I have driven my Golf GTI more than 1000 miles now, so I have a fair idea now of how it drives, so I am writing this "mini review" to see how old compares with new. I'll try and keep this relatively brief and to the point.

Looks

The Fabia is a good looking car for a modern car, in this age of bubbly cars, the Fabia's angular, aggressive appearance stands out amongst cars of its class, especially at its price point. However, it looks like its on stilts! Thats the only really bad thing I have to say about it.

The Golf on the other hand, is much more retro looking, with its twin lamps, GTI badges, BBS cross-spoke alloys, flared wheel arches, twin tailpipes. Personally, my opinion that taking into consideration the fact the 15 year old Golf is clearly a lot older and therefore not in as good as condition, its a better looking car, it just looks a bit sportier to me, and more aggressive, and doesn't look like its on stilts. The wheels are smaller, but they dont look lost. Sure they'd take bigger wheels, but I'm not into chavving cars up.

Fabia: 4/5

Golf: 5/5

Interior

This isn't going to be a particularly fair comparison, since the Fabia is a lot newer, it therefore has a multitude of toys and luxuries that the Golf does not. The Fabia is clearly in a different league, and its not really a fair comparison, but that one point shows at very least how far cars have come in terms of specification.

The Golf in comparison is stripped out and sparse. Theres no electric windows, central locking, AC, PAS, airbags or any of the other luxuries you come to expect in a modern car. However, this saves weight. The dash is functional but dated. Well built though.

Fabia: 5/5

Golf: 2/5

Performance

Well you all know about the Fabia's performance, for such a heavy, 130 bhp car it performs remarkably well. The performance is always accessable as long as you have it on boost (over 2k rpm), but it runs out quickly. In other words, in short bursts, the Fabia is a very quick car, but only in short bursts.

The Golf on the other hand is a normally aspirated petrol car, so clearly its got a much different power delivery. In other words, you have to get those revs up and work it hard. Initially therefore it doesn't feel anywhere near as fast or gutsy as the Fabia, but appearances can be deceptive...

The Fabia is most at its element in the midrange, but you'd be mistaken if you thought the Golf has a poor midrange, its quite torquey for a petrol, and as long as you use the revs, chances are you'll keep up with a Furby, because although the Furby will have the initial boost, it will run out of revs, and the Golf will catch up. I expected the Golf to be a poor overtaker, however, its just as good, and maybe even better in some circumstances, you've just got to be prepared to work harder for the performance.

In a straight line drag, the Golf is at least as fast as the Furby up to a ton, maybe even quicker, it has after all, got a better power to weight ratio. These folks on here who claimed they easily burned off an 8v mk2 Golf were either up against someone who werent trying, or they were in one of the later, much heavier models.

Three things that help me prefer the Golf to the Furby though. Its docile enough at the bottom to make for a relaxed drive around town.... I always felt the Furby's "on/off" style of performance made it a constant exercise in self restraint. The sensation of speed is much better in the Golf - you dont have to drive at a ton to have any fun, 60-70 usually suffices. Finally, I always felt when you really wanted to thrash the car, the Furby left me cold, it didnt seem to have much more to offer. Investigating the upper end of the rev range in the Golf is MUCH more satisfying. Finally, the economy is only slightly worse in the Golf, even with my driving. Thats a disastrous result for a car that is supposed to get 50+ MPG.

Fabia: 3/5

Golf: 4/5

Handling

This is where things look very bad for the Fabia. I never had many complaints when I had the Fabia, after all, I came from a Nissan Micra. This Golf has opened my eyes to how a car can handle.

The amount of feedback given by the Golf is the first eye opener, the steering is full of feel and well weighted, the brake pedal offers easily adjustable braking, the car will grip and grip with no sign of understeer, and very little roll, and when it lets go, it does with a progressive, controllable slide (not understeer). The car is firmer, but the damping is still quite forgiving. The brakes don't fade like the Furby's, and the car, thanks to its lightness, offers a nimbleness that totally eludes the Furby.

In comparison, the Furby is a soft, wallowy, understeering car with poor damping and body control, squishy brakes, lacking in feel and not very hot feeling at all. Anyone who thinks they'll get a Furby to handle this well is deluding themselves IMO, the Furby simply has too much weight, and is too unbalanced to ever be that good. Sure, you can firm it up, but it'll always have that big lump of pig iron up front.

Fabia: 2/5

Golf: 5/5

Conclusion

The Fabia is certainly a nice car. Most of its faults are faults that can be directed at many new cars today. As an all round package, for a new car, its still very difficult to beat.

As a driving tool however, the Golf is much more focused. Even if it doesnt quite have the performance of the Fabia (and I'd debate that to be honest), its performance is a LOT more enjoyable to exploit, the car has a nice engine/exhaust sound, which the Fabia does not, and the Fabia feels like a soft, wallowy barge compared to the Golf around corners which feels alive and sporty.

So IMO, cars have progressed a lot in terms of safety, refinement, and specification. However, after driving the Golf, in terms of driver involvement, too many modern cars are just not up to the task of delivering the enjoyment you'd expect considering the badge!

