Volkswagen Fox

Advice on buying the best.

Volkswagen had already entered the city car market with the Lupo in 1999, a model that gained a strong following especially in pocket-rocket GTI form. Keen to continue stealing sales from the likes of the Toyota Aygo/citroën C1/ Peugeot 107 and the Ford Ka, which VW had identified as its main rivals, it launched the Fox at the Leipzig Motor Show in April 2005.

Going on sale in the UK exactly a year later, it was distinctly different from its predecessor in more ways than one, including the fact that it was assembled at VW’S Curitiba plant in Brazil. The Lupo’s cute and youthful styling had been replaced by something rather more conservative and, as a result, it never really garnered quite the same affection from journalists or the buying public.

That said, it sold in steady numbers during its six-year production run, with the best year being 2010, when Volkswagen shifted 9622 of them in the UK. OK, so those weren’t the sort of numbers to have VW bean-counters dancing in the streets, but it was good news for buyers, who got a durable small car that offered class-leading amounts of space and cheap running costs.

Utilising simple, proven technology and occupying the lowest of insurance groups – impressive levels of safety gained it a four-star rating from Euro NCAP – the Fox was a sound choice for anyone who ranked value for money and ease-of-use over aesthetics or dynamic performance.

Trim & equipment

VW were determined to keep things simple, reflected in the fact that just two trim levels were available. Unusually, prices were cheaper than the Lupo’s, but costing £6590 at launch when fitted with the 1.2 engine (£7195 for the 1.4), the basic Fox wasn’t exactly overendowed with convenience features, with windows and locking being strictly of the manual variety. However, it did get a pair of front airbags, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, ISOFIX child seat mountings and a CD player.

If you wanted more in the way of niceties then you needed to splash out an extra £600 on the Urban model, which was furnished with electric windows, remote central locking and opening rear vent windows (those on the entry-level model didn’t open at all). Added to these were a rear seat that both split and folded and adjusted fore/ aft by 15cm for added practicality, along with bumpers and door mirror caps painted in body colour for a less austere appearance. The 1.4 version was £7995.

Naturally, there were plenty of options available to enhance your Fox with alloy wheels, air-conditioning, extra airbags and an electric sunroof. And VW also offered a number of option packs that brought upgrades to looks, security systems and audio. Aside from the smallest of trim changes and price adjustments, that’s pretty much how things remained throughout Fox production.

Body & electrics

The one thing that differentiated the Fox from its rivals was space and lots of it. Compared to the Lupo, the wheelbase had grown by a notable 144mm to 2465mm and it was also unusually tall for the class, resulting in impressive levels of room for passengers and luggage.

Although strictly a four-seater (there was no middle seatbelt in the rear), occupants had no trouble stretching out, and the light and airy cabin is a definite plus point compared to the slightly cramped Toyota Aygo and its ilk. It also meant class-leading luggage capacity of 260 litres (the Aygo was 139 litres by comparison) which extended to 1016 litres with the rear seats folded.

The body itself was a three-door and VW claimed that it was designed to be especially stiff and durable. Galvanised and featuring 4.36 metres of laser welding, it was covered by a 12-year anticorrosion warranty and should still be in good shape today. Rust is unusual even on older examples, usually restricted to accident damage or poor repairs.

More common are scuffs and dents caused by a life of urban battling, so check the state of the panels and watch for scraped bumpers, especially the body colour items on Urban models. It’s also worth ensuring that exterior locks all operate as they should, particularly the tailgate, where failure will prevent any exterior access to the luggage area as there is no internal release.

Although the dashboard and trim plastics aren’t exactly tactile, they are durable and long-lasting. Just check for the usual signs of damage, as well as for seat trim that’s seen better days and tatty headlining (the latter utilised a plant-based fibre that was organically grown and recyclable).

Interior storage options are impressively handy, offering usefully sized door bins, cup holders and a sliding tray beneath the driver’s seat to keep valuables out of sight. If your motoring life involves accumulating plenty of detritus then the compact VW is for you.

The cabin can suffer from water leaks, though, more than likely caused by a blocked scuttle drain. Check for damp footwell carpets and ensure that the rear washer pipe hasn’t come adrift and allowed water into the boot.

As for the electrics, it’s likely to be the odd gremlin rather than anything too serious, although it pays to ensure the remote central locking still operates and that the wipers work because they are prone to problems. Electric windows can suffer from failure of the window

regulator – replacements can be found online for around £70 – and can stick in their channels. They may require a complete stripdown to rectify, so test them before parting with any money.

There are owner reports of issues with the dashboard displays going on the blink, so check everything works as it should.

Transmission

It’s that simplicity thing at work again as VW offered the Fox with a single transmission: the MQ200 five-speed manual (the 200 refers to the 200Nm torque rating for the unit).

Shared with other models in adapted forms, it’s a reliable gearbox that shouldn’t give any real trouble unless previous owners have been particularly ham-fisted.

High-milers could be suffering from a bit of slop in the gear linkage and it’s worth listening for any whining from tired bearings, but neither are common issues and the gearshift should feel accurate and baulk-free.

It’s likely that most examples spent their time as urban runabouts, so check for any signs of clutch slippage – a clutch kit is around £180 and it’s not especially difficult to fit – and for any noises from tired CV joints.

What goes wrong

Cheap running costs were what the Fox was all about, and with a three-year warranty and servicing every 10,000 miles/one year, there was little to concern the new car buyer.

Shared with the Polo, the threecylinder 1.2 engine is a chain-cam design, so there’s little to cause concern as long as oil and filter changes haven’t been neglected, although special tools are needed to replace the chain.

In fact, both the 1.2 and 1.4 engines lend themselves exceedingly well to DIY servicing – parts are cheap and easy to find, and there’s plenty of access room in the engine bay. Just make sure that regular maintenance hasn’t become a thing of the past.

For sprightlier performance, the 1.4 unit is a better bet and uses a timing belt which needs changing at 60,000 miles/four years, so look for evidence this has been done. If not, it should be the first job on the list, fitting a new tensioner and water pump at the same time. A timing belt kit is only around £50, so there’s no excuse for neglecting it. Equally important for both engines is ensuring that the coolant is healthy, to prevent any deterioration within the alloy cylinderhead. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for engine warning lights or signs of a misfire, both of which can point to issues with the coil or cam sensor – if you’re changing the former then it’s advisable to stick to a genuine VW part, although it isn’t cheap at £150. Otherwise, specialists don’t consider the Fox’s mechanicals to be problematic, so just find one that’s been serviced regularly.

Examples with just one or two owners and that have been cherished are out there, so try to seek out one of these.