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! :D

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 :D

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 :D

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

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

or Ford Fiesta XR4 is due soon :o

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 (http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showpost.php?p=54489&postcount=6) 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.:D

[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!!!!! :Dj:

[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 :D 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.

[PeterHBne]

Hmmmmm - good advice in there guys - thanks for all your help!

Beefa - you are probably right - I may need to compromise my choice in some areas for daily comfort.


Think I'll try & get an extended test drive in Colt & Polo this weekend to make my mind up.

My ride in the Polo really wasnt enough to pass a real judgement.

Buy a Ford!!!!!!! You've got to be kidding!!!!! :)

[shaneth]

Hey Peter, Mate heres an idea, why dont you come to the SEQ drive day and passenger with a polo. Id offer mine but my wife is coming. There are a few other polos that dont have pasengers. If you want i may be able to tee it up for you.

[Wand Weaver]

Am i correct that the blown Feista already exists O/S and doesnt get the best of reviews.

The XR4 is the same as the Fiesta ST overseas. It has a 2.0L Duratec (N/A) motor, so it's not blown.

While I love driving my Polo, and don't regret the decision to buy one at all - I'm being a realist when I say that the Fiesta does handle better than the Polo does (stock).

And while turbos are certainly easier to mod to boost their power easily, power is honestly not everything, and there's a certain appeal to having a larger N/A motor rather than a turbo one, especially in the way the power is delivered. Just ask the R32 guys :)

[MINTpolo]

I'm with Shaneth, i think the colt looks like much better value at 26k, and i dont doubt its abilities, however, i dont know if i could part with the all rounded-ness of the polo. Also its attention to fine detail and high quality materials. You dont get as much of this in most japanese cars. A sway bar should assist in making the handling a tad more responsive, and some advan AD07's :P should bring it up to the colts grip levels.

Biggest problem with these small quickish cars under 30k is they are all compromised, its a pain because it would be easier if one stood out as best. Therefore the choice has to be made as to which compromise you want.

IMO
Swift= Good handling but not enough power and a flimsy image?
Colt = Good power and the seats (are they that good??)but strange looks and handling still not as good as it could be, interior not good for 30k and its also harsher.
Polo = Quality and the engine. but the handling is a lil soft in comparison.
Fiesta = Decent handling, decent NA power but it is getting old, the interior isnt particulary high quality and its also smaller.
Citroen C2? well...does anyone want one of these? they look cool...

So thats what i reckon anyway. I would be taking a good hard look at a colt in your situation, but i dont know if i could live with one.

Also, FYI the fiesta engine is pretty much the MZR 2.0 from the Mazda3 so mods should be available to squeeze a few more kw from it.

[Ben_GTI]

My $0.02 on the fuel consumption figures; I'm getting on average 6.9L/100km.

I put this down to the simple ideology, "If you don't slow down for corners, you don't have to accelerate back upto speed."

Although with aircon running its closer to 10.0L/100km.

[poloplayer]

I'm still getting around 8.5L/100km, after having done 2200kms on the clock.

[PeterHBne]

I had a half hour run in the Polo just now. Took the Colt & Swit Sports for a half hour run on the weekend.

I think most peoples comments are spot on. The Polo seems definitely more rounded and more liveable compared to the Colt.

The Colt feels more powerful & possibly is but I think that is due to the lag below 3,000 then the turbo coming on strong. The gear change is yuck. It sounds nice having Recaro's & they certainly hold you but I think they would literally be a pain in the arse. It does turn in & hang on better than the Polo & feels like it handles better up to a point. I personally really like the look of the Colt - much better in the flesh than photos.

The Polo really does feel soft in the front end as everyone says. The quality of the Polo inside is better but I must say I'm surprised at the cheapness of the plastics in all modern cars I've seen - even much more expensive ones. I suppose this is one of the ways that they make them comparatively cheaper now then 10 years ago!

I think the Colt would be great if most of your miles are squirting around in short bursts.

I can't see the $8,000 difference between the Swift Sport & standard. Frankly, I'd buy the standard & put a couple of grand into the suspension. The power difference feels minor.

The problems (major & small) that some people have experienced with their Polo bothers me. The last thing I want is to be in and out of the dealer on a monthly basis with the car off the road. In the last 20 years I've had 3 cars that never ever let me down in any way no matter how you drove them (original Swift GTI, worked Daihatsu Charade now a company car Corolla).

So fingers crossed I get a good 'un (if I buy...)!

XR4 has landed today in Brisbane - taking one out tomorrow morning for a spin (in peak hour traffic!!!!!)

[PeterHBne]

XR4 is impressive. Seems very well built with a quality feel to the interior. Definately superior to the Swift Sport (a natural competitor). Certainly a snug car inside (which I like). Felt very competent on the road - VERY heavy traffic so really couldn't do a lot. Didn't feel as fast as the Polo. 2nd gear felt faster than first.

