Today I had another test drive in an vRS. Partly for amusement but mainly to revisit my subjective assessment on it after the first test drive and subsequent ordering of one.

In simple terms, I would class the current vRS as a "Digital" product compared with the "Organic" feeling of the MK1, my current car. The diesel engine, whilst somewhat 'agricultural' in its operation, delivers a wave of torque that can be used in most gears to the best advantage, progress and surprise of other drivers. The low-revving nature of the engine is quite a comparison to the new and modern one, not least in design and mechanical terms but in the way it delivers its power and torque. The new engine is keen to rev, almost silent compared to the diesel and feels 'light' in operation.

Part of the appeal of the MK1 was the manual gearbox mated to the torquey nature of the engine and I (re)noticed the DSG box, when in Drive, hung on to the higher gears for probably longer than if I was rowing the stick myself. Sport used more of the (wider) rev range and 'manual' was of course that. Obviously it is something I will get used to but still an interesting prospect of the car deciding which gear is best for a given situation.

Overall the new car felt quite nimble compared to the slightly 'planted' (heavy?) feel of the MK1 but it is easy to see how good progress, and surprising of other drivers, will be with a flex of the right foot and/or click of a paddle.

Thoughts?

quite accurate (I also owned a mark I before the fiat) the new car is incredably fast once you master it..... light it is... less understeer than the mark I , much more "pointy" ....

I would say it took me about 4000 miles to master it, and get the best from the engine/gearbox.... I had reservations at the first test drives... now I dont think I can see myself going back to a manual after the DSG... and I CAN get 40+mpg easily, now the engine is run in (8600 miles) I struggled to get 35mpg in its earlier life... If I try hard I can get 50+ ..

on my way home from work tonight (2 hours forced overtime) I overtook every car I came accross..... sometimes the distances needed for an A-road overtake are so different from a "normal" car its simply incredible....

I actually thought on my way home.. "I love this car".... it is the best hot hatch I have yet had.

wierd , because at the beginning (first 1000 miles or so) I was a bit miffed, because it just seemed to 'clinical'... I could wring the neck of the fiat, drive it to 110% on the ragged edge trying to keep with the likes of a mark II octy vRS ect.. but couldnt do the same in the fabia, because the speed into corners ect was so much higher, the braking (more jittery than the fiat) made it feel a bit 'lively', tring to get the gearbox to do what I want ect... now my perceptions have adjusted to the perfomance available,and the box, its probably the fastest point to point car I've owned, I've upped the level a bit, and am now getting 100% from the car...

FANTASTIC

edit: as for how long it holds gears in drive, its directly proportional to how hard you press the accelerator pedal, press it gently it will change up with very few revs, harder=higher revs, ect ect , its suprisingly variable, litterally infinate in relation to how much gas = how many revs held in each gear... very adaptable, and very good!

It also depends on how fast you push down the pedal, if you push slowly it will hang on to the gear, if you push i down fast it changes to a lower gear instantly.

This is a great thread, with some highly readable thoughts. Nice to hear about your evolving love affair Sharky.

Anyone else? It's ace to read this stuff while I wait for delivery.

With the death of the PD fuel system we will never have a car that feels like the Mk1 VRS. The new common rail diesels are smooth and refined, they have a linear torque delivery and like to rev but don't have that slug of bottom end torque. A mk2 fabia with a 2.0CR diesel would not have the feel of the Mk1.

With the new direct injection turbo petrols I dont think we will see another diesel vrs.

As for the dsg it is adaptable if you use the paddles to change up early on a light throttle the box will then cange up earlier itself. But demo cars are usually driven hard so the box will be changing up later. And as others have said throttle operation and engine load have the biggest effect on change up points.

Cheers

Lee

now I dont think I can see myself going back to a manual after the DSG... and I CAN get 40+mpg easily, now the engine is run in (8600 miles) I struggled to get 35mpg in its earlier life... If I try hard I can get 50+ ..

on my way home from work tonight (2 hours forced overtime) I overtook every car I came accross..... sometimes the distances needed for an A-road overtake are so different from a "normal" car its simply incredible....

I actually thought on my way home.. "I love this car".... it is the best hot hatch I have yet had.

Pretty much sums up my feelings as well. I find usually get 400 miles to a tank now and that's even coming out of work and having one of those 'I'm going to get home....quickly' moods

DSG just makes it so relaxed and gives you loads more time to plan ahead I feel.

