Okay so I have just taken my little Fabia on it's first decent trip since I bought it a couple of months back. The car is 2007 and although over 3 years old has covered a miserly 14500 miles from new. I can only assume it must have been very lightly used and kept garaged as it really is as new.

My trip was from Louth in Lincolnshire to Bingley West Yorks, pick up the wifey from where she had been staying and straight back. Total mileage covered 210 miles.

The first thing I noticed when joining the motorway was just how easy the little 3 pot coped. Absolutely no labouring and swiftly making light of the 70 speed limit, giving the impression all the time that 80 was more to its liking than 70 when cruising. It's a far cry I know from my previous BMW 528i but never made me feel disappointed for one minute that I had swapped the big hulk for this great little machine. The engine road and wind noise are well suppressed for a car in this class, the seats firm and comfortable and the steering was light and easy. I am an old guy and don't relish night driving as I used to, but because I wanted to be back home for a lunchtime appointment I set off at 6-45 am still dark however I found the headlights were adequate though not the brightest and full beam was very good. It had been raining heavily all night but the car coped well with the large amounts of standing water on the road. The strong winds didn't pose a problem either even though the Fabia is a rather tall car. Keeping up with motorway traffic was a breeze and overtaking the heavy lorries, so often a chore in a tiny car was done without fuss.

So all in all I am delighted with the car. It is the 70 hp 12v version and although I realise it is outperformed by other engines in the Fabia range, it does everything I want and more, so I am happy with that.

I have just one slight disappointment and that is the fuel consumption. I was so looking forward to hitting the 50 mpg but according to the OBC it only managed to return 39.1 mpg. I am wondering if this may improve once I am able to give the car a few more such trips. The previous owner only averaged around 4000 miles a year so maybe the engine is still not fully 'loose' and most of its life may have been running around town. I'd be interested to know what others think in this regard. In conclusion, if anyone reading this is considering buying a 1.2 12v 70 I can recommend the car very highly. It does what it says on the tin and then some. ..

We run the same model for my wife. Its used as school taxi come shopping trolley. It gets a lot of short runs and average mpg is around 30. IIRC its average mpg according to the book is about 47 and it will do this if driven reasonably gently and isnt to heavily loaded. 39mpg at motorway speeds sounds about right. Ours also has lowish miles - c.20k so probably not completely loosened up yet.

Andy

Pushng it to 80 will be what's killing the mpg. I've noticed on mine the revs really hike when at speed, 60mph = 3000rpm, 70 = 3500rpm and 80 is 4000 rpm. Although the unit seems to "want" to go quicker and quicker, you just have to resist it a bit and realise it's not a big diesel that can cruise at high speed without losing the economy. I'm pleased with the mpg so far and whilst I dont have the computer - using the brim method I'm getting 35mpg on heavy urban (ie a 10mile jorney that takes about 45mins in rush hour :S ) which isn't far off quoted even though it's barely getting out of 3rd gear on the congested Sheffield parkway. On a tank which did 200 miles motorway & all the rest urban I got 44mpg so the motorway part must have been getting arround 50 odd

Edited 6 February, 201115 yr by cb83

i get 29mpg (actual) on mixed heavy rush hour traffic and 70mph motorway so that sounds about right.

I had a 1.2 as a hire car for a couple of weeks. Very disappointing MPG, why have a 1.2 if you get sub 40 mpg

I had a 1.2 as a hire car for a couple of weeks. Very disappointing MPG, why have a 1.2 if you get sub 40 mpg

Good question. I think the mpg figures are disappointing but hey. I paid just under 5K for a Fabia. I could have paid 10K to 13K or more. Now transpose that into cost per mile and I'm quids in and if it serves my purpose I reckon that's sensible?.

Good question. I think the mpg figures are disappointing but hey. I paid just under 5K for a Fabia. I could have paid 10K to 13K or more. Now transpose that into cost per mile and I'm quids in and if it serves my purpose I reckon that's sensible?.

Considering you get 40mpg quite easily out of a vRS, it sounds like you're being robbed :wonder: Still, if you paid very little in the first place, you're still on a winner

i get 29mpg (actual) on mixed heavy rush hour traffic and 70mph motorway so that sounds about right.

Strangely enough I have got up to 42 mpg ( on the OBC) locally. It was just at motorway speeds that the fuel consumption fell away. I accept the comments above that pushing above 70 will work against the small engine.

Strangely enough I have got up to 42 mpg ( on the OBC) locally. It was just at motorway speeds that the fuel consumption fell away. I accept the comments above that pushing above 70 will work against the small engine.

I previously had a 1.2 HTP Fabia. I did over 90,000 miles in it before I exchanged it for the Greenline.

