UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Congratulations on the new car SRGTD. The new car looks great inside and out. The interior looks much better than VW's of late.

Like you, I too have been loyal to VW for over 20 years and actually think there has never been a better time than now to consider exploring alternative brands. I have a Golf GTI PP 7.5 which I love and will be keeping but really believe that generation of VWs was a step above the current ones in both build quality and user interface. I wouldn't even consider the MK8 as it felt considerably cheaper when I looked at it at the dealers. The doors and handles gave me that impression straight away, and I can't stand all the gloss black inserts VW are now so persistent on putting in the car. Cost cutting is evident across the whole range, new VW owners won't notice anything different but people who have had VW's for over 5 years sure will. The other reason is, there are definitely troubling times at VW with sales at an all time low and even talk of them reducing dealerships in the UK.

However, in contrast to that I have just ordered a new Polo R-Line 115 which my mum will mainly be driving, but that was a safe bet for me as she has been driving Polo's for the past 15 years. However, your post has certainly made me more open to other brands if we do decide to sell the Polo within the next 12-18 months. It is a bold move if you have been when the same manufacturer for over 20 years, but fair play. Your interior looks better than most modern VWs tbf, with the climate control dials and physical buttons.

Keep us updated on how it is over the longer term and also reliability etc.

Thanks @sunny87.

I agree with you regarding VW build quality and cost cutting. It’s often the little touches that make quite a big difference with regard to perceived build quality - things such as fabric panels in the door cards and the sliding cover over the cup holders in the centre console. Your mk7.5 Golf has both of these (my Clio has a sliding cover over the cup holders and fabric panels in the front door cards). I believe VW no longer paint the under side of the bonnet or engine compartment of their cars in body colour; they’re left in a grey primered state; another example of cost cutting.

I think the mk7 / mk7.5 Golf was the pinnacle of all generations of the Golf, although I had a 2011 mk6 Golf GTD and that car was also very good. I’d rank it along side my previous generation 2016 Polo GTI as the two best VW’s I’ve owned, my mk4 Golf (my first VW) would take third place followed by a mk5 Golf and my Polo GTI+ in fourth equal position.

I must have missed your post regarding your Polo R Line order as I remember you were considering changing it to a GTI. As your mother will be the main user, then the 115 ps R Line is probably the sensible choice.

Yes, the physical controls for HVAC and the most used functions in the Clio are a big plus in my book. I may be biased, but I think Renault have struck a good balance between physical controls and what needs to be accessed via the touchscreen. Oh, I forgot to mention in my previous posts - IMHO the sound quality from the audio system is very good. I’m no audiophile, but I think it sounds better than the audio system in the Polo .

I’ll provide updates on the longer term ownership experience, along with reliability.

it looks nice inside ( not sure about the centre iPad , looks like a bit of an afterthought ) You say that the build quality is every bit if not better than VW , and I am sure it is ( I said I believed what you said !!! ) .
A hundred years ago I have owned Renault's and Peugeots ( a 5 Gordini and a 205 GTI ,That's how old I am ! ) the build quality was appalling so when they were replaced by a Mk 2 Golf GTI it was a bit of a revelation build wise . It's those thoughts and memories that have dictated my car buying journey ever since. I now at this late stage realise that most car manufacturers have progressed and VW may have regressed !!!!
Enjoy your new motor , and drive safe

Mike222 wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2024 2:25 pm it looks nice inside ( not sure about the centre iPad , looks like a bit of an afterthought ) You say that the build quality is every bit if not better than VW , and I am sure it is ( I said I believed what you said !!! ) .
A hundred years ago I have owned Renault's and Peugeots ( a 5 Gordini and a 205 GTI ,That's how old I am ! ) the build quality was appalling so when they were replaced by a Mk 2 Golf GTI it was a bit of a revelation build wise . It's those thoughts and memories that have dictated my car buying journey ever since. I now at this late stage realise that most car manufacturers have progressed and VW may have regressed !!!!
Enjoy your new motor , and drive safe

Yes, the iPad style infotainment screen isn’t the most well integrated, but then that could probably be said of the infotainment screens in many other cars these days; the latest Golf (the mk8.5 facelift) with its new larger screen is a good example. The portrait orientation does seem to make it easier to use than some landscape in-car screens I’ve used, and its top edge doesn’t obstruct the view out of the windscreen as I thought it might.

