MarginWalker

I loved the run-out special Edition of the Mk1 vRS in race blue with leather seats. One of those on an '07 plate with reasonable mileage and proper service history would be a gem of a car to own. Skoda should do something along the lines of that for the last year of the Mk 2 - a distinctive colour with an upmarket interior rich with leather, tasteful metal inserts and some sort of attractive carbon fibre theme.

Not necessarily - depends on what's available on the production line at the time. Could be Continental Premium Contact 2s, or Bridgestone Turanzas, or another reasonable quality make.

Enjoy - the vRS and Monte look absolutely superb in black! Be prepared for some hard work to keep it looking good though. Black paintwork is high maintenance if you like your cars to stay shiny. My metallic black 500 demands a clay, polish and wax every other month just to look even half-decent. I recommend Carlack 68 nano polish/sealant topped with Collinite 476s, with Meguiars ultimate quick detailer in between.

Yep, the Turanzas are a hard and noisy tyre. Last for ages on the upside. I recommend the Michelin Energy Saver+ it's an excellent all-rounder and good on noise levels. Probably the best tyre I've had so far.

I Your drop in mpg was certainly dramatic. My experience with the 1.9 PD has been quite different in that premium diesel always improves mpg. Shell V-Power is the best. Even when I really cane the engine with this stuff in the tank it stays above 50 mpg (maxidot reading rather than brim calculations though) in extra urban settings, and if I'm on A roads and motorways, I can achieve early 60s if I stick to speed limits. The 1.9 TDi is surely one of the best engines VW has produced (completely unbiased view of course ;-)

Yep, the rainsports are softies alright. I like to get at least 18k from a decent tyre myself but then my car doesn't perform like a vRS. Great tyre is the Rainsport 2, but i'm going for Michelins next time around.

Hmm, we regularly have Group 2 child seats in the back of ours and definitely couldn't squeeze one in the middle. You can get a slim booster 'cushion' (no back) which might squeeze in the middle but that would only be viable if your eldest is tall enough to only need a cushion-type booster seat. The Fab is certainly one of the narrower small family cars out there that's for sure. I like it's narrowness though but not so good if you've more than 2 little 'uns!

My estate wears these on the front and their grip in the wet is exceptional. They're also much quieter than the previous Bridgestone Turanzas. Wear rate is poor though - mine are down to 3mm after 12k. I've been very impressed by the Michelin energy saver + tyres on my Fiat and may well try these or the Michelin Pilot Exaltos on the Fab next time.

Congrats! Will give you plenty of pleasure I've no doubt!

Really? Mine has nothing else on your list but does have 4 different intermittent wiper speeds. Thought it would be a standard feature on the VRs. A heated windscreen a la Ford's Quickclear system would be nice.

If it's laid back driving and reliability you're after then I would say the 1.9 TDi edges the 1.2 TSi. More torque, more relaxed on the motorway and an engine that is damned near bulletproof if you keep to the scheduled oil changes.

I know - I keep thinking about it! I reckon it might be putting out a little bit more than 105 hp already; it definitely feels like one of the strong 'uns, but a remap would no doubt be a revelation. Not too sure there's a reputable remap business close to me though (south Oxfordshire). Also, SHMBO would probably knee me in the boolocks if I spent 300-odd quid on a remap. Cars are low on her priority list and I've already spent too much on treats for my 500 recently.

I wish my estate looked like Sharkrider's black vrs and had a sixth gear. Other that, nowt. Love the engine and have all the kit I need.

With it's gorgeous black frontage I reckon 'Bocanegra' would be a good name for it.

Totally agree - that is a great piece of work tresam74! Your Combi is now a mini camper. Your next mod should be a folding roof!

Whoosh, that black estate looks the total business. Mean and purposeful. I even like the new badge when i see it set on that dark swept front end. Superb looking motor. SupaGuard has been brilliant on my satin grey metallic estate - over 4 years on without polishing or waxing and it looks great after a wash. Even in full sun I can't see any swirl marks, scratches or holograms and the flake just pops. I really rate it, in contrast to some other opinions I've read. My Fiat 500 in metallic black is another story though, loads of swirl marks from previous owner's lack of being arsed to wash it properly, which robs the car of shine. It did look massively better after a clean, clay bar, polish with Carlack 68 and a coat of Colinite but it's still painful looking at the paintwork in the sun. Needs a machine polish really. Having now experienced how hard it is to keep a black car looking good, I reckon your SupaGuard treatment will be money very well spent.

Very tempted :evil: . The normally aspirated 1.4 will have to keep me happy for while yet though - only had it 6 months! Next one could well be an Abarth, as I don't see me wanting any other small car now.

You gotta love Fiat's little 500 - bags of style and plenty of substance to boot. My Sport makes me grin every time I get into it! I'm tempted by the Abarth I must say, but the quickest ones with the best set ups are getting on for silly money; over 20 k for a 595 Competizione and nearer 30 grand for the 180 mph 695 Competizione !! Mind you a decent used Abarth (non-Essesse) 500 can be had for about 7 grand now, a very affordable slice of driving fun.

By all accounts a tough, frugal and quite punchy engine, though likely to be (even) noisier than your previous 1.9 PD. As said, no DPF to worry about unless it's a Greenline. I'm a big fan of VAG's PD engines, they're tough and efficient units provided the oil is changed regularly with the correct spec. There's a Briskoda forumite called Estate Man who knows loads about the 1.4 PD 80 - hopefully he'll visit this thread in due course and will give you good info.

True enough about the narrow sweet spot of a TDi. But most roads/driving situations don't allow you to get to the point where the engine gets breathless anyway. TBH I probably won't get another diesel - the latest designs are more complicated and probably more burstable (also having those bothersome DPFs), plus you need to be doing some pretty serious mileages to offset the higher purchase price and fuel cost. I'll keep running the 1.9 PD for as long as practicable, hopefully getting a starship mileage out of it. For driving fun i've got a naturally aspirated 100 hp little Fiat that responds instantaneously to throttle, loves to be revved and sounds great!

Yep, torque and more torque, punch, economy, and trouble-free mega mileages. What's not to like? Alright, taxi clatter and expensive cam belt changes perhaps.

Uniroyal Rainsport 2's are good all-rounders and brilliant in the wet, but they don't wear well - mine are down to less than 3mm after 12,000 miles, while the original Bridgestone Turanzas at the rear are still at 4mm after 40,000! Apparently energy-saving tyres have improved hugely in the last few years and I'm considering the new Dunlop BluResponse Sports as replacements for the Uniroyals - few reviews so far but the ones I've seen are very good.

I'm not that keen either - making the winged arrow bigger emphasises the asymmetry of the design and I prefer the text and green elements of the older badge. Love the arctic green colour on Kent DK's estate though.

The glovebox rattle in mine has got worse lately, becoming pretty annoying at high speeds. Very pleased to see this thread resurrected and thanks for the ideas.

Sorry that you've found this problem - hope that's the only one! as EM says, it might have just seized from lack of use, so give his possible remedy a try. It might reassure you to know that my car, from the same vintage as yours (and the same level 3 spec) hasn't had any electrical faults so far. In fact it's been the most trouble-free model I've ever owned. Has the cam belt been changed in yours?