Iv had one from new on 71 plate GTi+ AW. Love it. Not actually done anything to it yet but its on the cards as i think im going to re finance and keep it. Great review, as a 4 year driver (Nov 21) I agree with all you comments especially the back door trim. It is however a lot of fun and smiles per miles even as standard. A stage one and some nice mods and im sure it will be a bigger smile :)
Its certainly fun in sport mode but as someone that commutes roughly 60 miles per day its bloody good in Eco mode especially the coast function and driving like a granny as you say LOL.

Enjoyed your video. I have a 2015 6C GTI (fully optioned but standard) and I can relate to your “underestimated” comment. One of my first cars was a Beetle with a Porsche motor. It went under the radar, and I get the same joy from the GTI. There are days when I drive like a Grannie, but still love the experience. For more spirited driving, I love the sports mode, the paddles, the solid feeling (no squeaks and rattles in mine despite 180K) and the flat handling. The car is starting to cost me some money, and I contemplated selling, but I just keep on falling in love with it. So, I have decided to take the pressure off the GTI. I’ve purchase a runaround (Toyota Yaris) and keep the GTI for fun and long drives.
Thanks for sharing your views.

The cheap aftermarket parts lasting longer than the expensive original parts, is all the information a potential buyer need know.

Had mine for over a year now and it’s the best thing I’ve ever owned ! The joy you get from a wee burst of speed in sport ! But u can drive it in eco and it’s unbelievably smooth !

I’ve been looking at getting one of these in the summer once I’m 19 and got 2 yrs ncb

Great as always mate.

Thank you @passionforpetrol for sharing your VW Polo GTI experiences and projects. Keep vlogging.

I am the (un)happy owner of a VW Polo GTI registered for the first time in November 2019, which I bought used in May 2020. This is the rare version with a 6-speed manual transmission, which VW took out of production after just 6 months - presumably due to a lack of demand.

I have more or less the same experiences as you, but I would like to add two criticisms. The first is the high humidity in the cabin during and after rainy weather - you must know that in the UK😉. The car behaves like a sponge, and the windows fog up wildly inside. I regularly check and clean drain plugs in doors and tailgate, but with unchanged results. There may actually be water in the tailgate after a heavy rainstorm. The second point of criticism is rusty brake discs, which are shelving – after a few days of standstill and rain. I know the problem can be solved by switching to quality brake discs, but why do it when the original ones are not worn down.

The EA888 engine is a chapter in itself. Some claim that it is a detuned VW Golf GTI engine, while others say that Audi A3 and Skoda Superb have been donors. I don't know what the right answer is. After a few weeks of driving (didn't drive much in the beginning, as it was during Covid), I experienced that the car jerked during medium acceleration in the range of 3-4,000 rpm. On Google, I could see that other owners (motor-talk.de) have described the same problem. One had had many engine components replaced without mitigating the problem. An authorized VW repair workshop confirmed my experiences. They concluded that it was a design defect that could not be solved. In the summer of 2022, VW released a new engine management software, so I had my car updated from version 001 to 003. It did not solve the jerk problem, but it gave the car a somewhat better fuel economy.

Another annoying feature of the engine is the catalytic converter cleaning process, which it initiates without warning every 5-8,000 km of driving. You don't get any warning about this, but the car just starts to hum (like a hole in the exhaust) and the fuel economy goes haywire. The car then drives poorly for 100-200km. I have learned that you can speed up the process by running constantly at 4,000 revolutions for about 30 minutes.

The car's engine has from the beginning felt asthmatic, and you do not experience that the car has 200hp. I therefore had the engine measured after six months of ownership - the result was 195Hp and 352NM, i.e. close to the factory specifications. My previous car – a Seat Ibiza Cupra 1.8 TSI – was measured at 206hp and 325nm – i.e. slightly above the factory figures (193hp and 320nm). Both cars were tested with Shell 100 octane petrol. My Polo would be close to perfect if it had the 1.8 engine of the Ibiza Cupra😉

Despite the bad experiences with the engine, I have kept the car because it is practical and meets all my needs. In addition, during the entire period of ownership, I have only had expenses for ordinary service - no extraordinary repairs. Last but not least, the car is primarily used as a winter car, as I now drive a leased Porsche 991.2 Carrera 4 GTS in the summer.


I have not tuned the car, as it would void my car's factory warranty. In addition, tuned cars often fails MOT inspection which have to be performed every second year in Denmark. If others have experienced jerks during acceleration (jerking) and remedied it with (stage 1) tuning or other means, then I would like to hear about your experiences.

got exactly the same car a month ago and love it so much its such a joke to drive even when you driving slow its amazing. Best car i ever had and i have had a lot of high performance cars.

