To buy or not to buy Fabia vRS SE ?

[LHutchin]

Hi,

Had a MK1 vRS Fabia a couple of years ago and rather stupidly sold it.

I thinking of trying to source a low mileage SE, had a silver one before so thought I should have a change.

My only concern is the leather seats.

I'm not that much a fan of leather seats, so my question is what are the leather seats like in the SE?

Do they hold you in as well as the cloth versions?

Thanks :yes:

[wja96]

If you can afford an SE (and by that I mean if you can justify the ridiculous premium) then the leather seats are superb. And you could always buy a stock vRS interior from a scrap car and swap them out if you really didn't get on with them. I think there are 27 other 07 registered vRS's in the UK and personally, I'd be going for a late car with a good spec. eg. xenons and ESP rather than a metallic blue one with a USP I didn't want.

[LHutchin]

If you can afford an SE (and by that I mean if you can justify the ridiculous premium) then the leather seats are superb. And you could always buy a stock vRS interior from a scrap car and swap them out if you really didn't get on with them. I think there are 27 other 07 registered vRS's in the UK and personally, I'd be going for a late car with a good spec. eg. xenons and ESP rather than a metallic blue one with a USP I didn't want.

Thanks,

I really like the blue colour of the SE, but you're right they seem very pricey

[tonto kowalski]

Thanks,

I really like the blue colour of the SE, but you're right they seem very pricey

You're in a bit of a dilemma if you really like the blue colour but not a fan of the leather seats.You could always put seat covers over the leather.

[LHutchin]

You're in a bit of a dilemma if you really like the blue colour but not a fan of the leather seats.You could always put seat covers over the leather.

I think the leather seats look smart but think they won't hold you in as well as cloth?

[Phil_Peck]

I think the leather seats look smart but think they won't hold you in as well as cloth?

Yep - look smart, but not as good at hugging you as the cloth seats.

[wja96]

To be honest, if you're sliding around with the bolsters on vRS seats then you're either thin as a rake or you need a set of competition buckets. I think people look at the shiny surface and think they'll be sliding about, but actually, if you're a man with a 42"+ chest they should hold you very securely indeed.

[Phil_Peck]

To be honest, if you're sliding around with the bolsters on vRS seats then you're either thin as a rake or you need a set of competition buckets. I think people look at the shiny surface and think they'll be sliding about, but actually, if you're a man with a 42"+ chest they should hold you very securely indeed.

It's shiny, you don't sink as much, they're not as 'grippy' as the cloth seats - that much is a fact. 40'' chest and i don't like the vrs se seats as much as the cloth vrs seats. They don't hold you as securely in my opinion. So unless you're a man mountain....i'd try both to be honest.

[JLneonhug]

swap? mines basically new cond.

But seriously, I get what you mean, when I was test driving the SE my behind was slipping all over the place. bit better with the cloth version.

Edited 18 June, 2010 by JLneonhug

[Big Mikey]

I don't slide anywhere on the leather seats in mine. I say go for it, the SE is awesome! I much prefer the leather to the cloth seats, apart from the fact that they stay clean, they look smart - the only slight problem being is it the leather has a tendency to go a bit shiny and you need to 'feed' the leather regularly with Autoglym to counter-act this.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I have a vRS, and the seats hold you well, but no more then my mates SE. Both are great, if i had the choice i would go for the leather. But its personal choice, go for a spin in one.

Matt

[LHutchin]

Thanks for the replies.

Can anyone direct to where I can find some good photos of the SE and the seats.

Tried the search on here & google and not found much.

Thanks

[andypandypoos]

way overpriced for blue paint and an aftermarket leather retrim

[vRS G60]

If you can afford an SE (and by that I mean if you can justify the ridiculous premium) then the leather seats are superb. And you could always buy a stock vRS interior from a scrap car and swap them out if you really didn't get on with them. I think there are 27 other 07 registered vRS's in the UK and personally, I'd be going for a late car with a good spec. eg. xenons and ESP rather than a metallic blue one with a USP I didn't want.

They're all 07 plate and there's 1000 of them. The seats have the number embossed into them. i wouldn't have bought a vRS without leather seats, mainly down to the fact that he standard seats look like cheap tat.

