A job well done

Normally, a car will arrive on a Monday or a Tuesday and the protocol around here suggests that one of our snappers have the first go at a normal week's test car.

He needs to shoot it when it's clean and shiny, rather than when the wheels are braked all black by the test team and others who, well, test it, never mind the dust that last night's thunderstorm turned into an ugly pattern of dried mud...

So, with the crisp, clear digital images nicely saved to disc, the test unit will come back and with a little luck one of the testers is next to have a go. He'll fit our humble test kit to it and head off to where we drive all the cars against the clock.

Then with all the data recorded, the car will get back to the office on day three or four, where he or she who's charged with writing the test will drive it to work and around on their chores. That, normally, includes a weekend, where the car can be related to away from all the pressure of deadline, impending launches and being chased all day every day by yours truly.

On Monday, it's gone with someone else and Tuesday a third party will drive it for a second and third opinion, before it goes home on Wednesday to be readied for the next mob to test it...

Then we discuss it all and the responsible scribe will get all the facts together and write the story, which is presented along with the data and images to our design office. From there, it's grafted into a neat little page's Lasting Impression or becomes part of one of our famous comparison tests.

Well, that's how it's supposed to work but somehow, it generally all gets done in some order or another. But none of us ever really get to know a car. And that's why we really appreciate our long-term tests...

Essentially, a long-termer arrives almost new - unlike most test units, which often have been subjected to a similar routine at three or four other publications before they get to us - well run in, let's call it...

The long-term test car is then designated to one person for the entire test - six months motoring reported on every issue, warts and all. And our Polo was put to the ultimate test... Office boss Carol doubles as the boss' wife and that's quite something...

You see, besides its daily trips to the office, to the bank and to do the administrative chores, our Polo had to work as a true family car for six months too. Its duties there included the daily transportation of a two-and-a-half year old monster and his eight-year old sister to school and back, to the shops, around town and running in hot, heavy traffic every day. Then, occasionally, it'd even be used as transport away for the weekend with dad too.

So, like all of our long-term test cars, our Polo TDi had a relationship — and semblance of a normal life — so much better a means to evaluate it than the rushed-over affair of a 'normal' road test...

And Polo proved to be a winner throughout that elongated test - in so many ways...

Most impressive, perhaps, was its fuel consumption - try 6.2 litres per 100km overall - in stop-go heavy town traffic the majority of the time... That's 700km to a 44-litre tank on average. We often managed 800 and just as often just above 600km a tank, depending on how we drove, but never less than 600, even early on before it was run in properly...

The further into the test, however, the better everything got with the Polo. Fuel consumption, performance and responsiveness all improved as time passed and the miles racked up — even the Highveld turbo lag we found as one of the few bugbears of this fine little car is now half the problem it was...

Performance in general was brilliant and besides that lag, this is perhaps the best performing 1 400cc on the market. Yes, it is helped by that turbo at altitude, but it's still the torquiest and most responsive small car on the market once on the move. And that noise it makes is great too - like a mini Porsche, it spurns you on...

While Polo is a delight to drive, it's also brilliantly equipped: The drink holder stood the torture test of many a McDonalds happy meal and after contending with the kids and everything else, it still works just as well as it did on day one. There's been no wear and tear and the leather, plastic and other finishes are still like new.

The car is supremely equipped, as we've often mentioned, along with its top-notch build quality to match anything on the road - even some top-drawer limos...

One gadget we did fit was a Xinix Parking Assistant — great value fitted at under a grand.

Thankfully, we never got to test its safety attributes, while that familiar beep-beep was a constant reminder of the fact that Polo was looking after itself while we were away.

Problems? No, Polo wasn't perfect...

Yes, we caused one trouble when Carol inadvertently topped up with unleaded one morning. There is no way the refueller can tell it's a diesel though, unless he looks around behind the flap. A more visible diesel decal would be welcome... Then a motorized gate caught the right door, although the minor damage was perfectly repaired at service, too...

Actual problems with the car included a niggle midway through the test that saw us unable to consistently open the boot and rendered the remote opening useless, but that was effectively solved at service.

Then, right at the end of the test, we had a gremlin that saw the brake lights switching themselves on at random while the car was parked - rather spooky indeed to arrive home late at night to find that eerie red glow emanating from the parked Polo. That problem became worse when the lights ran the battery flat.

But we trust it'll be sorted out when we get the car back. 'But isn't the test over?' I hear you ask...

Indeed, it is, but we have bought the Polo - Carol couldn't face waving it goodbye, so it's coming back - genuine GP plates and all and ready to resume service as an everyday mom's taxi.

And as we've said before, if a long-term test car is good enough to buy instead of let go, it must be that it's passed the test.

And pass the test, out long term Polo TDi certainly has.