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I looked at an Up (and the Skoda / Seat versions) at the Cheshire Show recently. If I'd just been doing a direct replacement for the Yaris they would go straight to the top of the list.
The boot, however, seemed a worse 'shape'. It may technically be bigger but not more useable. In some ways, quoting boot capacity in litres isn't much help as it depends what you are loading to. I need more area, not necessarily height.
When I say technical design I mean things like drivetrain, engines etc. The Polo looks like a very good piece of design in terms of style, looks and quality of parts, but the engine especially really lets it down. Pretty much what you say at the end, upmarket style but not an impressive drive.
I've done some interesting sums comparing the models. The main thing I'd not realised is how much difference there is between the Mk1 and Mk2 Yaris. I always thought a 1.0 in that size of car was just about perfect but I'd not realised how much weight the Mk2 has put on. The following are in the order Yaris Mk1 1.0, Yaris Mk2 1.0, Yaris Mk2 1.33, Jazz 1.2, Polo 1.2, i20 1.2
Power (bhp): 67, 69, 100, 88, 59, 77
Weight (kg): 885, 1030, 1080, 1047, 1017, 1085
Power/Weight (bhp/t): 75.7, 67, 92.6, 84, 58, 71
Torque (Nm): 90, 92, 132.7, 114, 108, 117.8
Torque/Weight (Nm/t): 101.7, 89.4, 122.9, 108.9, 106.2, 108.6
MPG: 49, 52, 54, 53, 51, 55
Luggage (Litres): na, 257, 257, 337, 280, 295
Because the Mk1 Yaris is so light, the power to weight isn't actually that bad. The Polo would be a massive drop so I think that counts it out right away. The Jazz, however, is a bit better but the best would be the 1.33 Yaris Mk2.
Torque to weight (is this a valid measure?) is fairly even aside from the 1.0 Yaris Mk2 which is looking worse and worse with each measure...
Not a lot to MPG, they are all better but not by a massive amount.
The Jazz stands out for luggage space. I can't for the life of my find a stat for that of the Mk1 Yaris but the Colt is 187l and I'd judge the Yaris to be smaller than that.
I think my next step is to test-drive a Jazz and an I20, maybe a Yaris Mk2 if I can find a 1.33 version at a decent price and see. The Polo would have to be a bigger engined one to be worth considering and they seem quite rare anywhere near my budget.
The Polo (and Yaris Mk2 1.0) are probably great city cars but that's not good enough for me. I need to be happy on long journeys and in the countryside so I think both can be discounted right away. The 1.2 Jazz seems good enough - better than my Mk 1 Yaris - but of course the 1.4 would be better still if there is one at the right price.
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