The ever-popular Volkswagen Polo remains a dream car for many. The aspirational value of the Polo, bundled with its reliability, affordability and all-around practicality has seen it become a staple on South African roads. The fan club is huge! Whether you're looking for a cost-effective transport solution or a vehicle that allows you to express your persona, the Volkswagen Polo is the ticket.
Related: Which Volkswagen Polo trim is best?
Buying the car is one thing, keeping it running is another. We're not all in the position to buy new and have the benefit of the maintenance plan so you will be wondering how costly it is to maintain a Volkswagen Polo. Thankfully, an annual report compiled initially by the late Malcolm Kinsey and later by the AA dives into this aspect of ownership, comparing the Volkswagen Polo to its peers. Here's how it fares.
The survey was last compiled in 2020 and these prices are only an indication and should not be quoted. Always check with your selected dealer as to the current costs associated. This model uses a Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI Comfortline as its sample model variant. It was compared against the Hyundai i20, Toyota Starlet, Suzuki Swift Sport, Ford Fiesta, Renault Sandero, and Toyota Yaris. The part prices are as quoted from the dealers for genuine replacement parts.
Service parts
| Part | Price (2020) |
| Air filter | R288.65 |
| Oil filter | R156.93 |
| Pollen filter | R444.48 |
| Spark plug | R232.30 |
| Glow plug | NA |
| R/H windscreen wiper | R510.03 |
| Front brake pads | R1 037.30 |
| Rear brake pads/shoes | R3 220.00 |
| Total | R5 889.69 |
For service parts, the Volkswagen Polo was the second most expensive with only the Suzuki Swift Sport coming in more expensive.
Replacement Parts
Replacement parts are consumable items that wear over time. These include major service items and components that will require replacing over a longer period of time.
| Part | Price (2020) |
| Cambelt/Timing chain | R1 063.18 |
| Front disc | R309.35 |
| Rear disc/drum | R1 449.00 |
| Front shock absorber | R2 041.25 |
| Rear shock absorber | R1 868.75 |
| Fan belt | R616.98 |
| Total | R7 348.51 |
In the replacement parts section, the Polo was the second cheapest with the Swift Sport turning the tables and coming in the cheapest. The most expensive was the Renault Sandero.
Crash parts
The crash parts section looks at the cost for the parts that would need to be replaced in the event of a minor accident. This extensive list looks at genuine items from the dealers.
| Part | Price (2020) |
| Bonnet | R6 704.50 |
| Front bumper skin | R2 915.25 |
| Grille | R6 003.00 |
| L/H front fender | R4 151.50 |
| Wheel rim | R11 488.50 |
| L/H headlight assembly | R5 560.25 |
| Front windscreen | R2 024.00 |
| Aircon condenser | R4 680.50 |
| Radiator | R4 030.75 |
| R/H front door | R8 855.00 |
| R/H rear door | R12 719.00 |
| R/H front glass | R939.55 |
| Rear bumper skin | R6 980.50 |
| L/H rear fender | R8 107.50 |
| Boot lid/tailgate | R8 222.50 |
| L/H taillight assembly | R1 345.50 |
| Rear windscreen | R6 911.50 |
| Total | R101 639.30 |
Once again, the Volkswagen Polo was the second most expensive with the Suzuki Swift Sport coming in as the most expensive.
Verdict
The Volkswagen Polo generally doesn't fare well in terms of parts prices. This is rather disappointing when one considers that the Polo and many of its components are fabricated locally. The cheapest overall, in 2020, when combining all of the three sections, was the Hyundai i20. The Hyundai is an imported vehicle with imported parts yet still manages to come in as the cheapest, dispelling many rumours that claim that buying an imported car is more expensive in the long run.
