Nice review Rob! Would be interested in how you feel it compares to a PD100 or 1.4-16v if you ever drive them

I think one of the other reasons the 2.0-litre is less popular is it's insurance group 8, compared to 6 for the PD100 and 1.4-16v, but I guess in the real world it probably doesn't make a great deal of difference

Chris

As a car for the parents' date=' and not for me, what do we think as a used buy ?

Rob[/quote']

I don't know about a used buy, but I have had one from new for 2

The top end is excellent. Eg. On the M6 toll road' date=' new'ish 130TDi A4 comes up to my bumper at 80mph. Car in front moves over, and I move to the middle then the inside lane. The road is empty. At 12* mph, the Fabia and A4 are in exactly the same distance from each other, but in different lanes.

Rob[/quote']

Right ok - the 12* mph.. the top speed of a 2.0 fabia is 121 mate, so why cover up the speed? And anyway you're not impressing many if you're saying that's what you were doing. I completely sickened by the likes of idiots on the M6-toll in particular (and other motorways) using it as an excuse to drive fast - any driver who breaks the speed limit and drives that fast deserves their license to be taken away and have their car crushed. It's pathetic, it's not clever at all.

Regards,

I completely sickened by the likes of idiots on the M6-toll in particular (and other motorways) using it as an excuse to drive fast - any driver who breaks the speed limit and drives that fast deserves their license to be taken away and have their car crushed. It's pathetic, it's not clever at all.

And yet the accident rate on motorways is quite a bit lower than on other types of road. So maybe it isn't all down to how fast you're going?

Rob.

Sorry, rob, I cannot defend it - it's pathetic. If anyone wants to drive that fast goto Silverstone, Brands Hatch or somewhere.. there are plenty of places around the country that let you do that sort of thing and safely aswell. It should be completely off the roads - just the way I feel mate..

Regards,

.. there are plenty of places around the country that let you do that sort of thing and safely aswell.

I agree. The M45 is much better suited to these sorts of speeds than the M6 toll road...

I was expecting that kind of sarcasm..

Regards,

Seriously though, everyone hammers down the M45. It's almost always pretty empty. I tend to sit at about 80, and most days someone comes past doing well over a ton. I've never seen an accident on that road, though: good surface, good visibility and low traffic volume: it's probably safer than some race tracks.

I sold my 2.0 Fabia (anyone have it on here KU02 NNF?) did 15,000 fault free miles in it, fantastic car, bought it as a demo for nothing, and cost very little to run! really rather miss it now!

Right ok - the 12* mph.. the top speed of a 2.0 fabia is 121 mate' date=' so why cover up the speed? And anyway you're not impressing many if you're saying that's what you were doing. I completely sickened by the likes of idiots on the M6-toll in particular (and other motorways) using it as an excuse to drive fast - any driver who breaks the speed limit and drives that fast deserves their license to be taken away and have their car crushed. It's pathetic, it's not clever at all.

Regards,[/quote']

To prevent this from turning into a Scoobynet style row , and to be honest about speed, I stick to 85mph on the speedo on the M6 toll road whilst everybody goes whizzing past - the average speed is ridiculous.

If you are saying SkodaTDi that you don't ever cruise above the legal limit, then you are a better person that me. Not defending anything, just being honest.

The example I quoted should have ended with me saying that having had the guy 6 inches from my back bumper at a half sensible speed and a totally (I mean totally) empty road ahead, I accelerated to a too-fast speed and then braked down to the speed I was doing before - all in about 30 seconds.

The car behind me and many others, STAY at extreme speeds for the length of the road (14? miles). The S.C.P have had vans in position on the toll-road bridges, but I would suggest that they set up SPECS to get the average speeds on the road.

And back to the Fabia 2.0, the point is that it cruises very well.

I stick to 85mph on the speedo.

Same here. I think they 'do' you for +10% +3mph. I reckon my speedo is 6% over, so 70*1.10*1.06 + 3 = 84.6 mph. Sometimes more is safe and sometimes less is safe, but under a registered 85mph and I'll be OK regarding penalties.

Just my tuppence worth, neither for or against.

