for you.

A tuned Polo is bags of fun, but is all about cornering and quick acceleration in the suburbs (to me). Stock suspension and without a tune, its a A>B boring car and not really what a GTI (1.8T) is all about. The 1.8T and K03 combo brings boost on at low RPM and pulls well to 5k with just a tune. Great fun.

Talk of climate control, turning headlights, etc, this is not the Polo. My 2005 GTI was around $28k when new ( I bought second hand), you don't get a lot of options in a sub 30k hotish hatch (in 2005).

Have a look at some Audi's, more refined, less about driving hard and more about the luxury.

[brad]

If you want toys then get an Octavia Elegance spec 1.8tsi manual. If you want toys & power get an Octavia vRS.

Both are reasonably refined and cheaper than a GTI. You'll get a good 2008/2009 model for $7,000-10,000

[SuperChimps]

Yeah it's definitely not a modern style gadget car. I've had mine about a year now, and no problems so far.
Since the tune and a couple of other minor mods it's been a blast to drive, but it's not at all refined or luxurious. Good luck with the car search