Hello, I'm new to the forum, I'm looking at maybe getting the Vrs fabia, but not sure what to expect.

I went out with a guy from skoda to maybe test drive one but im 19 and they're policy is you have to be 21 to test drive. If someone fancys helping me out on maybe test driving they're own, would be appreciated.

I'd like to know few bits about it too, is it reliable, smooth and comfortable to drive?

Is it as good or better as its rivals?

Cheers Rob

Welcome to the forum.

Lots of stuff on the car in the 'Fabia II section' if you go through the pages.

You will glean lots on people that have issues, Reliability etc.

The DSG gearbox and the engine performance is wonderful.

My 2010 vRS is totally reliable, with 11,000 miles on it,

but it had major Warranty work carried out on the engine at 4000 miles for the previous owner,

it had been a Dealers Demonstrator before he had bought it.

(This made for me saving lots on buying a car that had been returned to the dealer and me getting a car with lots of extras)

Comfortable for me because the VW & Seat where not and i like the space getting in the Skoda.

The Audi A1 is even more comfortable & beautifuly finished inside IMO,

but the 185bhp one was not available when i was trying out all the cars so i drove a less powerful S line

order were just being taken and tho i did not really want a 3 door i did actually order one,

that was despite the Salespeople not caring less about helping me,

* untill they messed me about and could not get me a car or tell me when

& i demanded they add Interest on my deposit when they returned it,

they were then quick to find a car, but by then i had enough of Audi and their dealers

The Audi can come with different choice of Suspension, Sport or a more comfortable setting suitable for bad roads,

ie, much of the UK.

Have you found someone that will provide affordable insurance & is it greatly more expensive than what you pay on your Audi?

george

EDIT, PS

An Audi Dealership might be prepared to give a roadtest in a used Audi A1, there are a few used 185bhp ones

on the go and they do not appear to have been selling well.

It will at least let you know how the twin charger engine and box feels.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk

Edited 22 June, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Try a diffrent garage, i got a test drive in one when i was 18. Apprently its something todo with the garages insurance policy

You wont get anything faster at this age with decent insurance

The gearbox is a marmite job. I loathed it and wouldn't walk to the end of the road to drive one again. Same for its rivals. However if you like it then imho it offers much better value than the VAG rivals.

Do you loath it when driving it in a 1.4 Twin Charger,

or just as a DSG on any car?

I doubt a 1.4 Twin Charger could be driven with a manual box as it would be impossible to get the changes in manually with a manual box with a foot operated clutch From start off to Supercharger then Turbo coming in then just Turbo.

george

Edited 22 June, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Do you loath it when driving it in a 1.4 Twin Charger,

or just as a DSG on any car?

I doubt a 1.4 Twin Charger could be driven with a manual box as it would be impossible to get the changes in manually with a manual box with a foot operated clutch From start off to Supercharger then Turbo coming in then just Turbo.

george

Iv driven a golf gt with the 170ps engine and the first 2 changes where a bit dodgy, especialy in the wet it liked to spin a lot

Edit: it had a manual box

Cheers, i am happy to stand corrected, thats good to know.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/031-fifth-gear-vw-golf-gt-tsi-twincharger_170574.htm

george

Edited 22 June, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Think its much better suited to the dsg though, makes it feel an awful lot quicker

I just didn't like it. There was no way I was going from a MKI vrs to that. Seemed daft to me, create a market for an economical big diesel manual lump, then replace it with an small engined twin charge automatic. Doesn't seem to have worked, I've only every seen 3 MKII vrs on the road.

I don't get why Skoda made the DSG standard equipment. They could knock over a grand off the asking price if it came with a manual. I'm not against the twin charged engine in principle, it's reasonably economical (given petrol is a fair bit cheaper) and torquey. Skoda also seem to have turned the material quality down a little versus the MkI.

Would you say my car would be worth selling to get one of these?

I'm looking for something with abit more poke, no more expensive on insurance than I'm paying now, and reliable over a lot of miles, say 20k a year with no aggro?

I would not recommend one if doing 20,000 miles a year.

Comfortable enough for that, but not great economy.

If you are doing near 400 miles a week and not hanging about it will probably be using 12 gallons (Super Unleaded)

so £72 minimum..

Expect around 35-37 MPG through a tank full. It can do that!!

Booting it & it will be showing 22-25 mpg

Motorway speed limit does give 42 - around 48 mpg if you are being sensible.

It can give a true 53-60 mpg if driving very easy in 60 limits.

george

Edited 22 June, 201213 yr by sk4gw

So basically, it can be quite good on fuel aslong as you drive sensibly?

I get about 450 miles out of a 55litre tank most of the time, so if similar to that sort of mpg, should be ok, bonus if it's better

Edited 22 June, 201213 yr by Raw92

Hello, I'm new to the forum, I'm looking at maybe getting the Vrs fabia, but not sure what to expect.

