30 thoughts on “Volkswagen Polo”

1. Frankly, I’m not very interested in Polo. I　more prefer Bora or Mazda 1.6MT. Mazda 1.6MT is only 136K RMB, even cheaper than the Polo, but it looks nicer than Polo. :)

2. To be honest, it is not on my list at all before this weekend. My list was:

   Bora 1.8T (My friend strongly recommended me about this car. It was said the engine was very powerful. However, it is far to expensive for my first car – 220K RMB)

   Mazda 323 (Looks nice and the price is OK.)

   After I first steps into a Polo last weekend, I found the inner space is much bigger than all the cars I listed – even bigger than Bora.

3. I have to say, little surprised, the boycott against Japanese goods is what I have not heart ever. I know the resent two events as well as poison leak accident, have they really sparked anti-Japanese emotion, even stronger and stronger ? Could you give more details about that to say it’s very true ?

4. The voice of anti-Japanese goods has been one of the basic principle in many people’s mind. Just search for 抵制日货 at Baidu.com http://www1.baidu.com/baidu?tn=baidu&cl=3&word=%B5%D6%D6%C6%C8%D5%BB%F5 and you will get 68000 pages. There are many websites like this one: http://frhlm.com

   http://www.frhlm.com/dvbbs/dispbbs.asp?boardID=11&ID=497

5. i’m curious at how this anti-japanese movement all got started?

6. i found this interesting

   http://www.salon.com/books/log/1999/05/25/nanking/

7. This movement seems never really stopped since the anti-Japanese war in 1937. The recent events continue to strength it. Here are some news I can think of:

   1. Luogang’s event in Hunan Radio. The Japanese guy (reported to be a fake Japanese, who knows) read the insulating article on radio.

   2. The Xi’an University event.

   3. The Diaoyudao events.

   4. The case between China victims and Japan government.

   5. The poison gas in Northeast China.

   6. Most importantly, the daily to daily experience with Japanese students.

8. Xiao Wang :

   I really make sense about No.1 – 5, but except for No.6. Could you give more details about this one ?

9. Regarding 6, people don’t like to talk and deal with people from Japan. I didn’t have much experience working with them. But my friends told me that some of them are really rude to local people while they are much nice to other Japanese. There is a strong feeling of discrimination. I was shocked to know some Japanese people in China still think there should be war with China and doom all people here. It is exactly the Hitler’s theory. Just feel bad. – However, my personal experience with some Japnanese girl is good. I didn’t had any contact with Japanese man yet.

   Anyway, it is complicated to talk about the emotion between the two nation. Personally, I believe any nation in the world is good, including Japan. I am not a believer of anti-Japanese good. So I also bought Sony and consider Toyota VIOS. It is obvious that people with Boycotting Japanese Good idea are conducting “discrimination” to certain extent.

   I remember many years ago, Martin Luther King said in Washington D.C that “I have a dream, that my four little children live in a nation where they are judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin…” Why we are still judging Japanese people not by the content of their characters but by their nationality.

   I will never judge a person before I talk with him/her just because he/she is Japanese or of other nationality.

   This stand point does not mean I am tolerent to the insulation and discrimination idea of an individual. I will not allow that if anyone people in Japan refuse to accept the history….

   Just my personal oppinion…

10. Polo is nice car for young couple without children, get GOLF if you have extra cash.

    I am planning for a Touran, newly released from VM, saw it on sale in Zurich two month ago.

    One reference:

    http://www.tiscali.co.uk/motoring/roadtests/roadtest_783_1.html

    Compared to Jap cars, Germen car have less considerate automatic functions(like you need remeber to manually turn off the front lamp before leave…), but they are made in durable material and with strong and heavy framework, ensure that you can drive it to next ice age, :-)

    Forget Jap cars.

11. :-) Jap Car? Maybe it is true.

12. Xiao Wang :

    Thank you a lot for your response so quickly.

