Well I test drove a DSG Fabia Estate and really liked it so one ordered.

Elegance trim and just a couple of options as it's pretty well equipped already.

I've had VAG group cars for years - but this will be the first Skoda. Frankly I recognised lots of the switch gear etc. and an A3 in the same spec. was about 6k more using internet broker prices .... so not really much of a choice.

Dealer came in within £130 of the most competitive online prices I found and also threw in front and rear flaps - so given I would rather buy locally - happy with that.

Reading this forum this dealer may well have had a previous relationship with a certain well known broker - but they don't now.

Been told March/April delivery - we'll see!!

Many congrats, sounds like a good deal.

You may want to check out the post earlier on this page about parking sensors - not sure it will or wont apply to you but just as a point of note.

Keep us posted on the wait.

All the best.

Nice one on ordering your new car the elegance is a very good spec car

Love mine, what colour have you ordered?

I've had VAG group cars for years - but this will be the first Skoda. Frankly I recognised lots of the switch gear etc. and an A3 in the same spec. was about 6k more using internet broker prices .... so not really much of a choice.

You do know that an A3 is the same size as an Octavia and not a Fabia?!

You do know that an A3 is the same size as an Octavia and not a Fabia?!

... looking at carpages.co.uk the A3 Sportback and Fabia Estate are very close in size. I always thought the Octavia was more A4 sized.

Length: A3 is 4292mm Fabia is 4247mm - so that's only 45 mm whereas the Octavia is quite a bit longer at 4569mm.

Boot: the Fabia is a larger than the Sportback at 400 ltrs compared to 370 - the Octavia is much bigger again at 505.

The Fabia is a bit narrower than the A3 but one of the places I need to park on a regular basis is very narrow I don't mind that at all!

The A3 is a bit lower. I also measured how much room there was in the back seat behind my driving position - and the Fabia managed to be about 5cm more than the A3.

When they were parked next to each other in the customer car park at the dealer you'd be hard pressed to tell which was the bigger or smaller.

I think you have made a good point though as VAG I'm sure don't think the Fabia is a direct rival to the A3 - and when you consider the price difference for a car with the same engine, transmission, (more or less) equipment and internal space you can see why they wouldn't want to encourage this!

Edited 30 November, 201114 yr by dynamodollishill

Love mine, what colour have you ordered?

I went for the Pacific Blue ...

... looking at carpages.co.uk the A3 Sportback and Fabia Estate are very close in size. I always thought the Octavia was more A4 sized.

Length: A3 is 4292mm Fabia is 4247mm - so that's only 45 mm whereas the Octavia is quite a bit longer at 4569mm.

Boot: the Fabia is a larger than the Sportback at 400 ltrs compared to 370 - the Octavia is much bigger again at 505.

The Fabia is a bit narrower than the A3 but one of the places I need to park on a regular basis is very narrow I don't mind that at all!

The A3 is a bit lower. I also measured how much room there was in the back seat behind my driving position - and the Fabia managed to be about 5cm more than the A3.

When they were parked next to each other in the customer car park at the dealer you'd be hard pressed to tell which was the bigger or smaller.

I think you have made a good point though as VAG I'm sure don't think the Fabia is a direct rival to the A3 - and when you consider the price difference for a car with the same engine, transmission, (more or less) equipment and internal space you can see why they wouldn't want to encourage this!

Citygo=UP!=NA

Fabia=Polo=A1=Ibiza

Octavia=Golf=A3=Leon

Superb=Passat=A4=Exeo

Yeti=Tiguan=Q5=NA

Edited 30 November, 201114 yr by jrw

If you are just looking at figures alone you are right.

The fabia is comparable in terms of size to an A3.

The fabia will almost certainly be more reliable too. running costs for services etc etc lower too.

and if someone if really fussed about the difference in interior plastics then i'm sure the 6k they have saved will go a long way in fixing that, some leather seats, leather stitched dashboard, and some chrome bits shouldn't come to more than £2.5k if the interior was really an issue

Good choice. Skoda beats Audi everytime

> Good choice. Skoda beats Audi everytime

The only point I doubt they'll match is the coffee! West London Audi have a new purpose built showroom/service centre which when you turn up you get greeted by name and taken to a waiting area and offered a drink and a biscuit!!

A good experience - but not worth 6k.

Next year when it arrives I'll post a review after a couple of months - as a manual/diesel convert to a DSG it might help others who probably like me wondered what to go for.

> Good choice. Skoda beats Audi everytime

The only point I doubt they'll match is the coffee! West London Audi have a new purpose built showroom/service centre which when you turn up you get greeted by name and taken to a waiting area and offered a drink and a biscuit!!

A good experience - but not worth 6k.

Next year when it arrives I'll post a review after a couple of months - as a manual/diesel convert to a DSG it might help others who probably like me wondered what to go for.

somehow I don't think skodas are as good as audis

somehow I don't think skodas are as good as audis

Seriously? Skoda make the 1.4tsi and the DSG's for a start - everything is shared....

> somehow I don't think skodas are as good as audis

I suppose it all comes down to the definition of 'good' - if it's quality of internal fitting, design of the car - definitely the image; then Audi would have it - buying a small Audi brings you into contact with a brand that goes all the way up to the R8 and all the lethally fast RS versions.

But also - if you use a car in the real world for commuting, ferrying the kids around, being stuck in traffic one aspect of 'good' has to be reliability, basic features such as how much you can get in the boot and definitely how much it all costs.

This time for me the balance shifted towards Skoda over Audi not because I don't think Audi's are excellent cars - my last two cars were Audi's from new - but I really couldn't justify to myself spending a lot more on a car the same size, with identical engine and gearbox and really similar equipment.

Everyone has there own way of choosing cars - otherwise there would only be one make!

.hopefully you will take to the DSG somewhat better than I have (my 1st one), and so far I find it a flippin nightmare.....!

.hopefully you will take to the DSG somewhat better than I have (my 1st one), and so far I find it a flippin nightmare.....!

On the test drive it seemed fine and didn't come across the hesitancy others have commented on .... but only time will tell.