Morning lads and ladies

Im cloud, Ive joined because Im in the market for a new car what with my mileage going up massively.

Im looking primarily for a 1.9tdi and the two that have fallen into this category so far have been the Ibiza fr & fabia vrs.

Im leaning towards the seat but I really dont know anything about them or the model Im after so any help would be more than welcomed and appreciated!!! As far as I know the FR and VRS both have the same Engine? But all I have to go on atm is looks and I dont want to buy a car on that alone

Is there anything I need to know? Cam belt changes, spec to expect, problem areas, performance?

Cheers in advance

(ohhh and if you think fabia then let me know and if youve got any info on them that would be brilliant)

I personally prefer the fabia, think the ibiza is a bit more girly. If its the 130 then they are the same engine set up, most you will see for sale are prob remapped.

I always look for history, cam belt i think is meant to be down around 60-70k on those, not sure on how many years though. Problems ive had with mine and are all very easy fixes but quite common are leaking rear door (feel rear carpet) there is a guide here on how to fix this, its cheap and takes half hour per door. My boot latch and bonnet latch stopped working, the grease had worn off, regreased and they are sweet now. Few wee niggly electrical problems, nothing that will cost much to fix.

check turbo and clutch, these are the expensive things to replace, not just on fabia but any derv esp with dual mass flywheel.

Performance wise 130bhp is nippy enough, a remapped one gives you plenty of smiles and is very quick for what it is. The 1.9 is a brilliant engine and not really much to go wrong.

Spec you got on standard vrs is air con, traction control, electric front windows,electric sunroof, cd player and sports seats with vrs stitched in. There is an SE model but i dont know what it has, maybe cruise control and heated seats.

Either way a 1.9tdi will serve you well. the fabia is more rare i think and is meaner looking, although 5 door only option.

What Billy said, expect I obviously disagree on the ibiza being girly points :p :p

DMF is important make sure theres no bad rattles or vibrations from it. Mine is for sale, depends on your budget ofc

Oh and the Ibiza gets climatronic climate control too

What Billy said, expect I obviously disagree on the ibiza being girly points :p :p

DMF is important make sure theres no bad rattles or vibrations from it. Mine is for sale, depends on your budget ofc

Oh and the Ibiza gets climatronic climate control too

DMF??? Ooooo what you wanting for ures? Cheers for the feedback lads :clap:

sorry Josh i dont mean they're girly or a girls car, just that teeny bit less manly than the fab. Pretty sure they're the same car though, and im loving mine, and im a petrol head at heart.

Edited 5 July, 201214 yr by billybaggins

DMF = dual mass flywheel. horribly expensive

5k standard with a cat back exhaust 2007 62k fsh

Dual mass flywheel, expensive when they fail! I had one done in October so know all about the cost lol

Haha billy I'm not bothered, we're all entitled to opinions

Do you know what Id have that off you but I need to flog mine as its still on finance! And im now unsure about the seat due to other guys mentioning about suspension and bushes failing? Was the DMF in relation to the fabia or ibiza?

Both, they're the same cars, so both suffer suspension dmf, clutch etc etc issues. I had the cupra bushes fitted (as most fab owners fit when their fail) so it's a problem solved for ever really

Mine wont be able to be sold for at least 2 weeks anyway so if anything changes let me know

_{DMF is on both they're nearly the same car. The suspension would apply to both, but thats not to say yours will fail, higher miles and hard wear and they can go on any car. plus its not that dear to fix/replace those parts}

Sweet would you say the suspension issues are home fixable ? pretty handy with a spanner?!

Yeah they should be, but expect to need a heavy hammer, maybe 4inch grinder and a bit of brute force...... and alot of swearing because if you dont have a hydraulic lift i personally wouldnt bother as it would be a nightmare.

hey ho worth a crack! So to summarize who suggests what fabia or ibiza without bias?

I personally prefer the Fabia vRS obv better value for money of the FR and I think better looking.

If your after modifying it I tend to find the Fabia is much more mod friendly as I have only ever seen one set of wheels look nice on an Ibiza which are RH Cups and they are mega money lol.