I think the vRS is a bargain, the all round package of comfort, speed, handling and looks makes it a all round winner. plus the insurance is cheaper than most things with simular performance.

Im taking it to france next month and will be driving over 1000 miles in 3-4 days and i cant see it being a problem, Pervious can was a 306 and I know I couldnt say that about it lol

we drove to and then around the south of France in my Cupra back in August, the so-called harsh ride didn't cause a single issue

we drove to and then around the south of France in my Cupra back in August, the so-called harsh ride didn't cause a single issue

Yes, I found the quality of the road surface on the payage a lot better than UK roads too. :p

Yes, I found the quality of the road surface on the payage a lot better than UK roads too. :p

we actually had the sat nav set to avoid motorways by mistake, there were some way shady road surfaces...and having done over 30k miles in the Ibiza this year the ride really is fine

I am used to a harsh ride in the Clio and I don't really mind it as the pay off is great handling. Being a newer car and better screwed together than the Clio I'm sure the Cupra TDI will feel more plush.

Anyway, I'm hopefully going to testdrive a Fabia vRS and an Ibiza Cupra TDI this weekend. I think I've got my heart set on the Ibiza as I've read a lot of good reviews, and it's probably the most similar to what i'm used to, but more economical. Which is what I want. The downside is that Cupras are more pricey and much rarer than the vRS so I may still end up getting one yet.

Does anyone have any useful advice on what to look for / questions to ask about either of these cars. I'm thinking common faults and service items that aren't always carried out.

Thanks

Common faults on the VRS...these are all easy to fix and there are guides on here on how to DIY

- EGR stutter - there can be a stutter at about 1800rpm

- Front suspension bushes wear out quickly

- rear brakes don't do a lot so can rust and grate quite badly

- rear door seals often fail so look for water in the rear footwells

Also to check for.....

- check cam belt has been changed at 40,000 miles or 4 years

- clutch slippage on remapped cars

Thought i'd add an update!

In the end I bought a black '05 Fabia to replace my clio and have to say I'm loving it! Definitely way more usable than the Clio everyday and in some situations - ie. my drive to work up a 10 mile long hill - faster too. The handling takes a bit of getting used to as you can't just boot it through corners like the Clio, but it's pretty quick in the twisties if you get it right. Nevertheless thinking about getting it lowered + arb etc. to improve handling + looks.

Just wanted to heap some praise on this site as i've searched on here and quickly found the answers to a couple of problems since owning the fabia - eg. the windscreen wiper fuses!! . Loads of knowledge on here, great site

Edit. I see you brought one haha!

Good job

Edited 13 December, 201015 yr by Craig Lovelock

I had a Ford ST170 before my vRS, and I believe the Ford would handle just as good as the 172, but just be a tad slower in a straight line. my vRS feels all over the place compared to the ST170 in corners I know well, and lacks the 'passion' of a high rev-ing petrol. But, I prefer the vRS to the ST170 on economy grounds (a good 3/4's better), being able to overtake without changing into 2nd and killing my respectability, and for comfort on longer runs. I plan to spend a little on the vRS in the future (RARB, Front strut and Map), and I believe it'll be more than enough car for your average hot hatch fan

Just noticed you bought it, Hope you enjoy it as much as I do :-)

Edited 13 December, 201015 yr by TomStarkey

Congrats mate! Best colour as well

I know what you mean about Brisk though.. having used this place as support for 2 Fabias now I don't even wanna think about having to leave for another forum... I do browse a few others and they just never seem as friendly or helpful.

Ex 182 owner miss the attention it got but don't miss the running costs.

My vrs is mapped now quicker than my 182 once moving 25mph+

I'm glad I made the swap

Hi

I absolutely love my Renaultsport Clio 172 but i'm thinking that it might be time to change to something that me and the missus can perhaps go on holiday + visit friends and family in without; 1) deafening oursleves 2) bankrupting ourselves. However, I also want something that is still going to make me smile on the backroads. Although I'm pretty sure that everyone on here will say the vRS is a good little car I am worried that it will feel a lot less focused than the clio and - please don't take this the wrong way - may not be as much fun? In standard form the figures suggest it would be quite a bit slower than the clio so i'm wondering whether this was actually true and whether mods for the vRS are worth it? If anyone on here has owned both these cars I'd be really interested to hear from them.

Ta!

Can't really say too much

I have had a clio 172 up behind me on the m3 and they are blisteringly quick imo. My vRS is remapped (fairly conservative gains) and even with that I really struggled to stay ahead of the clio. Although have to say I did well and I was surprised how well the clio stayed with me. The clio has so much power up the top end that it will smoke a vRS standard or remapped. Down the bottom end I have a feeling a remapped vRS or even standard maybe more than a match for the 172(especially between 30-60mph). When you start going above 90mph then the vRS does seem to struggle and mine was bellowing out some smoke as i tried to stay ahead.

Edited 13 December, 201015 yr by newskoda

I got a mate with a 182. I think I had underestimated them a bit previously. Had a bit of a play standard and it totally obliterated me. Even with a remap I think i`d struggle to keep up, seriously quick cars.

Matt

There not that quick I had mine for a year 0-60 was very impressive but 40-90ish quick but had to thrash it - standard the vrs us slower by a good bit but not with a nice remap.

172 cup hmm prob very close but sure the cup would be edging ahead

My impressions after owning the Fabia for a few weeks and driving the same roads that i did in the 172 are:

On overtaking and gunning it away from junctions etc (i sound like a chav ha ha!). the fabia will be doing about 10mph less when i decide to ease off than the clio would have been. It's definitely slower car in the absolute sense. However, in normal driving the effortlessness of the fabia means the same journeys in the fabia are as quick as they were in the clio because overtaking opportunities are never missed, due to being in the wrong gear, and the torque out of corners goes some way to equalising the difference in absolute speed. As i'm not into ragged edge driving on public roads i think the handling of the vrs is pretty decent in good conditions but feels a bit unhinged at times particularly under heavy braking and in the wet and snow (could be the tyres? - they wouldn't have been my first choice). The clio felt superbly planted at all times and always inspired confidence.

My view on the fabia is that it is an extremely well concieved car which fills a niche that isn't occupied by many others. It's an excellent all-rounder: fast, economical (clio averaged 33mpg and i'm getting 44ish in the vrs. On the motorway this figure seems to shoot up), practical, comfortable and at home on all road types. Basically I grew out of the Clio because of always having to thrash it and its thirst for fuel (you have to run them on 98+ octane to get the best performance). When driving the clio i always used to be thinking either "I love this car" or "I hate this car". With the fabia sometimes I always seem to "really like it".

And now you can Mod it, and love it hehe!