I tried various routes to work in it including country lanes A roads and motorway. Best mpg I ever got was going via quicker A roads. Keep it around 60 and I would always get around 48 mpg. Your never going to get great mpg on a motorway with this engine, its working its little heart out. Its more than capable of motorway speeds but it will hit the economy.

If I ever stopped doing my 100 mile commute I would definitely have another HTP.

I previously had a 1.2 HTP Fabia. I did over 90,000 miles in it before I exchanged it for the Greenline.

I tried various routes to work in it including country lanes A roads and motorway. Best mpg I ever got was going via quicker A roads. Keep it around 60 and I would always get around 48 mpg. Your never going to get great mpg on a motorway with this engine, its working its little heart out. Its more than capable of motorway speeds but it will hit the economy.

If I ever stopped doing my 100 mile commute I would definitely have another HTP.

Hi raisbeck, yes I agree. With my big BMW I only got 18mpg around town and have had as low as 16mpg. Get it on the motorway at 70 mph and the big 6 straight six would easily return 30 to 35mpg AND it was am Auto!. Seeing I do mostly short trips and only hit the Motorway 3 or 4 times a year the little HTP is fine whereas the BMW was bloody expensive!! Thing is I love the simplicity of the HTP. Very little to maintain or go wrong, that's the plus side but if I was doing more miles I'd be looking at the Tsi or a diesel version.

Around town I can easily get very high 40s, around 47mpg on my commute. I have had an indicated 62mpg on the computer which is really around 57mpg as the computer lies! The problem with the HTP is that 5th gear is lower than other Fabias, so if you push it youll get poor figures. I can get around 45mpg if Im careful and stay below 70mph but usually I get low 40s on motorways.

however, the HTP uses no oil unlike the TSi so youre saving there Id still have another HTP over any of the others tbh.

The problem with the HTP is that 5th gear is lower than other Fabias,

...yes I have reached down a few times for 6th but it's not there! (after driving wife's Bravo 1.4 6spd)

Horkin, if it's been used mainly about town before you had it, try some fuel system injector cleaner. Petrol engines benefit from it too and it can make a huge difference to performance and economy. Especially if it's had a low mileage life of mainly about town. The injectors may be a bit restricted with carbon and gunge. Using it more on bigger trips at higher speeds WILL help it loosen more and perform better. Glad you are pleased.

PS. don't be too surprised if the engine runs a bit lumpy if you give it a dose of injector cleaner. That's normal (apologies if you already know all this) and will clear after a few days as the carbon is removed from the engine. I'd treat it to two tankfuls with the cleaner in it. You won't regret doing it!

Edited 7 February, 201115 yr by Estate Man

Horkin, if it's been used mainly about town before you had it, try some fuel system injector cleaner. Petrol engines benefit from it too and it can make a huge difference to performance and economy. Especially if it's had a low mileage life of mainly about town. The injectors may be a bit restricted with carbon and gunge. Using it more on bigger trips at higher speeds WILL help it loosen more and perform better. Glad you are pleased.

PS. don't be too surprised if the engine runs a bit lumpy if you give it a dose of injector cleaner. That's normal (apologies if you already know all this) and will clear after a few days as the carbon is removed from the engine. I'd treat it to two tankfuls with the cleaner in it. You won't regret doing it!

Cheers mate. No I don't know of that and I can't be sure how it was driven by the previous owner, just very low mileage covered. I am always very wary of using any additives to be honest but are you saying to use Redex or is it different stuff you are suggesting?. The other thing is that others who have replied seem to be suggesting they too are getting similar figures to me so I wonder if the figures I am getting are normal after all in which case do you still suggest I treat it or just give it longer runs for a while?

Yes, I would still suggest you treat it. Most owner don't treat their cars with a cleaner, and don't realise how much of an improvement they could get in performance and economy. I'm not saying you will suddenly get another 5mpg but in many instances you get a noticeable improvement in power and economy. Just follow the instructions on the injector cleaner bottle. It really does work. You can use either Redex for petrol engines or any other good brand of fuel system/injector cleaner. It will not harm your engine in any way and does not cause harm to the catalytic converter. It only does good, in fact actually providing more lubrication to the upper cylinders. It's used extensively in the trade especially if they are having problems getting emissions right for the MOT. It truly clears out all the crap and makes the engine run nice and clean.

Yes, I would still suggest you treat it. Most owner don't treat their cars with a cleaner, and don't realise how much of an improvement they could get in performance and economy. I'm not saying you will suddenly get another 5mpg but in many instances you get a noticeable improvement in power and economy. Just follow the instructions on the injector cleaner bottle. It really does work. You can use either Redex for petrol engines or any other good brand of fuel system/injector cleaner. It will not harm your engine in any way and does not cause harm to the catalytic converter. It only does good, in fact actually providing more lubrication to the upper cylinders. It's used extensively in the trade especially if they are having problems getting emissions right for the MOT. It truly clears out all the crap and makes the engine run nice and clean.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for your help I will let you know how I get on.

