This is probably going to seem like a really stupid question to some of you more experienced Skoda owners, and for that I'll apologise now, but I'm going to ask it anyway.

Its the, "What's in the box?" question.

I've never bought a brand new car before but ordered a new Fabia Greenline 2 (in red as my name suggests) a couple of weeks ago. Added rear parking sensors (better safe than sorry) and got some mats thrown in for free, but I think the GL2 is pretty well spec'd so didn't add anything else.

Still no build date (though I gather thats not uncommon), but its not denting my excitement! I'm just wondering what you normally get when you purchase a new car, i.e. whats in the box?

Part of the reason why I ask is I'm a bit puzzled about this MDI thing tha'ts mentioned in the brochure. In some sources it looks like you get everything you need to use it (with the GL2) but in others it suggests that you need to purchase an extra cable. Is there any advantage to using this over the built in MP3 aux input? Again sorry if I sound a bit clueless!

I'd assume there are obvious things such as service record / user manual, but is there anything else I should know about / expect? Seems like a long way off until delivery (expecting some time in the summer), but it'll be handy to know... Presumably some things are model specific so if there are any new GL2 owners out there - any advice?

Thanks for helping out an inexperienced newb! :think:

Edited 4 June, 201115 yr by Redline Greenline ii

Only things i'd probably look to stick on the Greenline are curtain airbags, MFSW (multi function wheel for radio - dont worry about the phone prep one), Maxi dot and maybe elec rear wins.

The rubber steering wheel on the Fabia is horrible, the MFSW is leather and makes it much nicer, also get radio controls. Incidentally you can just get a leather wheel without the stereo controls but given the price difference you might just as well get the MFSW. You also get a leather gearknob and handbrake lever with the MFSW/Leather wheel packs.

Maxi dot is a much better trip computer, allows you to see more detailed vehicle information, I wouldnt have a Fabia without it. Many GL buyers forget to spec this and kick themselves for not doing so.

Curtain airbags....all cars should have these but Skoda are notorious for giving away toys in place of safety kit. I'd say these are a must.

Elec rear wins....why wind a window on a car built in 2011? Think its a bit tight Skoda dont make these standard fit but it's a cheap enough option. Great if you have kids as they have a lockout button to stop little people (or big people!) from using the windows. If you can live without them then fair shout.

MDI is a proper Media connection. You can hook up any compatible iPod, MP3 player or hard disc drive. The unit you connect is then controlled by the HU so you see all track info on the screen and can skip tracks etc. A very good bit of kit but can be a bit glitchy. It has a VAG specific connection on it and you buy the cable which works with your player (Ipod, USB or Mini USB are the options I believe).

If you have an iPod/iPhone or a portable HDD with MP3's on it this option is a no brainer.

Only things i'd probably look to stick on the Greenline are curtain airbags, MFSW (multi function wheel for radio - dont worry about the phone prep one), Maxi dot and maybe elec rear wins.

Hey thanks for your advice - its interesting to hear why people go for certain extras. Thing is the main reason why I bought the car was the "eco" credentials. Ok, so no ICE car is going to be truly green, but after I renewed the tax on my (stop-gap) 9 year old Astra and saw the emissions were 172g/km I started to feel quite guilty. Add to that the fuel economy - The stated combined figure for my Astra is 39mpg but I don't get anywhere near that and I'm really starting to notice the difference in fuel spend since I picked it up last Autumn (my old car was written off and I needed something quickly). I'd been saying for a while I wanted to get something a little more environmentally responsible and the Fabia GL2 offered the most car for the cash in my opinion, plus I've heard great things about Skodas generally.

I'd never normally consider buying a new car, but I weighed up a GL2 with the VAT off against a nearly new GL1 and it was a no brainer, plus estimates the savings in fuel, road tax, plus the benefits of having a new car like the guarantee, and it persuaded me (and more importantly the boss - its hard to get anything past her ) to order one.

