Not really sure how they can. I drive a Passat B6 2.0 TDI Estate 80 miles everyday to get to and from work and at the weekends drive our 1.2TSI SE Fabia Estate.

The quality of the B6 is much improved on my last experience of the VW brand (3 Golf MkIvs) but it is no better than the Skoda.

In fact I think the Fabia if anything feels more solid in the way that VW used to be in the days of the Mk2 Golf. Even comparing the owners manual reveals a lot, the Skoda manual has much more DIY instruction in it. Feels like more of a peoples car.

Also many of the parts on the Skoda are clearly badged as VW.On my last Mk2 (1.4TDI) the engine at least pretended to be a Skoda but this one is all VW badging in the Engine bay. The funiest bit I think is the tailgate latch which is Audi badged. I

My friend used to sell Audi's after selling VWs. He used to say that each ring on the Audi badge cost a grand as that was the only difference over a VW!

The Passat is due for a change at the end of the year and I am either going to go Superb Estate or pay for the Audi badge and get an A4. Just don't see the point of the middle ground VW anymore.

Hi BA Baracus

I'm in a similar situation as I have a Polo 1.8 GTI and I'm looking at a change too.

I don't think the question, "How can VW justify the new Polo GTI being £6K more" is a fair question. It's only £6K more due to the Skoda "No VAT deal" including the vRS.

More appropriately, the Fabia vRS is £2,530 cheaper than the GTI (£18,790 - £16,260) and Skoda are offering a further £2595 off .......Show me to the Skoda Dealership.

I think the new Polo has a great interior, is well laid out and has a good feel and is miles better than the non VAG competition. The Skoda interior doesn't feel in the same league... but before you all lynch me... I don't think that is necessarily a problem.

I got back into my Polo after a visit to the Skoda dealer recently and looked across the dash to the passenger side and then it twigged... I had just been sitting in a car with a similar arrangement to my own, ok the switches and dials, radio etc are all in a different place (i think it might be complusion to avoid any switch in the centre console being in the same place in any VAG car) but the general layout is the same as my Polo. This of course makes sense as the Fabia is the same floorpan as the 07 Polo, so I'm led to believe.

I don't mind admitting than had I had the patience to keep my Clio another 2months in 2007, I would have been driving a Fabia vRS Special Edition. The reason I didn't fancy a normal vRS was I didn't need 5 doors, didn't really want a diesel and the colour available didn't get me going either. I love my Polo and haven't regretted it for a minute. I also think that the level of detail and design touches in the Polo (07) was far better than the Ibiza and Polo.

But the new vRS now ticks enough boxes for me not to worry about the interior and the choice of Rallye Green and the Race Blue and the cost makes the choice very simple indeed.

Andy

the fabia mark 2 is not as well put together as the mark 1.some of the plastics a bit cheap and not that solid, especially the heating dials, but i can live with it and save the £3000 or whatever