What an odd thing to say that if it hadn't got all that it wouldn't be as good. A bit like saying "If the car hadn't got four wheels it wouldn't steer anywhere near as well"...

Sorry but I dont think you've quite gotten the point. The Fabia is based on the old MK4 Polo platform (not the MK5 like the Ibiza). The MK4 Polo was dynamically pretty terrible. Skoda have done the best they can with what the VAG group have given them but the vRS chassis is still inherrently flawed as a result. Without the clever electronics I reckon it would be terrible to drive and the ESP and XDS has been used to good effect to disguise the dynamic shortcommings of the old MK4 Polo platform. It's really very good until you push too hard; particularly in the wet. It becomes very apparent the electronics struggle to reign in the power without impeding progress. For me at least it does become annoying on occasions; our car also has Conti Sport Contact 2's so its not like the tyres can be blamed either.

For what it is (a relatively cheap fast supermini) its great but its far from the perfect handling car because of its old chassis tech; thats all I'm trying to say

I'm sure someone said there's hardly any difference between the two chassis but the new one obviously has some things different for it to be called new

It's really very good until you push too hard; particularly in the wet.

So, like nearly every other performance car ever made then?

I don't know what you're used to, but most decent cars i've ever had fun driving have had more power than grip.

As for this new Polo chassis gubbins, the new Polo GTI is hardly a class leader, and most comparative reviews of the three VAG superminis I've read don't mention it at all.

Incidentally Pipsyp, what car would you be looking at with a 17K budget?