They are over priced but you do also get cruise control, ‘sunset’ glass rear privacy glass and a six-disc CD changer, As well as red brake calipers instead of green.

[wja96]

They're all 07 plate and there's 1000 of them. The seats have the number embossed into them. i wouldn't have bought a vRS without leather seats, mainly down to the fact that he standard seats look like cheap tat.

They are over priced but you do also get cruise control, ‘sunset’ glass rear privacy glass and a six-disc CD changer, As well as red brake calipers instead of green.

I wasn't clear, obviously. There were 1027 '07 registered vRS in the UK. 1000 are metallic blue SE's and the other 27 are 'standard' but actually rarer and usually with a higher specification in terms of things you can't add easily afterwards. The leather retrims aren't from the factory, they were done by a firm in Milton Keynes that also does the retrims for Kia, Subaru and other vehicles that have to be tarted up after they've been built. The seats were fitted in the rain at the docks in Hull. There are photographs of this happening.

You are entitled to your opinion about the standard seat trims, but I can easily spend the £800 and have leather from Seat Surgeons. I would much rather have xenons, heated seats or ESP, none of which were options on the 'last' 1000 cars and none of which are straightforward to retrofit.

The rarest vRS of all is the one and only genuine UK car with factory fit satnav. That's the one I want to see!

[Thurlby12]

Where can the photos of the seats being fitted be found would be interesting to see them

[dave hedgehog]

I've never had a problem with the leather seats in my vRS SE your unlikely to slide out of them unless you don't know how to drive and throw the car around giving it hollywood tyres in a mistaken attempt to drive fast.

The only cars i've ever had a problem with the seats on were a Volvo V70 T5 and a BMW 535 but that was due to not being able to exit the car quick enough.

[wja96]

Where can the photos of the seats being fitted be found would be interesting to see them

They were in the original SE thread I think. The cars were at the docks for ages and they basically stripped out the seats, took them to MK and then as they came back, they were refitted and sent out to the dealers.

As far as I'm aware there was never a factory fit option for leather in a vRS anywhere in Europe. All the UK cars with leather had their seats retrimmed with the dealers removing and refitting the seats.

[SimonK24]

I wasn't clear, obviously. There were 1027 '07 registered vRS in the UK. 1000 are metallic blue SE's and the other 27 are 'standard' but actually rarer and usually with a higher specification in terms of things you can't add easily afterwards. The leather retrims aren't from the factory, they were done by a firm in Milton Keynes that also does the retrims for Kia, Subaru and other vehicles that have to be tarted up after they've been built. The seats were fitted in the rain at the docks in Hull. There are photographs of this happening.

You are entitled to your opinion about the standard seat trims, but I can easily spend the £800 and have leather from Seat Surgeons. I would much rather have xenons, heated seats or ESP, none of which were options on the 'last' 1000 cars and none of which are straightforward to retrofit.

The rarest vRS of all is the one and only genuine UK car with factory fit satnav. That's the one I want to see!

I saw black vrs for sale when I was looking for mine that had the factory satnav, it also had pretty much every extra fitted, however had a lot of miles so didn't buy it!

[wja96]

I saw black vrs for sale when I was looking for mine that had the factory satnav, it also had pretty much every extra fitted, however had a lot of miles so didn't buy it!

There are lots that have the MFD1 retrofitted. To be the factory SatNav car it's needs to have TMS, the enormous SatNav antenna and the MaxiDot display.

[LHutchin]

They were in the original SE thread I think.

Is this thread still accesible?

[wja96]

Is this thread still accesible?

I'm fairly sure all threads are accessible. You're looking for some pretty poor quality photos taken through a chain-link fence in the rain.

[LHutchin]

I'm fairly sure all threads are accessible. You're looking for some pretty poor quality photos taken through a chain-link fence in the rain.

just thought it was a thread all about the SE?

Would like some good photos of the SE inside & out.

[Big Mikey]

Always happy to whore a few pics of the beast... Enjoy.

Mike

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I doubt very much there was just one vrs with factory sat nav. My mate had a silver ex demo car, had sat nav and maxi dot, heated seats, ESP and a sunroof. That was probs one of a kind with that exact spec, but I doubt the only one with ff sat nav.

Matt