1.6 TDI 105 Review

[Matty Le Swan]

Hello everybody, hope you are all well.

I picked up my new Fabia Estate 1.6 TDI 105 in Elegance trim on Thursday night and have now covered around 150 miles in it.

The first thing that struck me about the car after collecting it, was the difference between my car and the 105 I drove on the test drive. The test drive car, whilst having the same engine / same output, was noticeably more reluctant to rev and really had to be told to accelerate when you wanted to press on. It didn't feel slow, just needed a definite stab of the right foot to get it to move. Much to my delight, my car did not feel like a new, tight car. It revs freely and willingly and is very very brisk. I wonder why the difference?

Anyway, here's my very brief review, my first impressions of the car:

Good points:

• The cabin: I really like the dash, the clear instrumentation, great driving position and layout of the centre console.
  
• The stereo: Great sound quality from the speakers and very loud if so desired.
  
• The gear change: Lovely 5 speed gear box.
  
• The armrest: If I'm on my own, I can drive with it down and it's very comfortable. If I have a passenger in the car, it's too awkward to reach around to get to the handbrake.
  
• The engine: Wow! Incredibly smooth. I haven't a clue what the Autocar review is talking about when they state that the engine unrefined. On the move, I can't even tell that it's a diesel, other than the oodles of torque available low down in the rev range. And the torque really is impressive. The car will pick up smoothly from just 1200 rpm but really flies after 1500 rpm (I had some great fun on the A635 coming out of Homfirth today!). I like the long gearing which means that at 70 in 5th you're only doing 2000rpm which means that it's very very quiet but able to rapidly pick up speed if you want to be a law breaker!
  
• The boot: OK, the estate may not be the prettiest car in the world - certainly the rear end looks a bit awkward, but the space it gives you is incredible. I sat in the boot today, just because I could, and I quite liked it in there. I think I'll buy a dog now.
  
• Fuel economy: I've been giving it the bifters since I got it and I'm still averaging 48mpg. This is brilliant. Nothing like the suggested figures, but to say that it's a new engine and I'm really giving it some whenever the opportunity arises, I think the economy is seriously impressive. It's just a perfect balance of nippy performance (nippy enough to put a lasting grin on your face) and cheap running costs.
  

Bad points:

• Cheap plastics: There are some very thin, cheap feeling plastics in the interior which really let the lovely cabin down. The interior door handles are particularly cheap - my old Kia Rio which was the king of cheap plastics had sturdier interior door handles! In fact, I'd be surprised if they don't break at some point during my ownership, not that I'm heavy handed.
  

At the moment, that's it. No other bad points.

I am incredibly impressed with the car and am delighted that I chose the Fabia over the other models I was considering. It is a great car to drive, and I am surprised by the pace and refinement of the car.

I'll write another review once I've covered a couple of thousand miles and as soon as I get time, I'll get some pictures up.

Keep well.

Matt

- EDIT: I should also point out that the salesman Mike Price from Hobin Skoda in Manchester has been excellent throughout our dealings: could never do enough, took me for test drives in every model I asked for and came to collect me on the day I picked up the car. A gentleman. The dealership in general appears very well run.

Edited 20 November, 2010 by Matty Le Swan

[PeteVRS]

Great review Matt thanks for sharing that And glad you like it.

[gallego1968]

A good write up, i too feel that the door handles are very cheap and feel that they could break off at any time.

[threadbear]

Thanks for your review Matty. I have a estate in SE trim and the engine is indeed a belter whenyou want to give it some stick!! Mine has done 1800 miles now and the fuel comsumption is slowly improving but nowhere near the average that Skoda claims in their brochures.

If your car has front fogs, have you activated the daytime running lights? I enjoy my car very much. The White Sripes sound rather good on the stereo!!

Im going to do a review at 2000 miles. This engine has got some stick but as you say it is extremely refined!! 2000 rpm in 5th is good for fuel consumption.

Regards

Grahame

Edited 21 November, 2010 by threadbear

[ChrisRs]

Ours are black!!

In the dark, we cant see them at all

Design flaw Skoda!!

[seboni121]

Ours are black!!

In the dark, we cant see them at all

Design flaw Skoda!!

whats black and you cant see in the dark?

[Matty Le Swan]

If your car has front fogs, have you activated the daytime running lights? I enjoy my car very much. The White Sripes sound rather good on the stereo!!

No, I haven't activated them Grahame. I'll do a search to find out how it's done.

[seboni121]

No, I haven't activated them Grahame. I'll do a search to find out how it's done.

activate drls i think is in glovebox or near the fuse box just a switch i think:thumbup:

[Skodaboy1983]

Cracking review mate.

Davy

[sharkrider]

"I sat in the boot just because I could.." lol.... nice review

[seboni121]

Hello everybody, hope you are all well.

I picked up my new Fabia Estate 1.6 TDI 105 in Elegance trim on Thursday night and have now covered around 150 miles in it.

The first thing that struck me about the car after collecting it, was the difference between my car and the 105 I drove on the test drive. The test drive car, whilst having the same engine / same output, was noticeably more reluctant to rev and really had to be told to accelerate when you wanted to press on. It didn't feel slow, just needed a definite stab of the right foot to get it to move. Much to my delight, my car did not feel like a new, tight car. It revs freely and willingly and is very very brisk. I wonder why the difference?

