My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

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mike sel
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Posts: 482
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:16 am
Drives: SEL
Location: Dorset

My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by mike sel »

Hi all Sorry this is long.

I expect you know from my previous posts what I have and when I got it...well I wont go into that at the moment im here to talk about my car.(the old one are the best)

Ok I have owned my Polo SEL 115DSG for 3 weeks now but because of a holiday the day after I got it I have only just got through week one of driving.

I did a review of the collection process, so here are my thoughts on the POLO and VW after one week of normal use.

I have settled into the car reasonably well. To be honest finding a comfortable driving position was not hard. Im a little over six foot I set my driving position up last Sunday and have not had to change it since. My better half on the other hand is still trying to get her seat Hight right, she wants to sit as high as possible but does not want to bump her head getting in and out. so she is still playing with the height.

She described the car this morning (while I was driving her to work) as not fancy, but she likes the way its sturdy, tidy and neat and feels well built. From the drivers seat I see the car as refreshingly simply set out, intuitive to locate the controls.

Storage points...struggling a little here, yes the door pockets are large for the car size so they are useful, the glove box is fine, there is a storage box (not a draw) under the front passengers seat. it looks ok for a small ipad or notebook to keep it out of sight. maybe some hand wipes or something. the arm rest has a small fairly deep storage box under it, I use that to keep my change pouch in and a microfibre cloth needed to keep the Informat display clear of finger marks.

There is a storage pouch behind both front seats other than that im struggling for storage.

The dash display in my car is the Active info one. they say ts the next generation that will be n the golf MK8 when it comes out. I find it great. its a bit of fun and bling, at the moment its a talking point for all that have sat in "Mikes new car". I expect in quite short order it will be very common on all cars (or something like it) and then one of those things that will get to be a talking point if your "old school with mechanical dash. but at the moment its fun and I like it. it is also useful to be able to move the VW map over to my dash. I understand that VW may be producing a software update that should allow the google maps to be moved across. Also it would be nice to have the VW map on both screens at the same time. Audi manage it. Don't purchase this option and think its a no brainer, for me it has taken a little getting used to. for instance I am finding useful thinks on the digi dash, I then play with the set up and struggle to find some of the useful things again. For me this Option is worth the money.

The DSG ..well I hold my hands up and confess i am a manual guy. I ordered DSG because a friend who had just got a golf GTI said the DSG is great (yes I know his will be the six speed wet clutch). Also another friend just got an Audi Q2 triprotic and that is the same 7 speed dry clutch gear box which he was waxing lyrical over) I did try it and had to admit it was good. So anyways I end up with the DSG 7 speed dry clutch. Yea im getting used to it...sort of in general it is good and I can see why people like it. The 2 things I am struggling with is 1) the start it seems to lag then set off, that can be a little interesting at a busy junction...dangerous? on a couple of local round-a-bouts where the 0-62 in 4.5 second guys think that a safe way to entre a roundabout. We have a lot of top end sports saloons and cars in this area. I have found that putting it in sport mode turning off the auto start stop just as I am getting to Alpha One on the runway, then that seems to let me get away without the lag. So be careful look out for the DSG lag when Pulling away. DSG for me I am hoping it grows on me. At the MO im missing my manual...but only just.

2) The stop start is a bit annoying it clutters when it restarts and there is a short delay on pulling way. Auto stop start Im going to switch this off.

Rear camera ...brilliant everyone get one.... top option.

Driver mode....brilliant everyone get one. I just love the easy flexibility of one button to change the cars responsiveness. At the moment its saving the DSG for me.

Park assist .. well ive been parking for 30+ years and im ace at it...why did I pay £450 for this option then?? whim? I deffo don't like button blanks in my cars.. so this takes up one of those....but I have been trying it today, just basic parallel parking in between 2 cars (taking into account the advisory that SRDG gave me) and it works brilliantly. Great option worth the money.

