Spec craziness

[Junoman]

Yeah, its 4276mm whereas the hatch is 4029mm.

Gone for the Estate for practical reasons and beacuse the misses is scared of using 5th/6th gear in current vRS

She will find semi-auto alot easier, infact, I have told her the paddles are for the radio

Should be fun when she starts searching for radio 2

[seboni121]

Well I specced up my black magic elegance with sat- nav amundsen, rear b pillar tinted glass, curve projector headlights,spare wheel , full set mudflaps,set alloy door sills, luxury mats comes standard with climitronic air- condition, rear sensors , armrest and side protection oh and black magic pearl paint

[LeedsVRS]

For me I only specced the rear electric windows as everything else I wouldn't use.

• Sat nav doesn't accept post codes so pointless.
  
• Air con is fine, climate is nice but not essential.
  
• I dont spend long periods in the car so bluetooth not needed.
  
• Same for cruise. Had it on the ST and maybe used it a dozen times. Roads are too busy to make good use.
  
• Parking sensors not needed as it's only a small hatchback.
  
• Heated seats are pointless with cloth seats. Loved them with the leather of the ST but not needed now.
  

The only options I would have loved to have considered were leather seats and xenons. I'm 99% sure that I'd have taken xenons and 50/50 on leather dependant on cost. Not specifying the options on the vRS will not affect its value when I come to sell or trade in either. It might affect it's appeal in a list of other vRS's but a well looked after car will always demand a premium over a poor condition one spec'd up to the eyeballs

Edited 19 April, 2011 by LeedsVRS

[adamc260]

Its my first new car that i plan on keeping for quite a while... so I spec'd it how I liked didnt cost me much more either

[Didescharlie]

I know pipsyp is getting pretty excited about his vRS and can't bear the wait, and know how he feels - I think I've read your views on the fitting of options in about 4 threads now mate. Don't get me wrong - I read everything on this site, and ummed and ahhed for an eternity before deciding - then missed the deadline for VAT free - then saw it was on again and took the plunge. So I had a splurge on options - and why not? Over the course of monthly payments these things are only a few quid, and owning a car is a bleeding great money-pit anyway. Basically I specced my car to what my missus let me get away with.

This is what I went for - and didn't go for.

Satnav - If I had a tomtom etc then I might not have bothered, but I don't want a suckery thing stuck on my windscreen and curly wires running around the interior. I guess I'm buying it more the the display and music navigation ease than anything else - seems essential if you're using the MDI socket.

Climate - tbh once I read about the semi-auto nature of the standard air-con I nearly didn't bother - but those dials look pretty dated. Pure indulgence this one.

Elec rear windows - a no-brainer on a 2011 car. I've said in other threads about how I never open any windows since I've owned cars with aircon, but winders just remind me of going on holiday to Cromer in a vinyl seated Ford Cortina...

Parking Sensors - another no-brainer on an estate. Good for resale I understand, plus I haven't had them before on a car.

Heated seats - I generally leave for work at 5.15 in the morning. Good for empty back-roads but not good for chilliness!

Cruise control - as another member has stated - essential licence keeping technology.

What I didn't have: Sunroof - a panoramic one maybe, but I haven't had anything that looks like the Fabia sunroof since my XR2 back in 1989. Armrest - hated it in the demonstrator, and you have to move it back to use the handbrake - really annoying. Underseat boxes - should be standard, but I'm not paying £60 for two bits of Tupperware. Anything to do with Bluetooth - I hate phones full stop, and entering my car is an excuse to switch the damned thing off - "sorry darling I was driving".

[Ad Lav]

Heated seats on cloth seats is kind of a waste, I can see the point in leather seats however... cold leather on a frosty morning!

[Didescharlie]

Cloth's pretty cold too at silly o'clock.

[Mike Wrightson]

Not for as long as leather though.

[Ad Lav]

And only if wearing shorts at 5am in December.

[BossFox]

I've never felt the need for heated seats with a cloth interior.

Had them in the mk1 Fabia Elegance and never used them.

Leather is something else though.... brrrrrrrrr.

[MartynVRS]

Don't suppose anyone has pics of the standard aircon unit? The Climate one is the only one I've seen. Going back through my costings since I forgot to add a few things so price has gone up a bit.

Edit: Found one

[Can]

I'll sort one out tomorrow.

I couldn't stand trying to fiddle with the climatronic unit personaly.

Race Blue beacuse I like it.

Got the headlights as I couldn't get xenons :'( I'm not buying a polo just to get xenons VW can shove that were the sun don't shine

Parking sensors for when I've got a missis to drive it as we all know women can't park :p only kidding

Black alloys because.