Anyway, here's my very brief review, my first impressions of the car:

Good points:

• The cabin: I really like the dash, the clear instrumentation, great driving position and layout of the centre console.
• The stereo: Great sound quality from the speakers and very loud if so desired.
• The gear change: Lovely 5 speed gear box.
• The armrest: If I'm on my own, I can drive with it down and it's very comfortable. If I have a passenger in the car, it's too awkward to reach around to get to the handbrake.
• The engine: Wow! Incredibly smooth. I haven't a clue what the Autocar review is talking about when they state that the engine unrefined. On the move, I can't even tell that it's a diesel, other than the oodles of torque available low down in the rev range. And the torque really is impressive. The car will pick up smoothly from just 1200 rpm but really flies after 1500 rpm (I had some great fun on the A635 coming out of Homfirth today!). I like the long gearing which means that at 70 in 5th you're only doing 2000rpm which means that it's very very quiet but able to rapidly pick up speed if you want to be a law breaker!
• The boot: OK, the estate may not be the prettiest car in the world - certainly the rear end looks a bit awkward, but the space it gives you is incredible. I sat in the boot today, just because I could, and I quite liked it in there. I think I'll buy a dog now.
• Fuel economy: I've been giving it the bifters since I got it and I'm still averaging 48mpg. This is brilliant. Nothing like the suggested figures, but to say that it's a new engine and I'm really giving it some whenever the opportunity arises, I think the economy is seriously impressive. It's just a perfect balance of nippy performance (nippy enough to put a lasting grin on your face) and cheap running costs.

Bad points:

• Cheap plastics: There are some very thin, cheap feeling plastics in the interior which really let the lovely cabin down. The interior door handles are particularly cheap - my old Kia Rio which was the king of cheap plastics had sturdier interior door handles! In fact, I'd be surprised if they don't break at some point during my ownership, not that I'm heavy handed.

At the moment, that's it. No other bad points.

I am incredibly impressed with the car and am delighted that I chose the Fabia over the other models I was considering. It is a great car to drive, and I am surprised by the pace and refinement of the car.

I'll write another review once I've covered a couple of thousand miles and as soon as I get time, I'll get some pictures up.

Keep well.

Matt

- EDIT: I should also point out that the salesman Mike Price from Hobin Skoda in Manchester has been excellent throughout our dealings: could never do enough, took me for test drives in every model I asked for and came to collect me on the day I picked up the car. A gentleman. The dealership in general appears very well run.

Hi matty great review,excellente now cannot wait to get mine:rofl:

[Ross Chapman]

Bloody norah - the derv is nearly 1000 rpm down on what my otherwise identical petrol engined car does then!

Hilarious fun though - as most people see old biffers driving them they don`t expect then to be as quick as they actually are!

[threadbear]

The DRL switch is in the fuse box below the steering wheel and on page 68 (I think) of handbook.

Grahame

[Ross Chapman]

And once you have switched the switch to turn them on, they go off once you turn your sidelights on.

[Matty Le Swan]

I just wanted to follow my review up with a quick note about the engine...

Wow!!

It truly is an excellent unit. I'm following the Skoda running-in instructions as closely as possible (regularly take to 75% max RPM in each gear once warm for first 1000km) so the fuel economy at the moment is not so good (never less that 40mpg though), but driveability is amazing.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it is more fun to drive than my old Ibiza 1.9 130, which was rapid, but had that PD flat spot (or chasm) below 1800rpm. Because this unit develops max torque at 1500 RPM and is so willing to rev, it delivers a huge amount of linear pulling power from very low in the rev range all the way through to 3750 (which is the maximum I tend to go to at the moment).

Couple the above with the exceptionally long gearing and you find that as you change up, you're right on the next gear's peak torque and can blast all the way up to 3750 again!

3rd gear is just a brilliant 'do it all' gear; from trundling along at 25 mph it will pull strongly and smoothly to +60mph. 2nd is just a hoot!

What a fantastic car. Looking forwards to spending some time on the motorway next weekend to really get to know the engine.]

I mentioned that this car is far and away better than the one I took for a test drive and I wonder whether Skoda have changed the ECU recently? The engine is so quiet, so smooth and so quick that I can't understand why it could be criticised?

[seboni121]

I just wanted to follow my review up with a quick note about the engine...

Wow!!

It truly is an excellent unit. I'm following the Skoda running-in instructions as closely as possible (regularly take to 75% max RPM in each gear once warm for first 1000km) so the fuel economy at the moment is not so good (never less that 40mpg though), but driveability is amazing.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it is more fun to drive than my old Ibiza 1.9 130, which was rapid, but had that PD flat spot (or chasm) below 1800rpm. Because this unit develops max torque at 1500 RPM and is so willing to rev, it delivers a huge amount of linear pulling power from very low in the rev range all the way through to 3750 (which is the maximum I tend to go to at the moment).

Couple the above with the exceptionally long gearing and you find that as you change up, you're right on the next gear's peak torque and can blast all the way up to 3750 again!

3rd gear is just a brilliant 'do it all' gear; from trundling along at 25 mph it will pull strongly and smoothly to +60mph. 2nd is just a hoot!

What a fantastic car. Looking forwards to spending some time on the motorway next weekend to really get to know the engine.]

I mentioned that this car is far and away better than the one I took for a test drive and I wonder whether Skoda have changed the ECU recently? The engine is so quiet, so smooth and so quick that I can't understand why it could be criticised?

Excellent post Matty!,really pleased to hear that you are pleased:wonder:,I am really looking forward to mine now please keep the post coming A*