Blind spot warnng….ive had this on my last 3 cars (2 x Nissan notes) and it works great and is usefull...I also use it when overtaking when the blind spot light goes out its OK to pull back in. great option worth the money.

Folding heated and look down mirrors..with help from SRDG stating the bleeding obvious...that I err missed I now have the look down function working ad it does help. The folding Mirrors when the doors are locked are a little noisy, but they do work and in a tight spot are useful. I will probably switch these off soon then only use the folding when i am in a tight spot or parked at the roadside. good option worth having.

Rear occupant protection … not seen it in operation yet, I assume its there and I hope never to experience it.

ACC love it this is the first time I have used it and I Like it..its east to get used to as well. good option and this does work well with the DSG as it will even bring the car to a stop it the traffic slows to a stop.

VW sat nav..goes well with the Active info and I can move this back and forth from the main screen to the dash. I am a bit disappointed that the fuel finder will not pick up supermarket fuel stops. I miss not having fixed speed camera locations. But otherwise it seems to work well It will take a little more time to report on this option. at the moment I am undecided.

Driving...I love driving this car I look forward to it. Im getting about 39MPG about town. I have done no drive out of town or on motorways. Simply work and back. Garden centre, Supermarket. all the usual about town stuff. it is easy to use, cars don't pull out on me like they did when I drove the NOTE. This may be just my perception but in the past when I would have had to break because a car looked directly at me then pulled out (time an time again different towns, different times of day In the Note I got cut up so often). this week not once on my Polo.

its easy to park, the Little engine does benefit from the aircon being turned off in slow traffic. MPG jumps up.

What a quite car. I think its the quietest ive had after the Lexus is220 and the BMW 330d.

The hill hold works well and once I start to trust it (which I am) I will settle down when taking my foot off the break and moving over to the accelerator.

I don't had LED lights but about town I have had no problem with the halogen lights fitted as standard. I will have to wait for some night country or motorway driving before I can make a final comment on the std lights.

Tyres im not sure about these are Falkens they seem ok but a little noisy. I really need to try a polo with other tyres on. also I have not driven in the rain yet.

All in all I am very happy with the car and the options I have chosen. Im just waiting to get used to the DSG and the Sat nav.
stevereeves
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Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by stevereeves »

Good review, you're obviously really liking & enjoying your new car, good stuff. I'd choose same but prob manual, not 100% sold on DSG. Yet. I'm not a 'blank button person' either think I said before re: Park Assist, it's very good but happily slots the car into spaces I'd consider too small i.e. other cars too near to avoid car park dings....
SRGTD
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Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by SRGTD »

Thanks for taking the time to put your review together Mike. Happy to have been of help with sorting out your dipping kerbside mirror! Having had this on my mk6 Golf, I found it a really useful feature when parallel parking and miss not having it on my current (previous generation) Polo.

I also have stop / start switched off, unless I’m in a queue at traffic lights that have just turned to red. Switching off the stop/ start now becomes part of my normal procedure of getting in and starting the car.

Interesting to hear people’s views on DSG on this, and other VW forums. I am likely to switch to DSG with my next car, due to long term back-related issues, when the clutch work in stop start traffic can be painful. I’ve always owned manual cars, so a switch to DSG would probably take some getting used to for me too.

Hope you continue enjoying your car 🙂.
mike sel
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Posts: 482
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:16 am
Drives: SEL
Location: Dorset

Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by mike sel »

SRGTD wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 4:23 pm Thanks for taking the time to put your review together Mike. Happy to have been of help with sorting out your dipping kerbside mirror! Having had this on my mk6 Golf, I found it a really useful feature when parallel parking and miss not having it on my current (previous generation) Polo.

I also have stop / start switched off, unless I’m in a queue at traffic lights that have just turned to red. Switching off the stop/ start now becomes part of my normal procedure of getting in and starting the car.

