mnaylor

His car was broken or he couldn't drive

Yes I can confirm that dealers are causing part of the problem. I drove this one the other day - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201404293784597/sort/default/usedcars/saved-search-id/2c929a044724edd00147347259da005b/model/fabia/keywords/vrs/fuel-type/diesel/postcode/rh193ux/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/price-to/5000/make/skoda/radius/100/page/3?logcode=p While the car drove fine, it had some cosmetic issues such as severe paint flake on the rear spoiler and the alloys could have done with a refurb. The gear knob also needed replacing. What put me off the most though was that some boy racer had it before as there was a receipt for koni yellows in the history which confirmed my suspicion that the car was lowered despite the dealer saying it wasn't. It was the first one I had driven and it also felt slower than I thought it would, ran out of puff very quickly, had to keep changing gear. I guess a remap remedies this. It has put me off these cars a bit though as you can get a lot for £4500 these days and the Fabia just seems to expensive for what is. I have started looking at the BMW 3 series and Honda Accord as alternatives. I could do with the extra space anyway.

My wife had a Mk2 MX5 for about 3 years, I took it out whenever the mood took me. What I will say is that the 140bhp is more than enough to have fun, the car is light and nimble. The most impressive thing about it was the reliability, in 3 years it only ever had oil changes and one set of brake pads. This was at 12/13 years old with over 90k miles on the clock. Most reliable car we have ever had.

I can't answer most of your questions, however, for functions and sound quality I would go for an Alpine head unit.

I have not done this on a Fabia yet, hopefully I will when I finally find a VRS that meets my standards. However, I have done this on previous cards. If you are handy with a stanley knife, cutting holes in the door cards is a good option. I did this on my accord type r. Everyone who sees them thinks it is a factory job as it looks that good. It means if you ever sell the car you will need to leave the speakers in though.

Thanks guys. The extra bhp is interesting as one of the first things I was going to do was a shark map. It is only going to be a daily commuter but for the price and extra performance, I thought it was worthwhile. I understand the shark map to be quite mild and therefore should not have an adverse affect on the turbo and clutch?

About 8 years ago I took my Honda Prelude 2.2 VTEC into a local garage for a service. On my lunch break I heard a car being raced through the town centre, turned round to see my Prelude racing a Celica. I was not impressed. I have used a mobile mechanic for years now, he can be trusted and at 25 quid an hour is much better than these rip off garages.

Thanks for the responses so far guys. Is there any difference between the engines with the different engine codes?

Hi All, This looks like a great forum. I am after some advice as I am interested in buying a Fabia VRS. The reason I am looking at these is because my mileage is going to be somewhere in between 12k to 15k a year. They appear to be a good compromise between performance and economy. I have done quite a bit of research, mainly using this forum and I have some questions. 1. I have a budget of around £4k. So I am looking at 2004 to 2006 cars with around 100k miles on them looking at auto trader. At this mileage should I expect the turbo and clutch to still last a while or are they going to be on their last legs by this point? 2. Are all years of VRS prone to letting water in through the rear doors? I am worried that due to the recent dry weather I won’t be able to spot one that is leaking as any that were leaking will have dried out by now. 3. Was there any revisions to bodywork, interior, engine through the lifecycle of the Mk1 Fabia VRS? I am aware of the SE versions but apart from that I can’t see anything obvious. Although I have seen the odd mention of something to do with a different engine code in later models? 4. I am into my ICE so will be upgrading the stereo. I already have an alpine head unit and JL audio sub and amp that I have removed from my previous car. In addition I will put some components up front. Is there anything I should be aware of here? Is everything straightforward when it comes to audio in the VRS? What is the symphony upgrade all about? 5. What is the boot size like, looks quite small in pictures. 6. This will be my first diesel ever in 13 years of driving. I have looked at buyer’s guides and things but any useful/obvious advice would be appreciated to make sure I don’t miss anything. Thanks Mike

Having owned several vtec Honda's I have to disagree with the original poster, although some of it is based on personal preference. With the vtec engines, you have to rev them, which for me is the fun part. You can drive it around normally, and when you want some fun you engage vtec. My previous car was an Accord Type R, the Civic Type R and Accord Type R are very evenly matched. Round a track, there is no doubt the Civic Type R would beat a mapped Skoda VRS, let alone a standard one. You can spout torque figures all you like but the fact is the Civic will be quicker in a straight line and round corners. The VRS is great because the power is more usable so is probably the better option for the commuter. For speed and fun the vtec engines are hard to beat.

Hi All, When I get my VRS I will be putting my own ICE in the car. Is there anything I need to know regarding the ICE in the VRS, or is it a straightforward job of swapping out original equipment for aftermarket stuff? I will be putting my Alpine Headunit in, along with the my JL Audio Sub and Amp. I may also buy some component speakers to replace the stock fronts depending on how good or bad the stock ones are. Thanks Mike

Hi All, I really need to drive a Fabia VRS before I make any decisions but I am currently leaning towards one based on various online reviews and forums. My annual mileage is going to be somewhere in the region of 15k so I need a diesel. I have sold my Honda Accord Type R as it is not practical to be using that for so many miles due to it’s not very good mpg, my annual mileage was only 4k before so it was no big deal. I have been trying to find a diesel that has a bit of performance but also good economy and reliability for around £4k. My list of options is: Fabia VRS Seat Leon FR 150 Honda Accord 2.2 CDTI BMW 320d Compared to the other cars on the list, has anyone got any experience on how the vrs performs? Thanks Mike

Hi All, I am new here. I thought I should register as I am thinking of purchasing a mark 1 Fabia VRS for my daily commute. Thanks Mike