I think memories of previous cars owned do influence future car buying decisions. I owned a Vauxhall VIva HC back in the late 1970’s (not quite a hundred years ago, but a long time ago ) and that car was very poor to put it politely. It put me off Vauxhall’s for a number of years, but after a string of Fords I then bought a mk2 Cavalier in the late 1980’s which was very good, so my next four cars after that were also Vauxhalls.

I hope I will enjoy my new car, and I’ll drive safely.

Looks good mate! Enjoy the new car and glad you'll be sticking around!

S_94 wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2024 4:37 pm Looks good mate! Enjoy the new car and glad you'll be sticking around!

Thanks.

I will be sticking around. I’ve not found what I’d consider to be a good Renault forum and I think that may be a consequence of Renault no longer building hot hatches.

Great write up! I did look at the Clio last year when I was shopping around for my new car but ended up with the GTI+. It’s a great looking car from the outside and that red is glorious. I’ve always liked the ‘stealth’ rear doors. Also I do think the Renault build quality has improved from the dodgy bad old days. I had a Megane a couple years ago that seemed solid and well screwed together.

The couple of minor things did turn me away from it were what seemed to be a tiny rear window (but the reverse camera would have helped I don’t know if it was standard), and the dashboard seemed really high up/close to you that made me feel a little claustrophobic.

funkyg wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2024 10:44 pm Great write up! I did look at the Clio last year when I was shopping around for my new car but ended up with the GTI+. It’s a great looking car from the outside and that red is glorious. I’ve always liked the ‘stealth’ rear doors. Also I do think the Renault build quality has improved from the dodgy bad old days. I had a Megane a couple years ago that seemed solid and well screwed together.

The couple of minor things did turn me away from it were what seemed to be a tiny rear window (but the reverse camera would have helped I don’t know if it was standard), and the dashboard seemed really high up/close to you that made me feel a little claustrophobic.

Thanks @funkyg.

Yes, the rear window is small. All three models in the Clio range have rear parking sensors; a reversing camera is standard on Techno and Esprit Alpine models but not the entry level Evolution model.

Like the reversing camera on many cars, the one on the Clio is exposed to the elements and will get dirty from road spray in wet weather. I had the reversing camera on my Polo GTI+, and with it being located behind the tailgate handle it stays clean at all times; great design by VW, and I’ll no doubt miss having a clean reversing camera in wet weather.

I can’t say I’ve noticed the dashboard being really close. It does appear higher up than in the Polo as the Clio’s seats seem to have a greater range of height adjustment, so when the seats are set in a low position, the dashboard seems higher up. Adjusting the seat height soon rectified that for me.

SRGTD wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 1:50 pm My new car - what is it?
It’s a Renault Clio E Tech Esprit Alpine self charging full hybrid in metallic Flame Red; not a car I thought I’d ever consider buying. Historically, Renaults of old haven’t had a particularly good reputation reliability-wise, being renowned especially for their dodgy electrics. However I did lots of research and from what I was able to establish, the problems of old associated with the brand seem to be pretty much a thing of the past, and reliability is supposedly pretty much on a par with VW these days (although with VW’s recent track record with all their software issues, that might not be saying much!). Here it is in all its glory (apologies; forgot to move my garden waste bin before taking the picture). For anyone who’s wondering, the white patch in the picture on the edge of the bonnet near the headlight is a reflection, not missing paintwork .


