Opinion please

[Cookie71]

I am looking to buy a Fabia Vrs for my wife and eventually, when she passes her test, my daughter to use. We have had various high perfomance cars, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford RS so I am aware of running issues and things with higher powered engines but I am a little concerned with all the engine comments I have read. I am looking at a 2011 or 2012 model and can see the comments relating to cave engines but how can I tell if the car has had a replacement engine etc would my local dealer be able to look up details for the car? Also how practical is it for a young driver, my daughter is sensible but we have all been young so I know what can happen. The insurance seems to be unbelievably low for such a high powered car?

Thanks in advance. 

[Ally_bassman]

The 1.4tsi coupled with the DSG gets you up to speed quickly, but the power delivery is pretty linear so it's not 'a handful' to drive normally.

 

Pootling around town or to the shops will be no problem. it just depends on how sensible you like to think your daughter is..... You'll be surprised how quickly and easily they can get to licence loosing speeds.

 

If you ring Skoda UK customer services, give them the reg, they can look up any warranty work.

 

I would personally stay away from early cars with the CAVE engines. Unless buying from a Skoda dealer with the 1 year warranty attached.

[Cookie71]

Thanks.

 

The car will have an insurance approved box to monitor her speed etc, good to know about power delivery as have yet to find one and drive it.

 

Am I right that the newer engines are late 2012 cars?

[Ally_bassman]

Yeah, late 2012.

 

If you look under the boot floor on the build sticker, it should be noted on there.

 

CTHE engines can suffer the same fate as CAVE's but it does not seem to be as common.

 

Great little cars, but they aren't 'fire and forget'. You got to apply some mechanical sympathy to them as 180bhp from 1.4 does mean a higher state of tune compared to other cars! But on the other hand they don't like to babied around all of the time. Once up to temp I would give mine a good booting up to the redline at least once per journey to keep the pipes clear (literally)as they run very rich when cold.

 

Keep an eye on the oil level, get it changed every 10k and replace the plugs every 15k - 20k you can't go wrong really.

[newbie69]

I'll post another view if I may. These cars, as it's turned out to be after almost 5 years we know them, especially as 2nd-handers, should be better bought by people who plan to keep a close eye on them, drive them themselves so they notice any unusual behaviour and generally have a slight idea of how a modern engine works. Someone more of a car enthousiast than the average Joe. They are the best engines you can have when they work as they should but unfortunately there's also been bad ones out there. Certainly not the car I would recommend to a friend to buy for his daughter/son when they makes their first trips or my wife that just uses it go to the super-market or shopping. There are much better cars for those purposes. Last week a person I know of said he was considering a used vRS as he had been in mine and loved it. I honestly couldn't tell him hand-in-heart go ahead and buy with confidence. I also knew he is not that technical, so even checking the oil on a regular basis would be a pita for him so in the end I had to recommend something else. That doesn't mean every used vRS out there should only be owned by a car mechanic. It's all down to being able to look up the history of the car. Oil drinker? Yes/No Warranty work? Yes/No/What exactly?  So all in all, I think it's a bit harder to be on the safe side with these cars compared to a typical used car purchase, and then regarding ownership, some personal time must be spent on it to make sure all stays fine.

[Ally_bassman]

Very good point mate, well said.

 

I was trying to touch on the same point too.

 

But assuming that the OP is a bit of a petrol head according to his previous cars listed, checking oil and making sure they are looked after wouldn't be a problem as such.

 

But with the black box fitted, realistically it will never be driven hard. This can cause problems too as they get clogged up with soot from running rich when cold.

 

What sort of journeys will it be doing? Will you Daughter/Wife put 99 ron fuel in? I would be asking yourself these questions too.

[Furbytom]

There are quite a few CAVE duffers out there. Replacement engine may be ok but if it's got a history of oil consumption tests or breather mods I'd walk away.

That said they are good cars on the whole. Definitely worth seeing if the budget can stretch to a CTHE car if poss.

[Ootohere]

If you look at the foot of the drivers door pillar the sticker there should say CAVE or CTHE.

[Cookie71]

Great comments, thanks very much.

 

I will be doing all the checks I did when I had high performance cars many moons ago but thanks for the heads up.

 

I would run on 99 fuel but does it make that much difference to these engines? 

 

A later engine seems the way forward unless I can find an older car at a Skoda dealer with a decent length warranty. 

[vrskeith]

http://www.skoda.co.uk/used-cars/advantages-of-skoda-used-cars/

Get a written report from third party insurer about the engine status for oil consumption and Skoda UK WARRANTY Report

[Furbytom]

Great comments, thanks very much.

 

I will be doing all the checks I did when I had high performance cars many moons ago but thanks for the heads up.

 

I would run on 99 fuel but does it make that much difference to these engines? 

 

A later engine seems the way forward unless I can find an older car at a Skoda dealer with a decent length warranty.

They run pretty poor on 95 in my experience. Far better to use super-unleaded. :-)

[Jabozuma]

Unless you are going to be looking after your daughter's car on regular basis and driving the car as it needs to be driven from time to time (black box would be out of the questione then) then the vRS is not for your kid. It is a great car but for a small demographic of generally far above the average technical knowledge and hands on expertise. I'd look for Hyundai or Kia if I were you...

[redlinevrs]

Looking to possibly change Octavia 1.8RS 55 to VRS 2011.   A wee bit concerned, price and condition appears excellent.