Anyone use the M40 regularly ? many times seen one of the unmarked patrol cars cuising @ 85 - 90 in the inside lane, 35% of the traffic passing them and not flinched a blue light. the marked patrol cars stay about 80-85 and i've not seen anyone pulled in over 5 years

The 1.4 16v pulls ok over 3k, lack of torque is noticeable low down though c/w an old 2.0 Vento GL (gti engine) we used to have. In a lighter Fabia can imagine its even better.

Same here. I think they 'do' you for +10% +3mph.

It's not an official policy, and it's certainly not consistent across constabularys. Just trying doing that in North Wales!

Rob.

Anyone use the M40 regularly ? many times seen one of the unmarked patrol cars cuising @ 85 - 90 in the inside lane, 35% of the traffic passing them and not flinched a blue light. the marked patrol cars stay about 80-85 and i've not seen anyone pulled in over 5 years

I use it every couple of weeks and have only seen a marked car on there once and that was when he came belting down the slip road I'd just passed (@90mph ) with full blues 'n' twos and flew passed me. He must have joined the motorway at >100mph, but for a second I thought I was in for some points.... I knocked my speed down to 80mph after that

Also seen an unmarked Vauxhall Omega at the A34/M4 roadworks that straddled the central white line and led two lanes of traffic through the roadworks at 40mph. We then did a few more miles like this and then he just turned off his lights and booted it. Oh to be a traffic cop

Chris

Every week I use the M60, M56, M6, M5, M42 and M40 in order to get to work and back, so I'm exposed to a lot of crazy driving. It's not only people who drive at dangerously fast speeds, there are those who drive too slow - 40mph etc. I remember one old guy who got nicked for doing 34mph on the outside lane of the M60 - and quite rightly so. Someone mentioed using SPECS system - we need better, we need digital speed cameras every 3 or 4 miles in the middle and outside lane on every motorway network.

Oh and all the Max speed + 10% + 3.. that's the old equation. They don't use it anymore. You break the limit and that's it. No tolerance is allowed, if the cop wants to book you and give you points he/she will do. As for unmarked cars, look out for dark blue Volvos and Skodas on the M40. I've seen an unmarked Black Impreza on the M60 at the beginning of the year - that was scary, I didn't think that the GMP Police had any.

MESSAGE to Fabpreza - I'll admit to you, I am one of those few people who stick to the legal limit. Reasons, two of them, one is I've known people been in serious motorway crashes for no fault of their own and the other, is I'm more of an econonmy driver than one who needs to be home as soon as possible. If the govt raised the legal limit to 80mph on the motorway, fine I would do 80mph, but not until.

Regards,

Fair enough. To be honest, I'm surprised that there haven't been more serious accidents involving HGVs as the roads get more crowded. Lorries battling along in convoy at 60-65 with car length distances between them is not a nice recipe.

The worst area for this seems to be the A14 dual from the M6/M1 junction to the East - to the extent that they're having a major review of the road's saftey. What is refreshing is that there's a recognition by the Police and local authorities that speed is one of several factors involved involved in the high RTA and fatality rate, and they're actually putting some 'joined-up thinking' into place.

>> As for unmarked cars, look out for dark blue Volvos and Skodas on the M40. I've seen an unmarked Black Impreza on the M60 at the beginning of the year - that was scary, I didn't think that the GMP Police had any. <<

They also have a Met (sonic) blue? one. enticing boyracers in central Manchester ? or possibly an FRV.

M60, M61, M62 etc there are or recently were unmarked :

Black Galaxy

Silver C class Merc estate

Various Volvo saloon/ estate

Scooby(s)

:eek:

It's not an official policy' date=' and it's certainly not consistent across constabularys. Just trying doing that in North Wales!

Rob.[/quote']

Yes for example some Scotttish forces use 150% of speed limit to decide court appearance. This means you can get a fixed penalty for just over 100 and a court appearence for 45 in a 30. To be honest (on most roads) I have no problem with that.

I drove the M6 Toll and I thought the road was fanastic, a bit like the motorways in the 1960's but with 2004 safety features. I sat at 80-85 mph comfortably, never needing lane 3 at all and rarely using lane 2. Once I hit the M6 it was back down to 65mph max duwe to traffic...