IMG_1645.jpeg

Many congrats on the Clio it looks absolutely great and despite your hatred of Diamond Cut Alloys the wheels look amazing.... so much better than my poxy Parkers

Looking at your posts we're in the same age bracket and when I got my Golf R especially in Lapiz Blue my three daughters who were all grown up even then raised their eyebrow and then when I got the Polo they just said.... "really dad at your age"

I did look at many, many, other options when getting it, including a Cupra Born where I nearly pulled the trigger until I realised that the electrics in our house probably would need a major upgrade to charge it. In the end the Polo was an amazing short lived deal that I couldn't ignore and I don't regret it apart from the 17" Parkers.... I might have mentioned that I'm not too keen on them

I really do hope that you stick around on here because your knowledge and insights on all things Polo are invaluable

Ian T wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2024 6:59 pm Many congrats on the Clio it looks absolutely great and despite your hatred of Diamond Cut Alloys the wheels look amazing.... so much better than my poxy Parkers

Looking at your posts we're in the same age bracket and when I got my Golf R especially in Lapiz Blue my three daughters who were all grown up even then raised their eyebrow and then when I got the Polo they just said.... "really dad at your age"

I did look at many, many, other options when getting it, including a Cupra Born where I nearly pulled the trigger until I realised that the electrics in our house probably would need a major upgrade to charge it. In the end the Polo was an amazing short lived deal that I couldn't ignore and I don't regret it apart from the 17" Parkers.... I might have mentioned that I'm not too keen on them

I really do hope that you stick around on here because your knowledge and insights on all things Polo are invaluable

Thanks Ian. Yes, I’m pleased with it - quite different to the Polo GTI+ but so far I really like it. It feels very grown up for a small car too. I do like the style of the alloys on my car; just not the fact that they’re diamond cut. I don’t think they’ll be the easiest alloys to clean though - I always clean the wheel barrels and the backs of the spokes when I wash my car, and access to those parts doesn’t look to be as easy as it was on the aftermarket alloys I had on my Polo GTI+. I’ll be giving the Clio’s alloys a couple of coats of Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour during the next week, so hopefully most of the dirt, dust and brake dust can be easily removed with a pre-rinse prior to washing.

A couple of first time experiences with the Clio today;

• I used the boot today for the first time. It seems a similar size to the Polo GTI’s boot, but it does have quite a large loading lip which I was aware of before I bought it. That means it wouldn’t be as easy to load and unload heavy objects as it would be in the Polo GTI with virtually no load lip. I don’t think it’ll be an issue for me though as I don’t often carry large, heavy objects.

• I also did my first drive in the Clio after dark tonight and there was a positive and a negative. First the negative; after dark, the definition of the reversing camera image is poor (it’s quite a grainy image) compared to the reversing camera on the Polo. It’s useable but just not as good as the Polo’s. Strangely, the image is fine during the day though. The positive; the headlamps are very, very good. They’re not matrix LED’s but the light output is really good - much better than those on the Polo GTI+. The Clio is the first car I’ve owned with auto-dipping headlamps and they work pretty well. I was quite impressed.

So far, Clio ownership has been a positive experience and I’m hoping it continues to be .

And yes I will be sticking around on the forum .

Well it finally happened. We are also no longer polo owners, having replaced our last one with a golf. First impressions are very positive - it’s much quieter than the polo, has a better ride, similar level of kit to the r-line it replaced (we have gone for match spec), very economical already, the system is a million times better than the mk 8 and all round just a relaxing car.

The only negative I can find is it’s actually a nicer car to be in as it’s quieter and has a softer ride than my (more expensive) Mazda cx30….

lancslad1985 wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:00 am Well it finally happened. We are also no longer polo owners, having replaced our last one with a golf. First impressions are very positive - it’s much quieter than the polo, has a better ride, similar level of kit to the r-line it replaced (we have gone for match spec), very economical already, the system is a million times better than the mk 8 and all round just a relaxing car.

