A few years ago i had a vrs, i have since had a couple of company/lease cars but this is no longer an option and i have to buy a car again. I would like another Fabia vrs but they are out of my price range. I am therefore thinking about a tdi 100 bhp with maybe a remap or tunit type box. My question therefore is will this be a good budget substitute?

My journeys are mostly a motorway commute so i am not too concearned with handling but would like a similar power output.

Any comments/advice appreciated.

Forgot to ask will i miss the 6th gear on the motorway? or is 5th in the 5speed box a similar ratio?

My dad has got a Elegance TDI with 100bhp and although it doesn't have anywhere near the amount of poke the vRS has, it's still got a fair amount of shove when you put your foot down. 6th on the motorway in the vRS feels and sounds a bit more relaxed than 5th in the TDI. Are you sure your budget can't stretch to an earlier (say 53-04 plate) vRS? They aren't that expensive these days.

I'd say your looking 3K for a 53 plate Elegance TDI and 4.5K for a VRS (probs around 100K mileage) if you keep an eye on autotrader.

The general consensus would be avoid tuning boxes, too many problems (seen on here posts about poor idling, engine stalling in 5th and 6th or when being throttled etc). There is someone on here who's relative has a PD100 (mapped I think to around 130BHP + extra torque) and they have the PD130. If I am remembering correctly, the PD100 mapped does have some oomph but power delivery feels very different to the VRS and of course that is probably down to different gear boxes and different injectors.

I've a PD100, love it, would love a bit more oomph and getting it mapped is next on the agenda once I've spoken to a few insurance companies who understand what the actual benefits are. I keep tolling with the idea of selling and upping to an early VRS but I'd miss the heated seats too much at the moment

I'd go along with what Big Mikey says - surely an early vRS will be a similar price to a later PD100.

Looked at PD100 Ibiza's or Polo's?

as far as the oomphon the m/way goes a pd100 remapped or digital tuning box will make approk 135 bhp..

A few years ago i had a vrs, i have since had a couple of company/lease cars but this is no longer an option and i have to buy a car again. I would like another Fabia vrs but they are out of my price range. I am therefore thinking about a tdi 100 bhp with maybe a remap or tunit type box. My question therefore is will this be a good budget substitute?

My journeys are mostly a motorway commute so i am not too concearned with handling but would like a similar power output.

Any comments/advice appreciated.

I've only recently bought my 2002 Fabia 1.9tdi (100bhp) (72,000miles) from a Skoda Dealer.

I've done about 5000 miles in it so far, and on the motorway it feels quick enough, it will sit at 80-90 without grumbles, and it will return around 40-45mpg at those speeds.

I suppose a bit more power would be nice, but it doesn't feel that bad once you settle into the car's rhythm, and I never really feel the need that it needs more power.

I've read that remaps can easily change the car from 100bhp, to 135bhp and torque from 175 to 235lbs.

The car is nice and quiet on the motorway too, I'm guessing a 6th gear might have even longer ratios?

SWMBO's car is a Fabia TDI Elegance Estate PD100 remapped by Angel Tuning to circa 140bhp.

I've had it up against a friends Fabia VRS PD130 & found it was slightly quicker in a straight line than his (standard) VRS. The Fabia Estate PD100 surprisingly, is also slightly lighter than a Fabia VRS. You'll have plenty of oomph with a decent remap although it won't ever handle nearly as well as a VRS and you won't be able to get near a remapped VRS without some serious tuning.

All in, I'd say a remapped PD100 is a good alternative to a VRS with the Elegance versions having a pretty decent spec as well.

Thanks for all of the replies folks.

I think that i should be able to get a tdi for approx 2-2.5k wheras in this neck of the woods vrs's seem to be nearer to 4.5-5k

I am slightly reluctant to buy a vrs at the cheaper end as it may have had a hard life wheras the tdi's are often owned by more 'mature' owners.

5th in a TDI is only marginally higher geared than a later vRS' 6th. If I had to estimate the difference (having had both setups in my current car) I would say at 80mph the TDI would be doing 2500 to 2600 revs, whereas the vRS is more like 2300 to 2400. If you spend some of that saving on 2nd hand pd130 injectors £200, a pd130 turbo £250 and a custom remap £400, you're still looking at remapped vRS power of around 180 horsies.

5th in a TDI is only marginally higher geared than a later vRS' 6th. If I had to estimate the difference (having had both setups in my current car) I would say at 80mph the TDI would be doing 2500 to 2600 revs,

About spot on I'd say for my PD100, nothing strenuous, very quiet and bags (well it moves when you throttle it) of pull still even in 5th should you need it.

I have a 100PD , mapped to 141BHP and I return well over 60MPG

I love my car

I have seen over 70MPG too on loads of occasions

I have the map , PD160 and Pipercross panel filter

STR.T kit , front and rear ARB`s too

My car is on 175k miles too , and she is still on the origional clutch

I love my car she looks after me very well

I do 148 miles per day , so need the fuel economy

We have mapped some 100PD`s to 150ish BHP too

Stunning , go for it

Sarah

The cars in my price range seem to have done 80k miles+ and whilst this does not bother me overly i wonder if remapping at this mileage may be asking for trouble?

Basically i am not looking for a project car as such, i just need a workhorse that will get me to work and back everyday on my 60 mile round trip comute. The car needs to be above all reliable and economical although given that i shall be spending quite a bit of time in it i would like reasonable performance for the odd bit of fun.

The idea of a low key/sleaper type of car appeals partly as where i shall be parking is not the best and secondly i am coming from a SEAT LEON FR 170bhp tdi which is not very subtle!

No worries about the performance differencies as the plan includes also buying a fun car, type as yet to be decided.

Sorry for the ramblings but i am looking for as many opinions/thoughts as possible.

I'm going to echo AwesomeSarah's thoughts here...

This is my Elegance (so it has cruise and heated seats) PD100...

It's been remapped by Performance Torque to 145bhp and 242lb/ft of torque. Very smooth power delivery (less stress on the drivetrain), plenty of oomph and very very good on fuel generally.

I've not driven a vRS (yet... :P) but for what it is, I love it.

And as you can see, there's a fair few tasteful cosmetic mods that can be done to it, as well as the usual suspension and brakes...it's a slippery slope even with a non-vRS

Hope this helps.

Well I've got a PD100 estate at about 120,000 miles on it from new (all ours) and have recently chucked a 150 ohm resistor on the fuel temp sender for a laugh. Gives me more smiles as it has more oomph when you give it the wellie but the idle is a bit rougher. no fault codes as yet and nothing showing up on a VagCOM scan but it'll probably not stay on forever...

Having had 2 x 1.9TDi PD100s i have to say they have plenty oomph and good economy, havent driven a vRS though...