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Driving the Polo Classic isn't a classic experience in any level either. The first thing I noticed with this car is the high engagement of the clutch pedal compared to the typical Japanese. This means that starting from standstill and shifting is a chore that takes some getting used to especially when you have to deal with Manila traffic. The next thing I've quickly noticed was when we had to do an emergency brake near an intersection: the brakes are practically non-existent! They are so weak, so pathetic that even that a circa 1989 Toyota Corolla could out brake this so-called product of German engineering! The steering is rather sluggish, mundane and weak in response. In fact, I was so surprised that the small looking Polo Classic even had a harder time parking than the almost one-fourth larger Nissan Cefiro. The ride, despite its European tuning, isn't fit for a queen…in fact, let me re-phrase that, it isn't fit for a human being! The Polo Classic felt terrible when going over small potholes, uneven roads and open manholes. I may want to pin the blame on the Quezon City government for providing us with poor road conditions for this, but Volkswagen should have done something to improve the ride a bit. Ironically, the stiffness in ride did not translate to better handling. In fact, the Polo Classic had considerable body roll especially when doing quick left-right manoeuvres to avoid any potholes. Of course, the body roll would also be felt when doing quick changing manoeuvres to avoid cars you didn't see courtesy of the Polo's small and highly magnified rear view mirrors. All in all, the driving experience of the Polo Classic does not even bring out a degree of confidence with it. In driving this car, caution and full alertness must be present at all times. The weak selling Volkswagen Polo Classic is now pegged at 495,000 smackers, a relatively inexpensive 1.6-liter car or so you think. For one, it should be priced even lower because this car is disappointing overall. Case in point: the deep-throat sounding engine drives and feels as if it's a museum piece already. Looking into the Polo's manual makes it even worse: 100-bhp from a 1.6-liter SOHC 8V inline-4. No Japanese car manufacturer makes an engine quite like this nowadays! Why should the Germans (or should I say the Spanish)? If you question the Polo Classic's safety feature, I can summarize it in three words: front seatbelts only. The Polo Classic lacks modern safety equipment such as rear safety belts, airbags and ABS. However, the Polo has such less useful devices like headlight adjusters and rear defogger. |
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