Going for a traffic free drive on Saturday. First impressions are good, but I don't think they'll be discounting for first buyers so it would probably be very close to the current GTI price.

[VEEDUB69]

XR4 is impressive. Seems very well built with a quality feel to the interior. Definately superior to the Swift Sport (a natural competitor). Certainly a snug car inside (which I like). Felt very competent on the road - VERY heavy traffic so really couldn't do a lot. Didn't feel as fast as the Polo. 2nd gear felt faster than first.

Going for a traffic free drive on Saturday. First impressions are good, but I don't think they'll be discounting for first buyers so it would probably be very close to the current GTI price.

Hi Peter, I owned a Fiesta Zetec (no problems) & they are a very solid build as are actually 'made in Germany' as opposed to the Polo GTI in Spain. Fiesta handling is terrific but I imagine the XR4 will be very hard as the Zetec was pretty firm. Will be interested to get ur thoughts on the proper drive. Point to remember is the GTI gets cruise where the XR4 does not, that was a major consideration for myself as I do a fair bit of highway driving. Goodluck with your search! Oh, and the footwell was an issue for me in the Fiesta I found it a little cramped the Polo is better, also the column audio controls were not ideally placed for the rising left knee on gear changes.

[MINTpolo]

I understand your concern with the apparent quality issues with the polo, but to be honest, i think most of them are fairly minor. Niggly faults seem to afflict european cars. If you want a car with issues, check out the Ford XR5, yes xr5, forum...and that is built in Germany...The important bits in the polo drive train are well proven and long lasting (can that be said for mitsubishi?), and hopefully the issues Shaneth has had are going to be few and far between. Slow 2nd gear synchros (mine are perfect) apparently could just be part of the gearbox design.

Anyways, you should definetly sample a polo with a chip and rear swaybar (like me) and you might be more impressed. I think my mate was the other day when i out dragged his '98 wrx...

XR4's definetly are appealing, just not much potential for more power down the track if you so wanted.

[mitch_gti]

Having recently stepped out of a new Fiesta i can too vouch for the solidity and quality of the car.

Very well put together. Everything worked, no gimmicks and NO problems during two years of ownership.

Part of the reason i didnt wait for the ST Fiesta(XR4) or get the swift sport, c2 VTS, Punto sport, Ralliart colt was because i wanted something which wasnt quite as ''young''.

Polo GTI has much higher quality finish, better features and felt more convincing when it came to dollar value.

At the end of the day it's each to their own.

But what i took into consideration was that the GTI is more grown up and had a bit more polish and style to it, which is what i was looking for.

[Wand Weaver]

The GTI is softer than most hot hatches - and perversely, I actually like it like that.

I've spent some time in some seriously hard riding metal, and while they're a hoot carving up the bends, they're a literal pain in the proverbial to live with on a day to day basis. The firmest thing I've ever had the 'pleasure' of being a passenger in was a fully worked Celica GT4. Made an Elise feel plush! Of course, you could stiffen the Polo up like some have with coilovers and a swaybar - if that's your thing.

If I was buying now (rather than close to 6 months ago), I'd be taking a good look at the XR4. I love the look of the thing, and mechanically, the drivetrain has been around for a while so should be pretty solid. The Fiesta handles well too, without being overly firm (206 GTi and RenaultSport Clio are MUCH more firm).

Both the XR4 and Polo look like high quality product, especially when compared to the aforementioned French pair. There are some seriously nice 206 GTi 180s out there, but there are some complete dogs too. The build quality seems pretty variable (funny I should say this on a VW forum where some people have had problems, others not) - even visibly so.

The Ralliart Colt was never a proposition for me - I'm past the full-on boy racer look. I prefer the understated look much more than the in-your-face one.

[shiyan]

I recently tested a few hot hatches...

Mini Cooper S (the new one with turbo) - pretty hard sprung but softer than the old generation. Still minimal body roll just like the old car. Very entertaining to drive - power was smooth and speed was very impressive.

Would be my ideal car if I had enough money for it - 24000 Euros.

Ibiza Sport 1.4 (I'm interested in the FR 1.8T but they didn't have that as a test car) - softer sprung than the Mini but chassis was a real pleasant surprise. I just didn't like the look of the interior and not a huge fan of the exterior either. The FR costs 17000 Euros once aircon is included.

Polo 1.9 TDI 130hp - was impressed by the powertrain but did not like the large amount of body roll. Uses the 15mm lowered sport suspension so I'm wondering how much the Polo GTI would roll... TDI would cost me 19000 Euros and the GTI 20000 Euros.

The one car I'm quite interested in but have not been able to test is the Fiesta ST (XR4?) 150hp. It costs around 17000 Euros including ESP.

My ideal car would be the Fiesta with a 6 speed gearbox (close ratio 5spd gearbox means 3700rpm for highway cruising) or a Polo with the chassis of the Ibiza (Polo has a lot of grip but I hate that body roll)