I currnetly own a Fabia Vrs and have done so for the last year and a half.

It is a really great car and (Oil consumption aside) I cant fault the level of practicallity and performance ballanced against fuel ecomonmy and insurance etc.

The negatives have more to do with my work/lifestyle than the car itself.

1. Although the DSG is a mechanical/technological wonder I have always missed the good old manual and the freedom it gives you when driving. The DSG is smooth, progressive and a marvel but I think I will always miss that ultimate control.

2. Although the real world cost that go with the Vrs are very fair given the performance I am tempted by a aupermini type vehicle with little or no VEL and 45-50mpg (real world) in urban driving with short journey distances. The Vrs fuel economy is around 30mpg with my journeys.

3. The biggest negative I find is that I just never really get to ENJOY the Vrs which is the main reason I bought it in the first place. I use the car for reletively short journeys (work and privately) and in the area I live there are so many other vehicles on the roads (with few overtaking places)and always roadworkis going on somewhere that it is a rare occassion (when I finish a shift at 2am) that I can open her up and enjoy that 180hp! Track days etc are out with my work/family commitments.

Its just got me thinking would I be better off with a smaller, more economical car that would have much less outright performance but something that I could drive at 100% most of the time and put a smile on my face as oppossed 10% of the time like the Vrs which I feel disapointed that I cant use as its ment to be. I would like to stay with Skoda as I am very happy with the company.

Looked at the new Citigo, Elegance 75bhp Greentec, with a couple of pack options. Would be Nil VEL, 45mpg even driven hard and 1/3 the insurance, 95 RON Petrol and £60 a month cheaper PCP. It has had good reviews and handling etc supposed to be prety good with a 3 cylinder soundtrack that makes it sound a lot faster than your actually going.

Its a big decision and one I could regret or perhaps not??!!

Thoughts would be appreciate.

You need a Pug 107/C1/Aygo..... cheap interior but you can drive them very hard all the time and a lot more fun than the grown up Citigo. My wife has had 2 107s now, ultra reliable as nowt to go wrong and a real hoot to drive hard.

Get a vw up! Gt

monte is a downtowned version of the vrs, but maybe still too 'sporty' for your liking?

Myself and my wife have had exactly the same thoughts recently.

In the last two years where we live 4x national speed limit roads have been made 40mph, countless 40mph roads are now 30mph or 20mph and traffic delays seem to be increasing. The only time our car gets past 4k revs is on a trip up to the wife's mothers in Preston and then we have a toddler in the back so no seriously brisk driving is allowed. If this car didn't really offer us the full package for a good price we'd have moved on (We're finding fuel consumption at between 42-47mpg indicated atm, probably due to light feet with a toddler in the back). Oh and my wife says she will never drive a manual car again she loves the DSG that much.. bit of a future headache there!

Edited 28 June, 201214 yr by RobL

If you mostly drive just yourself or the odd passenger or 2, i would go and test drive a Toyota iQ,

the 1.0 cylinder Multidrive (cvt) is a hoot & IMO much better to drive than the iQ3 (4 cylinder 1.3)

Manual is available if you must, but the CVT is the one that uses the engine best and can easily get 42mpg in town and 55 or more or longer runs.

Great safety for a child behind the driver, & still an adult behind the passenger but then there is no room for any luggage.

a child behind the passenger or driver gives you a seat folded down and room for a suitcase or 2 and a buggy.

9 airbags around the cabin.

just fun from from the off and about as much space in the front as any car you will ever get in.

The turning circle is amazing.

george

Edited 28 June, 201214 yr by sk4gw

if you want fun. no VED and good mpg, I'd suggest Fiat 500 Twinair. Wife has one and I prefer driving it to the Fabia; it's a hoot as they (should) say round these parts. Lots of room in back too for junior.

Thanks for the idea's so far.

I should have mentioned that I have a wife and a 3 1/2 yr old child so i need some sort of boot. Nothing massive (as we dont 'tour') but enough for the weekly shopping and/or bits and bobs.

Thats why I hadn't really considered the 107/Aygo/C1 but perhaps I should have a look in the flesh first.

IQ is a good left field option (i know no boot either!)

Wife used to have an i10 which i thought was quite fun to drive and you were never really going too fast!

I'll just say... "Panda 100HP".....

A hoot, trust me

Thanks for the idea's so far.

I should have mentioned that I have a wife and a 3 1/2 yr old child so i need some sort of boot. Nothing massive (as we dont 'tour') but enough for the weekly shopping and/or bits and bobs.

Thats why I hadn't really considered the 107/Aygo/C1 but perhaps I should have a look in the flesh first.

IQ is a good left field option (i know no boot either!)

Wife used to have an i10 which i thought was quite fun to drive and you were never really going too fast!

would still suggest 500; bigger on the inside as the Doctor would say

I'll just say... "Panda 100HP".....

