Getting a 11 year old Polo GT TSI at a tempting price: Should I buy it

I do not have parking space for another car, so I will have to sell my i20 to get the GT TSI.

BHPian Intrnl_Cmbstn recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Guys I need opinions and honest advice.

My friend owns a Polo GT 1.2 TSI with DSG - 2013 model. It was primarily used by his mom and his wife and for city runs by the family. I have driven it a few times myself and have loved driving it (fast). Have even gone bonkers with it on the Mumbai -Pune Expressway (I was young and unmarried then, with lots adrenaline). I had told him years ago that whenever he wants to sell this car he should let me know first. Now he has decided to sell it and I get the first right of refusal.

I own a Marazzo and Elite i20 1.2 petrol manual (2015 model). The Marazzo is for highway runs and full family hauling. The i20 is used more by my wife for city runs and less often by me and even less often by my dad. I do not have parking space for another car, so I will have to sell my i20 to get the GT TSI.

The benefit of doing this is that my wife gets is that she gets an automatic instead of a manual, more convenience for her. The benefit that I get is that I get a ho.. warm hatch which is far more fun to drive than my lethargic 1.2 petrol i20. I am an enthusiastic driver and give the beans to my cars once in a while.

Now the price - he is willing to sell it to me in the ballpark of 3.25 to 3.75 lakhs. Its a very very tempting price as the car is in very good condition and driven only 50,000 odd km over 11 years. He has even got the suspension replaced 3 months ago. I will get this much and more for my i20 anyway. So there isn't going to be much additional layout in terms of money.

Now the question is it wise to buy a 11 year old VW Polo GT 1.2 TSI with DSG in terms of maintenance cost and reliability issues? Since this car will be driven more by wife, I do not want to compromise much on the peace of mind factor, which the i20 has bucketloads of. What kind of fuel efficiency can I expect?

Your help please, T-BHP fam!

Here's what BHPian VW Allstar had to say on the matter:

Go for it. It is like befriending a known devil than an unknown angel. Keep 1.5 Lakhs invested in some liquid fund if in case you need it for the DSG. Probably you are his close friend hence he is quoting 3.25 Lakhs. In all probability, elsewhere he may get 5 Lakhs for the Polo GT TSI. Check if any issues identified in the DSG earlier, if it has been opened for whatever reasons and then also take a technical opinion from a VW service center. Considering you are in Mumbai, go to VW Downtown Sewri and they can do a thorough check of the Polo.

Here's what BHPian SLK had to say on the matter:

GT TSI is a car that gets to the heart more than the mind, specifically when it starts to get old!. As a owner of a 9.5 yr old GT TSI, I won't like to sell it to a known person for its obvious possibilities of blowing up!, but if a person really wants it then I'd rather not be happy to go through an additional inspection for that.

See on one hand, there is a person who can potentially give it to you for free, on the other hand you want to get it checked by a third party, doesn't sound symbolically right even if commercially fine!

Also, DSG is the only scare with the car, and no one can really predict that (they will check stupid things like accident, paint, tyres, battery, service history! ALL of which you can take on face value anyways).

If the clutch feels ok and car crawls and shifts without issues, just take the plunge.

Here's what BHPian Rajeevraj had to say on the matter:

Go for it. Known car, meets your requirement, good price. As you may have seen the recent posts, the prices for this are generally unrealistic and still get sold. He will probably get more if he sells it outside. So since he is a close mate you need to ensure there is a win-win deal.

Need to account for DSG issues in the future and don't expect great mileage in heavy traffic conditions.

Here's what BHPian Thad E Ginathom had to say on the matter:

I love my 10-yr-old GT TDI, but if a known person was to offer me a known 11-yr-old GT TSI for 3.5 lakh I would not be able to resist it.

I love my car, gears and all, but my left leg, like me, is over 70 years old now, and if I could get the same, spirited driving feel (or perhaps even better in some ways) from an AT it would be wonderful. My only hesitation would be exchanging low-revs-torque diesel for high-revs-whizz petrol. But you don't have that problem.

You are a lucky man, and I'm sure you'd regret it if you miss this opportunity.

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