Ford Fiesta vs Volkswagen Polo
A side-by-side comparison of the used Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo — which should I buy?
The Ford Fiesta starts cheaper (Ford Fiesta from £2,995, Volkswagen Polo from £6,599), with illustrative finance from £67/mo and £161/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 84% and 81% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Fiesta from
- £2,995
- Polo from
- £6,599
- In stock
- 24 vs 5
| From live stock | ★ Best value overall Ford Fiesta 24 in stock · from £2,995 | Volkswagen Polo 5 in stock · from £6,599 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £2,995★ lowest | £6,599 |
| Median price | £7,303★ lower | £7,995 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £67/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR)★ lower | £161/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 56,254 mi | 47,971 mi★ lower |
| Median year | 2018★ newer | 2015 |
| Median CO₂ | 105 g/km★ cleaner | 108 g/km |
| Typical power | 98 bhp★ more | 74 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 84%★ more reliable | 81% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 7 / 24★ more | 1 / 5 |
| View all 24 Fiesta → | View all 5 Polo → |
Motoring.Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Ford Fiesta | Volkswagen Polo |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 73/100 | 75/100 |
| Reliability | 65 | 69 |
| Running costs | 78 | 78 |
| Family & practicality | 79 | 78 |
| Insurance | 72 | 74 |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Ford Fiesta | Volkswagen Polo |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 37–88 mpg | 0–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 82–179 g/km | 82–216 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 2–31 | Group 1–30 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 5 stars (2017) | 5 stars (2022) |
| 0–60mph | 6.3s | 6.3s |
| Power | 45–197 bhp | 45–204 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 3969 mm | 3970 mm |
| Width | 1941 mm | 1901 mm |
| Height | 1476 mm | 1461 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring.Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring.Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring.Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Ford Fiesta or the Volkswagen Polo cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Fiesta starts lower: the Ford Fiesta is available from £2,995 (median £7,303) and the Volkswagen Polo from £6,599 (median £7,995).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Ford Fiesta vs the Volkswagen Polo?
- Illustrative finance starts from £67/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Ford Fiesta and £161/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Ford Fiesta or the Volkswagen Polo?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Ford Fiesta stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Polo — so the Ford Fiesta is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Ford Fiesta or the Volkswagen Polo?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Ford Fiesta averages a 84% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 81% — the Ford Fiesta edges it on this measure.