For gears, I think there's 4 stages. One is you just slowly go up in acceleration and it'll keep the gear. The second, where it'll put it up to 3500 revs or so and give it some poke but not use the turbo. Third, where it goes to 4300 revs and gets on the turbo instantly. Fourth, where you floor it and it'll get the red line as quick as possible. Magic

So if the box learns your style for the best balance of economy and performance its best to drive tidy in full auto mode and then always use the paddles for going fast. That's what I'll be doing

Got our vRS estate on Saturday and overall I'm very impressed with it. Only been on a couple of short runs, cars now sat on our driveway with a whole 35 miles on the clock!

So far am most impressed with the engine. With the amount of go on offer (particularly in S) cant see why you'd want to chip it; its a very VERY fast little car. Like how it has two personalities, smooth and refined in D, fast and frenetic in S. Build quality also seems very good though I'm already a little worried how quickly the shiny hard plastics will last before we seem some annoying scratches! I'm also very pleased we got the wagon; load space is superb and I think its looks are better resolved than the hatch though thats all down to personal preference.

Downsides...whilst the DSG is great and offers smooth fast shifts its not 100% perfect. May just be me but I find in manual mode there is a noticable delay between selecting a gear and the change actually taking place, somewhat detracts from the involvement and so far leads me to believe I'm probably better off just leaving it in S and letting the car do the work. Also low speed manouvers are quite tricky as you have to be so delicate with the throttle to get the right amount of go. We have a very steep driveway and the box tries to go up it in 2nd gear, then decides to go into 1st...seems it is relatively easy to confuse the box but perhaps ours is still learning! All in all whilst we wanted an auto and DSG is probably one of the best ways to go I still think the vRS woudl make a better drivers car as a manual and can see why the motoring press are on the whole not completely sold on it.

Other gripes...lack of a rear courtesy light is annoying. Having to pay for the electric roof to get one is a joke. Also the manual fuel filler lock is pretty poor, though Seats are the same. The more you look there is clear evidence of cost saving but then I guess cant complain too much as all the important things are there and its a cheap car in the grand scheme of things. Also I guess the more simplistic nature of the car helps with its overall reliability.

Overall though a fantastic little car and at the price we paid for it very little to complain about

I reckon the box is still learning as the 2 I've had test drives in were really good. When I get it I'll spend a day, cleaning waxing and sealing then another running up to Aberystwyth via Penderyn, Brecon and Rhayader just to get to know the car, run it it and get the box to learn. Can't wait.

Got our vRS estate on Saturday and overall I'm very impressed with it. Only been on a couple of short runs, cars now sat on our driveway with a whole 35 miles on the clock!

So far am most impressed with the engine. With the amount of go on offer (particularly in S) cant see why you'd want to chip it; its a very VERY fast little car. Like how it has two personalities, smooth and refined in D, fast and frenetic in S. Build quality also seems very good though I'm already a little worried how quickly the shiny hard plastics will last before we seem some annoying scratches! I'm also very pleased we got the wagon; load space is superb and I think its looks are better resolved than the hatch though thats all down to personal preference.

Downsides...whilst the DSG is great and offers smooth fast shifts its not 100% perfect. May just be me but I find in manual mode there is a noticable delay between selecting a gear and the change actually taking place, somewhat detracts from the involvement and so far leads me to believe I'm probably better off just leaving it in S and letting the car do the work. Also low speed manouvers are quite tricky as you have to be so delicate with the throttle to get the right amount of go. We have a very steep driveway and the box tries to go up it in 2nd gear, then decides to go into 1st...seems it is relatively easy to confuse the box but perhaps ours is still learning! All in all whilst we wanted an auto and DSG is probably one of the best ways to go I still think the vRS woudl make a better drivers car as a manual and can see why the motoring press are on the whole not completely sold on it.

Other gripes...lack of a rear courtesy light is annoying. Having to pay for the electric roof to get one is a joke. Also the manual fuel filler lock is pretty poor, though Seats are the same. The more you look there is clear evidence of cost saving but then I guess cant complain too much as all the important things are there and its a cheap car in the grand scheme of things. Also I guess the more simplistic nature of the car helps with its overall reliability.

Overall though a fantastic little car and at the price we paid for it very little to complain about

Hmmmm, what colour did you go for?

I love my lime greem Skoda Estelle, and have been thinking of getting something a little newer. Is the paintwork better these days, is it really shiney. I'm still a little nervous about switching to the front engined variety of Skoda.