Edited 7 February, 201115 yr by horkin

Yes, I would still suggest you treat it. Most owner don't treat their cars with a cleaner, and don't realise how much of an improvement they could get in performance and economy. I'm not saying you will suddenly get another 5mpg but in many instances you get a noticeable improvement in power and economy. Just follow the instructions on the injector cleaner bottle. It really does work. You can use either Redex for petrol engines or any other good brand of fuel system/injector cleaner. It will not harm your engine in any way and does not cause harm to the catalytic converter. It only does good, in fact actually providing more lubrication to the upper cylinders. It's used extensively in the trade especially if they are having problems getting emissions right for the MOT. It truly clears out all the crap and makes the engine run nice and clean.

Mine never needed it over its 90,000+ miles. Ran the same mpg and sounded the same throughout its life.

I am not saying you wont benefit by adding some cleaner, just that mine never appeared to need it. Always passed emissions tests with flying colours. There is a lot to be said for a good blast down the motorway now and then.

Cheers mate. No I don't know of that and I can't be sure how it was driven by the previous owner, just very low mileage covered. I am always very wary of using any additives to be honest but are you saying to use Redex or is it different stuff you are suggesting?. The other thing is that others who have replied seem to be suggesting they too are getting similar figures to me so I wonder if the figures I am getting are normal after all in which case do you still suggest I treat it or just give it longer runs for a while?

Horkin use it!,I use redex religiously and makes a hell of a difference allbeit its a diesel we have,i have seen first hand the gunge and crap within the egr and pipework,we put redex in the fiat stilo cr tdi 1.9 115bhp and hey presto after 1 redex in the tank the gunge was nearly all gone,to get back to the little gem of a 1.4tdi 3 cylinder we bought about 3months ago I have put redex every tank full and it pulls better uses less fuel and no smoke coming out the pipe,its an 08 plate with 40k on it so 20k a year so big mileage,the difference is amazing I will always use redex,and at just over £3 a pop its cheap I reckon I get on a tank full about 50miles more mileage,so all in all I am a big convert to aditives but I will wait until they say on the bottle its safe to use in the cr

Mine never needed it over its 90,000+ miles. Ran the same mpg and sounded the same throughout its life.

I am not saying you wont benefit by adding some cleaner, just that mine never appeared to need it. Always passed emissions tests with flying colours. There is a lot to be said for a good blast down the motorway now and then.

Yes indeed, some need it more than others. And as you say this is really because of the way the car is used. You did plenty of miles that would have largely kept the engine internals reasonably clean. However, if you still had the motor now, I could guarantee you would notice a difference if you were to run some fuel system injector cleaner through it. Especially if the car has gone 90,000+ miles without being treated...you would certainly notice a difference. Your injectors at 90k+ would have had a nice brown globule of sticky brown carbon forming around the tip restricting to some extent or another the spread and amount of fuel going in. It's just one of those things that happens due to combustion and you cannot stop it however you drive. It happens so slowly you don't really notice it. Often, as the mileage goes on an engine, the mechanicals of the engine become more efficient as the engine loosens up, a better piston ring to bore seal forms, but this efficiency is lost due to injectors and valves picking up carbon. Instead of performing better the engine stays about the same and often performs worse, not running as efficiently as it could...owners remain happy without realising they could be doing better. And this carbon is the sort that is quite sticky, not like the hard gritty stuff you and I have removed from engines from yesteryear. These cleaners do a good job of removing that stuff from your injectors...and it's the same with your diesel too. I treat mine once a year and it make a huge actual difference, not just an imaginary one. Best time to treat your diesel is when you notice a little smoke when you boot her at high revs. It's a sign the injectors need a clean. I'm doing my usual thing I'm afraid, I'll just shut up now cos you prolly know all that anyway....soooorrrrry!

Horkin use it!,I use redex religiously and makes a hell of a difference allbeit its a diesel we have,i have seen first hand the gunge and crap within the egr and pipework,we put redex in the fiat stilo cr tdi 1.9 115bhp and hey presto after 1 redex in the tank the gunge was nearly all gone,to get back to the little gem of a 1.4tdi 3 cylinder we bought about 3months ago I have put redex every tank full and it pulls better uses less fuel and no smoke coming out the pipe,its an 08 plate with 40k on it so 20k a year so big mileage,the difference is amazing I will always use redex,and at just over £3 a pop its cheap I reckon I get on a tank full about 50miles more mileage,so all in all I am a big convert to aditives but I will wait until they say on the bottle its safe to use in the cr

Redex is basically Naptha...coloured red, also known as marvel mystery oil in America

They do a petrol ecomax that also contains Naptha, same as redex but you get octane boosters as well.

