What are mk4 Polo's like?

I had a mk2 SEAT Ibiza in another life, it was a great car. The same 1.4 lump and chassis and IMO better looking and more desirable (less common). I would recommend them as a cheap reliable runabout.

have some pics of nice ones (admittedly mostly cupras):

boring reliable, rusty hum-drum cars. great if you just want to go from A to B. I had one and hated it! found it slow, bland and the handling felt un-inspiring. The ibiza is a much better car. shares bits of the polo, but is a bit of a mule as it also shares some design with the golf, hence its ability to house the bigger vw engines. they rust less than the mk4 polo, handle better than the polo and have better options than the polo too

They rust worse than earlier models and are a bit drab.

But lowered they ride much better than earlier examples, you can get coilovers for nothing (cant get cheap coilies for earlier models) and i would say they are a pretty comfy quiet car for a daily. The 1.4 8v and diesels are really frugal and reliable, and i don't think there are any gearbox issues with those models.

Easy to make look nice as well.

I've got one that I started driving a week ago (17 last Tuesday ;D) It's a 1997 1.4 CL which my dad's been driving us both to work in since February, and it was returning about 350 miles to a tank.

I like it, it's nice to drive IMO, although I don't have much to compare it to but I like it. They are quick for a car with a claimed 60bhp, my mate has one and it absolutely leaves another mate's 1.1 206 (also 60bhp) for dead. The main problem with them is rust, they were apparently made using curse word steel, and to be honest this does seem true, they rot for fun. Mine's had the rear arches done at least once before I got it, but it seems solid apart from that. Oh and the body roll as standard, even in normal driving, is horrific!

As much as I like them, I think they can be a bit dull, so I'm after a 1.5 LSi Civic EG now for when I pass, especially as it looks like I can insure one for less ;D

EDIT: Forgot to include pics













Love the exhaust in that last pic, anyone know what make/model it is? Love the JDM angled tips, obviously I wouldn't have one on my Polo though, although that white one pulls it off well.

Missus is running one at the mo. Would agree with what has been said about body roll but it's all relative as I usually drive an MR2. Would disagree that Ibizas are better put together - opposite for me.
Good points (IMHO) are:
*well styled
*feels well scewed together. The different between an equivalent non-German hatch is significant. Doors are incrediby solid for example.
*Interior is very sturdy and seats are hard wearing.
*Decent equipment - leccy windows/ sunroof/ air bag/ head restraints etc.
*Pretty spritely
*Cheap bits if anything goes wrong.
*Lots of modding parts on the bay of E
Bad points:
*gearchange can be crappy (hers was much better after lubricating the cable mechanism though)
*power steering fluid pipes can rust
*crankcase breather can get clogged by emulsified oil

I bought hers for £500 and it went straight through an MOT two weeks later without even looking at at it - so bargains can be had!

I had an estate Polo mk4 in work years ago and it felt solid as a rock, but felt very heavy - it's purely as a run around though!
Still waiting on pics.

IMO, avoid the 1.6 8v. I used to have one and it was so slow.

They arn't bad cars, even with it being a bit of a slouch it drove quite well. Major problem with it was rust. It was everywhere. That's what did for it in the end, so scrapped it.

Lower and the right wheels and they look ace. Would have one again, but a 1.4.