First Car - VW Polo or Opel Corsa?

theprizelamb

I am about to get my first car - will be looking for a polo or corsa, though ideally a polo!

I would like to get a 99/00 model, should I be wary of of buying earlier models? is there anything I should look out for? which would be the ideal first car and how much should I expect to pay?

bazz26

My sister is in a similar situation.

1999 Polo 1.0 litre will probably not have power steering. They are also very expensive to buy, people seem to generally over rate them like most VWs and pay silly money for them.

1.0 litre Corsa has been known to have head gasket problems. The 1.2 litre might be a better choice. A 99/00 will most probably come with power steering which makes parking easier.

Did you consider the Fiesta 1.25 litre? Cracking little car with a nice zippy engine. You can pick up a 99/00 Ghia model cheaper than a similar year Polo. Ghia model will have lots of toys such as cd player, sunroof or air conditioning, alloy wheels and electric windows. Alot of car for the money and alot cheaper to service/fix than the VW.

themullet

Hi there. just happened to stumble upon your ad. My girlfriend happens to have a '98 Polo for sale at the minute. She hasn't advertised it anywhere yet but she's moving job in the next couple of weeks and won't need it any more. It's a great little car and has a mighty little engine (1 litre). It has never given her an ounce of trouble since she bought it 3 years ago. The polo would definitely be a more reliable car than a corsa. The VW is probably the most reliable car on the market.
The '98 & '99 polos do not have power steering but I don't think that should put you off any car you might want to buy.
If you're interested in the polo, contact me and I can send you some pics perhaps. 0861097818

fasty

I have a 99 Polo WITH Power Steering and it's a grand wee car. Have had it just under 2 years having learned how to drive in it. The only problems I've had with it was a replacement clutch (under warranty) since it's last owner obvious rode the crap out of it, new plug leads to solve a stuttering problem and two new wheel rims to fix an unfortunate pothole incident.

If I was going back to do it again, however... I would probably get a Mazda 323F or the 1.25L Fiesta. My mate had a Corsa and while is seemed okay, he had a good few problems with it including a head gasket issue and some linkages in his gearbox going on him!

kindalen

if its your first car get a family friend to help you get a car,even if you have to pay someone it will save you money in the long run. the polo is a good option for insurance as its a 1 litre,avoid the 1 litre corsa. check buyandsell and carzone for prices.hope this helps.

Anan1

I'm with bazz26 on this, the 1.25 Fiesta is a far nicer car to drive than either a Polo or a Corsa.

colm_mcm

for what it's worth, I'm with the other two on the Fiesta thing. For outright reliability and ease of driving, a Yaris is the best (if far more expensive) bet. Depends on what your priorities are. Old shape Fiestas are temptingly cheap!

dcGT

bazz26 wrote:

My sister is in a similar situation.

Did you consider the Fiesta 1.25 litre? Cracking little car with a nice zippy engine. You can pick up a 99/00 Ghia model cheaper than a similar year Polo. Ghia model will have lots of toys such as cd player, sunroof or air conditioning, alloy wheels and electric windows. Alot of car for the money and alot cheaper to service/fix than the VW.

Agree 100%. Speaking from first hand experience with the Fiesta. Great car & spec for the money. If it has to be either the Polo or the Corsa, I'd say Polo. The Corsa isn't a nice car to drive and those 3 cylinder engines sound like someone's put a bag of nails into the engine instead of oil 1L Polo is heavy and sluggish IMO, but more reliable than the Corsa.

DC.