I've just notched up my first 3,000 miles so I thought I'd post a real world and honest (hopefully!) review of my experiences.

Car details:

Delivered 19th Nov. It's a 1.4TDi 3 Estate in Silver with options of Heated Seats, Boxes Under Seats and Multi-Function steering wheel.

Why Did I Choose it?:

Needed a car with a big boot (large dog/kid due March) but at a low cost. It's a company car hence opting for the 1.4 over the 1.9 as it's in a lower tax band. Tried several estates before choosing the Skoda. Other cars tested were Peugeot 207SW, Renault Clio Tourer and Ford Focus Estate (Fabia beat them hands down - see conclusions later).

Engine/Performance/Refinement:

Although initially a bit gruff the engine has smoothed out nicely and provides plenty of power for everyday use. It has loads of mid-range grunt and I've never noticed a lack of power. Great car for motorway driving - the engine has a nice thrum to it at about 70mph. No problems with engine noise in the cabin now it's run in. Overall a great engine for this size of car.

Economy - I've averaged about 52mpg (not measured very scientifically just using the trip computer). This seems to be steadily climbing as the miles pass - the engine was very tight for the first few weeks. Sure I'll get closer to 55-60 eventually.

I'm managing to do about 500 - 550 miles on a tank full so pretty pleased with that. Longest single trip so far is about 200 miles in a day and found the standard Cruise Control really useful on the motorway.

Ride/Handling:

Having come from a bigger (and more expensive!) car I can honestly say this is the most comfortable car I've owned. The ride is both firm and comfortable and makes for a very relaxing drive. It never feels flustered on any roads I've come across yet and my 15 mile commute into work daily is a pleasure (well as much as it can be!). Not a car to push really hard as it does roll a lot if you do but then I didn't choose it for racing.

Interior/Practicality:

I hate to use the cliche 'tardis-like' but it really is amazing how big the car is inside considering the exterior dimensions, especially the boot which I have tried and failed to fill up over Christmas (it swallowed 2 5ft Christmas trees without having to fold the seats down). The dog loves it and the storage bins in the boot are really useful to stop clutter rolling around.

What did tickle me was a friend trying the same thing in his A4 Avant and finding he had less space than my Fabia (not bad considering the Audi cost over £25K!).

There are a couple of gripes though - 1) The black 'Onyx' upholstery is a pig to keep clean and clings to dog hairs/dirt so I'm having to brush/vac regularly to stop it building up (never bothered with previous company cars but determined to keep this one clean). 2) - the foldable armrest is right above the handbrake so when it's down it's a pain to use the handbrake. Not a major problem but inconvenient.

I had a couple of rattles that I thought were from the glovebox or air vents but these seem to have disappeared now.

Heated Seats (optional) are great although they are wired the wrong way round (will get sorted out at 1st service).

Conclusion:

I'm very pleased I chose the Fabia. Having tried out a few estates it was the only car within my budget that felt like a 'proper car' (207SW / Clio Tourer both felt flimsy, Focus Estate nice car but very expensive compared to Fabia and hardly any bigger).

My first 3,000 miles have confirmed what I thought - there is no other car on the market that combines a big car feel and practicality at anywhere near the price of the Fabia. The Focus Estate ticked all the boxes but was £5k more for a decent spec.

I'm pretty sold on my (not so little) Skoda - seem to want to look after it a lot more than previous cars.

Anyway hope some people found this review useful and will post another one in a few months after kid arrives in March.

Nice little review, thanks for that!

The Fabia Estate is great value for sure.

The good thing with the diesel engine is that it just gets better and better with age, wait until you get 30 or 40 thousand under its belt

Very good review as in very positive to the Fabia and I liked reading it as it's very well written!

Just out of interest how often do you use the radio controls on the steering wheel over pressing the radio buttons?

Mr Family, brilliant review and glad you are pleased with the car...just amazing aren't they.

Very good review as in very positive to the Fabia and I liked reading it as it's very well written!

Just out of interest how often do you use the radio controls on the steering wheel over pressing the radio buttons?

Hi James,

Thanks for the comments.

I find I only use the radio controls on the steering wheel for changing the volume - I find it easier to use the main unit to change stations etc.

I've invested in a PocketDock for my iPod so don't use the CD player much now as the iPod is usually plugged into the Aux Socket.

Mr Family, brilliant review and glad you are pleased with the car...just amazing aren't they.

Yes it's an amazing car for the price. Also forgot to mention I has dealer-fitted roof bars and used a roof box over Christmas. It didn't phase the Fabia at all and no noticable impact on mpg.

Glad you liked the review.

Nice little review, thanks for that!

The Fabia Estate is great value for sure.

The good thing with the diesel engine is that it just gets better and better with age, wait until you get 30 or 40 thousand under its belt

At the rate I'm clocking up the miles I'll be there in a year or so!!

I've had my estate for 8 months and I'm more than happy with my Skoda experience. It's a very practical and competant vehicle. The boot is enormous. The ride and handling are excellent and those neat touches really do make it a nice car to live with.

He'll be having his first service in just over a month, so we'll see what that is like in terms of cost. On the motorway, my 1.4 16v petrol returns 50mpg. It's quiet too.

I love the climate control - great during the cold snap for keeping the cabin comfortable without feeling the hot air blowing straight at me.

The only improvement - a self-cleaning car! He does seem to get very dirty.

I've had my estate for 8 months and I'm more than happy with my Skoda experience. It's a very practical and competant vehicle. The boot is enormous. The ride and handling are excellent and those neat touches really do make it a nice car to live with.

He'll be having his first service in just over a month, so we'll see what that is like in terms of cost. On the motorway, my 1.4 16v petrol returns 50mpg. It's quiet too.

I love the climate control - great during the cold snap for keeping the cabin comfortable without feeling the hot air blowing straight at me.

The only improvement - a self-cleaning car! He does seem to get very dirty.

Mine gets really dirty too - especially the back of the car. Must be the Estate shape as it's the first Estate I've had.