Did consider the curtain airbags but I wasn't clear on the exact safety benefits. As for the steering wheel, and this is probably going to make me sound strange, but the model I test drove had the original rubber / plastic fittings and I actually quite liked it. As odd as it sounds one of the things I loved about the Skoda was the simple and understated interior. I probably need my head checked.

I did think about the rear electric windows option, as its not much extra, but as the boss pointed out 90% of the time it'll just be us in the car, so she couldn't see the point. I suppose if it had just been my decision I'd have gone for them, but I know when a fights not worth fighting! Agree its a bit cheap of Skoda not to have this as standard.

I didn't appreciate the real difference between the maxi dot and the standard trip computer so thanks for that. What sort of extra info does it show then? I might consider adding it if its worth it...

Hey thanks for your advice - its interesting to hear why people go for certain extras. Thing is the main reason why I bought the car was the "eco" credentials. Ok, so no ICE car is going to be truly green, but after I renewed the tax on my (stop-gap) 9 year old Astra and saw the emissions were 172g/km I started to feel quite guilty. Add to that the fuel economy - The stated combined figure for my Astra is 39mpg but I don't get anywhere near that and I'm really starting to notice the difference in fuel spend since I picked it up last Autumn (my old car was written off and I needed something quickly). I'd been saying for a while I wanted to get something a little more environmentally responsible and the Fabia GL2 offered the most car for the cash in my opinion, plus I've heard great things about Skodas generally.

I'd never normally consider buying a new car, but I weighed up a GL2 with the VAT off against a nearly new GL1 and it was a no brainer, plus estimates the savings in fuel, road tax, plus the benefits of having a new car like the guarantee, and it persuaded me (and more importantly the boss - its hard to get anything past her ) to order one.

Did consider the curtain airbags but I wasn't clear on the exact safety benefits. As for the steering wheel, and this is probably going to make me sound strange, but the model I test drove had the original rubber / plastic fittings and I actually quite liked it. As odd as it sounds one of the things I loved about the Skoda was the simple and understated interior. I probably need my head checked.

I did think about the rear electric windows option, as its not much extra, but as the boss pointed out 90% of the time it'll just be us in the car, so she couldn't see the point. I suppose if it had just been my decision I'd have gone for them, but I know when a fights not worth fighting! Agree its a bit cheap of Skoda not to have this as standard.

I didn't appreciate the real difference between the maxi dot and the standard trip computer so thanks for that. What sort of extra info does it show then? I might consider adding it if its worth it...

Yeah no worries at all.

Curtain airbags are airbags that run up the front windscreen pillars and along the roofline of the car. They are often called head airbags. If they go off they basically protect your head from hitting the roof if it deforms, also helps stop glass comming at you if the windows break (as the name curtain would suggest). Ultimately they could very well stop a serious head injury if you were ever involved in such an impact.

I personally would not buy a car without them. Fortunately the vRS (which we've ordered) comes with them as standard. ESP is also a very important safety feature but the GL comes with that.

Trust me on the steering wheel as well, if you drive one with a leather wheel you will want it. Feels of a much higher quality and feels much nicer in the hands. Is a small price to pay really for something which improves the quality feel.

Maxi dot is a much higher res display (Dot matrix rather than LED - again as the name would suggest). Largely it is just a trip computer but its much more attractive than the standard fit item, you also can see audio information and get better alerts (both graphical and text based) if a problem occurs with the car. On the Faba you also get a nicer dial set with a proper water temp and fuel gauge which is nice to have. Each to their own and that but after having this computer in my last two VW Golfs I wouldnt want to be without it.

Edited 22 March, 201115 yr by pipsyp

Cheers for the heads-up (no pun intended) on the airbags... might well be worth it the way people drive round here!

I'm not sure what the display was on the demo model. Looked basic, as in lcd, but did have a decent looking fuel gauge up one side.

