Volkswagen up! Owner Reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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I have driven VWs for 60 years and this is the worst I have had! At 3 years and 15,000miles it has required a new wheel bearing, a new clutch cable and has a noisy gear change. It wobbles when being driven and most of all makes an irritating loud noise. It's been tested by a VW agent and local mechanics and all are baffled? I'm now in my 80s and feel that I am left with a substandard product with faults that nobody is interested in. Poor show, VW.

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No Red thumbs down

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Nice little car - even a 4-person family can fit in with some luggage in the boot. Low fuel consumption, good headlights. I've had a few gearbox problems because reverse is sticking like hell. There have been brake problems, too. After 14,000km, the front brake discs are warped. Got new discs for free from the retailer after months of negotiating.

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No Red thumbs down

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Excellent! Decided to make a complete change from previous large engined diesel & was concerned about much lower performance, but all other aspects outweigh that easily & I still get to/from work in exactly the same time as before anyway. As it was half the price of my previous car I specced it up. I am really pleased with it, mpg is incredible & I reckon one of the few cars that actually gets close to the manufacturers claimed figures in real driving. Quality is good, comfort good & easily keeps up with motorway traffic, even accelerates quite well from 55/60 to 70/75 if you want to overtake, although I have found best mpg is commuting rather than fast motorway travel. Easily accommodates 4 adults or 2 with luggage for a holiday & I can get my bike in the back too, if I'm on my own! Overall brilliant design & execution from VW group, I expect the Seat & Skoda equivalents are just as good too although personally I prefer the look of the VW version. Only 2 issues I have had is the rear brakes squeal for first mile or so, but not really a problem, & no switch on drivers side to lower passenger electric window, which might sound trivial but its really annoying to have to lean over (& possibly a bit dangerous!). VW need to update this ASAP. Definitely recommended.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Good city car. Couple problems in four years: failed boot button recently, not I think a common issue + rear drum brakes can stick when hand brake on full after lot wet weather or washed car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I happen to have two 75bhp High Up!s, one I got from my friend (2 door - the car, that is), the other 4 door since I seem to need to carry stuff (rather than persons) around. This is handy, since I have 2 houses. I'm a new driver of only a few months though a pensioner, and the Up! is hugely helpful in finding parking space in a crowded road. Park it 8 inches from the curb and you're still in line with the Chelsea Tractors around it. Average fuel consumption is 48mpg (checked) which doesn't sound good, but because of the two homes I have long motorway travel at reasonable speed. That's a slight problem, since an indicated 70 seems rather slow, so I suspect a speedometer fault and tend to aim at 76 or so. Unfortunately this car (in both red and silver versions) has a mind of its own and when I'm not looking creeps up to 80 plus with absolutely no effort. Even 90 plus when it thinks it can get away with it. It can't, I have it under control in seconds. For comfort, effort-free driving and (dare I say) fun, it's a good car. Thanks, VW.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I wouldn't not recommend this car. I've had nothing but issues - not only is the car stupidly noisy, the gears are a big issue, but also the car's brakes make a squealing sound upon braking, the garage has given my 'brand new' car new brakes already yet it has still continued so therefore they don't see a fault, its apparently a normal sound. I've owned the car 18 months and can say I've driven it no more than for four of them, it's been in the garage that many times. The car is nothing but a joke, but as I keep being told I've bought a 'Friday evening car'! Save your money!

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No Red thumbs down

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A nice car completely ruined by a dreadful noisy transmission. Widely reported by many up! owners on-line, read the comments. I am almost scared to drive it. VW say that it is normal and refuse to fix the problems. I have been sold a pineapple.

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No Red thumbs down

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Fantastic little car, feels solid and well built just like a Volkswagen should. My first VW, but it won't be my last. I traded in a Mercedes automatic for my little up as I wanted a small, cheap to run, car without sacrificing on build quality. I've not been disappointed. When compared to other small cars, Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo etc with the possible exception of the Ford Ka nothing else has the same big car build quality feel. It's quiet, refined, feels like a bigger VW inside. I'm over six feet and there's plenty of space. Since this is the Bluemotion model I'll mention it. It works well, takes a bit of getting used to though and you have to adjust your driving style slightly in heavy traffic. I think it's worth the small extra price, especially if you're driving in a busy town or city. Only thing I'd improve is the radio and sound system. Radio reception is a bit poor. Definitely recommend though.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It looks great. You feel very safe whilst driving. Lots of space for a small car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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Not a problem in the first 7000 miles