A hoot, trust me

good call! pretty indestructible too I've heard

it fits the bill to his thoughts.....

its a cheaper to buy/run ect hatch, that you REALLY can drive at 100% on most back roads, and it feels like an amazing experiance, so much fun, but you are actually not going that fast! wheras in the vRS you are breaking all the speed limits if you do that

and it is pretty indestructable, simple proven tech that is normally asperated.......

Had a play with one of the 100hp pandas once, for the life of me i could nt even come close to keeping up in the bends(before lowering) and it was still pretty nippy in a straight line but still stood no chance

Had considered the 100hp as it would seem to tick the boxes however even thouugh there are some low milage examples out there i'm a bit 'funny' about wanting a new car with the warranty etc as I had some real bad experiences in my early days of motoring.

Might be worth a wait to see the Panda's new 100hp (or whatever it will be called) will be like but looked online and there's no details on when this will be coming out!!!

Edited 28 June, 201214 yr by FOX1429

it fits the bill to his thoughts.....

its a cheaper to buy/run ect hatch, that you REALLY can drive at 100% on most back roads, and it feels like an amazing experiance, so much fun, but you are actually not going that fast! wheras in the vRS you are breaking all the speed limits if you do that

and it is pretty indestructable, simple proven tech that is normally asperated.......

AND, 5 doors! the ideal (small) family car? Only thing is, think it would need to be 'pre-owned'; they don't do the 100bhp in the new model. They do, however, offer an 85bhp Twinair............................problem solved chaps.Really think we should start offering marriage guidance on this thread too!

Edited 28 June, 201214 yr by Bishopton

in the slow twisties they rock! they only loose out above 60mph where the lack of power comes in....

below that its like driving a go-kart....

and the OP seems to be along the lines of "I cant stretch the vRS's legs and use the perfomance" which is why I suggested panda 100Hp

I borrowed one for a day, and took it down some of my fave roads, and had a massive smile on my face all the time!!!

well equipped too, 6 - speed box, dual climate (what do you have to buy to get that in a fabia?!) blue & me (which is way better than skoda's system)

I seriously looked at them when I was feeling less affluent...

I havent seen the new version yet...... I'm sure it wont be long.....

I've seen one in the showroom whilst dropping the 500 off for a service. Quite smart looking. Guess it comes down to personal choice though and,also, whether or not you like Italian cars.They do have a certain 'something' about them..................and I mean that in a positive way before the VAG hordes start with the jokes!

Anyway, back on topic Fox. Have you considered a lesser powered Fabia Estate? Absolutely perfect as a family car

Edited 28 June, 201214 yr by Bishopton

I like fiats.... I would have gone for a punto evo 1.4 180bhp essess abarth had I had the money!

honestly the skoda was £15k, the abarth is £18k!!!!!

come on fiat , give them to us cheap

I like fiats.... I would have gone for a punto evo 1.4 180bhp essess abarth had I had the money!

honestly the skoda was £15k, the abarth is £18k!!!!!

come on fiat , give them to us cheap

tried to persuade better half to get the Abarth 500 when she was swapping first 500. She wouldn't cos she couldn't get the side rubbing strip and the chrome 500 logo. I haven't wept so much since the end of ET!

Still reccomend having a look at an up! GT when there realesed, 110hp from a 3cyl turbo engine and they look fantastic

have you got any links for this stu? I've heard rumours, but not seen any facts! sounds interesting....

There's some info here but be warned it's from January and from auto express so not gospel also images of the concept from Frankfurt.

www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/277891/volkswagen_up_gt.html

Looks good trying to think of anything else out there at the moment like the look of the new Suzuki Swift Sport but I'd imagine the tax would be the same and mpg wouldn't be as good as what's been mentioned.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/volkswagen/up/first-drives/volkswagen-up-gt

First read about it in this months VW driver magazine but cant find a link to that article but the info in that one seems about the same

RobL's wife would want an Autobox,

well VW have not said when the 'Up!' will get one and the 'Citigo' box has been delayed and looks like it could be rubbish.

The Aygo/107/C1 automatic is bad and Fiat 500 & Abarth ones are no better.

A nice simple Kia Picanto 4 speeded works very well with an Over Drive button to switch on and off, and i suggested the iQ Multidrive because a CVT with a 3 cylinder engine just works so well. you have D, S & B and i have never heard of problems with them since 2009.

The Peugeot Bipper-Fiat Qubo (Citroen Nemo is pretty Basic)

does work pretty well as a Family car with Sliding rear doors, the space of a van and the 1249cc diesel engine actually works well with the Dualogic box.

Fiat girly button, and so compact & easy to drive.

Rubber flooring and seats lift right out, but you hardly need to, they fold away and leave loads and loads of room.

You need to buy a used one ,75bhp Euro 4 without DPF tho,

because the Euro 5 is having problems, i dont know about the new 95bhp but i suspect it will be the same. I was easily getting 65 MPG on runs.

On regeneration i was getting just 20 mpg about once a week, this was on a Euro 5 engine..

george

Edited 29 June, 201214 yr by sk4gw