Interesting to hear people’s views on DSG on this, and other VW forums. I am likely to switch to DSG with my next car, due to long term back-related issues, when the clutch work in stop start traffic can be painful. I’ve always owned manual cars, so a switch to DSG would probably take some getting used to for me too.

Hope you continue enjoying your car 🙂.
Yea big nod in your direction SRGTD. Very helpful contributor. I did not say in my review that the front collision warning has kicked in a couple of times both times going around a sharp bend it must have thought I was not breaking and coming to a dead end, lol. I have to say the brilliant graphics on the new digi dash is let down when the warning comes up it takes over the whole centre info part of the screen between the dials and it is rubbish graphics and definition, it looks like a space invader on steroids with the same low pixel graphics, I suppose they decided IF the warning was required the driver was not going to admire the sharp crisp graphics and would be more concerned about actually breaking. Its a brave new word. My dad (RIP died very young in the 60s) would not believe the witchcraft that allows your car to follow the car in front , break for you accelerate for you and tell you want is behind and on both sides as well as in front. His old Austin Cambridge was all teched up with a radio and heater, o yea it did have wing mirrors (actually on the wings).

I think we are just having to find a way of driving these new specked up cars, that suits the car systems. My first car a MINI 850 was so simple, I wonder if the young will even be able to drive a car like that in another 10 years.
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iichel
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Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by iichel »

Thank you for your review Mike!
mike sel
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Posts: 482
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:16 am
Drives: SEL
Location: Dorset

Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by mike sel »

stevereeves wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 3:50 pm Good review, you're obviously really liking & enjoying your new car, good stuff. I'd choose same but prob manual, not 100% sold on DSG. Yet. I'm not a 'blank button person' either think I said before re: Park Assist, it's very good but happily slots the car into spaces I'd consider too small i.e. other cars too near to avoid car park dings....
Cheers, yes your right its very good at parking. I will have a go at park assit into a lined parking bay, but that's for another day.

O and the ambient lighting is fun. the foot well lights are useful and non obtrusive. the long bar across the bottom of the dashboard turning to the underside door handles in the front is ok, but im not sure why its there. It does not illuminate anything it seems like its just for decoration. There are NO puddle lights under the wing mirrors either on this spec of car.
Fudgedog09
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Drives: Polo SEL 1.0 TSI 115
Location: Hereford

Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by Fudgedog09 »

I also have a Polo SEL 115 Manual with the following options, White Silver Metallic, 17" Pamplona Dark Adamantium Wheels, Active Info, Name badge deletion, Pan Roof, Driver Profile Selection, Rear View Camera, LED Headlamps

White Silver Metallic: at first trouble keeping this clean, but I have applied Hydosilex and that has made so much difference, now jut spray it with the hosepipe once a week
17" Dark Pampalona wheels, look amazing.

Name badge deletion, just because.

Pan roof... Wow fantastic totally love it especially after this summer...

Active info display... fantastic toy..... well worth it

Driver Profile select... works well, in Eco mode improves fuel economy to 47 around town.

Rear view camera... everyone should have one.

LED Headlamps Fantastic better than I had hoped.....

my car for some reason also came with a winter pack on which I didn't order but hey I am not complaining.

Quite like that as well


Incidently I have had to pick a company car for work, so have given my SEL to the wife, and I have ordered a New one,

Polo SEL 1.0 115 Manual, reef blue, pan roof, led lights, winter pack, 16" Las Minas Dark Adamantium wheels, active info display, driver profile select, pre crash, ACC, Folding door mirrors, rear view camera, keyless
david.stark
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Drives: SE
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Re: My Polo SEL thoughts after one week of driving

Post by david.stark »

I’ve had my SE for almost 2 months now and regarding DSG, I really like it and I only enable stop/start when I know I’m going to be in a queue of traffic for more than just a few seconds. The start-up sounds like a diesel I must say.

Have a read through this: https://uk-polos.net/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=71776
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