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I had a Citigo before but this seems more of a complete car. It has a better interior, smoother ride comfort, has rear wheel arch liners and the 1.0-litre turbo engine is superb.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Many would find it strange, that i would swap a three year old, very low mileage Audi A1, for a VW Up. The reason behind the move, was that i was given a direct swap, of a brand new registered 5Dr Move Up in Metallic Blue for my Audi, so the decision was an easy one to make. The only real issue i have with my Up, is its poor acceleration up steep gradients, needing to go into second, when my Audi would have taken it in its stride. Fuel economy from my five month old car, is incredible, having achieved over 70mpg, and it easily achieves its claimed 64mpg on the combined sycle. Interior refinement for what is a fairly affordable runabout, is excellent, and the build quality is superb. The car has been used on both very long and short journey's, and ive noticed using a much higher fuel octane, such as Shell V power, or Tesco Momentum, does make a difference in the cars fuel efficiency. On a trip to Durham a few weeks ago, the fuel gauge took almost 170miles to move on a full tank of fuel, which was something i was not expecting from a petrol vehicle. My only gripes, are its lack lustre hill performance, and £140 a year to tax it, when previously my Audi was tax free. Other than these trivial issues, it has been a great car to own, and was a good decision to swap my Audi.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very satisfied with comfort and performance. Nice ride and fast if the revs are 2k+. There are 3 faults. The navigator is so poor that I use a Tom Tom. The car info though is very good. Secondly, the cost of a parking aid is a ridiculous £500+ Extra. Thirdly, and very serious, the water drainage under windscreen when blocked, enpties into the car interior via the heater! Unbelievable!!!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I've recently passed my test and my mum and dad got me a little VW up!, couldn't be happier!, my usual commutes are only around about town, rarely am I at the petrol station! its such a good, fun car to drive and to own. I would definitely recommend this car to anyone especially new drivers as its such a easy car to drive and get used to, its also very cheap on insurance and the road tax is only £20!. I have had the car since March and I've loved every minute of driving it would even buy another one after this one!.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Had a problem with the only door lock on the car jamming. I had to leave the door unlocked, because if I locked it and when I went to get back in the car the lock was jammed, it was a call out from RAC. I asked them to take the car back, it happen a few weeks after I purchased it, the door lock has now been replaced 4 times. Just had it replaced again before Christmas, so will see how long this will last. They have now put a door lock on the passenger side, but this is not always reliable. I wish I had the money to change it.

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No Red thumbs down

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Love my little car! Looks so retro inside and with the alloys! Luxury touches such as heated seats and the maps and more make it a please to be in and envy of many of my friends!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Overall really like my new car. While it's small on the outside it's big enough on the inside. The best mpg I got with this car was 77 when following a tractor at low speed for a while. The reason I got this car was for the low running a cost. No tax with the Bluemotion modelling very low insurance too. However even though I have the highest spec model there are a few things missing. #1 can't put the passengers window down from drivers side #2 no light in the boot which means when you get home with shopping in it when it's dark you have to feel around to see if you got everything #3 no mirror in the visor for the driver (I am a contact lens wearer and it would be handy to have this in case my eyes get dry while not driving of course) #4 sometimes the Bluetooth doesn't connect properly, the voice recognition is bad and people keep telling me that the sound quality is really bad ('you sound like you are under the sea') overall would have expected for these basics to be in place for style high spec version. These are all in place in other basic VW models.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Few niggles. Seat collapse rain comes in round you when window down slightly

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I've owned my Up White now for eighteen months and, in general, have been quite happy with it. It is comfortable, has low running costs and has enough performance to keep up with other road users. However, my car has had a few build quality issues - leaking windscreen seal, a paint mismatch with the fuel filler cap and rattles from the driver and passenger door lock area. Only one of these issues (windscreen leak) was successfully addressed by my local VW dealership. Would I buy another one? Perhaps not - if I could afford it, I would go for a Polo next time around.

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Covered 4,000 miles so far with no problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Very disappointed in its basic provisions. Manual positioning and adjustment of unheated wing mirrors and the driver’s window does not close automatically - both were sorely missed in the recent cold spell. I did not realise that the tax band had changed at the end of 2017 and should have bought a year earlier than the 68-plate. Maybe VW had a stock of cars and knowing that the UP was to be discontinued they put them on the forecourts and I assumed that they were modern, well-equipped cars - mine certainly isn’t! For me it was not a good or sensible buy - Caveat Emptor?

What's the one thing you like most about your car?

Having bought the 5 door version I can carry my Labrador on the back seat!