The only negative I can find is it’s actually a nicer car to be in as it’s quieter and has a softer ride than my (more expensive) Mazda cx30….

Good to hear you’re enjoying the Golf. If VW have sorted the software issues (hopefully they have ) that affected the pre-facelift mk8, then IMHO it’s now the car the mk8 should have been when it was launched back in late 2019 / early 2020.

I think that if I had to choose between the mk8.5 Golf and your Mazda CX30, it would be the Mazda for me though .

So far the infotainment is more intuitive and works smoothly. I’m going to see how it pans out next few months but early impressions are it’s better than my Mazda.

Renault Clio Esprit Alpine full hybrid; two week ownership update.

After almost two week’s ownership of my Clio, thought I’d give an update on my ownership experiences so far. As per my initial posts in this discussion thread, I’ve broken this update down into three smaller posts to (hopefully) make it easier to read.

This is the first of those three posts.

Things I like - in no particular order;

• I know styling is subjective but I do like the overall styling of the car; I’d describe it as ‘typically French’, with a sprinkling of French chique (or should that be chic?). I like the pseudo three door styling with the ‘hidden’ rear door handles, giving it three door looks with five door practicality. It also feels quite ‘grown up’ for a small car.

• The instant torque and quick acceleration from rest in EV mode; I find that quite addictive!

• Headlights; very good and better than the LED headlights on my Polo GTI+. I dare say they’re not as good as the matrix LED headlights on the facelift Polo though. I also like the auto high beam function, which seems to work quite well.

• Little interior touches such as the sliding cover over the cup holders, ‘frameless’ (auto-dimming) interior rear view mirror, chrome rotary knobs for the climate controls and cloth inserts in the front door cards that IMHO give the car a more premium feel when compared to many other B segment cars. The ‘Alpine-inspired’ blue edged seatbelts are also a nice touch.

• Very efficient climate control; much more so than the air con was in my Polo GTI+.

• Renault’s approach to retaining physical controls / switchgear for the most often used functions is a big positive IMHO.

• Audio system; I’m no audiophile, but the audio system sound quality seems better than that of the standard audio unit in the Polo.

• Seat comfort; I was able to find a comfortable driving position from the outset - something I sadly wasn’t able to do in my GTI+ in four years of ownership.

• The large glove box; even though some of the space is taken up by the fuse box on RHD Clios, the glove box is quite a bit larger than the Polo’s. It’s very deep rather than wide, and it must be enormous on LHD Clios when the glove box is on the right of the dashboard as the fuse box stays on the left hand side, near the driver’s knee.

• The way the car switches from EV to ICE mode - the switch from one mode to the other is pretty much imperceptible.

• Regenerative braking mode (B mode) option on the transmission; the regenerative braking effect that helps charge the traction battery is pretty strong and it slows the car down quite effectively. That means ‘one pedal’ driving is often possible in slower, urban driving situations, so I’m finding I’m selecting B rather than leaving the transmission in D when driving in town. Saves on brake pad wear too.

• The ‘creep’ action of the transmission in slow speed manoeuvres such as parking is much more controllable in the Clio than it was in my Polo GTI+.

• The Clio’s rear bumper doesn’t have that annoying (IMHO) flat surface just below the bottom edge of the tailgate which I found always got really dirty on the Polo in wet and winter driving conditions.

• The dealership; initial impressions have been very favourable and positive and from my limited experience of dealing with the Service team, they’re very proactive with the emphasis on customer satisfaction. May help explain why they’ve been Renault’s dealer of the year multiple times.

Fuel consumption;
I think that mpg figures for hybrids are a little misleading as the car is running in EV mode some of the time rather than using petrol, so mpg is really an expression of fuel used against total distance travelled in both EV plus ICE modes (hope that makes sense!). That being said, my car’s ‘mpg’ as calculated by its fuel computer is currently 62.8mpg. That’s over a total distance covered at the time of writing of 221 miles and that figure may improve once the engine’s fully loosened up. However, battery efficiency won’t be as good during the colder winter months so the car will be running in EV mode for less of the time, so realistically, I’m anticipating a drop in the current 62.8 figure over the next few months before it improves again in the springtime.

