Volkswagen Up reviews

Fast little car with cool interior and just adore the retro looking seats

Brought this car second hand from a main dealer with 19000 miles on the clock, 5 years later it ha 82,000 and still doing well (ish). Repairs so far, two sets of front discs (first new set had warped after 13 months) new clutch (clutch pedal rides very high and apparently there is nothing you can do to rectify this, hydraulic clutch pedal) and a new cam belt at 55,000 miles. All other repairs have been the usual repair/replacement you'd have with any other car. Gearbox!!! I think the VW designers have thrown a spare spanner in there just in case you need it.... after an oil change its nice and quiet..... by the time you are home again the tractor sounds are back, only thing that spoils this little car... Heat shield.... tin foil. if you hear rattling from under the car its probably the heat shield that has come loose! I repaired mine with a bake bean tin lid and its done me well for well over 30k Would I buy another, probably not... but I need a bigger car for longer trips, if you want this for nipping to the shops or to see family, if would be fine.

A wonderful little car.

Having always had a VW Polo the Up is smaller, nippy and I'm hoping more economical!

Bought from new this car has proved to be a very poor product. Within a few thousand miles the gearbox started making noises on idle and a loud knock noise on every gear change. VW said it was 'gear cluster rattle' and have no remedy. At 25,000 miles the car started shuddering on braking - the brake discs had warped - VW only cover brake warranty up to 7,000 miles so massive overpriced bill for me. At 40,000 miles the clutch box failed and VW tried to get out of my extended warranty agreement. Overall the car is is a terrible deal, more expensive than the competition, only 3 years warranty, underpowered, expensive servicing and repairs with endless little extras - 40,000 miles cost £498 and poor warranty compliance by VW. My verdict - underdeveloped, expensive to maintain, poor driving experience . Back to the drawing board VW

Great little car completely ruined by the extremely noisy gearbox/gearshift gear rattle. Really disappointed with the noise of the vehicle.

I do between 500 and 1,000 miles a week for work and needed something cheap to run so settled on an Up. Having done around 4,000 miles in it so far I've been very impressed with the mpg, which has been between 55mpg (driving it reasonably hard) and a shade under 65mpg (driving it like every day was a Sunday and sticking to 60mph on motorways). The only downside I've found is that the clutch clicks every time the clutch is brought up and released. This is a common issue so I've read and having the radio turned up means you can't hear it anyway. The seats are fairly comfy, more so than the Fiesta I had previously and certainly more comfy than the BMW I had prior to that. I do extensive driving and although I was initially sceptical about this cars capabilities its managed to impress me so far. It's not exactly quick, but then it's only a 1 litre engine. It's very reasonable on acceleration all the way up to 50-60mph considering the low power output. I bought the spare wheel assembly from VW direct for £156 which is pretty expensive but I'm sure will be worth it if I end up with a puncture. Service intervals are every 10k per oil service and every 20k for every inspection service. The turning circle is probably the best of any car I've owned and it's so easy to park I can do it with my eyes closed. So far it's been money well spent.

I love my 'Up'. It is the most responsive small car I've ever driven, including my Lupo of several years ago, which I thought would never be improved on. Perfect in every way ... and only £25 pa road tax!

My job as a District Nurse means that my car needs to be reliable. The Up has not let me down so far and is very economical. The only downfall is that the passenger side door cannot be opened from the outside, as there is no lock. Apart from this I love my little UP!

I bought a VW Up to replace my VW Fox last year. I wanted a small car as I do not require a larger vehicle these days. So far it has been good and adequate for my needs, although sometimes I feel that I would like a vehicle with a slightly more powerful engine. I would not use the vehicle for long journeys, although it is excellent for local trips and medium distance driving. It is cost effective to run. I occasionally wish it had slightly more boot space when transporting large parcels, etc, but on the whole I find it adequate for doing the weekly grocery shop, etc.

Very noisy car

More space than you imagine, really low insurance, good fuel economy, low tax. Go and sit in one before you go and buy any hotw hatch

More space than you imagine, really low insurance, good fuel economy, low tax. Go and sit in one before you go and buy any hot hatch

Love my up but it sounds like a tractor and every so often there is a knocking noise. From the clutch but nothing can be found under the bonnet,

Surprisingly good performance given engine size - even on motorway & quiet. Good turning circle, easy to slot into parking place. Large amount of laegroom in front, seats give lots of support, even with front seats slid back rear legroom is adequate. Achieving 55-60mpg with running around town and some motorway mileage. Boot space adequate for a reasonable family shop or 1 large suitcase, rear seats very easy to drop down if extra space needed.

Excellent fuel consumption on motorways. Easy to park. Poor braking in snow/icy conditions compared to the Polo.

Car is only 4 weeks old and so far is proving to be an excellent motor. Space and economy is certainly up to Volkswagens claims averaging 50mpg in town no problem very pleased with purchase

Car ok but seat very uncomfortable and no adjustment possible to seat height. Also no spare wheel supplied.

The Up is a great little city car, with excellent running costs & decent performance. However the clutch & gearbox is a weakness, lots of rattles & whines, & the clutch can become particularly frustrating to operate smoothly, especially between low gears. My car has also had 2 recalls, which is a bit disappointing for a manufacturer of Volkswagen's reputation. Overall though it is a decent city car

A superb little car which is ideal for short hops and longer trips. More boot space that you would think and very comfortable to drive. Would recommend to anybody looking for a small economical car.