Big Sheep

Congratulations Brian, looks like you got a good deal from Arnold's. I went to a dealer 60 miles away in order to get a good price on a car with a few miles on the clock. Scotland would have been a bit far for me but I do have family up near Stirling! I was given £5,000 in part exchange for my 50,000 mile, 5 year old vRS. Did you go manual or DSG? I'm guessing manual on account of the price. I have got the panoramic sunroof that will be great once winter is over. N.B. The VW Polo forums are not as good as Briskoda.

Brian69, the wheels on the polo are 'Serron' black diamond cut alloys. I've now had two weeks ownership of the polo and I'm enjoying it but it is quiet a bit different in character to the Fabia. On my commute to work I can get upto 40 mpg if driven reasonably carefully. If you drive it like you stole it, it will return mid twenties (never saw that on the vRS) but saying that the GTI actually tends to encourage sensible driving. The manual box is actually very good to use with a short, slick throw although the spacing of the ratios could be better. I much prefer a DSG when stuck in town traffic but on an open road manual is better. Seats are very comfortable, there are no shakes or rattles and it has much more of a premium feel compared to the Skoda. Not sure I would have paid full price for one of these but I got a reasonable deal on a nearly new. Time will tell whether this will be a long term keeper.

Estate Man, maybe your not getting my concern. I've never before considered using an after market warranty company prior to owning the vRS. The 'complex' technology on this car was a selling point and the 'VAT free' deal made it something of a bargain. However, after 5 years of ownership I had concerns with the long term reliability of the twin charger engine and the DSG gearbox. Problems with the 7 speed dry clutch DSG are well documented. What is the point of buying a warranty from Warranty Direct when they can refuse a claim on wear or tear whether or not wear and tear can actually be proven to have been the root cause? Could they also refuse a claim if the car had a pre-existing condition such as high oil consumption? The more you drill down into the small print from these companies the less attractive they are.

Warranty Direct don't cover dry clutch DSGs !!! How many get out clauses do these sharks have? I've just traded in my vRS after over 5 years of ownership (backed up with a Skoda extended warranty). It was a tough decision. I was going to keep the car and get cover through Warranty Direct or Warranty Wise because of concerns over engine/DSG long term reliability. I'm now glad I let the car go even though my wallet is hurting.

Thanks Dan. I have to say that I have found advisors at Adrian Flux generally knowledgable and helpful, which is more than can be said for certain car insurers. Best for kit car insurance as well.

If my existing 15" winter wheels don't sell this weekend I'll try one on the front of the Polo to see if it fits and clears the brakes. I was working on the fact that the German TUV winter tyre approvals for the Polo GTI are for 195/50R16 or 205/45R16 tyres. VW market 16" winter wheels for this car. I don't want to fall foul on insurance. The TUV Serienbereifung winter tyre approval for the Fabia II CAVE (vRS) is 185/55R15 85H M+S - therefore 15" rims. One advantage of this is you get a very comfortable ride in the winter on the much fatter tyres! As it stands it is damn difficult to get insurers to cover alternative wheel sizes for winter tyres without upping your premium for a 'modification'. So far I have got Adrian Flux, Axa and Swiftcover to send me statements to say that they will cover me without any extra charge. Iincredibly some companies have refused to offer cover.

After 5 years and 4 months I have decided to move on from my Fabia vRS. This has been a very difficult decision as it has been one of the most enjoyable cars I have owned (I'll even forgive it the engine change after high oil consumption in the early days!). As a fast commuting to work car it was perfect and in my opinion the 1.4 twin charger engine / DSG gearbox combination is hard to beat for speed, excitement, safe overtaking, relaxing town driving and economy. The car always looked great in green and black and remained a rare beast in my neck of the woods. So what did I go for as a replacement? I narrowed the choice down to the Fiesta ST, new Polo GTI or even a MX5 Mk4. In the end I part exchanged the vRS for a nearly new Polo 1.8 GTI with manual gearbox. This is similar but in a way a more grown up car, which can be relaxed and comfortable to drive when you want it to be. Many things are better such as the headlights, interior trim and 'info-tainment' system. The torque from the 1.8 engine is impressive. Handling is good enough. Reliability should be better than the Fabia vRS. I'm learning to have to change gear again! Negatives are fuel consumption (early days), less storage space and on some bad roads the ride can be a little choppy. It is however a great car to drive and looks much better than the Fiesta ST (the ride also is not as harsh).

Don't accept what they tell you. I was told much the same at first. Read my comments above and get writing! Those that don't ask don't get.

Many vRS owners who have had replacement engines have managed to get extended warranties from SUK, but only after asking (via email or letter is best). Otherwise nothing will be given beyond the normal 3 year warranty. I initially got a one year non-transferable warranty on the car following the new engine but this was upgraded to a 2 year transferable extended warranty after I suffered the inconvenience of further problems with the car. Again I had to write a strongly worded email. Use phrases such as "I have lost confidence in the car" and "lost faith in the brand".

No contest. It has to be the vRS!!! (with a 5 year extended warranty of course). The Mk3 just doesn't interest me and isn't a drivers car.

Interesting listening to the You and Yours report concerning the 2.0 litre TFSI. A few comments worth repeating here: - Owners in the UK with oil consumption issues receiving widely varying treatment from Audi. Audi state that up to 0.5 litre oil consumption per 620 miles is considered acceptable. Owners are finding that oil consumption can get worse as the car approaches 5 years old. Some are experiencing very high consumption (1 litre per 300 miles). Owners in the US brought a court action against Audi. Audi agreed a settlement whereby effected cars would be repaired and warranties extended to 8 years. Audi avoided having to admit in court that there was a design fault with their engines. Subsequently they have said that piston ring geometry has now been changed requiring a small modification to the piston.

Big Sheep #53

The last couple of mornings my outside air temperature display has suddenly dropped to around 0 degrees then climbed back to normal. Tonight it remained at minus 45 degrees C until half way through my journey back from work (and I didn't go via Siberia!). Can anyone tell me the air temp sensor location on the vRS? I'll check the connector (possible water ingress?) before taking the car to the dealer. Is this sensor for temp display info only or has it any other function?

Hi Ant, Totally agree with you and many have found the same. The first time I took my vRS down dark country lanes I too found the dip beam dangerous. The fix is to fit Osram Nightbreakers or Philips Xtreme and to wind the beam adjustment up by one or two turns (best done against a garage door so you can determine the amount of movement of each light). I have owned my vRS for 3 years now and love it despite the niggles. The car has just past its first MOT.

Ally, I've only just come across this thread. I agree with the points you make in your first post. I check my oil and top up in much the same manner as you do. My second engine uses oil but at a rate that is acceptable to me. My first engine used too much oil. Despite this and some other significant issues with the car, I have always received appropriate back up and good will from the dealer and Skoda UK. I plan to keep my vRS (owned for 3 years) for a while longer since I still enjoy driving it.