Hard to believe I've had the VRS for 13 months, but time flies when your having fun Apart from a throttle pedal module, and rear door leak fix, it's been plain sailing as well. Quite simply the best car I have ever owned. Those who know me, will know I also have a Moggy Traveller, and that used to be my daily driver, but the Moggy has seen far less use since I bought the VRS.

OK the things I don't like. Not much really, but the cheap looking dimpled plastic surround around the dials looks tat to me. Not to keen on the dials either. Anyone noticed the speedometer doesn't have a linear scale? it jumps from 90 to 110 :wonder:

It took a while to trace and fix the various rattles and squeaks, the rear seat groaning was the hardest to track down, and no it wasn't anything to do with after hour activities and steamy windows.

The car is standard, and staying that way. It has seen a couple of sessions on some private land, and been pushed hard during those sessions. I found the handling to be about average for a car in this price bracket. Quite a bit of body roll as the ride height is fairly high. Torque understeer is brilliant, and very controllable unless driving like a total idiot. Lift of oversteer can be tricky, but can also give you some nice drifting (not on public roads OK.)

If I had been Skoda, I would have tweaked the suspension a fair bit. Rear ARB for sure, lower all round, with a firmer front end, solid consule bushes and a stiffer front ARB. However they didn't, and after seeing some dangerous attempts to improve matters, I will live with the standard handling and drive accordingly on public roads. :p

Brakes are a bit strange, but it's a diesel, pedal travel is long at lower speeds due to mechanical vacuum pump, as diesels don't have inlet manifold vacuum.

Race Blue paint stonechips if you look at it the wrong way, but I didn't buy the car for it's looks. The biggest problem I have with the car is what to replace it with. It costs buttons to run, will return 48MPG if driven quite hard. Went on a run in the summer with a mate in his Merc SLK two up, and me in the VRS four up. I got 47MPG, he got 17MPG and was amazed at the VRS mid range punch.

Local dealer has been brilliant into the bargain, so all in all, 13 months of pleasurable driving in a great little warm hatch.

I agree with all the above Moggytech but you say " what to replace it with?" The answer is simple----KEEP IT!!!

Absolutely mate, I just hope it lasts a very long time. One of the few cars I have owned, that I am willing to throw stupid money at to keep it for ages. Long live the VRS

I've had mine since March now and I think it's great.

Pros

Cheap Insurance

Cheap Road Tax

Not common round here

Great economy

Reliable

Easily tuned

Bit of a sleeper

Getting asked "Is that a diesel mate?"

Cons

Rear door leaks (Fixed by myself for £10)

Creaks, rattles

Cheap plastics

Seats mark easily (Fixed with Hatchbag covers)

A fair bit of body roll (It's no race car though so to be expected)

Dodgy boost pipes (Not helped by me remapping it though lol)

Edited 27 December, 200916 yr by Yohan

The speedo thing is so there is more accuracy / clarity below 90mph. The needle slows down to half speed above 90 to compensate for the decrease in scale.

Would be nice if I could review mine, but I've not driven it since early September

What to replace it with.....Arnt they making a new one??

Likewise had some mostly trouble free motoring with my VRS, so much so I'm keen to stay with Skoda for my next car (am looking at the Yeti).

Pros...

- Ultimate stealth car, no-one notices it on the road but (even before the remap) it can surprise many people

- Cheap as chips to run, low road tax, insurance and 50mpg!!!

- So far, reliable

- Good gains with a remap

- Good residuals

Cons...

- Ride quality is like being in a tin can, crashes, rumbles and noise (but I am getting older and therefore more fussy!)

- Feels and sounds like a tractor off the lights

- It's not really that pretty to look at

- Creaks and rattles. The bad passenger side creak fixed itself but I also have some loud creaking from the rear somewhere

- The blue seats are from satan himself, shows every mark

But overall it's such a good package and so cheap to run it makes changing so hard. I'll be interested in seeing the new VRS which is supposed to be the Seat Ibiza Cupra in Skoda guise, I think it could be a cracking car, but am not keen on the looks of the new Fabia (too "cute").

Edited 27 December, 200916 yr by PeteVRS

the best bit about my vrs is the power , plus most other car drivers dont like gettin passed by a skoda

The worst thing is the engine noise, mine had been sat on the drive for the past 3 days and it sounded horrendous this morning!

Otherwise, fab car

I always refused to buy a diesel in the past because of the engine clatter. However, once warmed up and above 10 MPH, I find the VRS is a very quiet car. Helps to have all the rattles fixed mind you

Best:

Sleeper

MPG

5 door

Mid range grunt

Random noises my turbo makes when changing gear.

Worst:

It's a Skoda

All the creaks and noises that are made

Seats are white and look mucky all the time

Handlin is like a boat

I've had my vRS for 4 or 5 months now and it's the best car i've had, ok i've only had 2 Polos and the vRS. I do miss my old Polo as i had all the goodies that the vRS doesn't but they all equal out in the end. I said i wouldn't modify the vRS until i had recovered from the close the £9k i've paid out for it (and insurance etc..). But i've spent alot on it, it's running 179.3 BHP and 310 lb/ft Torque with the useual toys added.

And the best bit, no one expects it to be a Skoda Fabia that smokes them in their expensive 'fast' cars

Chhers Phil

Tbh I dunno wat to replace mines with either

Getting poor mpg out it when driven sensibly and around town it's worse. Was brilliant when I got it but is alot worse since my maf was replaced

Toying with a Vectra SRi 150 cdti or an Octavia vrs diesel. But if it lasts me two years Focus RS Mk 2 in Ultimate Green