2001 Volkswagen Lupo 1.4 Comfortline 44 kW 4 cilinder
Summary:
Fast, cheap and reliable
Faults:
- Cup holder got stuck, replaced entire unit.
General Comments:
The VW Lupo is an excellent car. It is only 60 hp, but it drives very fast. On the motorway I can reach 90 miles an hour easily.
The interior is very spacious in the front. The seats are very comfortable and very well made, the height is adjustable.
The dashboard is the same as from the 1999-2002 VW Polo, with blue and red lights. It really is a thrill to drive at evenings or at night, just to see the blue dials and the red controls.
My Lupo has the comfortline package, which includes power windows, power mirrors, comfort seats, radio/cd player and 2 airbags.
2 airbags are standard by the way.
The car is very economical, only uses 4 to 5 litres per 100 km.
It has no ABS or other electric gizmos, so I don't have to go the the garage every time to read out an error...
I really like the Lupo in every way, it looks good, it drives good, it is cheap to drive and cheap when bought 2nd hand.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th August, 2004
23rd Sep 2002, 16:26
I drive a 'W' reg Lupo 1.7 SDI. I bought it this year (2002) in May sometime. It has been a fantastic car. Excessively cheap to run and brilliant fun, but I am noticing a few little niggles with it now.
The tires seem to have worn out rapidly. I would not call myself a 'boy racer', but do find that the very torquey engine does spin the wheels in the wet if you are not careful. Mind you, the distances that I have covered in this 'little car' are closing on the 10,000 mark already and it was second hand.
The brakes are unusual. Sometimes it possesses the stopping power of a triple parachute launched from the boot. Other times though, I just find them poor and soggy. I have just learned that VW have been recalling many of the Lupos manufactured in 1999-2001. As far as I can tell, the brakes are supposed to be a little more positive. I am going to look into this tomorrow to see if my car is affected.
Initially the body roll was surprising for a car of this size. I think that the damping could be a little firmer. I did adjust to it after a while, and often find myself at a fairly brisk pace on the 'B' roads that run through Wales.
On a positive note though, this has to be the most fun car I have ever owned. I also own an 'E' reg 1.6 8v Golf GTI cabriolet. I choose the Lupo for most trips, for the economy and creature comforts. It has some poke on the motorways, and will comfortably hold 70-85Mph with no trouble. The engine does get a little noisy at 90Mph it will continue to a little over 100Mph.
I am very pleased with this car and would give it a high rating, say 4 out of 5 stars.
Nicholas Llewellyn (Wales UK).