Cruise for keeping a clean licence and not paying the government any more money.

Mud flaps to keep the crap that liters our roads of the car.

[pipsyp]

I know pipsyp is getting pretty excited about his vRS and can't bear the wait, and know how he feels - I think I've read your views on the fitting of options in about 4 threads now mate. Don't get me wrong - I read everything on this site, and ummed and ahhed for an eternity before deciding - then missed the deadline for VAT free - then saw it was on again and took the plunge. So I had a splurge on options - and why not? Over the course of monthly payments these things are only a few quid, and owning a car is a bleeding great money-pit anyway. Basically I specced my car to what my missus let me get away with.

This is what I went for - and didn't go for.

Satnav - If I had a tomtom etc then I might not have bothered, but I don't want a suckery thing stuck on my windscreen and curly wires running around the interior. I guess I'm buying it more the the display and music navigation ease than anything else - seems essential if you're using the MDI socket.

Climate - tbh once I read about the semi-auto nature of the standard air-con I nearly didn't bother - but those dials look pretty dated. Pure indulgence this one.

Elec rear windows - a no-brainer on a 2011 car. I've said in other threads about how I never open any windows since I've owned cars with aircon, but winders just remind me of going on holiday to Cromer in a vinyl seated Ford Cortina...

Parking Sensors - another no-brainer on an estate. Good for resale I understand, plus I haven't had them before on a car.

Heated seats - I generally leave for work at 5.15 in the morning. Good for empty back-roads but not good for chilliness!

Cruise control - as another member has stated - essential licence keeping technology.

What I didn't have: Sunroof - a panoramic one maybe, but I haven't had anything that looks like the Fabia sunroof since my XR2 back in 1989. Armrest - hated it in the demonstrator, and you have to move it back to use the handbrake - really annoying. Underseat boxes - should be standard, but I'm not paying £60 for two bits of Tupperware. Anything to do with Bluetooth - I hate phones full stop, and entering my car is an excuse to switch the damned thing off - "sorry darling I was driving".

Hi Diedescharlie,

Yeah you are totally right I do air my opinion RE optional extras and I think we've got on topic before :yes:

Like I said before may be a bit different for me as we're PCP'ing this car as we dont keep any of our own cars for more than 3 years. As soon as the warranty is done and it needs an MOT we're not interested. My own car is a company car and is changed every 3 years by work so I'm in a similar position, just with considerably less choice on vehicle!

As a result I dont want to be spending out more than I have to on something I'm unlikely going to own outright, I'd probably be a bit more generous with options if I were to keep it long term or for the foreseeable, I admit such circumstances alter the debate somewhat.

Still I just thought it was an interesting topic for debate, seems to be working seeing how many people have read it and responded in one day. Job done!

Edited 19 April, 2011 by pipsyp

[vRSy]

i use my cruise literally all the time.

[MartynVRS]

Ah mudflaps forgot about them. I know you only get front ones on the estate but its better than nothing. How much are they? I can't see them in the book. Think I will go for climate since it does look nicer

[Whitelighter]

I have heated seats as they are great for a sore/stiff back.

[Didescharlie]

Ummming and ahhing about options is one of the things I loved doing when speccing the car. I'm not surprised either that this thread is popular.

My car is also going to be on a 3 year PCP. I think buying a car outright is a bit daft as yes you do own it - but what you own is basically a hunk of old plastic and metal that isn't worth a lot in a few years time. Like I said before, I don't feel that options adversely affect the monthly payments that much - (maybe some like parking sensors even add to the resale anyway) and I'd rather pay the little bit extra than being annoyed stepping in the car every time and regretting not getting something I wanted on it. It'll be me driving it on a daily basis for the next 3 years and I want it to be perfect and to be proud of it. I love my car - especially when I have a nice one.

[Didescharlie]

Martyn - try googling "Fabia VRS 2010 interior" - there are plenty of combinations of satnav / climate / swing-radio interiors to look at.

[pipsyp]

Ummming and ahhing about options is one of the things I loved doing when speccing the car. I'm not surprised either that this thread is popular.

My car is also going to be on a 3 year PCP. I think buying a car outright is a bit daft as yes you do own it - but what you own is basically a hunk of old plastic and metal that isn't worth a lot in a few years time. Like I said before, I don't feel that options adversely affect the monthly payments that much - (maybe some like parking sensors even add to the resale anyway) and I'd rather pay the little bit extra than being annoyed stepping in the car every time and regretting not getting something I wanted on it. It'll be me driving it on a daily basis for the next 3 years and I want it to be perfect and to be proud of it. I love my car - especially when I have a nice one.

