Buying a small car - Polo or 208? | Ask Honest John

Buying a small car - Polo or 208?

I’m considering replacing my 2007 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Petrol with either a Volkswagen Polo R Line or a Peugeot 208 GT Line. Both seem to have some advantages over the other, although the build quality seems a bit better on the Polo, but then the 1.2 110hp Puretech engine seems to get good reviews, although there are comments on poor manual gearboxes/clutches on the 208.

These both have more HP than my naturally aspirated Fiesta, I’m guessing through advances in technology and the addition of a turbo?

Also with the Polo the 1.0 110ps seems to be the better choice than the 1.2 with 90ps, is that correct? Most of my driving would be in town or country routes, rather than Motorways.

Asked on 20 September 2016 by Darren

Answered by Honest John

The Polo's 1.0 three-cylinder turbo is an excellent, gutsy little engine that compare well with the PSA 1.2 Puretech 110. Unfortunately that only comes with a five-speed manual, though you can overcome that by opting for the excellent six-speed torque converter auto.

There's a new Citroen C3 about to arrive before the end of the year with the Puretech engines. You could go for a Citroen DS3 1.2 Puretech 130 6-speed manual. That's a jewel of a little car with an perfect manual gearbox.

Tags: buying a new car petrol engines

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