[graemeg]

Have had my new Up for 3 weeks now - and really enjoying the car. Traded in my 12 year old Mazda MX5 so I have been pleasantly surprised by the handling and the ride - very precise steering and surprisingly smooths out the bumps much more effectively than I expected. The Up is a rare sight on the roads here in Victoria - I have only seen one other on the road. The problem here in Australia is that it is hard sell a car without automatic transmission its not offered here. 70 percent of new drivers get their drivers licence for an automatic only. Personally i like the manual gears. My car is a 5 door with Maps & More added along with parking sensors and cruise control. Really impressed with all the features that are standard here in - stability control, hill start, collision radar, courtesy light dimming etc. managed to get a wonderful set of number plates - VWUP. Will post photo later

 

[graemeg]

Here is a picture of new Up in Melbourne

 

[Itzben]

Hey its a cracking little car! I absolutley love the reg! Do you not need numbers in it? I'm surprised they don't offer the asg if most new drivers are only getting there auto liscences, it would be / is a great car for new drivers! Anyhow nice to meet you in here!

 

[graemeg]

Here in Victoria custom number plates can have any combination of letters and numbers. Unfortunately they don't allow the '!'. As I understand it VW Australia has decided against importing cars with asg. Maybe waiting for a dsg box to be offered?

 

[mattjp]

Hi Graemeg,

I'm also in Melbourne and took delivery of a new Up on Monday. Almost identical to yours except without the comfort drive pack (or the cool number plates). As you say they're not that common in Australia; have only seen one other on the road here.Very happy with it so far. Particularly surprising how comfortable it is at 100kph on the freeway and obviously very good around the city.

Strangely enough I was considering buying an MX5 of roughly the same age as your old car before I decided to buy the Up. Ultimately didn't think the MX5 would be practical enough for me but they are also a very nice drive.

Here's a photo of mine:

 

[mattjp]

 

[Mash85]

looking good guys! love the vw up plates!


we just got two ups in our household. my partner took delivery of the first one, a black one with maps and more and the comfort drive package. im waiting for mine to come over from Perth, also black with maps and more, comfort drive and comfort style packs. Should be about 2 weeks.ill post up pics of them together soon!

 

[graemeg]

Hi Mash85 and Mattjp

Glad to hear from fellow Up owners in Melbourne. Matt yours appears to be the same colour as mine. The only other one I have seen was a white one in Burwood. I found out about the Up by reading overseas reviews I was on the look out for a small city car that was more practical than the MX5 but nothing appealed until I read about the Up. There doesn't seem to be a lot of advertising for them here in Australia. Had about a 3 week wait for mine to come from Sydney with the specifications I wanted. Needed a light colour which wouldn't show the dust and mud as I live down a dirt road. The dark silver really doesn't show the dirt/ dust very much at all.

 

[move up!]

Welcome to both of you

I'm envious of the number-plates. Not just the custom lettering, but the colour of the backround and letters. We have a horrible yellow background on our number-plates (but weirdly, only the rear one!). Yellow clashes with almost any car paint in the world

 

[Allybasher]

It's great to see the Up going down so well down under. I am also deeply jealous of those number plates.....

 

[mattjp]

I read a great review of the Up in the Jan 2013 Wheels magazine which got me thinking about it. It was the Car of the Year edition, in which the Up made it to the final 3and received a rave review(the other cars were the Toyota 86/Subrau BRZ and the Holden Volt). From memory it was largely the lack of an automatic gearbox which prevented it from winning. I'll try to scan a copy of the review and post it here soon. For those not from Australia, Wheels magazine is probably the leading motoring magazine here.

Do any of you have thoughts about paint protection, interior protection and window tinting? The dealer I bought my Up from was trying to sell them to me but for an absurd amount of money. I'm not sure whether I should look into getting any of that done after market. I am reasonably happy with the level of tinting already in the glass but as my Up unfortunately must live outside I wonder whether I should try to get some UV protection for the paint and interior. Or a car cover - if I can find one small enough!

Thanks all for the welcome and comments





Edited by: mattjp

 

[move up!]

I believe car covers can chafe the paint off on the edges and corners, due to wind buffeting. Also, you can buy the paint protection quite cheaply and polish the car yourself.

 

[ian.fitch]

Hope this doesn't offend anyone - certainly not intended to...
I noticed that some UK owners were surprised that we could have plates without numbers here in Oz, and it reminded me of a car I saw for sale online when I was looking for my new car (black 5 door, picked it up two days ago - yipee!) with plates that were not only approved by the relevant state authority, but advertised nationally on our biggest car sales site:

- only in Queensland!

 

[juux]

I'm told Aussies get a rum deal with cars at times (import/part costs, compliance issues with modified cars etc.), but your plate makes it all seem worth it

 

[Itzben]

Haha! When I was buying my up! I looked for

UP62URS

For a reg but can't find it for some reason

 

[Davec86]

That's amazing! I love it!

 

[Allybasher]

I want that plate!

 

[streakypaws]

Me 2!!! But the up!s look brill im so glad there gettin around the world!!!

 

[move up!]

Love it! Not only the wording but the fact you can have black plates with silver writing. The whole car just looks more colour matched than having a bright yellow plate...