I went out with a guy from skoda to maybe test drive one but im 19 and they're policy is you have to be 21 to test drive. If someone fancys helping me out on maybe test driving they're own, would be appreciated.

I'd like to know few bits about it too, is it reliable, smooth and comfortable to drive?

Is it as good or better as its rivals?

Cheers Rob

It's all the things you mention and more, a bit top heavy owing to high point of gravity, otherwise an OK car.

Well it's about £16,000 for the car, and about £10,000 car insurance at your tender age (19years). (Statistics dictate).

£12,500 will get you a nice year old one.

Have you checked the Insurance and got a firm quote that they would actually take you on or change the cover to the vRS?

george

1400 quote, with 3 points

I'm paying 1800 for my Audi

Looks now just on Autotrader that £12,000 gives you a good choice of 2011's around the country.

Have fun looking.

george

I just didn't like it. There was no way I was going from a MKI vrs to that. Seemed daft to me, create a market for an economical big diesel manual lump, then replace it with an small engined twin charge automatic. Doesn't seem to have worked, I've only every seen 3 MKII vrs on the road.

Each to their own. I like the fact it's not ubiquitous.

I like the fact it's not common and mine turns plenty of heads. All comments have been positive and I can't fault it really. Gearbox takes a bit of getting used to but once you do it's fantastic. One quick drive isn't enough to find out what it can really do. It's a night and day comparison to the Mk1.

As for people moaning about it not being diesel then you have a bigger problem than just that. The days of diesel are numbered with emissions getting tighter and those stupid DPF filters breaking if you only do short journeys. The new CR's drive differently to the PD's which were cracking engines. I had the Mk1 and now I've gone back to petrol I'm never going back even if my mileage increases

I like the fact it's not common and mine turns plenty of heads. All comments have been positive and I can't fault it really. Gearbox takes a bit of getting used to but once you do it's fantastic. One quick drive isn't enough to find out what it can really do. It's a night and day comparison to the Mk1.

As for people moaning about it not being diesel then you have a bigger problem than just that. The days of diesel are numbered with emissions getting tighter and those stupid DPF filters breaking if you only do short journeys. The new CR's drive differently to the PD's which were cracking engines. I had the Mk1 and now I've gone back to petrol I'm never going back even if my mileage increases

Great post. Sums up my feelings as well.

I loved my MKI vRS and equally love my MKII exactly because it's radically different.

I'm in Kent but not up for someone else driving my car ala test drive purposes

Which dealer did you try?

It'll use 45 litres to (45 litre tank is approx 10 gallons) = 400 miles averaging 35 - 45mpg easily even if pushing on a bit.

Great engine and gearbox combo, as others have said though - not for everyone.

I came from a MK1 vRS and the MK2 is a step up in terms of build quality so no idea where Irvtheswerv is coming from - try a Seat Ibiza if you want bad build quality.

Edited 23 June, 201213 yr by Ad Lav

I like the fact it's not common and mine turns plenty of heads. All comments have been positive and I can't fault it really. Gearbox takes a bit of getting used to but once you do it's fantastic. One quick drive isn't enough to find out what it can really do. It's a night and day comparison to the Mk1.

As for people moaning about it not being diesel then you have a bigger problem than just that. The days of diesel are numbered with emissions getting tighter and those stupid DPF filters breaking if you only do short journeys. The new CR's drive differently to the PD's which were cracking engines. I had the Mk1 and now I've gone back to petrol I'm never going back even if my mileage increases

Fair do's each to their own. At 33.2 to the gallon I'd spend over 5 grand a year on fuel. It's a non-starter.

But imho It's got nowt to do with emissions. The governments take on fuel duty on diesel cars has fallen because they now do so much to the gallon. It's politically unacceptable to have a large price difference between petrol and diesel. So to increase revenue from fuel duty, publish some scientifically dubious results that suggest diesel is in fact much worse for the environment, then you can force people to use petrol cars that don't do as much to the gallon. Hey presto! Increase revenue from fuel duty. What about taxing aviation fuel? That's emissions from the aviation industry are worse than either but that's not taxed.

How many miles do you do? The fuel doesn't bother me. I'd have to do over 20k a year again to warrant a diesel now. It's fun that's the main thing. It is getting better and each fuelly update has been increasing it. A lot of my first ones were me finding out what the car could do and slow, stop start journeys to and from work. Going to Goodwood on Saturday so I can find out what it will do on a run.

About 25,000 miles a year now, so a MKII VRS would cost me about £4,500 in petrol. The MKI I averaged just over 49, so that's about £3,100 a year. The barge I've got now averages 44.3mpg, and it's costing about £3,500 a year. I'd have a petrol, just not anything with DSG. If the MKII VRS was available in manual, I'd have had one.

The Exeo is a nice barge though, even if it is made from the spares box!