Taking Mrs G to work this morning, was behind an 11 plate white one at lights twixt Rawdon and Guiseley. Flashed horn and waved, but no cigar.

On then to D M Keith for a peace of mind health check before France. Right off the lovely Alice says I get a new rear badge (mine showing only slight signs of the dreaded worm - wasn't going to mention it), plus a "turbo shim" (?).

Also will investigate a DSG judder on setting off which I'd mentioned when booking it in.

Picked up "Decorative rear bumper trim" Part #5L0071360 I'd ordered - a job for for a dry, warm day, should we get one.

Then out to the Fabia Greenline diesel estate they're lending me.

First thought - how close to the ground do cars get ?

Second thought - what a tank

Third thought - what a box of tricks this greenline auto stop/start malarkey is

By the time I was home I'd warmed to it a little bit, but I'll be glad to have ours back.

I did say it was assorted ramblings. Carry on.

Edited 11 June, 201214 yr by Michael G

Then out to the Fabia Greenline diesel estate they're lending me.

First thought - how close to the ground do cars get ?

Second thought - what a tank

Third thought - what a box of tricks this greenline auto stop/start malarkey is

By the time I was home I'd warmed to it a little bit, but I'll be glad to have ours back.

I did say it was assorted ramblings. Carry on.

I also had a Fabia Greenline 2 Estate for a couple of days.

I was not impressed. gutless, very high geared and only 48mpg over 300 miles of gentle driving. The 1.2tsi engined one was lovely in comparison.

I mean 1st gear to take a left turn off a main road up a slope - it died in 2nd gear. Any other car I have driven would go round same corner in 2nd easy peasy.

I would love to have the stop/start in my car though.

Then out to the Fabia Greenline diesel estate they're lending me.

First thought - how close to the ground do cars get ?

Second thought - what a tank

Third thought - what a box of tricks this greenline auto stop/start malarkey is

By the time I was home I'd warmed to it a little bit, but I'll be glad to have ours back.

got a greenline fabia 1.2tdi on order, has landed just on the last few days before i get my new toy,

surely they are not that bad?

got it as wrote off my poor old 1.9tdi roomster and needed something to save money and have good fuel economy, over on the fabia ii thread most say it takes a few thousand miles to get much of the fuel economy it promises

i must admit i am curious about the stop/start and how it works

i do find it curious that i am not allowed a spare wheel (only can of goo) or a towbar due to the car being an "eco friendly" model, but the then stick roof rails on it ???, how much drag do they cause and reduce fuel economy by compared to the weight of a spare wheel

Skoda thought police...they make you pay through the nose as an after the purchase purchase!!

I think it is a feature of achieving the rather artificial Co2 figures which establish taxation bands. The testing is laboratory based so wind resistance is not part of the test set up whereas weight may be. Spare wheels weigh much more than a can of tyre gunk...

An interesting article from an informed source on the artificiality of the official figures:- http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/road-cars/opinions/

A lot of engineering for the tests can be detected in the specifications of "eco" vehicles.

Some "green" features make real world sense and some are explicable more in test than real life terms.

the one thing missing is also the fact the chambers the tests are carried out in have no temeprature mandated for the tested, so a cold start can be in an ambient temperature of upto 30 deg C, and how much would that skew warmup times and fuel consumption?

got a greenline fabia 1.2tdi on order, has landed just on the last few days before i get my new toy,

surely they are not that bad?

I'm sure they aren't, it is just what you are used to, and I'm used to over 100bhp more

They are very high geared, but the one I was using did only have 1700 miles on the clock, so still 'tight'.

Bossfox is the best person to speak to about these as he had one for a year and was it 20,000 miles? He now has a CR170 Yeti.....and last time I looked was using a Nissan Leaf as well (demo car)

i to am used to over 100bhp (my deceased roomster was a 105tdi and the current (on loan from swmbo) mk1 fabia vrs 135bhp

going to struggle for a few weeks i think as i adjust to 1.2tdi 75bhp sewing machine, but hopefully the fuel consumption and lack of road tax will cheer me up

I think Rockhopper is used to not just more than 100bhp but nearer double that as his Yeti is tuned. You may very well be fine with the Fabia. Driving an eco car is I suspect just a matter of adaptation in driving style.

just waiting for call to say new toy in, then off to collect

I think it is a feature of achieving the rather artificial Co2 figures which establish taxation bands. The testing is laboratory based so wind resistance is not part of the test set up whereas weight may be. Spare wheels weigh much more than a can of tyre gunk...

An interesting article from an informed source on the artificiality of the official figures:- http://www.motorspor...-cars/opinions/

A lot of engineering for the tests can be detected in the specifications of "eco" vehicles.

Some "green" features make real world sense and some are explicable more in test than real life terms.

Some cars comfortably fall into their CO2 band so no matter how many options (and weight) you add they stay in that band. Others are engineered such that just scrape into a low tax band. So by adding just a tiny bit of weight it will push it into the next tax band. Hence you are not allowed a sunroof or a sparewheel on some... Personally I'd rather have the choice. Add whatever options I like and if that pushes it to the next band so be it. I know what I will pay extra per year for having the options...

i to am used to over 100bhp (my deceased roomster was a 105tdi and the current (on loan from swmbo) mk1 fabia vrs 135bhp

going to struggle for a few weeks i think as i adjust to 1.2tdi 75bhp sewing machine, but hopefully the fuel consumption and lack of road tax will cheer me up

I think Rockhopper is used to not just more than 100bhp but nearer double that as his Yeti is tuned. You may very well be fine with the Fabia. Driving an eco car is I suspect just a matter of adaptation in driving style.

JCP is right....what I meant was over 100bhp MORE than a fabia Greenline, i.e. in excess of 175bhp.....

That's one of the many reasons I personally struggled with the Fabia.

I hope you enjoy your Fabia as much as I enjoy my Yeti.

I always did enjoy getting the most of way underpowered cars......think Renault 4 with 700cc Now that is a great car, so much fun to drive flat out all the time, hoping it would get round the next corner . Crap fuel consumption when you do that though - it only averaged in the 40's mpg.

JCP is right....what I meant was over 100bhp MORE than a fabia Greenline, i.e. in excess of 175bhp.....

That's one of the many reasons I personally struggled with the Fabia.

I hope you enjoy your Fabia as much as I enjoy my Yeti.

I always did enjoy getting the most of way underpowered cars......think Renault 4 with 700cc Now that is a great car, so much fun to drive flat out all the time, hoping it would get round the next corner . Crap fuel consumption when you do that though - it only averaged in the 40's mpg.

i am looking forward to the economy, miss my roomster and the cabin of the fabia is pretty much identical

part of the reason for it is cost reduction, i was going to wait until september but when the daughter went in about a fabia monte carlo (was trying to show her skoda's are better than the vauxhall she was looking at, so she tried to prove me wrong by choosing a fully loaded monte carlo and found it was on par (cost wise) with a new corsa but with more toys and better looks

then found a greenline in the brouchure when i got home and a offer i could not resist

Edited 17 June, 201213 yr by bluecar1