Naptha is also used in diesel ecomax as the cleaning agent, same as a lot of additives except that they put 2-EHN in to raise the Cetane level.

I use redex in my motorbike, keeps it clean. Also a drop of IPA to keep the moisture at bay.

Biggest enemy of cars imho is pootling about without getting everything nice and toasty warm. After my 250 mile trip to Essex (all motorway at ....umm.....speed) the car was a lot smoother and perkier, mpg was up after that run also. I think they call it an Italian tune up

50 more miles from using Redex....... :wonder: maybe if your car was a clogged up mess beforehand. Otherwise, thats overstating it a bit surely. If your cars internals are clean beforehand, Redex will do nothing other than perhaps keep it that way.

. Best time to treat your diesel is when you notice a little smoke when you boot her at high revs. It's a sign the injectors need a clean. I'm doing my usual thing I'm afraid, I'll just shut up now cos you prolly know all that anyway....soooorrrrry!

I could boot all day long with asthmatic clogged up injectors suffering from man flu, aint no smoke getting past that DPF

I mentioned additives to my dealer as my Greenline was serviced at the weekend. He recoiled in horror and stated in no uncertain terms Skodas opinion on additives. Different dealers have diffferent views. Where I used to live the SKoda dealer actually offered an additive at service time.

I have nothing against additives. Many of them work, certainly the injector cleaners. When mine is out of Warranty it will be having a healthy dose of Millers.

I could boot all day long with asthmatic clogged up injectors suffering from man flu, aint no smoke getting past that DPF

I mentioned additives to my dealer as my Greenline was serviced at the weekend. He recoiled in horror and stated in no uncertain terms Skodas opinion on additives. Different dealers have diffferent views. Where I used to live the SKoda dealer actually offered an additive at service time.

I have nothing against additives. Many of them work, certainly the injector cleaners. When mine is out of Warranty it will be having a healthy dose of Millers.

It's not just Skoda either. Non of the franchised dealers promote additives officially, but unofficially most will advise a customer to use them and all use them in the workshop. It's just another tool. All of them get service bulletins from manufacturers telling them to use additives for the purpose of getting engines through MOTS and to put them in on service if the car (of any age) has emissions problems or is smokey at all. They just don't trust the owners to use them correctly. Overdosing by a very large amount screws with the engine mixture control and could cause the engine to run weak for the duration. Potentially not good. Recently, my motorcycle has been running an injection map that caused it to run too rich in the midrange revs. It dirtied up the injectors badly. I had one out to take a look. So I ran some Redex through her and rechecked. Both injectors were clean as a whistle. I then remapped the bike to alleviate the problem. Sweet as a nut now and with an extra 6bhp (not PS). I prefer old money!!

So what about the better quality fuels that are supposed to have cleaners in there. I'm sounding all technically minded now but having spent a bit of time on Google (one of my problems I'm afraid) it is recommended to use high quality fuel. I assume that means Esso, Shell type stuff as opposed to Supermarket.Would it pay to use Redex a couple of times and then stick to better fuels? Redex is not something I've never added apart from ( and you'll remember Estate Man) when all the filling stations filled you up and asked if you'd like a 'shot'!!. The other thing is, Ebay offer many different injector cleaners, some cheap and some in excess of £20. Are some really that much better than others?

So what about the better quality fuels that are supposed to have cleaners in there.

horkin, take a look at my thread re fuel choices. I've only had my HTP since xmas but I am a "better" fuel convert after using mainly morrisons fuel for years. With my type of driving (mostly round town in rush hour) I don't see a huge difference in mpg, but the car certainly runs smoother and pulls much better. It's favourite flavour currently seems to be Texaco - it may be 2p more than the others (and 3p more than supersludge), but if you think about it - that's only about £1 a tank - well worth it in my opinion.

As for fuel additives they made a noticeable diff on the old motor that was running sludge, so I may give something a go on this one. Have used Redex in the past - but I'm intrigued by this Millers Ecomax people seem to be mentioning.

Edited 7 February, 201115 yr by cb83

Yes indeed, CB is right. The better branded fuels keep your engine much cleaner, but even that's not enough. Injector cleaner is well documented in all the mags as having a big effect if used once a year or so to keep everything at peak performance. You don't need to spend much on injector cleaner Horkin. Can't remember what I paid for my Redex but I would trip down to your local motor accessory shop or even a garage and check out what they have on the shelf. I think around the £6 mark is all it takes. Don't go buying anything fancy, you just don't need it.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to find my DYNO printout for my GSX1400 motorcycle which after being dynoe'd, was treated with Redex and then exactly one tankful later put on the Dyno by me again, for comparison. It made an amazing difference in power output. I did this over two years ago, but if my memory serves me correctly, the power output was up by some 6.5bhp (I always deal in proper money, not PS!). I'll post it if I can find it. Redex does work.