 

Are you saying the stamp in the drivers foot well - CAVE or CTHE?

[Ootohere]

Welcome to the forum.

 

A 2011 vRS Fabia MK2 has a CAVE engine.

 

Sticker at the bottom pillar of the drivers door.  Says  CAVE   or CTHE

 

A car after October / November 2012 should have a CTHE engine unless it has been built before then and Registered after.

There are some like that.

 

The most important thing is to get the cars History, Warranty History.

See if the car had a New Engine at any time.  Might be OK.

 

Or if it needed Oil Consumption Tests, Breather Pipe / Valve Mods, ECU Update, and then no new engine.

If that was the case, walk away.

 

Then you want to know that the DSG Service Campaign has been done since May 2014 if Required.

It needs a Full Service History and a Valid Warranty running.

If not Walk Away unless you are prepared to take a £4,000 plus gamble.

 

Maybe post the Registration Number of a car you are looking at and some member might know it.

and if a potentially bad one, or a peach.

Edited 30 March, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[m8t]

A bit fast for a new driver. How about a 1.2htp fabia or a yaris.

[Ootohere]

There are Driving Instructors on here that instruct in a MK2 Fabia vRS.

[sharkrider]

I am looking to buy a Fabia Vrs for my wife and eventually, when she passes her test, my daughter to use. We have had various high perfomance cars, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford RS so I am aware of running issues and things with higher powered engines but I am a little concerned with all the engine comments I have read. I am looking at a 2011 or 2012 model and can see the comments relating to cave engines but how can I tell if the car has had a replacement engine etc would my local dealer be able to look up details for the car? Also how practical is it for a young driver, my daughter is sensible but we have all been young so I know what can happen. The insurance seems to be unbelievably low for such a high powered car?

Thanks in advance. 

dont listen to them, I teach people to drive in mine, and they are fine...

 

NO ONE drives it too fast, (I dont have to tell them, they dont....) they are too nervous, and careful of the performance..... its an EASY car to drive, and its also very safe (ESP that cant be turned off ect )

 

MY other half drives my track prepared vRS often, and she barely drives it any faster than her 60 bhp citigo.... they are either idiots or they are not put an idiot in a 900 cc suzuki alto and they will crash and die..... put a sensible person in a vRS and they will be fine. I have had pupils BUY vRS's, and I see them round all the time, and they are not crashed ect (although I like tothink I can prepare them for life on the roads, rather than just a driving test!)

 

hope you get one and enjoy it, they are fantastic cars!

[Cookie71]

Thanks. I have seen a 2011 at a Skoda dealer in Colwyn Bay for £7,999 so may go and take a look at the weekend. 

 

Will keep you all posted. 

[Ootohere]

Maybe put up the Reg No. and Colour and see if anyone here knows it or owned it.

[vxh26]

If it's a 2011 vRS, it is almost certain to have a CAVE rather than the later CTHE engine. By all accounts here, these earlier engines do seem to have a doubtful reputation, particularly in terms of excessive oil and spark plug consumption so a decent warranty is pretty much essential.

[Richf]

Cthe's have failed also though , plenty of CAVEs about with no issues

[Ootohere]

It would be a CAVE engine because the Revised engine did not appear till late 2012.

 

But it could have had the engine replaced.

You really need to know what you are looking at because a Dealers 3 month or even 12 month Warranty might not help if 

you land up with a car with a bad engine or Gearbox, unless it is from a Skoda Dealer.

 

Best maybe find someone local that knows about them that can assist you.

 

Find the Warranty History from Skoda UK Customer Services on any Twinchargers you are looking at.

 

PS.

As to plenty of CAVE cars around without issues.

There were 1,800 sold in the UK

Maybe 7 out of 10 have not had faults & high Oil use or Engines Replaced,  but recently even some of the early CAVE from 2010-11 that have been OK for near 5 years have been  showing issues.

Edited 2 April, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[Ally_bassman]

Basically what's being said is;

 

- No matter what the age of the car, CAVE engine or CTHE, there are good ones and bad ones out there.

 

- Try and buy from a Skoda dealer

 

- Get the longest Warranty you can

 

- Pop the hood and look for signs that the oil has been topped up a lot (Oil spilt onto other parts of the engine, oil gunk around the filler cap etc)

 

- Slip a finger up the exhaust pipe (oooooo errrrr) - if its gunky and slimy, it's a sign its using oil. The pipes should be extra sooty but dry

 

Good luck!

[Ootohere]

Ally, really,

i have yet to see one that looks like that with spilt oil around the engine.

If a dealer was selling one that looked like that, then that is strange.

 

What i find is plenty clean engines which means not a single thing about it being an oil user or not.

[Ally_bassman]

Ally, really,

i have yet to see one that looks like that with spilt oil around the engine.

If a dealer was selling one that looked like that, then that is strange.

 

What i find is plenty clean engines which means not a single thing about it being an oil user or not.

 

George,

 

I'm not saying that one that uses oil will have this tell tale sign. But equally, if the OP did, it could be a clue.

 

No harm in looking don't you agree?

 

Would hardly say it's strange, the engine cover I'm sure will be lovely and clean, but look a little closer into the bay, I'm sure you would see something. Only the same as checking shut lines and under boot floors for sign of accident damage etc.

 

It's hard to spot an oil using lemon on the forecourt, or on the test drive, heck I'm sure the oil will be right where it should be on the dipstick if dipped. So anything a potential buyer can do to try and spot one, can only be a good thing.