Which mode do you mostly use, Auto or sequential and which, if any, provides the best mpg?

Stay in auto it is spec'd to return the best results in acceleration / fuel ecoomy(overall) etc. You can use the tip to change up quicker or down as you require, faster pullaways or for an extra bit of power should you require it. I always assumed that Tip was brought in to replace the old auto which had P N R D D1 D2 D3 etc, tip can do all of that for you. I believe yours is 7 speed which should offer loads of flexibility.

I thought it was 4 or 5 speed?

Stay in auto it is spec'd to return the best results in acceleration / fuel ecoomy(overall) etc. You can use the tip to change up quicker or down as you require, faster pullaways or for an extra bit of power should you require it. I always assumed that Tip was brought in to replace the old auto which had P N R D D1 D2 D3 etc, tip can do all of that for you. I believe yours is 7 speed which should offer loads of flexibility.

Guessed that was the case with the Triptonic. Trouble is, after experiencing a couple of automated manuals (semi autos) you are practically forced to use the sequential mode for smoothness due to the nasty jerkiness of the transmissions in full auto mode - DSG's excepted. No such troubles with the torque converted Fabia though - thankfully!

Those semi autos may bring slight advantages regarding mpg and emissions but as automatics they require a lot more development to deliver smooth progress in auto mode. Perhaps they should have taken the twin clutch approach of the DSGs'.

Tiptronic is an old system... DSG would add a further ~£1800 to the cost of the car

Tiptronic is an old system... DSG would add a further ~£1800 to the cost of the car

If you want an automatic/semi automatic Fabia it is, for the time being, the Tiptronic only. Can see the DSG being added to the Fabia range eventually, especially as the about to be released new Seat Ibiza will have it.

Bottom line, they are both excellent transmissions - just try a semi automatic such as the Civic i-Shift or the Auris MMT to realize this.

I thought it was 4 or 5 speed?

Im sure its the 6 speed auto/Tipronic box in the new furby.

the old fabia was 4 or 5 cant remember speed with Fuzzy Logic

Im sure its the 6 speed auto/Tipronic box in the new furby.

the old fabia was 4 or 5 cant remember speed with Fuzzy Logic

The demonstrator I tried was a 6 speed - I assume mine will be the same - never assume!!

The demonstrator I tried was a 6 speed - I assume mine will be the same - never assume!!

well yes then it will be a 6 speed. the new fabia that is. thats the only auto box option.

The Fabia is less money than the Ibiza though... and adding an £1800 option to a £12,000 car isn't gonna sell. Especially since they'd need to R&D it to type approve it

The Fabia is less money than the Ibiza though... and adding an £1800 option to a £12,000 car isn't gonna sell. Especially since they'd need to R&D it to type approve it

The DSG on the Octavia is £1100. Customers seeking a small automatic diesel would pay that, especially on the top of the range models - the Tiptronic adds £675 and that sells OK.

We just leave ours in auto, the engine seem very torquey and changes at quite low revs at small throttle openings. The engine note seems nice as well.

If you want a fast get away use sport mode , it red lines it in every gear but won't change into 6th gear.

I must say this is a much better car than the Mk 1 Fabia auto be had before.

We just leave ours in auto, the engine seem very torquey and changes at quite low revs at small throttle openings. The engine note seems nice as well.

If you want a fast get away use sport mode , it red lines it in every gear but won't change into 6th gear.

I must say this is a much better car than the Mk 1 Fabia auto be had before.

On my test drive I found the Tiptronic very smooth and responsive in auto mode and apart from a little more driver involvement, the sequential mode appeared more or less superfluous apart from some enhanced engine braking. Don't get me wrong though, the sequential change is very nice indeed requiring only a very short stick throw to achieve very positive shifts. It is purely that the auto mode is so good.

It is the opposite to the current crop of automated manuals available (DSGs apart) where the auto mode is rather jerky and smooth progress only being achieved via the sequential change - the Yaris Multi Mode Transmission (MMT) being just one example of this.

The only penalty in the Tiptronic vs Automated Manual is a little more thirst and emissions but as far as driving pleasure goes it is no contest - the Tiptronic wins every time and by a country mile.

I use the automatic mode mostly, shifting into sequential for going up or down steep inclines.

My Fabia is 6 speed.

On a related note, I never know when to use 'S'.

That seems to be the sensible way of using the Tiptronic - enhanced engine braking.

As to the 'S' mode - it is for a more enthusiastic driving style where it hangs on to the gears for longer between upshifts but will only change up to 5th gear. Since it is that gear that achieves maximum speed, 6th gear only being a sort of overdrive - less revs and enhanced economy.

So if traffic light grand prix's and using the unleaded faster are your thing, S mode is the one for that quick getaway.

As an afterthought, the quoted 0 -62 for the 1.6 manual is 10.1 secs whereas the Tiptronic's is 11.5 secs. Wonder if that figure was calculated using 'D' mode, 'S' mode or Tiptronic ?

As an afterthought, the quoted 0 -62 for the 1.6 manual is 10.1 secs whereas the Tiptronic's is 11.5 secs. Wonder if that figure was calculated using 'D' mode, 'S' mode or Tiptronic ?

Standard 'trick' for a quick getaway in an Automatic;

Hold the car on the footbrake with your left foot (handbrake off), build a few revs c. 1200rpm to take up the slack in the torque converter, then floor the throttle and release the brake simultaneously, ......

.... or it used to work last time I had an auto (2000 Omega TD); maybe today's nanny state programming of the ECU will negate this and cut the throttle as you are braking at the same time. :confused:

Can't put this to the test as I don't get my Roomster Tip for another couple of weeks yet!

Standard 'trick' for a quick getaway in an Automatic;

Hold the car on the footbrake with your left foot (handbrake off), build a few revs c. 1200rpm to take up the slack in the torque converter, then floor the throttle and release the brake simultaneously, ......

.... or it used to work last time I had an auto (2000 Omega TD); maybe today's nanny state programming of the ECU will negate this and cut the throttle as you are braking at the same time. :confused:

Can't put this to the test as I don't get my Roomster Tip for another couple of weeks yet!

Yes it does work. If im wanting a quick getaway I hold the brake and build the revs on the torque converter, takes off suprisingly quick:eek:

I got mine to do 0-60 in about 10 seconds, New Ibiza has got 7 speed dsg though, would have been nice if we had that

Having only had my Tiptronic for a couple of weeks, had the petrol DSG version been available, it would have been my first choice. Although I am very pleased with my Tip., the lower emissions and enhanced mpg of a DSG would have been a nice bonus.

Following test drives of other semi autos, it appears that the DSG is streets ahead when it comes to smoothness especially in full auto mode. Some of the other offerings available can be quite jerky which more or less forces the use of the sequentiial changes over the full auto mode.

Perhaps Skoda will eventually correct this omission with the Fabia range and make the DSG available on both the petrol and diesel cars.