Well today was the day for the change of car and true to form got in the Greenline II and turned the ignition on and glow plug warning light went off and then back on and the fuse box started to buzz,

After three attempts of turning off and back on again no sound or warning light and nervously drove 76 miles to exchange the car for a brand new 1.6cr Elegance.

The first thing I have to say is the Greenline is gone, it's alright saying you have a really good three year warranty when you are not having to use it on average every 2.5 months - New engine, all three injectors on new engine, exhaust heat sensor, lights issue and a new ignition fault.

Wanted the car to be significantly different from the GL2 and added some extras ESP (why take it off the Elegance), Bluetooth, under seat storage, multi function three spoke steering wheel, rear parking sensors, rear electric windows and tow bar also free options of beige interior and 16" Elba wheels.

First things first the wife says the interior looks a lot nicer than the old car's and the Maxidot is bright and looks nice.

The car had 1 mile on the clock (GL2 had 10) and you now get a ltr of Castrol longlife oil with the car. 106 miles of motorway, A road and city roads. The wider torque range makes driving the car much easier than the GL2 where I always had to be in the right gear for the speed and number of passengers/load. The engine is also a lot quieter than the GL2 where the GL2 was louder than my previous 6 year old Citroën Berlingo 2tlr CR diesel.

There are things from the GL2 I would like back and they are the lowered suspension (wish I had optioned it) the Elegance has a lot more role and with the 16" 205 45 wheels the ride dose not seem better, the thinner tyres of the GL2 make the Fabia a lot easier to steer maybe things will loosen and finally the GL2 had a much lower dash light level.

I cannot say which of the two engines/cars is the best for two reasons such low mileage on the 1.6 and my GL2 was (is) clearly sub standard.

Am I pleased Oh yes, will I be pleased in 6 months time who knows.

I've don't nearly 5 k on my elegance and it's just getting better and better the more miles I'm putting on its a cracker

Glad you are pleased Dempsek. Plenty of feedback on your experience with the new motor would be good mate!

Congrats on the new car Dempsek.

I don't think there is an answer to which one is best. It's what you need.

When you buy a Greenline II you get less power, higher engine noise, slightly lower running costs and a good standard spec.

The 1.6cr in a decent tune gives the opposite. More power, less noise, slightly higher running costs and less standard equipment.

As a work hack I like the GL2, it's the perfect commuter.

But if it was our only family car I'd have a 105 Elegance. (well, if it had to be a Fabia anyway)

I agree on the suspension though, the Gl2 handles very well and really lets you carry speed through the corners where other (non-sport) based Fabias do roll noticably more. Handy as the acceleration is not so good.

Glad to hear what you said about the sport suspension. I have it specced on mine (due in a few months), but have been torn as to whether I should have or not!