If you could improve one thing, what would it be?

Heated and electrically driven wing mirrors, followed by automatic closure of the driver’s side window.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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Having owned this car for almost a year I really want to say I love it. However, since purchasing the car with 1,700 miles on the clock it's been through a clutch, a gearbox, 3 exterior lights, a head gasket and now possibly the alternator. Never experienced a machine to have so many problems. The clutch was burnt out due to a bad gearbox. Which got replaced despite changing a couple synchros. The turbo pipe had popped out, somehow causing the head gasket to crack (apparently). But the silly thing is, it's such a brilliant car. It's well made (sort of) in terms of build quality. Great value for money and quite a head turner. Not gonna lie I've had some people look twice at my little up! after a good polish! To add, it's also a great engine; the tsi. Great pull from low revs and can get amazing mpg even if you're not careful with the throttle. Eventually my car will be fixed and I will be able to love it. Maybe it's just my bad luck!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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I love the Volkswagen up. It feels like a proper Volkswagen, solid, responsive, good to drive, comfortable. It's well made and classy. Apart from a smallish boot I've no complaint so far

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Yes Green thumbs up

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This is a really superb car and the Street Up finish is very classy. Owned for nearly a year now and no problems so far. Only gripe is that Maps and More (The Up!'s integrated smartphone nav system) is not as good as on some competitor models.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The car itself is very good, plenty of zip around the city and suspension copes well with the potholes and sleeping policeman everywhere. Easy to see out of and steering is direct enough to weave in and out of traffic. BUT... I have found the Maps + More useless, higher spec models are expensive and I regret not buying a Hyundai i10, which would have the extra benefit of having five seats. But one if you want one, in the same way people will buy a Fiat 500 as a bit of style statement, but keep to the basic versions.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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no faults so far

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very cheap to run, tax, insure and fuel. Regularly get around 60mpg. Cute looks, roomy interior and well equipped. Easy to drive and park. The boot is not bad for size, especially when its false floor is removed. Have a discontinued Groove Up! with sat nav, heated seats and upgraded Fender stereo. However, whilst CDs play well, the radio is not very good with lots of interference. The demister is poor, barely clears windows even when fan is on max and the A/C is not very effective either. Reliability has been acceptable, it has never let me down. However, it has had a front suspension problem that required work and the heater fan matrix needed replacing and it has failed its MOT once. One of the front daylight driving light bulbs blows with regular monotony, no one knows why. Alloy wheel lacquer has failed on all four wheels so have 'slug trails' over them. When the car has not been used for a while the brakes stick quite badly and squeal for a few days. VW servicing is very expensive for such a small simple car. Once out of warranty, a local garage takes care of it.

What's the one thing you like most about your car?

Cheap running costs

If you could improve one thing, what would it be?

Heating and ventilation

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Mine has suffered the following faults, a noisy engine at 20,000 miles and front drop link issues, and all the brakes, needed to be renewed with excessive wear. The gear box is noisy, it sounds like it could be the clutch bearing. The driver's door has dropped as it's so heavy, so watch it in the wind. The parcel shelf design is a pain, too.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Great little car. We needed a city car, economic to run with low insurance, and for my children to use. They just passed their driving test. Fitted our requirements. No problems or issues with the car. Love it. Simple and does the up getting us from A to B. Easy to park and drive in the city.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Transmission gear box / clutch 'snatch' noise on every gear change that ruins an otherwise good driving experience. Search for VW UP transmission problems on-line and find plenty of 'traffic' on the subject from disappointed owners. My verdict - don't buy until VW acknowledge and sort out the gearbox and transmission - they are currently in denial and won't address the problem.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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We own a 2002 VW Lupo 1.4E, our third Lupo, we wanted another Lupo but production ceased in 2005. The replacement, a VW Fox was plain and boring, then the VW Up came along... The VW Lupo for today's driving conditions. I studied all the Motoring reports then we decided that the VW Up Black was for us. Looks, style, leather interior, air-con, cruise control, heated seats, built in sat-nav, cheap insurance, (£83 Fully Comp Saga), cheap to tax (£20) and it handles very much like the VW Lupo, nippy, quiet, economical and sits on the Motorway at 70 mph, us comfortable and cruising happily all day long. VW depreciation is low and reliability expected to be as good as our other VWs have been. To anyone considering one... Save your pennies and buy the "High Up" level car, buy used and save even more!! We bought July 2013 and confidently kept the VW Lupo as well for the dogs transport, the shopping and trips to the tip as these little cars can handle it all, easily.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up