hey lads....im checking the classifieds for a used fabia...2000-2003.....which is the best petrol powerplant in your opinion...any advice much appreciated....

2 Litre takes everything like a king lol

2 Litre takes everything like a king lol

cheers mate....but 2 litre an unbelievable 600 plus euros for road tax here.....

You didnt ask for the best power plant petrol wise for insurance, if thats the case a 1.2 mate wont take it like a king, but your getting close as only .8 litres away

You didnt ask for the best power plant petrol wise for insurance, if thats the case a 1.2 mate wont take it like a king, but your getting close as only .8 litres away

cheers buddy...as long as its reliable.... nippy...etc...it will be great....love the sound of that 2 litre though...just been offered 1.4 16v.......1900euro.......gonna take it for a drive..

Watch out for the piston rings on the 1.4 16v ones!

The 2.0 thing is more a joke from someone claiming they won a race vs. a Mustang and 'took him like a king'. They only have 15bhp more than the 1.4 16v, so not really worth the extra tax etc IMO.

Watch out for the piston rings on the 1.4 16v ones!

The 2.0 thing is more a joke from someone claiming they won a race vs. a Mustang and 'took him like a king'. They only have 15bhp more than the 1.4 16v, so not really worth the extra tax etc IMO.

[/quote

thanks for the advice mate.......im torn now between 1.4 16v and 1.2 12v

Id avoid the 1.4 16v

Quite common piston ring failure

I'd take a 1.2 12v like in the Polo's

I'd take a 1.2 12v like in the Polo's

looks like its the 1.2 12v then....any common problems to keep an eye out for in the 12v lads?

They have a timing chain, not a belt (so no need to replace in the same way). But check it isn't too rattly, and the oil level isn't too low as I've read that with low oil it can stop being pumped under heavy turning or something. Oh, also I think the coil packs might be an issue, but not 100% on that.

Other than that, just common Fabia issues really, leaky rear door, knocking suspension and that's about it really over any other car.

Edited 13 March, 201115 yr by TriggerFish

...thanks mate ..didnt know it had a timing chain as opposed to a belt...had a look online and found that the 1.2....is less common than the 1.4 on the roads here....i might have to import one from the uk...

Something else I though of - if you don't find the 1.2 too slow, look at the 1.9SDi. Same sort of speed, but much much better mpg. Meant to be bullet proof too.

Something else I though of - if you don't find the 1.2 too slow, look at the 1.9SDi. Same sort of speed, but much much better mpg. Meant to be bullet proof too.

cheers mate il keep that in mind.....i see sdi's for sale here ok....but its the 600 euro road tax cost thats pushing it to the bottom of the list....however if i get the right car..

Ouch. Is it done on engine size over there or something then? Think the SDi is about £125 tax here, compared to around £150 for the petrols.

Ouch. Is it done on engine size over there or something then? Think the SDi is about £125 tax here, compared to around £150 for the petrols.

...yes mate....the wife's 06 vauxhall zafira 2 litre diesel is about 600 euro a year........a 1.4 fabia...is 338 euro i think......its making older larger engined cars hard to sell or trade in...so its a trade off between road tax for the fabia sdi and potential fuel economy.....reading here its giving average 50 or so mpg........so it might just suit me...

Wow, that's pretty bad! Unless you have cheap fuel/decent roads or something I feel for you.

If it helps sway your desicion, try below to compare MPG of the different models. Also a 1.4 TDi which might be a better bet. More MPG on paper, but smaller tax costs. Think they're more €€ to buy though.

http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/overview/45-Skoda/398-Fabia.html?powerunit=2