Hey mate, i also bought a 20 reg polo gti+ last February with 35k on the clock and couldnt agree more with what you're saying.

Did the exhaust in the first 3 months (non res Cat back from Scorpion, sounds better than stock but the GPF kills all the fun...) these things sound like sh*t compared to some other hatches on the market from stock.

Also running PS4's, MASSIVE upgrade over the standard tyres (i think they're bridgestone potenzas?)

The plus pack is a MUST purely for the XDS, the digital dash is a nice upgrade and the LED lights

Bang on with the hard plastics in the interior, i have some creak somewhere that rattles that ive been ignoring by turning the music up louder and/or driving harder (side note: standard stereo is pretty meh imo, not sure if there was an optional extra but previous owner kept it standard, it does the job)

Currently on stock suspension. I am risking springs instead of coils soon, dropping it by 20-25mm, youre right it is like drving on stilts. I also have the standard 17" wheels and it just leaves way too much space in the arch so got some 18" Bola B2R'S

I find the DSG box to be a little jerky for driving around town and in traffic, and had some moments in the cold when the oil is still warming up (mainly last winter when it was -5C) where it doesn't engage gears properly and almost stalled on me. Had it serviced at 39k, no issues since

Dead right with these EA888 engines. Managed to squeeze 50mpg on a 40mi drive a few times, but when im pushing it just guzzles fuel.

Intake is next, cant wait to learn and do that myself, also got the elbow to match too.

Overall, fantastic car. Great mod support, fun, but also somewhat sensible and very easy to live with

Watching ur vids has inspired me to make this car my own and mod it, i was holding off and needed a reason and this channel was it!

hey i have a polo gti 2019 stage 2 292hp my self. i have full miltec and when the car is hot from driving hard the miltec tips wil stick out alot more then cold. tuner says its normal,  do you also have that or is it just me? I'm not sure myself, although the tuner says so

Mate love the car and you've just earned a sub🔥🤍

Mate you are so knowledgeable in a way that makes it entertaining! You really deserve more Subs bro

Love the seatbelts! Where do you get a quality set of those?

As an AW Polo owner, I fully agree that this iteration of the Polo is a sweet spot on terms of power, practicality, fun, and a great understatement when on the road. I've owned mine for 1 year and a half now, and this is the best all-around car I had (mind you, I've had a 9N Polo, two VW Passats 3B/G,  a Mercedes CLK230, a VW Lupo, and an Ibiza 6F - essencially the same chassis as the AW Polo). Having a Polo GTI with the same engine as the Golf GTI has always been my dream since having my first Polo, and VW answered my prayers with this version - also sharing the MQB platform does wonders for the driving experience. Even with the downfalls you mentioned - to which I'd add that these aren't really trackable cars due to the Polo platform not having been fully adapted to the EA888 power, which means wear on key components like the rear axle, engine mounts, suspension bushes, will ruin your wallet and kill your car faster. There are reports of AW's having been tracked and the wear on them is brutal - see Misha's videos on the one that he drove around the 'Ring with Apex.

I'm closing in on 40, the back ain't what it used to be, hairline is receading, I'd probably look better driving a run of the mill small SUV on 15' baloons - but I found out that my car Nirvana is the AW Polo GTI. I'd only trade it for a facelift 25 anniversary edition if the deal was right.

You service dsg every year?

I love your video’s. I bought myself a golf gti aw this week and tomorrow im going to pick it up finally. I want to do stage 1, in 2 weeks is there anything necessary to do for stage 1?

I've just got a face-lift model, previously I had inherited my Mum's Yarus 1.33 vvt-i automatic, so the Polo is roughly double the power and so far it seems more than quick enough for me and it stays nice and flat in the bends. I've mostly had bikes up to now and have had occasions where I've changed them because 125bhp wasn't enough lol, and ended up with a 175bhp Hayabusa, so it'll be interesting if i start feeling the same about my Polo gti.

Agree with your assessment overall. As standard it feels like a diesel towards the top end - stage 1 is enough to wake it up for me. Disagree a bit on the 2 stage dampers - I find normal good for everyday driving, but sport was nice on track / for spirited driving. Way too firm for potholes.

Do they have the coasting function  on the GTi?

What is the 0-100kph in secs and 1/4 mile now with your nearly 300HP Polo GTI?