That's cool Didescharlie, sparked quite a good debate :-)

Yeah I'm not big on HP, as cars get ever more complicated once the warranties expired and it needs an MOT I just want to jump ship. We had an 03 reg Ibiza 1.9 130 PD Sport a few years ago which was a really good car other than the fact it regularly went wrong or needed money spending on it, had only done approaching 60K too, half of that by my wife. Swore from that point seeing that we can afford a reasonable monthly sum for a car (particularly given we only buy the one car as mines a company vehicle) that we'd do so. Really havent regretted it either; really reassuring that other than tax, insurance and servicing theres nothing else to worry about. With our Polo we had a service package too so didnt even have to pay for that.

Polo served a purpose (cheap motoring for three years) so wasnt an emotional purchase but the vRS is a bit different as its happens to be the mot powerful car that I've ever purchased (not driven). I'm therefore pretty excited about having a quick car, even though its not my everyday drive.

Thinking about it I could have happily lived with the standard car, not over keen on the wheels but i'd live with them to be behind the wheel of a cheap vRS. However given the cheapness of the wheel upgrade I had to do that, I also hate windy windows so I was given a pass to have those fitted and I think parking sensors are a really sensible option on the estate (and the wife wanted them) so they got ticked also. Luckily white suits the vRS brilliantly as I also didnt want to spend hundreds of pounds on metallic paint so that was a bonus. Otherwise I think the cars spec is ideal for what it costs but fair play to those that want to put all the toys on, if its your only car and your daily drive then you've got to be happy and confortable with what you've got

[MartynVRS]

If its your only car and your daily drive then you've got to be happy and confortable with what you've got

Spot on.

I'm happy with my spec I've just got to calm down a bit over the weekend and have a good think that the car is exactly how I want it and make sure my finances are solid. Hopefully ordering Monday.

[bingo765]

Hi All,

Certainly not looking to cause an argument but thought it would make for a good debate.

Personally I've really had trouble trying to rationalise why so many people have been speccing their new Fabia's to the hilt, particularly the vRS's. When we ordered our vRS estate I was strongly of the mind that I wanted as much car for as little money as possible, in the end got a nearly £18k car for less than £15k. Given the standard spec (well....that its a 180ps car with a DSG gearbox is impressive enough at that money) I really didnt see the need to put much extra kit on it.

It's possibly a little different for me than some as our car is on a 3 year PCP and I very much doubt we'll keep it come the end of the term. It was therefore avantageous for us to keep the monthly payment as low as possible. All the same, buying the car via HP or outright and adding £3k worth of extras to one is like taking a match to that money and burning it as it will never come back to you in residuals. If you're looking to keep the car forever then fair enough but otherwise the money spent on options will just go up in smoke.

Most people looking to buy any sort of Fabia second hand on the whole are not interested in Sat Nav or heated seats and wouldnt pay the premium. The VAT deal has naturallty hurt second hand prices a bit too which in my mind makes it all the worse.

Dont get me wrong, having those "nice to have" bits of kit on a Fabia vRS is nice but I still think it makes poor financial sense to spec one to the hilt. This also has nothing to do with being able to afford a fully spec'd car I just didnt want to.

Thought it would be interesting to hear different owners insights on this, appreciate we all have different needs or wants but wanted to trigger a nice bit of debate.

I was quite happy with a black roof ,no need to play into the hands of salesmen. After all, they're the ones who really gain from the added extras!

The vRS is specced enough for the money compared to others on the market. Comments from others about the 'inadequate sat nav' and the 'unreliable parking sensors' just reinforce that I was right NOT to over spec!

[MartynVRS]

Unreliable parking sensors?

[seboni121]

I was quite happy with a black roof ,no need to play into the hands of salesmen. After all, they're the ones who really gain from the added extras!

The vRS is specced enough for the money compared to others on the market. Comments from others about the 'inadequate sat nav' and the 'unreliable parking sensors' just reinforce that I was right NOT to over spec!

I wish I had even put more on, leather would have been great, bi-xenon even though the are not on the fabia, front sensors under seat trays , rear electric windows, but the missus said no , and she wears the trousers

The parking sensors are great liked to the satnav shows exactly were you are as for the sat nav , once it gets the firmware update will be great also , just at the moment will not take the 7 digit postcodes as the Columbus did on launch now fine!

Edited 20 April, 2011 by seboni121

[Didescharlie]

Spot on.

I'm happy with my spec I've just got to calm down a bit over the weekend and have a good think that the car is exactly how I want it and make sure my finances are solid. Hopefully ordering Monday.

Double spot on! Glad you're getting to where you want to be with your order martyn. Now get ready for a looooooong wait.