I suppose the leather steering wheel makes more difference on longer journeys... do you happen to know if its a substantially different cost if you change it later?

Edited 22 March, 201115 yr by Redline Greenline ii

* fuel gauge

Your demo car had the standard fuel computer display.

Maxidot adds proper fuel and temp gauges, and a larger and clearer LCD display. In the Octavias and above, it controls some of the car functions, but in the Furby it basically just looks a lot nicer. I would not like to lose it.

This is it:

Your demo car had the standard fuel computer display.

Maxidot adds proper fuel and temp gauges, and a larger and clearer LCD display. In the Octavias and above, it controls some of the car functions, but in the Furby it basically just looks a lot nicer. I would not like to lose it.

Cheers mate - you're right it was definitely the standard display. I reckon I can live with it, though I'm sure if I had the maxidot I wouldn't want to lose it. I suppose its all relative, but even the standard kit is better than what I've had before. That's the thing with all this new car business - not having bought a new car before even the basic GL2 is pretty impressive to me, but next time I'll probably want more upgrades. That said, chances are the things that are upgrades now will be standard by then.

Never fails to amaze me how the most basic things can be optional extras on some cars. I never was able to understand why basic original car stereos still had tape decks well into the last decade!

Not being able to read exact water and oil temperature with the standard display is very annoying. I' m really considering of upgrading mine with the maxi dot version.

May I ask if you ordered the Estate or Hatch?

I've just ordered the Estate, and a load of the options can't be added to that, which is rather sad, I'd have like the MFD steering wheel, but wasn't allowed it, and can't think that its going to be addable later sadly.

I'd assume there are obvious things such as ....... user manual

Welcome Redline

See the pinned "Official Fabia II documentation available for download from SKODA AUTO a.s" at the top of the forum and use the link to download the manual (newest date).

Just like me, you can then get your "daily fix" :yes: of what's in the box" while we wait. Think Radios are there too.

retiredbri

May I ask if you ordered the Estate or Hatch?

I've just ordered the Estate, and a load of the options can't be added to that, which is rather sad, I'd have like the MFD steering wheel, but wasn't allowed it, and can't think that its going to be addable later sadly.

Its the hatch I've ordered. I actually test drove an estate since thats what was available (I was lucky to find a demo at all apparently) and it was really nice to drive, with masses of space, but we decided we didn't really need the extra room ourselves. I did think long term it might have been better to get the estate but at the moment its just the two of us. I preferred the look of the hatch.

You're right though there are a few options that cant be added - I wonder if its to do with weight so that Skoda can ensure the estate still hits the 89g/km in the tests?

Welcome Redline

See the pinned "Official Fabia II documentation available for download from SKODA AUTO a.s" at the top of the forum and use the link to download the manual (newest date).

Just like me, you can then get your "daily fix" :yes: of what's in the box" while we wait. Think Radios are there too.

retiredbri

Hi retiredbri thanks for the welcome, and for the tip. If my excitement dies down at all while I'm waiting, I'll dip into the manual!

Hi redline greenline,

I also ordered a red greenline hatch (i added the Maxi-dot) about 2/3 weeks ago now and also very excited! I havent got a order date yet either :( but i would be interested in seeing if there was any difference in build weeks and time frames in general especially considering the skoda 'blackhole' ordering system. Were you given an estimate/ rough guide for delivery? i was thinking about giving the dealer a call this week and seeing if there was any update. Good luck with it all and let us know when you get your build week etc , Ive already dipped into the manual :S (just out of sheer excitement though!!!)

Hi redline greenline,

I also ordered a red greenline hatch (i added the Maxi-dot) about 2/3 weeks ago now and also very excited! I havent got a order date yet either :( but i would be interested in seeing if there was any difference in build weeks and time frames in general especially considering the skoda 'blackhole' ordering system. Were you given an estimate/ rough guide for delivery? i was thinking about giving the dealer a call this week and seeing if there was any update. Good luck with it all and let us know when you get your build week etc , Ive already dipped into the manual :S (just out of sheer excitement though!!!)

