In October 2009 I purchased a brand new Level 2 Fabia 1.6. This replaced my 12 year old Felicia 1.6 which I kept this long because I loved the ride and the instant kick when the accelerator was pressed to the floor. I decided to have the lowered suspension option on my new car because my wife's Mk1 Fabia 1.4 16v has a lot of body roll when going around corners compared with my Felicia and I decided that I wanted my new car to be more stable. I also ordered the safety pack but not the spare wheel option.

On driving my new car for the first time I thought the suspension was hard compared to the Felicia I had just traded in. This turned out to be the tyres pumped up to 34. Lowering them to 30 made the ride the same if not slightly softer than the Felicia.

Driving to work the following week without a passenger was horrible. The car was swaying from side to side on every bump and pothole. After a few days I decided that the lowered suspension was not doing what I expected and I didn’t think I could put up with the front diving down any hole the car found. At one point I rang the garage to ask how much it would cost to put normal springs on the car because I thought the lowered suspension was making the situation worse.

The following weekend we went for a long drive with four of us in the car. At the end of our journey I had forgotten about the car handling and actually enjoyed the ride. Back to work the following week I was back to diving down all the holes in the road and ending my journeys with back and shoulder ache where I was trying to stay in my seat.

On the Wednesday I purchased a Halfords Cushioned Car seat which made the ride softer and gave better side support but I was still being thrown around.

It was at this point that I realized that the car was fine if I had passengers. It was as if the car was front heavy and if a front wheel went down a hole in the road the back of the car on the opposite side would lift slightly and the car dive forward and to the left or right. At this point I called the garage and asked to purchase a Spare Wheel. This was fitted to the car the following Saturday. On my drive home I was on my own and it was like driving a totally different car. The car at last was stable with just me in it.

The moral of the story is DO NOT buy a 1.6 Fabia without a spare wheel. The weight of the tyre and jack is enough to move the centre of gravity back and down so the back of the car does not lift when one of the front wheels goes down a hole in the road. It makes the car far more stable and a joy to drive. I’m now glad I opted for the lowered suspension. I can sling the car about without feeling I am losing control and the steering feels responsive with the right amount of feedback.

So far I have made only one modification and that is placed a fitted plywood board under the driver’s side carpet to lift my feet up a bit. Without this I find the brake pedal is slightly too high and I can’t simply swing my right foot between the brake and accelerator without lifting my foot up first. This is dangerous as it was delaying the time it was taking to brake in an emergency.

If I had a preference I would say the gear stick could do with coming back a bit, the pedals could go forward and down a bit and the seats should be narrower like the Fabia MK1. The new wider seats do not hold you when going around corners like the Felicia and MK1 Fabia do. A part from that the car is nippy, solid going around corners and I love the turning fog lights option which is part of the safety pack. Like the 1.6 Felicia it has a nice bit of torque in third gear, unlike the 1.4 Fabia 16v which to me seems to run out of steam until it is high in revs. I’m currently doing about 10% more MPG than my old Felicia and expect this to go up in the summer when I’m not sitting in traffic.

Having read back what I have just written makes me sound like a boy racer. I’ve actually been driving for 40 years.

David

Nice little review. There has been some comment about body roll and diving of the Fabia 2 in the motoring press, though it seems particularly marked in your experience. My guess is the car's original dynamics were calculated based on a spare wheel being fitted, which is why your fitting one remedied the body control problem. I'm glad you like the car: the 1.6 is quite lively isn't it? Do you have the manual or auto? I think the 2 spec plus preferred pack is good combo, often offering more versatility than the 3 which requires paying for spec you may not want while still requiring options to get the spec you do.

I have the manual, I wanted a bit of oomph. I tested the vRS but didn't like the response, the higher insurance cost and the higher starting price, I only do 6,000 miles a year. With the governments scrap trade-in, the lowered suspension and the safety option it cost me under £10,000 for the 1.6 level 2.

Not sure if the 1.6 petrol engine is heavier than the 1.9 diesel or not. I suspect the 1.4 petrol is lighter and so the centre of gravity is already further back compared to the 1.6 and so would be better balanced without a spare wheel.

The roads around my way are very mixed in quality and to get around the queues in the morning I go down back streets which is where the diving was most noticeable. The car still rolls from side to side over rough roads compared to the Felicia but it no longer dives down holes. When on a flat main road it has a smooth ride and it doesn't sway when going around sharp bends.

1.6 Petrol will be a lot lighter than the 1.9TDI, this is why the diesel models feature a different front suspension to compensate for this weight (Including the 1.4TDI). The 1.6 Tiptonic also has the diesel front springs, this is why like you I feel the ride a lot better when the car if full of peeps!

Engine weight is of massive importance, my Octy II classic 1.6 with 15" steelies and cheap ass tires could run rings around my 1.9TDI elegance which had fat 16's and expensive rubbers, the TDI just put too much weight over the front

The Wifes Fabia Blueline (mk2) handles a lot better after we took it back to the dealers to have the Suspension Transport blocks Removed Silly Billies

My garage in Ruislip made it clear that they had removed the Transport Blocks when I picked mine up. They are evidently only fitted to lowered suspension cars.

The Wifes Fabia Blueline (mk2) handles a lot better after we took it back to the dealers to have the Suspension Transport blocks Removed Silly Billies

Was the suspension like a rock, with them fitted, or just limited in movement? I ask as I wondered how one would know if this had been omitted from anyone elses PDI check!

Was the suspension like a rock, with them fitted, or just limited in movement? I ask as I wondered how one would know if this had been omitted from anyone elses PDI check!

If you look at the suspension under the wheel arch you should see the blocks if they haven't been removed.

Edited 21 December, 200916 yr by davidbrownuk