    You mentioned very well. According to my experience both in Shanghai Japanese office and here Japanese university, I can say, most of Japanese are frendly with Chinese, they know what they or their fathers and grandfathers did during world war II correctly, although there are some ommition and embleshing way used in the expression of their history textbooks. While there is exactly few extreme rightist who reject the history of invation, but they do not represent whole Japanese.

    If there is kind of discrimination against our local Chinese, I think it is not derived from intention of waging a new war against us, which is quite non-sense, but from their superiority of advanced economy and technology across the board. And this superiority has been wilting and weeker, with the contrast economic context of their more than a decade-long recesion and our conspiciously robust emerge. Yet still, their economic scale (Gross Demestic product GDP) is 3 times as larger as ours, considering their population is a tenth ours, the income gap is still pretty huge.

    I don’t think we are any inferior to Japanese current generation to the extent both of intelligence and industriousness. But speaking their senior generation who were born just after failing of War, it is they who led Japan to hit No.1 in the world in 1980’s from scratch. They did really very hard, there was a popular question before job interview : ” Can you work 24 hours a day for our company? “. I think their experience, tips and lessons to former success as well as their group idea producing process, group solidity spirit and earnestness and punctualty to doing any work are worth for us to learn seriously before talking difference. What we should do in the path of reaching economic success is just to take advantage of any availalbe resources, including capital, advanced tecknology and market access ability, to build up our own strenth and make up literally the world factory.

    I remmember someone’s comment here : when you do well, the world will notice and respect you. May mutual understanding prevail between Chinese and Japanese someday !

13. why anti japanese goods? i support japanese goods since they DO provide the quality and reliability assurance than alot of goods made by other countries. besides, have you all considered that many parts that made up of the locally produced goods are imported from japan, eg, the engine of zhonghua family car, CRT of many local brands, and DVD, cd drive mechanisms. i believe learn from japanese goods rather than repel would be a much better idea of doing so.

    back to the question, vw polo has no power definitely shouldn’t be considered, mazda 323 is an out of date model. therefore, bora is worth of a consideration. :)

14. oh, one more thing. for the traffic in shanghai, it would be better to purchase an automatic rather than a manual car. trust me!!…

15. Are you so sure? I am thinking of this. I didn’t try an automatic car yet. I will make the decide after I try it.

16. yes, i’m sure, roads in shanghai are crowded by people and bicycles instead of cars, of course expressway is just a different story. anyway, along the normal roads you will constantly see people illegally crossing roads, bicycles taking wrong lanes, and especially cars moving on the wrong lanes. in these cases you will surely brake, clutch, change gear, foot on gas, change gear etc. etc…my princple is that for everything in world, simple is the best. picture this scene again with an automatic, all you have to do is simply brake then foot on gas, simple as that.

    of course, of course if you are an enthusiastic and passionate about cars and expecting thrill rides every time rather than a relaxing enjoying driving experience then no doubt you will love manual.

17. James, thanks for the explaination. I believe so too. Yes. i will try to ride an automatic car before I make the decision to buy one.

18. RE:Employees of our company are forbidden to buy Japanese cars. Japanese cars parking not allowed in this garage. 50 RMB fine and a good beat will be treated for those who disobey this rule. We will disflate your four tires if you are caught the second time

    Dear Jian,

    I am a third-generation, ABJ permanet resident, living and working in Japan for the last 7 years. It is sad to see that some of the younger Chinese in Shanghai harbor ant-Japanese sentiment. I have discussed this intimately with 17~22 year olds in a University setting and the youth here just want to forget and “let go” of the racism of the past and don’t even want to conceptulize Yasukuni visits by the Prime Minister, Nanjing memorials, insufficient apologies on behalf of the Royal Family, etc. etc. The young here only view, nationalism based on a rivaliry not based on race or nation, just within the relm of sports (soccer, olympics, etc.).

    Yes, yes, I’m sure some of you will assume I am innocent and insensitive to Chinese in general…I can only say if anyone should harbor distaste for Japan it is ME. Because of Pearl Harbor, my parents were interned in a prison facility for 4 years because they were ABJ! But we, ABJs, ABCs, Chinese Nationals, and Japanese Nationals have to MOVE ON!

