Estate v hatch

[bb150297]

Was considering a Fabia estate (probably a 1.9 tdi if budget stretches) as reluctantly concluded hatch might be a bit small luggage-wise (need at least as much space as in my venerable Felicia hatch).

Does the estate involve noticeable or significant compromise on performance / economy vv the hatch?

Alternatively, feel free to persuade me the hatch is roomy enough

[ultra_joel88]

Depends? Do you regularly carry adults in the back? Big loads?

If so then I'd be tempted to reccomend an Octavia.

Fabia hatch is fine for 2 adults and 2 kids reg or 2 adults and 2 adults irregularly but I would say for 4 aduls its a tight squeeze.

[Cliveski]

I have recently changed from a 1.9 tdi hatchback to 1.9tdi estate and can say there is no noticeable loss in performance or economy.

The boot space is impressive considering the estate is only a little longer than the hatchback. I would say it's double the space (or at least feels it).

I think small estates are the way forward for me

[ninja_alex]

I have built a vRS estate, and in my opinion it is a better drive. Seems a bit more predicatable than the hatchback. Getting over 50mpg on my route, involsome 'harder' driving

Boot is massively bigger

Alex

[JulieD]

like Alex says, the boot in the estate is huge in comparison. In fact, I put the boot liner from my old estate in the back of an Audi A6 avant to move it, and it wasn't much smaller than the Audis boot liner!

[fabia55]

Estate is more aero dynamic with wind resistance coef of 0.29 compared to 0.32 (or 0.31 if i rightly remember from one of the older fabia brochures).

I've test drive both hatch and estate and the estate seems quieter, although fuel consumption is negligibly lower on estate. The estate's tails swings a bit when cornering hard under heavy load and drives better unladen though. (as with hatch).

1.2 12 valve is best imo but 1.9 tdi is best if you do long distances/motorway driving. I had a 1.2 estate and at 80mph it was comfortable (and a lot more refined than most if not all other 1.2 small cars) under heavy load. The fabia estate just feels like a bigger car and has a boot bigger than a lot of bigger cars (e.g. golf, focus size) and bigger than honda accord estate.

[Tech1e]

I have built a vRS estate, and in my opinion it is a better drive. Seems a bit more predicatable than the hatchback. Getting over 50mpg on my route, involsome 'harder' driving

Boot is massively bigger

Alex

x2

Having owned both hatch and estate I much prefer the estate.

[bb150297]

Thanks, will let you know what I get.

[WeirdKerr]

yeah the boot in the estate is mahoosive..... so big i found a party of explorers setting of to find the lost city of eldorado last week, think they are still in there.....

[Grendel]

We have one of each - If you need leg room for the driver the hatch has more with less rear seat leg room whilst the drivers seat on the estate is about two inches further forward

[bb150297]

Red 1.9 TDi ambiente estate arrives next week:-). My old Felicia, meanwhile, retires hurt (hit in the rear, written off) on 113.8k.

[ninja_alex]

We have one of each - If you need leg room for the driver the hatch has more with less rear seat leg room whilst the drivers seat on the estate is about two inches further forward

???? They use the same floor plan, even the carpets etc are the same, so leg room should not be any different

Alex

[Auric Goldfinger]

IIRC the Estate is only 8" longer than the Hatch........" More useless information from me "

[Grendel]

???? They use the same floor plan, even the carpets etc are the same, so leg room should not be any different

Alex

I would have thought so but there is a noticeable difference, maybe its down to the seats and different trim levels. The estate is an ambient and the hatch is a sport,

[KTP]

We have one of each - If you need leg room for the driver the hatch has more with less rear seat leg room whilst the drivers seat on the estate is about two inches further forward

theres a lever at the front of the seat you can pull to slide it forward or back, this is standard on both the hatch and estate so equal legroom can be achieved

[Grendel]

theres a lever at the front of the seat you can pull to slide it forward or back, this is standard on both the hatch and estate so equal legroom can be achieved

Even with the seats slid right back the hatch appears to have more leg room up front - I will have to measure the space. How sad:rolleyes:

[Dmac1969]

Maybe the sports seats (same as vRS IIRC) are slightly bigger?

[Grendel]

Maybe the sports seats (same as vRS IIRC) are slightly bigger?

You are right - having just been out to both cars and taken a look - the sport seats are chunkier and the back rest is about 2 inches further back than the on on the ambiente seats. The extra leg room probably does not bother a lot of drivers but being tall and having long legs it makes a lot of difference to me.

The seat rails and floor plans are identical as Alex posted earlier.