Volkswagen Up GTI - long-term review

The Up GTI is a cheap car, no question. But just how cheap are we talking? Ignore the options list and VW will do you a 3dr on a three-year PCP for around £220pcm, with a £2,800 deposit and a decent mileage limit. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Until you realise TG’s reigning car (and hot hatch) of the year, the Ford Fiesta ST, is just a fiver more per month on similar terms. Ah… looks like the Up might not be the total bargain we thought it was. To run, however, it’s a steal. On my commute it does comfortably over 50mpg, and a full tank of fuel isn’t far off £40. Admittedly the tank is tiny, but you’ll still get more than 300 miles out of it. And for a 25-year-old bloke in full time employment, living somewhere in rural Essex, insurance is less than £400 a year.