I'm kind of curious where all these quick Fabia owners are. All I see around Exeter, where I work, are old people driving the 1.4MPI, and the 1.9 SDI fabia's (and not particularly quickly either) I rarely see the 16V Fabia's around, and I have NEVER in 2 years seen another TDI. Now I know the dealer where my car came from was selling a s**tload of Fabias - so why am I the only young person driving around in one? Surely its not a car associated with old fuddy-duddys is it?:confused:

We have tons of Fabias around Canterbury and must admit the vast majority are driven by people over the age of 35. I still think that a huge amount of the motoring public is massively ignorant re: Skodas and I imagine some youngsters are still put off by the thought of snide comments / mickey taking etc. :(

I got a lot of p*ss taking comments from everyone at my hockey club and work when I said I was buying a Skoda. Those in my hockey team don't make any of those comments anymore having travelled in it. However, it is slow educating some people who still think a practical road car is something like a Jeep Grand Cherokee and for whom image (no matter how outdated their view) is everything.

The Octy RS has a nice image now, but all other Skoda's seem to be driven by older "non-enthusiast" folk. I sometimes get a wave or nod from them tho.

It takes some explaining to people that *yes* I drive a skoda estate and *no* I haven't given up on enjoying driving and *no* I didn't want an RS!

..but when I take em for a drive in it they understand

(best quote after acceleration: "I see why it has headrests!")

Originally posted by KentStu in this post

We have tons of Fabias around Canterbury and must admit the vast majority are driven by people over the age of 35.

Are you insinuating something ???? Damn your impertinence, sir! Just cos we oldies don't have blue neon lights on our cars don't mean we don't know how to press on, dontcha know!!!

Nothing detrimental meant - just answering devonutopia's question regarding the lack of "young" drivers. I guess when you get older you are not as influenced by others' perception - hence despite the grief I was getting/was going to get I went ahead and got my RS :p

My Fabia 1.4 mpi was my first car at age 22. Loved it to bits. But was a wee bit slow, so have upgraded to 1.9tdi Elegance. Goes much better, although I do miss the quietness of the other engine. Plus this car has a couple of odd unexplainable noises up front that the garage can't seem to identify or even agree that they exist!

My folks live in Devon (tavistock). Few Fabias round there. There are 3 in my close nr Guildford here in Surrey and about 6 in my village. Not sure what spec they are though. My partners got a 1.4mpi. But, shes about to change it for a new Beetle 2.0.

Ha! I live quite close to Tavistock myself, but rarely go down there as all my busines is in Exeter. There is one other Fabia in my small village which I thought was quite funny, but again its the 1.4 Mpi, driven by what I believe are "elderly" citizens, if thats a politically correct term for them. I never test drove the MPI so I don't know about the engine noise compared to the TDI, but after driving diesel fiats at my Dads old work, and diesel vans at my work, the engine is bloody quiet! I even convinced some of my mates it was a petrol engine (for a while at least). What's the elegance got, the comfort (mine) hasn't? I didn't see much difference in the spec bar alloys and stuff, which I've put on my car anyway. I think the elegance has all the alloy/chrome trim inside, right? I'm happy with what I got on mine anyway, air-con is one thing I appreciate in the summer. Can't think of anything else to say about it really apart from the fact that I have very few regrets going for the TDI

Originally posted by KentStu in this post

We have tons of Fabias around Canterbury and must admit the vast majority are driven by people over the age of 35.

Oh dear. Just a few more months and I will be part of a vast majority. :eek: :eek:

Talking about "non-enthusiast" Skoda drivers - I thought Holland was festered with it, but now I see Ian complaining about the UK as well, just as I was about to wonder out loud why the UK seems to harbour so many Skoda enthusiasts! I mean, look at how BriSkoda.net is thriving compared to its Dutch counterpart. I'd almost ask: how did you guys pull it off?

In very apparent contrast: on a Dutch Skoda bulletin board I was greeted with a stark example of old-fashioned Skoda ownership on the announcement of my pending acquisition - other members were instructed not to pay attention to the causerie that evolved among a limited number of RS and 4x4 owners, as these were "people that get their cars for FREE from their employers". :eek:

Now I am a leftie and (almost) an ex-commie myself, and a dear Tatra and pre-VAG Skoda fan, and when I was that age (see above) I was always wondering where those boy racers got their money from... But I was still shocked by this amount of - no doubt envious - anti-capitalism. On a motorcar forum!

I've got a quick Fabia (TDi Estate) but by your reckoning I'm an "oldie" as I'm 35 next month.

