Twist or stick?

I am currently driving a 13-month-old VW Golf 1.4TSI SE. This was chosen by my husband from new, but sadly he died suddenly last September and the car was taken over by myself. I am 68 and am thinking to replace the Golf with a smaller car that will hopefully last about 10 years, some time in the next 12 months, and it would need to be a part exchange. My priorities are comfort, economy, reliability and good quality. It would be good to have no road tax and excellent MPG. The roads in my area are quite narrow and hilly in places and most of my journeys are fairly short, say under 10 miles with the occasional longer trip, probably under 5,000 miles a year. I need to accommodate two growing grandchildren and my 6 ft son will also drive. So far we have looked at a Fiesta, but my son found his head almost touching the roof and that the pedals seemed offset. The Polo seems the obvious choice but I find the choice of models quite overwhelming and cannot come to a decision. In your opinion is there anything else I should look at? Any advice would be warmly welcomed.

Asked on 10 July 2010 by AR, Lyme Regis

Answered by Honest John
Ask your VW dealer about a new Polo 1.2 TSI 105. But I don't think you can make this change without losing. The engine you have is a very efficient water-cooled turbo, so heats up quickly and is good for short runs from cold. It's particularly important that the engine warms up quickly so the engine lubricates properly in a hilly area. Zero VED isn't really an option without spending a lot of money buying a super eco diesel car that doesn't heat up quickly and isn't suitable for the sort of motoring you do.
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