I notice you're an advanced user, so must know alot about these things. Will I feel it's a bit "front heavy"?

Cheers. Donald

Nice one Pipsys - it's good to hear your thoughts so far. It'll be interesting to hear what you think after you and the DSG have got to know each other better. I also agree with you about the estate having the more resolved looks, but I'm sure the hatch owners disagree lol.

Skoda is the budget brand of the VAG group - best not to think about the cost-cuttings and think about the cost savings instead. You've still got that sweeeeet engine.

Nice one Pipsys - it's good to hear your thoughts so far. It'll be interesting to hear what you think after you and the DSG have got to know each other better. I also agree with you about the estate having the more resolved looks, but I'm sure the hatch owners disagree lol.

Skoda is the budget brand of the VAG group - best not to think about the cost-cuttings and think about the cost savings instead. You've still got that sweeeeet engine.

Hi Didescharlie,

Hope you're well mate?

It is a fantastic car, when your's turns up I promise you'll think more of it than you do now. Can't remember what colour and wheels you went for in the end but it looks the nuts in white with dark chromes. Still paranoid about curbing them but hey-ho :-)

Dont get me wrong either, do love the DSG. Wanted an auto this time around so manual wouldnt have been a consideration. Truth is I probably need to get used to driving it but as it stands I still think as an all-round drivers car it probably would be slightly better at 10/10ths with a manual box. Paddles are cool to have but they are a bit arcade game with the delay between pressing them and getting the change. Still stick it in S and floor it and the performance and noise it produces is extremely impressive....first time I drove it, drove it through town in S with the window down with the occasional blip....induction noise, supercharger whine, turbo hiss...its all there and is great fun!

I think thats where Skoda wins out...they build their cars with a no thrills attitude, so are less complicated than their VAG counterparts, less faults, rattles, things falling off its all good! It's very early days but given the dealer experience and what the car is like if things continue as they are (no problems and decent aftercare) i'd be happy to wait months for another.

All we need now is pictures pipsyp - assuming you haven't posted some already. I want to see a white one with the dark chromes. I've gone for green with the dark chromes.

And I've gone for black alloys so wouldn't mind seeing chrome on white.

As for it being better at 10/10ths over a manual I'm not sure. The Clio RS200 is fantastic and imo the best hot hatch for on the limit driving at the moment. But with all these speed cameras, dopey drivers, traffic, bad roads etc how often to we get to do that? Personally at most I drive at about 8/10ths after having a few scary moments a few years ago within the space of a month by driving at 10/10ths. The margin for error is much less. I'm sure if the time was right and all conditions were perfect and I knew the car fully then I would go flat out. There's a few roads now I'm comfortable driving briskly but I'll be letting everything run in and I'll need to be 100% comfortable with the DSG. There has been several back to back tests of DSG vs manual and DSG almost always comes out on top. When people question me why I've bought a car with an "automatic" I just say if it's good enough to be in a Nissan GTR then it's good enough for me. I know it's not a VAG DSG box but still made by Borg Warner

All we need now is pictures pipsyp - assuming you haven't posted some already. I want to see a white one with the dark chromes. I've gone for green with the dark chromes.

What you think guys?

Edited 23 May, 201115 yr by pipsyp

I think I can't see the pictures, darn it......

Edited 23 May, 201115 yr by SkipOwner

And I've gone for black alloys so wouldn't mind seeing chrome on white.

As for it being better at 10/10ths over a manual I'm not sure. The Clio RS200 is fantastic and imo the best hot hatch for on the limit driving at the moment. But with all these speed cameras, dopey drivers, traffic, bad roads etc how often to we get to do that? Personally at most I drive at about 8/10ths after having a few scary moments a few years ago within the space of a month by driving at 10/10ths. The margin for error is much less. I'm sure if the time was right and all conditions were perfect and I knew the car fully then I would go flat out. There's a few roads now I'm comfortable driving briskly but I'll be letting everything run in and I'll need to be 100% comfortable with the DSG. There has been several back to back tests of DSG vs manual and DSG almost always comes out on top. When people question me why I've bought a car with an "automatic" I just say if it's good enough to be in a Nissan GTR then it's good enough for me. I know it's not a VAG DSG box but still made by Borg Warner

