Ive just done 3500 miles in my Fabia Estate now, a level 2 1.2 70hp model. Thought Id post my findings with the car so far.

I bought this car back in September as we needed something with some carrying capacity but not too big. I chose the 1.2 as the car was in stock at the dealers and to be honest the 1.4 16v didnt impress me as much. Got a good deal with my part exchange and am a very happy first time Skoda customer.

The engine is a funny thing, its very eager like a small dog on a lead! It pulls well and if you really rev it off the line it is quite sprightly. However, if you let the revs drop then progress is less impressive, its not a slug but overtaking needs to be planned and you do need to get the car in the torque curve or it will be a bit flat. I dont regret buying the 1.2 at all, however Im not sure if Id have another but I would still choose it over the 1.4 petrol. Its a fairly vocal engine, theres an alarming clattery sound which they all do but its very characterful which I like.

Ride and handling is just fine, Ive been used to cars that have a firm ride so the Fabia is a very welcome change. The rer supsesion seems a little cruder than the front but overall you hear rather than feel the bumps. The handling I find is good, yes it rolls like a hippo and passengers struggle to stay put, but its very sure footed and I do rate it. I prefer the way this car handles than the point and shoot cars that corner flat without drama, this Fabia is a little old school in its handling but that is something I do like a lot.

Economy, hasnt been that good to be honest. Its a small engine in a big car. On my commute of 13 miles with a mix of town and dual carriageway I can get around 41 to 43 depending on traffic. If I do the trip very early or late, then I can get up to the high 40s but overall the cars averaging low 40s, the trip computer is plain optomistic! It always over reads buy a good 7 or 8%.

Motorways kill the economy too, as its high geared so again Im around 42mpg at 70mph. Its less than I hoped but its not making me didlike the car!

Comfort is good, the seat could be more generous but Ive done some long trips and it was very good. The noise levels from the road can be high as can wind noise. Generally, Id say the car is about 5 years behind similar brands for road and wind noise. The interior is fair from a quality point of view. Yes, all the switches feel nice etc but whats with the very hard pastics used on the dash bottom and door trims? Also, my car has a very nasty rattle from around the glovebox/airbag lid which goes after a few miles. There are a couple of very minor creaks here and there but the engine/road noise tends to drown them out!

To sum it up, the Fabia is a good little estate car, its fairly well made and has decent performance from the 1.2. The gearbox is very nice and slick and it rides and handles well. The economy could be better, but its hardly thirsty! The load area is vast for such a small car and Im very happy with it overall.

However, I wouldnt buy a hatch version of the Fabia. There are much better cars out there than this and Skoda need to address that. The fact that with small estates there isnt much choice is the cars saving grace! I havent found Skoda or the dealer I used to be anything special so far, so Im surprised at the high placings they get in surveys. They havent been bad but Ive had similar service from other makes that come much lower so it will be interesting to see how things are long term. For now, its exactly the car I need and want and I look forward to many miles of driving.

Ive just done 3500 miles in my Fabia Estate now, a level 2 1.2 70hp model. Thought Id post my findings with the car so far.

I bought this car back in September as we needed something with some carrying capacity but not too big. I chose the 1.2 as the car was in stock at the dealers and to be honest the 1.4 16v didnt impress me as much. Got a good deal with my part exchange and am a very happy first time Skoda customer.

The engine is a funny thing, its very eager like a small dog on a lead! It pulls well and if you really rev it off the line it is quite sprightly. However, if you let the revs drop then progress is less impressive, its not a slug but overtaking needs to be planned and you do need to get the car in the torque curve or it will be a bit flat. I dont regret buying the 1.2 at all, however Im not sure if Id have another but I would still choose it over the 1.4 petrol. Its a fairly vocal engine, theres an alarming clattery sound which they all do but its very characterful which I like.

Ride and handling is just fine, Ive been used to cars that have a firm ride so the Fabia is a very welcome change. The rer supsesion seems a little cruder than the front but overall you hear rather than feel the bumps. The handling I find is good, yes it rolls like a hippo and passengers struggle to stay put, but its very sure footed and I do rate it. I prefer the way this car handles than the point and shoot cars that corner flat without drama, this Fabia is a little old school in its handling but that is something I do like a lot.

Economy, hasnt been that good to be honest. Its a small engine in a big car. On my commute of 13 miles with a mix of town and dual carriageway I can get around 41 to 43 depending on traffic. If I do the trip very early or late, then I can get up to the high 40s but overall the cars averaging low 40s, the trip computer is plain optomistic! It always over reads buy a good 7 or 8%.

Motorways kill the economy too, as its high geared so again Im around 42mpg at 70mph. Its less than I hoped but its not making me didlike the car!

Comfort is good, the seat could be more generous but Ive done some long trips and it was very good. The noise levels from the road can be high as can wind noise. Generally, Id say the car is about 5 years behind similar brands for road and wind noise. The interior is fair from a quality point of view. Yes, all the switches feel nice etc but whats with the very hard pastics used on the dash bottom and door trims? Also, my car has a very nasty rattle from around the glovebox/airbag lid which goes after a few miles. There are a couple of very minor creaks here and there but the engine/road noise tends to drown them out!

To sum it up, the Fabia is a good little estate car, its fairly well made and has decent performance from the 1.2. The gearbox is very nice and slick and it rides and handles well. The economy could be better, but its hardly thirsty! The load area is vast for such a small car and Im very happy with it overall.

However, I wouldnt buy a hatch version of the Fabia. There are much better cars out there than this and Skoda need to address that. The fact that with small estates there isnt much choice is the cars saving grace! I havent found Skoda or the dealer I used to be anything special so far, so Im surprised at the high placings they get in surveys. They havent been bad but Ive had similar service from other makes that come much lower so it will be interesting to see how things are long term. For now, its exactly the car I need and want and I look forward to many miles of driving.

I think as far as fuel economy goes that is not to bad for the engine size. As for the creaks and rattles the dealer will sort them out as and when. I am sure that you will enjoy the car as you get more miles on it.

Glad you like it. The estate version is amazing value for money...all that space and comfort. It has to be one of the best in it's class on many fronts. I have the 1.4TDI version in level 2 trim. It's amazing. Like you I love the car. I can't say I notice any body roll to speak of...and I drive in a somewhat...errr....spirited way on country roads (I tend to fling it around like I do my motorcycle). However, this fine handling may be due to the heavier duty front and rear suspension on the diesel estates. This I appreciated the other week when I picked up a third of a ton in weight of bathroom tiles etc. It sat down a bit but apart from that it didn't seem to know it had a load on board!

We have the same engine in our Fabia. The economy has improved as the miles have gone on. I can get 50mpg easily on a run now.

Andy

Its a fairly vocal engine, theres an alarming clattery sound which they all do but its very characterful which I like.

Make sure you have enough oil in the engine! Mine (and many others) were delivered with oil on or below the minimum mark. If the oil is too low and the oil pressure drops, the cam chain tensioner goes slack and you get a loud clattery noise. That the sound of the chain flapping and trying to jump the sprocket - fatal if it does (many pre 2004 models died this way).

Fuel consumption improves with mileage as does low end torque, but its a slow process often improving slowly over 30 to 40,000 miles. Avoid slogging it below 2000 rpm - thats where the fuel consumption suffers. Its often much more economical and quieter to drive in a lower gear in the 3000 rpm range.