Clio 2 week ownership update; 2nd of 3 posts.

Quirks;

• Tailgate release button; it’s on the rear bumper - not the tailgate. It’s hidden from view and is situated between the number plate lights, just above the number plate, so is likely to get covered in road dirt and spray during wet weather, resulting in dirty hands when using it to open the tailgate. I’ll be using the ‘tailgate unlock’ button on the key fob rather than the hidden button on the bumper.

• Key fob; Renault key fobs are like a ‘fat’ credit card rather than a conventional key fob. There’s no provision to attach them to a key ring or bunch of keys either; that being said, I always used to keep my Polo’s (and previous car’s) key fob separate from my other keys. There is a convenient fob-sized recess in the Clio’s centre console, specifically designed for storage of the key fob once you’re in the car.

• The audio volume control stalk; yes, Renault’s have a third stalk on the steering column for the controls to adjust the audio volume and change radio channels rather than having buttons on the steering wheel. I find third stalk is actually quite intuitive and easy to use while driving. Apparently, it’s been a feature of Renault’s for many generations, so presumably Renault has adopted the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach. For those who don’t like the third stalk, there’s the option to adjust the audio volume via the infotainment screen.

• The engine starts up ‘randomly’ to periodically recharge the traction battery. Not really a quirk - more a feature of a self charging full hybrid. I’m sure it’s not random either and that there’s some sophisticated battery management system that determines when the engine needs to recharge the traction battery; it just appears to be random to a new hybrid owner like me. It’s not that noticeable; more of a distant faint humming noise in the background for short periods of time when recharging takes place. There is a display within the main instrumentation panel showing the energy flows, so it’s possible to see when the ICE - and / or regenerative braking) is / are charging the traction battery, along with which engine mode the car’s running on; i.e. EV-only, ICE only or EV / ICE combined.

Problems / issues;
Not everything’s been perfect. My car’s indicators have been behaving erratically when they’re used - not all the time; it’s an intermittent issue. I contacted the dealership who advised me Renault are aware of the problem and have said it affects ‘a small number of vehicles’. They’ve developed a software fix that’s just been released to dealers and is being applied to my car in just over a week’s time, so hopefully that will sort it .

Annoyances;

• Having just one - instead of two - hand holds on the interior trim of the tailgate to close it. It’s on the right hand side and I’m left handed and I always used the left side hand hold on the Polo to close the tailgate. So I need to get used to having to close the tailgate from the driver’s side.

• Audio volume; seems to always default to a lower volume when starting the car than it was at at the end of the previous journey. I’ve altered the default volume value in the audio settings menu but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference, so I’m having to turn up the volume at the start of each journey. I’ll mention it when I take the car in for the indicators software fix. It’s probably down to ‘operator incompetence’ on my part! .

• Bonnet release catch; is on the passenger / nearside of the car, and the front passenger side door needs to be opened to be able to release it, which means I can’t raise the bonnet while my car’s in my single sized garage.

Anything I miss that I had in the Polo? Yes, there are a few things;

• The steering wheel mounted paddles for manual gear changes, which I did use quite frequently in my GTI+. The Clio doesn’t have these but with it not being a performance car, it seems to ‘encourage’ a different driving style to the way I drove my Polo GTI+. I’m therefore happy to leave the car to do its own thing and decide when to change gear.

• Reversing camera; the Polo’s reversing camera is significantly better and the reversing image from the camera a much higher definition than the Clio’s, especially at night time.

• Dipping kerbside mirror while reversing; not something the Clio has and it’s particularly useful IMHO when parallel parking to avoid scuffing your car’s alloys. Having said that, I don’t often find I need to parallel park.