So, a change in circumstances (Mrs PDIBK's promotion and company car) mean that we may downsize our 09 Superb to a Fabia sized beast. I would like a VRS, as I have wanted one for a while, but could never justify a second car that good (sorry to Tinks, the Pug 106). So, my questions are this:

1) Standard VRS (probably Black - apparently I can't have Yellow :-() or SE (in Racing blue)?

2) Are the SE extras worth it?

3) Are there any major things to look out for? I'm fairly familiar with the 1.9 TDI lump, but any Fabia/VRS specific issues?

4) Rough prices? 05/06/07s seem to go from £4.5-7k on autotrader with very little between them.

I went se mainly for the fact I don't like the cloth interior as its a bit pale for my liking

SE main extras are the leather, cruise control & obviously the paint. Leather at seat surgeons is around £900 & CC is only about £160 retro fitted so if you find a tidy non-SE and wanted those that's how much you'd be looking at.

Common issue include bushes (replace with more durable cupra ones), leaky rear door carriers (needing sealing) and general abuse, finding a clean looked after one is ever coming more difficult.

The 6CD changer is actually a more costly included extra than cruise control...

Other extras are red calipers and sunset glass - but then you couldn't have xenons, heated seats, sunroof, sat nav, etc

I forget about the 6 disc changer, bit redundant now days really lol.

I use mine - but then I'm old... :(

Took mine out, less rattles and weight.

Iv just got a old MFD for my fabia, my mate offered me his changer out his SE so I could listen to something while I wait for the USB adapter, I was gonna use it till I realised I don't really have any cd's lol.

Thanks guys. So SE gets some extras, perhaps most importantly leather, but you don't get heated seats? Weird - normally leather adds that option. As for 6 CDs, I had it in my Octy and we forgot to change them, ended up filling a CD case and only using the head units. Some of the other bits, like sunset glass and CC we've had in our last 2 Skodas and would miss. Bring on shopping month!

How good are they to drive? I'd imagine my Mk3 Golf GTi and Octy TD140 would be comparable?

Nice, plenty of grunt, safe if a little wallowy round corners. Much more comfortable and roomy inside that other supermini's. I'm 6ft and am more than comfortable in it. The standard map is pretty spikey tbh but better than the stock vauxhall diesels iv driven!

Edit: I got my rear windows done for £100 locally.

On my fabia sdi i've had the windows tinted professionally, which i thought looked great untill i got my sport with the sunset glass. Having proper tinted glass looks better than normal glass with some tint film over it!

Thanks guys. So SE gets some extras, perhaps most importantly leather, but you don't get heated seats? Weird - normally leather adds that option. As for 6 CDs, I had it in my Octy and we forgot to change them, ended up filling a CD case and only using the head units. Some of the other bits, like sunset glass and CC we've had in our last 2 Skodas and would miss. Bring on shopping month!

How good are they to drive? I'd imagine my Mk3 Golf GTi and Octy TD140 would be comparable?

Leather wasn't from factory it was retro fitted at the docks hence no heaters.

On my fabia sdi i've had the windows tinted professionally, which i thought looked great untill i got my sport with the sunset glass. Having proper tinted glass looks better than normal glass with some tint film over it!

Sounds like a poor window tint maybe? Cant tell on mine that its been done afterwards. Plus i`m not a fan of the green tint on factory windows. I`v also found decent window tints reflect heat much better than many factory tints.

Tints don't actually reflect heat - they absorb it and re-radiate it. The glass on my Fabia gets pretty hot in full sun.

Inside my car is defiantly much cooler with the tints. Or was I just using wrong terminology? :-/ lol

It's a terminology issue to an extent. Your car is cooler because the glass is absorbing the heat rather than letting most of the rays pass straight through and directly warm the contents, and when it's re-radiated some still goes on inwards but some goes out - hence it's cooler overall. However if you put in reflective silver windows they'd reflect the rays in the first place and the car would be even cooler - but your image may not be! :think:

Haha, ok I get it. I think I'll stick with the tints over the tin foil, keep that for cooking.

My wife did not like the White seats either so we waited for one with leather, she settled for a Fabia VRS in Black, Black Leather seats with VRS trim. CD Changer and Cruise Control. Now running with Eibachs and Big Brakes. Drives nice returns decent MPG, what more does one want.

One step closer...got the friendly Skoda dealer to give me a figure for mine and search the used network for a VRS SE. This might just work and Mrs PDIBK even thinks it is a good idea! Chicken dinner...really must drive one now to make sure!

Haha, ok I get it. I think I'll stick with the tints over the tin foil, keep that for cooking.

I had silvered windows in my first car...

An orange mark 2 Escort LOL

Looked bloody awful but they did keep it pretty cool in

the summer... Even if I looked a berk.

The damn thing had a black vinyl interior and before I filmed

the windows it got sooooo hot in there and the seats burnt your

legs if you were wearing shorts...

RWD... No aircon... Manual choke... Ahh... simpler times...

Without wishing to run before I can walk, how easy are they to tune? I'd imagine 150bhp is easy?

Without wishing to run before I can walk, how easy are they to tune? I'd imagine 150bhp is easy?

Remap = 170bhp (safe)

Then it's turbos, 'coolers & clutches for any more

Excited! I have a remap contact. I'm also thinking white wheels, maybe Octy VRs spiders or OZ super turismo spokey jobs. Tum-te-tum...

Without wishing to run before I can walk, how easy are they to tune? I'd imagine 150bhp is easy?

Some of the later engined cars (blt engine code), already have 150 -155 bhp when absolutely standard. My earlier model (ASZ) is running 142 bhp according to one rolling road.