Hello,

Presently i have a Fabia Estate (1) 1.9 tdi

Logic would say that i should get a Roomster due to the practicality aspect. But i am looking for more fun, and with this in mind i am drawn to two cars which are either a Fabia TDi VRS or a VW Golf mk4 TDi 130.

To me the Golf has more room, but i can not help thinking the Fabia maybe better built and more reliable.

What do other people think ?

Better built as in things dont snap off like the golfs? e.g. armrests? haha. reliability both the same i'd say

Why does logic say you should get Roomster? What is your need for a new car? Fancy a change? Family to transport? Large loads? Long distances to cover? Budget?

think I'd rather have the Golf myself

power to weight, the Fabia should be quicker 6 speed box (Golf has 5 IIRC) and more fun in the twisty bits

Golf for me... much better quality and more comfortable. Exact same engine and box and Early Fabias also.

Iv had both a fabia estate tdi + a 130 mk4 golf.. id say stick with the fabia m8.. the mk4 golf are really sloppy to drive... they are bigger but its only the width + the fabia estate has a bigger boot... if i was going for a more practicle car it would be a octavia vrs estate pd... or a roomster with a 1.9 tdi pd.. if u dont mind it looking dog ugly lol

I despised my Golf! The handling was the worst of any car I've owned (and I think it's safe to safe driven too), it wasn't that quiet IMO either. Still not that much space inside and not very nicely built either. Lots of creaks, and plastic trims weren't that great quality either.

I had a PD150, and I wasn't massive fan of the engine and it's power delivery/noise either. Got decent ish MPG though. Still trying to work out why I ever bought it!

I'd go with the Fabia, if nothing else it looks different, whereas the Golf blends in effortlessly with massive levels of blandness!

Hannibla - I say logic as i like to go camping with my two daughters who are 10 & 4 (wife hates camping). I can get most of the stuff in the Fabia estate ok. The interest in the Roomster is the level 3 with the Panoramic roof and 1.9 TDi motor, with the addition or removable back seats.

I also drive about 20'000. miles a year doing many miles each day. For this i would like a bit more power and better handing. The thought of the 1.9 tdi with 130 bhp sounds great fun !!!

I brought the Fabia with 35'000. on the clock, it has now got 157000. so i know about the reliability of Skoda's.

The VW Golf i liked as it seems a little more room in the back seats, but as others say the Fabia is better build quality than the Golf, and not as sloppy to drive!

Suppose the Engine is the same, it comes down to the build quality. Fabia TDi VRS came after the Golf MK4, so any difficulties with the Golf would have been ironed out !

Well gives me food for thought........

Don't forget though, there was nothing new in the vRS model (except for cosmetics/springs). Everything else was just pulled out of the VW parts bin and strapped on (engine, gearbox, brakes etc), so any issues with the Fabia should have been (but weren't!) all fixed by the vRS's launch, and the engine/gearbox weren't new parts either.

I've found the (petrol, admittedly) mk4 Golf and mk1 Leon we 've had felt more planted than my PD160 Ibiza. and I'm not a fan of the electric power steering on my Ibiza, does the diesel Golf have the same power steering as the petrol version?

1.9 Roomster and remap it?! Octavia estate with the PD130?

None of these cars are exactly fun. Yes the power delivery is a novelty for a while but it soon wears off. I'd focus on your practicality needs.

Budget dependant, wouldn't an Octavia VRS be a good compromise? The boot on these things is HUGE even in hatchback form, so I'm sure it'd be fine for the camping trips, plus it'd be a significantly better high mileage commute car than the Fabia and the Golf..

Edited 9 November, 201213 yr by TeebsVRS

fabia ive had both and golf was crap, they always let water in, isnt that much more room in the golf, and as above sloppy to drive

Never had an issue with my Fabia letting water in.

Would it be better to remap your estate? That would give it the power of a vrs. You'd retain the practicality for all the camping gear and on the long runs you'd maintain the economy.

As for improving the handling you can look at getting Eibach springs. Relatively inexpensive too

I've found the (petrol, admittedly) mk4 Golf and mk1 Leon we 've had felt more planted than my PD160 Ibiza. and I'm not a fan of the electric power steering on my Ibiza, does the diesel Golf have the same power steering as the petrol version?

I would have thought so, the Seat Toledo/Leon PD130 had power steering driven off the engine.

My Fabia has 157'000. and turbo is not as strong as it was, so not worth a remap. Will change next year, just depends on what. Will have to give more thought !

As much as i like the Roomster, they seem to have more things go wrong then the Fabia or Octavia.

I wanted a golf but it was twice the price of a Fabia to insure!

Picked up a six foot Ercol refectory table in the Fabia mk1 estate. Bit of a squeeze but could you do that in a Roomster?

Picked up a six foot Ercol refectory table in the Fabia mk1 estate. Bit of a squeeze but could you do that in a Roomster?

Fabia over Golf.

Just bought a VRS, used to own a GTTdi PD130 (same engine)
 

Much more refined in the Fabia, feels more modern, lighter, and doesnt rattle like my old Golf. 

The MK4's came out in 1998 i belive and the finished in 2004/05, whereas the Fabia VRS is later both ways. I feel like, they used all the 'good' parts on the Fabia. It certainly feels like it anyway.

Nick

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Back to the Future thread revival!

Fabia every day. Much better built and much more fun. Cooler too!