Hello. Yeah it will be interesting to see if there is any consistency at all!

I ordered on 5th March and was told it would likely be around June time. On the order form the dealer wrote 20 weeks but he implied this was more of a worst case than a realistic estimate. Think they prefer this rather than to promise quick delivery that they can't honour. Having read the "black hole" stuff I'm hoping it doesn't drag on any longer than that. I'll be sure to update on build weeks etc as and when I hear - I'd be interested to hear when you get a build week.

Hello. Yeah it will be interesting to see if there is any consistency at all!

I ordered on 5th March and was told it would likely be around June time. On the order form the dealer wrote 20 weeks but he implied this was more of a worst case than a realistic estimate. Think they prefer this rather than to promise quick delivery that they can't honour. Having read the "black hole" stuff I'm hoping it doesn't drag on any longer than that. I'll be sure to update on build weeks etc as and when I hear - I'd be interested to hear when you get a build week.

yeah i will do too, i ordered mine the 4th of march and they quote around 14 weeks (starting to seem like forever) and but a delivery around the 30th of.june so well see. Gunna give them a phone tomoro i think.

Hi Guys, been eavesdropping since I ordered my Greenline II on 25th Feb (lead time 3-4 months quoted at the time). Phoned the dealer and they've not yet got a build date; said that its fairly common at the moment for build dates not to pop up on their system until the week before build. Pooh! Really want to start driving it now Just hope it comes sooner... Is it worth calling up Skoda UK?

We ordered our Greenline Estate on the 12th, and were told that we should expect to be picking it up on new plates. To be fair, we did say to them that if it got too close (within a couple of weeks of the plate change) we'd rather wait the extra time and have it on 61's on the first day they came out.

We ordered our Greenline Estate on the 12th, and were told that we should expect to be picking it up on new plates. To be fair, we did say to them that if it got too close (within a couple of weeks of the plate change) we'd rather wait the extra time and have it on 61's on the first day they came out.

Wow thats quite a long wait. It all sounds a bit hit and miss from reading a few of these threads...

Phoned the dealer and they've not yet got a build date; said that its fairly common at the moment for build dates not to pop up on their system until the week before build.

Judging by what some people have said this might be right, but its not what my dealer told me. He suggested I'd get an indicative build week within a couple of weeks, then a concrete build week nearer the build week itself. Almost 3 weeks since ordering though, and I haven't even been given an indicative week...

Judging by what some people have said this might be right, but its not what my dealer told me. He suggested I'd get an indicative build week within a couple of weeks, then a concrete build week nearer the build week itself. Almost 3 weeks since ordering though, and I haven't even been given an indicative week...

Wouldn't bother checking with dealers re build-week etc, just ring Skoda customer services and you'll be told exactly where you are in the system and what your build weeks is......

Wouldn't bother checking with dealers re build-week etc, just ring Skoda customer services and you'll be told exactly where you are in the system and what your build weeks is......

Cheers for the tip - I'll probably give it a try tomorrow and see what I can find out...

The Curtain Airbags have an additional benefit to tall drivers.

I am 6'3" and when I have the seat in the most comfortable position my head is in line with the B post pivot for the seatbelt.

This means that in a side impact my head will immediately bounce off the solid plastic/metal seat belt pivot, probably causing serious head injuries in the process.

Having realised this after I got the car, I can't tell you how glad I am that I specified the Curtain Airbags.

I'm a bit of a short ar$e compared to you at 5'9" but its still worth considering...

yeah i will do too, i ordered mine the 4th of march and they quote around 14 weeks (starting to seem like forever) and but a delivery around the 30th of.june so well see. Gunna give them a phone tomoro i think.

Just been given a provisional build week of week 16, end of April, so it sounds like the cogs are starting to turn again at Skoda Central!