MoTorIng
unremarkable but slick enough, a
responsive throttle aiding smooth
changes on the five speed gearbox.
The Polo’s trump card is that you
are unlikely to ever see below 50
mpg however hard you try. With
just 59 bhp on tap, you do need to
make it sing for any semblance
of speed especially on the motor- Me and My Car
way. To be honest, for the odd
occasional motorway journey this Samaira Finn-Caile looks back over her driving
version of the Polo is just about
do-able. Nevertheless, if you plan
years and the evolution of her motors.
to do regular jaunts up and down
the M1 then seriously consider pur-
chasing a more powerful variant.
In spite of this, around town it’s
sprightly and agile allowing you
to nip in and out of tight squeezes,
and for me that’s what a small car
is all about.
Indeed, the Polo manages to
squeeze an enormous amount of
space into its proportions. It fits
four comfortably with decent leg
and headroom for the front seat
passengers plus enough room to
keep all but the lankiest of trave-
lers satisfied without worrying
about playing backseat boxing
with one’s knees. Seats up, its more The year was 1981 and I was good friend Naseem dealt with the
than ample for the weekly shop working as a nurse in Lancaster. fraught gentleman in front.
and with the rear bench splitting My family lived in Shap (it might My Toyota Previa was an
and folding, the lack of space is as well have been Timbuktu), so upgrade on my Space Cruiser; big-
the least of your problems. What’s getting home on my days off was ger, brighter and cleaner. It was
more, for added versatility there’s a real test of endurance, which expensive to run so we put it up
a variable load space floor in the meant I needed a car. My uncle for sale and a man from a com-
boot allowing you to hide away gave me a red Ford Escort. I was pany came round offering us a
your valuables. really chuffed; all was going well higher price if he could pay by
So, it appears that I have learnt until I was on the motorway in monthly instalments. This seemed
a few things about the new VW heavy rain and noticed a huge pool like a good idea, so we signed the
version. One: for an urban car it is of water by my feet. I stopped at a paperwork. He then made the
polished and distinguished. Two: service station and looked under first payment and took the car to
it will not fall apart at your fin- the carpet to find several holes! I the garage to fit a tracking device.
gertips. Three: the Polo is likely called my uncle from a payphone When no more payments came
to be brought by more mature (no mobiles in those days) and he through we reported it to the
folks looking for refinement as duly ignored my pleas for help. police. A short while later they
a city runabout while the ‘yoofs’ I persevered with the car until I informed us the company was run
drive around in their Citroens finally broke down on the M62. by some crooks. Against all the
and Peugeots. And finaly, a Polo So, that was my first motoring odds the police found my Previa on
finished in Metallic black won’t experience. a ferry from Ireland two years later.
dent a young man’s street-cred. Later, I got a silver Space I now drive a Honda CRV,
Ultimately, this VW will not set Cruiser. I travelled many a mile bought to give more leg room and a
the world alight. What it does do with my best friend and our eight better view. Now that the children
is promise good old fashioned A restless children, entertaining are no longer around to enjoy my
to B runaround for the small fam- them with nasheeds, I spy or a box driving, my grandchildren have a
ily, and with the reassurance of full of activities. In an attempt permanent seat ready in the back.
Germanic engineering it looks to stop the kids cheating I forgot Deja vu.
tempting as an addition to your where the breaks were and went Send in your ‘wheel life’ stories
garage. l into the back of the car in front. with a picture of you and your
www.volkswagen.co.uk Too embarrassed to get out, my beloved to
info@emel.com
www.emel.com | emel magazine 73
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