I don't know whether to take offence at the insinuation of being old or be glad that I'm "in with the young crowd"!

Cheers

Age 38 1.9TDi Fabia

changed from impreza (22mpg) and can still driver on the motorway at the same speed but get 50ish mpg.

or other cars a octavia 1.8T slx my2000 estate

Is 38 old then?????

Oh gawd its a wrinkly convention!

Ain't got a Fabia at the moment, I have an Octavia, and I'm not old

I'm only 36

Morning all. I see that my insinuation about Fabia owners has brought out all the thirty-something boy-racers out of the closet. Also noticed that it seems all the other TDI owners, as common as they seem to be on this site, don't come from Devon cuz I never see any of you. Anyone else noticed that a lot of driving schools are using the Fabia's as cars? Its a shame they're not quick either, normally the SDI or MPI. If you're going to teach someone to drive in a Skoda, you may as well make the best impression by giving them a bit of muslce (plus the TDI has double the torque of the SDI - much more difficult to stall which would help learners too)

Can I be in your gang?

1.4mpi classic fabia in dark blue.....

I want to discuss what these handle things on the doors are, and why pressing the key fob results in silence and a sore thumb?

But, it's ace for turning round in a small space, and quite spritely n nimble. Beat a dumper truck away from the lights already (feel the power!!)

Miss my octy :(

Ian where is your 4x4 not sick is it or being used to ferry troops around a certian city???

I got so fed up with the light on the key-fob not working (sore thumb too) that I spent

Having a little work done, should have it back Monday night...

New throttle body.

New drainage tray over pollen filter (other one broken, water ingress into passenger footwell)

New carpet (as other one got wet so often it's falling apart)

New armrest lid (other one broken after coin jammed in hinge)

..and laying some stereo cables for me whilst the interior is out.

oh, and the handles on the inside, they seem to turn in a circular motion.

I gotta admit. The carpets are thing I've seen go a bit manky, so I made sure I got a full set of rubber mats for my car. I reckon they've saved any damage to the carpet, as I often drive in wellies and cacked up trainers. They can even be washed easily and re-blacked with whatever back to black chemicals I can find in the garage. The main work I've needed was a brand new turbo. The old one used to cut out and then drive like an SDI, or even worse. It would come back alive if I turned off the engine (whilst at speed) and re-started it. Lucky I was still under warranty else that could have been costly. It did worry me a little bit that a diesel turbo would give up the ghost after only 32,000 miles. Anyone else know anything about dodgy turbos?

Tried the ABS yet Ian?

hehe, not yet but I recall the last one I drove, very over-servoed and lock up very quickly!

Devon, yes, I have mats also, but the water comes from underneath so not much protection! All replaced under warranty anyway so not concerned too much. Means they can lay some cable for me so saves me a job. (stereo work is commencing, held off too long! )

Dev,

I have a 16v fabia, and my sister has a yellow RS. There's also someone living round the corner from me with a silver RS (with huge rear wing!). Apart from that, the majority of skoda drivers in the areas are taxi drivers and the "older" driver.

Does mean it's great round my area (oer!) when nova boys appear behind you thinking they're about to overtake a senior citizen... they soon learn the errors of their ways :-D

Sounds better than my area (Dartmoor), but then I suppose the less Nova-boys are around the better. I'm still coming to terms with a lady owning a yellow RS, but then I shouldn't be so masogonistic, should I? Everyone should have the right to own a quick Skoda. I want to know when a Skoda is going to have an engine similar to the Type R Honda's put in it? Its not fair giving the Octavia all the good engines, and denying them to the smaller Skoda owners

Ian-the only stereo upgrade I did was to stick a single CD Kenwood player in. I felt that the sound of the original speakers and that has always been pretty good, so I've kept them (although one did give up the ghost when I started playing the bass a bit too loud... haha, replaced under warranty too)

I noticed Worthing (retirement capital of the country) has more than it's

fair share of Fabia's - a good range of the engines and trims though.

Stockport has plenty of Octavias, mainly taxis, but it also seems to have

the highest Briskoda membership per square mile (I'm counting 4, and

it's not all that big )

Rob.

I'm still coming to terms with a lady owning a yellow RS, but then I shouldn't be so masogonistic, should I?

oooohh Dev, you don't know what you've just said :bouncer: JaneC will no doubt be in contact very shortly

I've just dug my own grave haven't I? Can someone read me the last rites and play the last post? Cheers - from one soon to be dead Devonian.

PS: I respect anyone who owns an RS, however bad they are at parallel parking. oops, done it again...