About the Volkswagen Up!
Victor Brady purchased this Volkswagen Up! used for $6000 (including all on-road costs) in 2022. Victor Brady would buy this car again because: “The up! Is seriously underrated, if you want a daily that uses less than 5l/100km but don’t want a takeaway container on wheels? The up! Is definitely up your alley, extremely nice car and feels like a much more expensive car”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
It’s been absolutely bulletproof, servicing is very cheap as it’s only a three-cylinder and parts are cheap too, not just for a Volkswagen either.
My last service included brake pads, brake fluid, brake rotor machining and general fluids and filters and it was under $500, try that with a Mazda 3
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
I had no idea what to expect when I bought it, I test drove every single little car in this category and it was honestly like comparing Black and Gold frozen pizza to a gourmet wood fired pizza (only example I can come up with).
The value for money in these cars is astonishing
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
Considering for $6k I got heated leather seats, premium six-speaker sound system, Bluetooth, sat nav among a few things I couldn’t be happier, the only con I can think of is the lack of cruise control, it was an option but very few got it
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
It is only a three-cylinder with 75 of the finest German horsepower so it’s pretty feeble at any overtaking attempt, it does a good enough job of moving the car around as it only weighs 900kg and never really leaves you in a bad spot, pulling onto the highway is done with surprisingly little effort.
The entire time I’ve owned my up! It’s never used more than 4.4l/100km and it costs about $70 to fill with 98 RON. Volkswagen recommends 95 minimum but the price difference is so minimal I just use 98
What do you think of the technology in your car?
It’s pretty well equipped for a car that’s now approaching 11yrs old and was marketed as a cheap city car.
Mine was optioned from new with the “Comfortline” package which included leather heated seats, Bluetooth/sat nav capable Garmin touch screen, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, fog lights and 17-inch alloy wheels just to name a few of the options.
Cruise control would be nice however.
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
Being 900kgs it feels very glued to the road, the suspension setup is really nice too, the car feels very planted on the road with very little body roll even when you push it harder than you should. It’s very smooth on the highway and quiet, of all the little cars I test drove before I decided on mine The up! was by far the best.
It does not feel like a small city car on the highway at all, feels like a Golf which is high praise
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
I’m 6ft 1 and I fit in my up! very comfortably.
I bought one because I wanted something with motorbike fuel economy but the benefits of having a car