Hi,

Been a while since I was on here since my Fabia VRS was stolen. I joined the world of Seat and am very happy with my BTCC kitted Leon FR 2.0 tdi 170.

We are thinking of selling my Mrs's Mondeo ST 2.2 TDCI as we are just not getting much use out of it anymore. Its only used for short trips now. The only reason we have it is for holidays etc so I have gone and got some roof bars and a roof box for the Leon for when we need the luggage space.

Anyway, I have got it down to a couple of cheap to run diesel options to replace the Mondeo. The Pug 308 1.6 hdi Sport or the Fabia PD 3 1.9 tdi 105. I have had cars similar to both of these to compare and liked them both.

I think the Fabia 3 is better to the sport as the spec looks better although I prefer styling to the Sport. I would love the Monte Carlo if I had the money.

Just wanted to come on here and see what the general opinion of the Fabia 3 is and also what can be done to make it less "grandad looking" (Mrs's comment).

Thanks

map the 1.9tdi to about 140bhp, lower it and maybe different wheels, u'll have a nice warm hatch, go for a sport trim.

I recently bought a Fabia 3 estate 1.9,i needed an estate and after looking at various models and budgets,i decided to buy a cheap load lugger for bikes dogs and towing the Fabia fitted the bill perfectly.The car is very good and feels spacious and well built well compared to my last car,the only niggles are tyre noise and the engine can be loud at times.

I paid £6800 for a low mileage 2008 example from a main dealer so a pretty good deal.

I don't think it looks grandad although its not exactly exciting,the estate looks more balanced to me.I am lowering my car and tinting windows with a medium smoke tint,i am also remapping the car as i would prefer a little more poke.I don't want to make my car look too sporty as i like the fact that it is unassuming and hopefully will be left alone by the low life's.

I wouldn't buy a Pug myself as i prefer to drive on the road as opposed to sitting by it waiting for the AA.

I've got a 1.9 TDi estate in 3 spec and am very happy with it. So much so that I didn't bother changing it at end of warranty and intend to keep it for several years - it's so well balanced in terms of performance, comfort, practicality and running costs. It feels pretty big inside but the compact exterior dimensions (Fabias are narrower than most other cars) are a real advantage in car parks and when driving through tight gaps. Climate control, cruise control, maxidot lcd display, front foglights and rear parking sensors are among the standout features at this spec and the 1.9 TDi PD is a great engine - a stellar puller with bags of torque and 45-60 mpg fuel consumption (depending on how you drive it). In terms of mods, all I have added are some rather neat-looking headlight covers, so I can't say much about modding! It looks tall for its size so lowered suspension would almost certainly give it a more appealing stance. The PD engine is readily remappable and an extra 25-35 bhp can easily be achieved withou adversely affecting engine durability. I'm happy with it at 105 horses though.

Seagull - is your car currently wearing Bridgestone Turanzas by any chance? These were fitted to many 3-spec Fabias at the factory and although they have a decent lifespan they're quite hard and not great in terms of road noise. I replaced the Bridgestones on mine with Uniroyal Rainsport 2s all round and they are much quieter. Better grip as well.

My wife has a fabia sport 1.9pd. It's great at just about everything. Plenty of torque, room, great build quality and looks great too. It's a 2008 and done 55k and not a single problem. It averages 57mpg and that is without even trying for economy.

It is certainly not grandad, 16inch wheels and lowered slightly with a nice front and rear valance, all factory It is a great car.

Seagull - is your car currently wearing Bridgestone Turanzas by any chance? These were fitted to many 3-spec Fabias at the factory and although they have a decent lifespan they're quite hard and not great in terms of road noise. I replaced the Bridgestones on mine with Uniroyal Rainsport 2s all round and they are much quieter. Better grip as well.

no i have Continental Sportcontact2 which i believe are pretty loud.I agree about Rainsport 2's i went through a set on my last car and was so impressed with them i replaced them with another set.

I cannot say if i found them much quieter than the original tyres but then it was a different car,some cars suffer more from tyre noise than others.I totally agree with you about the Fabia it's a cracker,the boot is as big as a current Merc C Class estate.

Edited 2 February, 201214 yr by seagull