Hi MartynVRS,

Appreciate your comments. Just still think as good as DSG is that the car would be more involving to drive if it had a manual box. May change my tune when I get to know the car better though; just very used to using the gears and engine breaking to scrub off unwanted speed, cant really do the same thing with DSG

pipsyp, when I first got mine, I also took the view of "I understand why the journo's don't like it when they are used to manual hot hatches" as it annoyed me for a number of things, not least kicking down when in manual! but after 8000 miles, I've mastered it properly, and don't have any issues with the DSG at all, now I definatly won't ever go back to a manual!

as for the estate: even though I have a hatch, i prefere the shape of the estate too! I went took look at one just before I bouight mine , but it has been sold... when I say the colours of mine in the flesh, I just had to have it!

have fun driving it

pipsyp, when I first got mine, I also took the view of "I understand why the journo's don't like it when they are used to manual hot hatches" as it annoyed me for a number of things, not least kicking down when in manual! but after 8000 miles, I've mastered it properly, and don't have any issues with the DSG at all, now I definatly won't ever go back to a manual!

as for the estate: even though I have a hatch, i prefere the shape of the estate too! I went took look at one just before I bouight mine , but it has been sold... when I say the colours of mine in the flesh, I just had to have it!

have fun driving it

Hi Sharkrider,

Cheers mate am made up with the car and I keep trying to find excuses to go out in it....first time i've been like that with one of my own cars which I guess is testament to how good it is! The engine really is something else, at no point in the rev range is it lacking go, think it will be a sad day when VAG stop making the twincharger unit as its so potent and full of character.

I'm with you on the DSG, I suspect i'll change my tune once i'm more used to driving an auto and its associated quirks. Do you agree though that there is a bit of a delay in changing gear when in manual mode? I find I click the paddle, the number changes in the display and the gear changes very shortly afterwards. We're probably talking split seconds but its definitely persceptable (i.e gear doesnt change instantly with the paddle press).

yes, with the tiptronic, but remember when in sport or drive, the computer is deciding the next gearchange and has it pre-engaed with the second clutch, in tiptronic, it will never know what gear you will choose, or when, so it takes a little longer...

on the plus side, its a world better than some other tiptronic systems, like PSA's for instance

and as stated in the other DSG thread, I tend to leave it in drive, and ovveride with the paddles when I want to overtake ect... spot the gap, click left paddle for 2nd or 3rd, and away... click up to 7th when past the obstruction, then it just reverts to drive after 30seconds or so

I only use sport when I need all my attention on a particular road and car, and I'm driving in "brisk" mode (for example chasing captain scarlet up hartside pass!)

I rarely use tiptronic....

my favourite part of DSG is changing down when heavily decelerating. With a manual you lose engine breaking everytime you change down as you disengage the clutch, also you have to remove you han from the wheel.

I find that DSG doesnt change down fast enough even in sport, however when you use the paddles to change down when stomping on the stop pedal the braking ability is immense. it also sounds phenomenal with the revs blipping up on each downshift

What you think guys?

Very nice Pipsyp..... welcome to the 'Candy white and dark chrome' club haha!

Agree with your comments re DSG not changing 'instantly' when you press the paddles. Would be nice if it did, although any auto system will have some delay whilst the computer brain and mechanicals respond to your input.

I found the DSG abit off-putting at first when wanting to drive in a spirited manner - almost like it is urging you to drive sedately and when you want to give it some stick there are too many options - 'D' with/without paddles, 'S', Tiptronic.... However after a few thousand miles now its learning to drive more how I would like and have now found how to get the best from it. Rarely use 'S' mode now as I find it hangs onto the gears that bit too long. If you want to boot it its better to drop down a couple of cogs yourself in either tiptronic or with paddles.

Looks utterly fab pipsyp, but can't resist saying it... Have fun cleaning it lol.

top marks for the red phone box in the shot too.

I've done about 4,500 miles in mine and have found out how to cope with most situations the vRS throws at you on the road.

It is this learning curve and the numerous ways you can drive the car, that has given me such huge pleasure in my motoring lately.

I will get round to writing my own report as soon as we get a rainy day and I can't get outside.

Regards

Tony

I love the DSG box so much more than a manual. Better in traffic and great fun to use with paddles (love the throttle blip on downshifts!) or fully automatic.

Sadly however, I have to sell my mint 5 month old Vrs in Race Blue with white roof as I have a Yeti 4x4 arriving next week to tow the caravan. If i were rich I would keep them both but I'm not and the Furby cant pull a caravan! Anyone want a superb bargain - only 5k miles.....