If there is one lesson that life has repeatedly taught me in my time, it would be this; you get what you pay for. This extends to all available consumer items and is not exclusive to any particular product. I can give you some select examples from my own existence if you want.
A cheap hi-fi system may seem like a good idea when looking at the electronics store; an affordable way to listen to all your favorite music in the comfort of your home. Then when you take it home, fumble for the Korean-only manual and finally connect everything, you’ve got an ugly plastic monstrosity that produces the kind of sound quality you’d expect from an old-fashioned gramophone. I made this mistake once and found that all the hi-fi equipment could do was turn my flawless-sounding CD collection into a muffled, hollow, distorted mess that sounded like it was amplified from 50 miles away.
Another example would be the time I foolishly invested in a “deeply discounted” cell phone. What i mean by heavily discounted is that it was the cheapest and ugliest plastic brick available in the phone store, but the price was right. Needless to say, the phone was terrible; a complete aberration of standard technological procedure. Whenever someone called me, the phone transformed my voice into a gurgling and a faint whisper in the distance. Add to that the fact that the text function rarely worked and what you had was a bunch of useless plastic garbage.
This you get what you pay for the ethos is seamlessly transferred to the automotive industry. Literally hundreds of automakers are launching inexpensive little hatchbacks in an attempt to capitalize on the lucrative Supermini market, but as with any product; if you buy cheap, it will be cheap. It’s comforting to find an automaker that is NOT unashamedly competing for the lowest possible price and has stood up and said, “Yeah, we’re a little more expensive, but trust us, you’ll notice the difference.”
The manufacturer I’m talking about is Volkswagen and the chosen car is its inimitable Polo.
The Volkswagen Polo has been around for what seems like centuries, always displaying the kind of sleek elegance that has become synonymous with the VW brand. VW has maintained this credibility with the buying public by never lowering itself to the lowest common denominator and releasing an edition of the Polo that is cheap and nasty (to be honest, Fox has filled that void now). The Polo has retained a kind of grip in the hatchback market that only rivals the Ford Fiesta.
One of the most popular models available is the basic 1.2-liter Polo Match. This is available for around £ 10,000, which puts it nearly £ 2,000 more expensive than a similarly spec Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta. So how is the Volkswagen Polo so popular with the buying public?
Quality. Quality is the answer. Consumers around the world are aware of Volkswagen’s commendable reputation for reliability, performance and safety. VW’s eco-friendly and economical credentials won’t hurt Polo sales either; It produces very impressive miles per gallon ratios and low CO2 emissions.
Since cash to buy luxury items like cars is not in abundance of late, it’s important to make sure your investment will pay dividends in the long run. The Volkswagen Polo will guarantee economical driving and a considerably longer service life than many of its More economical competitors.