    On a personal note, young and old Japanese alike, are reminded of their own barbaric limitations as a people and nation- for example, of the thousands of Japanese infants abandoned in Manchuria and other parts of China right after Japan lost WWII, were adopted and raised by Chinese families. They realize if the roles were reversed (abandoned Chinese children in Japan), most likely, the Japanese would murder the Chinese children.

    What IS important is that Japanese recognize the greatness and mercy of the true “middle kingdom” or “center of the world” in their way. This respect if greater and more genuine than any Japanese government-base apology will ever declare. This is my observation and take it for what it is.

    More recently, I was at a Japanese university entrance information day in Tokyo last week with my daughter and to be frank with you, the attendees were at least 90% Chinese candidates. Yes, yes, the first choice of studying abroad for Chinese is the U.S, second EU and a distant third is Japan, however I hope these future Chinese students studying (and working hard in the evening)in Japanese universities will bring back first-hand intangable “something” to China and speak out when a minority of speaks out against Japan. I can envision large numbers of young Japanese will choose to study in China for similar reasons in the future.

    I drive a 2000 VW Polo GTI for the last year. I bought it used with around 27,000 kilos on it. In your favorite silver too, hahhahaha. I had a used dealer 1 year new car warranty that just expired on the 9th of September. I took it to a independent mechanic to check out the engine and drive train(transmission, differential, etc.) and he found the read axle bearing on the right side had to be replaced and the transmission oil leaked.

    Just like in the States, dealers in Japan don’t like to repair your car properly, so we owners have to be sneaky and find the faults indepently first the demand they replace this and that.

    I understand the new Polo is bigger than mine but the chassis is the same. I have always steered away from foreign cars in Japan because the parts are expensive and since the majority of us park our cars outdoors (no garage) the high humidity and heat will corrode the paint and inside of the autos very quickly (Like England)…

    But, I have found the Polo, to my liking and it is very reliable, and the undercoating is a tribute to German design. Whether the specs are the same in the assembled in China VW factory are the same as made in Germany (Actually, final assembly is in Germany but it’s major parts come from Eastern Europe, Slobenia, etc.). The dimpled dash is made in Hiroshima and sent to Europe-hahahahaa.

    Oh well, .05 RMB of my two cents, for what its worth.

19. Among the many typos and spelling errors in the previous post, excuse me. May I add the following:

    On a personal note, young and old Japanese alike, are reminded of their own barbaric limitations as a people and nation- for example, of the thousands of Japanese infants abandoned in Manchuria and other parts of China right after Japan lost WWII, were adopted and raised by Chinese families. They realize if the roles were reversed (abandoned Chinese children in Japan), most likely, the Japanese would murder the Chinese children. And therefore, shame which orignates from within (Japanese themselves) is the greatest tribute to Chinese superiority as a nation.

    My 2000 GTI Polo is also a MT(manual transmission) five-speed, with a slightly stiffer suspension and a 1.6 liter 16valve 125 horsepower engine (high octane fuel). It is parked outside all year long and I have not noticed corrosion from road salt(winter) or rain(monsoon season). Technically my car’s age is four years old with 34,000 kilos on it but it runs great and I am satisfied after being disappointed with owning Alfa Romeos (3), Mazda MPV(1), Mitsubishi Pajero(2), Buick LeSabre(1), and Suzuki Capuccino(1).

    Good reliable choice VW Polo. Not available in the U.S. but the English love them and rate them very highly within the VW line. Since the weather is somewhat similar to Japanese year-round weather (cold, wet, rainy, humid), I chose it based on those parameters and the fact it is NOT available in the U.S. market ( I want to drive something different).

20. Many Chinese people I have met are hypocrites when they talk about Japan. Boycotting Japanese things? Only when it’s convenient for them.

    Have these people I have met tried to buy quality electronic goods like a walkman that does not come from Japanese technology?

    Have these people that I have met never gone to karaoke, a Japanese invention?

    Have these people that I have met never watched a pirated Japanese cartoon (translated in Chinese of course) or read a Japanese comic book?

    …

    Anyway, I don’t think there is such thing as good Chinese technology… the car industry in China is from Europe and Japan, the electronics industry is the same, etc. etc.

    Adrian

    PS I am not Japanese, but an overseas born Chinese

21. dear sir,

    last year in october i bought one polo sanxiang 1.4 in lhasa volkswagen company. it is very nice in shape pretty lookslike smaller passat and strong enough.

    but the inside room is quite small and spare parts are quite expensive, two windows in the front has only power closing and open button, no cd is available even there is cd install place.

    last week my car was pushed the big isuzu trcuk when ima in the red light and my cars’ back safety bar was broken down. i order one and should be here in next week. due to tibet road it is quite low that always hid the bottom surface.

    tenzin

22. Jian Shuo, have you bought POLO already?

    I bought one in March, 1.4AT with sun-roof. I really liked it. I paid 135000 for the automobile itself, by the way.

    Before the decision, I did some research to compare the price-performance among different automobile. Japanese, Korean and French ones are cheaper than German ones.

    I talked to many friends in automobile industry around me, the conclusion from the insiders was – with Japanese & Korean automobile, every penny you spent can be seen from the appearance… while for German auto, the value is hidden somewhere in tech that you can’s see directly from outside…

    They showed me a series of pictures for hitting test of difference brands, since I don’t have enough money to buy Volve, Mercedez or BMW… I felt safe with VW after seeing those pictures.

    But still, I felt Polo was quite expensive considering it’s such a small one… With that price I could buy some 1.6 AT or some 1.8 MT…

    Then one thing happened that made me decide to buy it.

    One friend who bought a Polo in January had an accident on the express way, she hit the left fense and then the right with quite high speed, the auto was totally damaged, but she walked out not at all injured…

    I thought my life is quite important…

    On the other hand, I did hear from those insiders that Bora and Golf are also good. Just I couldn’t get so many choices in color with Bora and Golf, I took Polo.

    (I was not allowed to post the comments, and the error message said I had ‘questionalbe content c*a*r, now I changed those to automobile, hehe)

23. plz send me the manual book of polo 2003

    thanks

    basil

24. i am invent a system when install in car minimize damage of accident in all parts of car.

    this system increase the move ability of car and druver can move freely whit car.

    i want to coopration whit your company and product a first car whit this system.

    please answer me soon.

25. I’ve a New beetle and I recommend it :) very though and also smiley car :D

26. I bought POLO in 2002 and it’s model is 2003

    it’s very good car but the garage in lebanon is not good enough.

    every time i have to fix it i have to visit them more than twice to fix it correctly

27. Does Japanese cars in shanghai get subjected to vandalism due to anti-Japanese sentiment in china?

28. GL: Whenever there is a government organized protest in China against the Japanese, many Japanese items get destroyed: Japanese stores and restaurants owned by the Chinese, cars, electronics, etc. Anything that the mob can get their hands on, will be destroyed.

29. I cannot help but feel that Sino-Japan relationships are dominated by fools and politicians. It’s so disappointing to see that after so many deaths, people on both sides of the Sea of Japan are still harboring the same prejudice and nationalistic attitudes that dominated the colonial era. Many people with an opinion does not seem to have any kind of firm or concrete experience with the Japanese people.

    Being a chinese person living in Japan, I have my fair share of discrimination but I have never come across a Japanese person who won’t deal with me just because of my race. In fact, they are mostly quite interested in talking to me and knowing more about foreigners. There are always those few who behave rudely but they are mostly scared of speaking to foreigner.

    Both Japanese people and Chinese people have been listening to way too much nationalistic propoganda. All these are just smoke screens politicians throw to mask their real agendas. The fact of it is, Japan is the biggest investor/buyer of China. The Chinese government want these investments and transfer of knowledge.

    I am quite sure the chinese would behave no diffenrently from the japanese, if their roles in history were reversed.

30. I have polo 2003, I have problem the air cooler doesn’t work, we changed all the senses but still doesn’t work, we had computer test and it said problem with compressor but everybody said it’s fine even your local agent here, so can you advice me what can I do, thank you