On the basis of that, I'll have to get my sister to let me have a go in her H-reg GTI 8v :-)

Good review Paul. Dont agree on some of the things you have said about the furbie, but still enjoyed reading it.

Glad you enjoying the Golf which is the main thing, as long as your happy who cares what others think

the Furby is a soft, wallowy, understeering car with poor damping and body control, squishy brakes, lacking in feel and not very hot feeling at all.

But when I say it, people tell me I need to learn to drive properly...

Rob.

But when I say it' date=' people tell me I need to learn to drive properly...

Rob.[/quote']

I was going to say that but thought I had better not!

But there is truth in that comment, every car drives in it's own way, I've adapted to the fabia's style and it's fine. :P

But when I say it' date=' people tell me I need to learn to drive properly...

[/quote']

What are you? An elephant?

The brakes don't fade like the Furby's' date=' and the car, thanks to its lightness, offers a nimbleness that totally eludes the Furby.

In comparison, the Furby is a soft, wallowy, understeering car with poor damping and body control, squishy brakes, lacking in feel and not very hot feeling at all. [/quote']

I have to agree wih you totally there. Since I've owned my Fabia I've driven a pug 206 and New Fiesta for long enough to comment and I must say that although they were lower spec versions and have worse build quality (and wallowed more as they has stds suspension) they were both better cars to drive as they had a steering that felt much more allive and direct over the Fabia.

All sounds highly plausible and reasonably objective, although you were never really happy with your Furby, Paul. I seem to remember rumblings as long ago as this time last year ... still the main thing is you're enjoying the new motor!

Good review.

Nick, I reckon your right there mate, I never was TRULY happy with the Fabia. If I was I wouldn't have been going on about upgrades. I am well happy with the Golf though, it mainly needs cleaning up, and giving a bit TLC, but as an all round package its great.

Hmm a slightly worrying review lol

I have been thinking about getting a vRS in the near future and had really only heard good things about it. But there are a few things in there that has me worried.

I currently drive a ZS which aside from various faults has superb handling so I had expected the furby not to be quite as good but had hoped it would be near, this leads me to think it ain't going to be.

I guess i really need a decent test drive, wonder if i can find a dealer that'll do an extended test.

Sorry to say, but it wont get close to your ZS in the handling stakes. I really like the Fabia and miss it in many respects, and it has decent grip, but its never going to be a great handler.

Edit, one comment that i would take back is fuel consumption. The furby is definitely a lot better for that, 300 miles v's 400 per tank, given the same (hard) driving style.

400? hmm i can get 420 to a tank in the ZS but then it takes over

Cost is about

Good review. As a vrs owner - slightly disheartening though! I am very glad you corrected yourself on the mpg though. I do five hundred miles a week in my vrs for about

I'm quite happy not caring about the handling.Its good enough for our (myself and Jane) kind of driving.Straight line oomph is what we paid for with good mpg and low mileage and a rugged car.

If I wanted something good round the bends at a fair pace I'd go for something sportier like a clio cup maybe.Can't see more than a very few people(those experienced in perhaps track days and the like) noticing.

Think the rest of us I suppose might be seen as a bit boring not pushing it round the bendy bits

how bad is the handling exactly?

What does it compare to, better or worse than a focus?

how bad is the handling exactly?

What does it compare to' date=' better or worse than a focus?[/quote']

Sure a focus is much better.Meant to be pretty sorted.

As for the fabia,it's just normal really.Nothing bad.Buy one

I have been driving my Fabia Vrs for just over a year and from a to b it is quicker than any Focus upto (possibly including) the ST170, and the roads I drive on are VERY twisty (Pennines)!

I have been driving my Fabia Vrs for just over a year and from a to b it is quicker than any Focus upto (possibly including) the ST170, and the roads I drive on are VERY twisty (Pennines)!

sorry if it starts another arguement but i can't agree with that i'm affraid. the focus(especially the ST170) will out handle the fabia every time and they aren't that slow in a straight line either.

hmm now i'm starting to be put off, the only focus that handles as well as my ZS is the RS (which is a **** load quicker too). Neither the standard focus nor the ST170 come close, having had a bit of fun with a ST170 before they're definetly quicker down the straights but have to back off on the corners.

I was hoping, or perhaps expecting the fab to be at least a bit sporty round the bends at least upto a ST170. Think i may have to start looking around again :(

I have been driving my Fabia Vrs for just over a year and from a to b it is quicker than any Focus upto (possibly including) the ST170, and the roads I drive on are VERY twisty (Pennines)!

Its not so much the speed at which I can cover ground that was a problem in the Fabia - indeed, the fact its got plenty of grip means that it will hang on well in corners, up to a point, and the forgiving suspension setup means that bumps are soaked up quite well, and it never gets too skittish. The torque is phenomenal for powering out of corners.

The main thing I complain about really is the fact that it can get a bit bouncey on rough surfaces - a couple of passengers once commented they felt sea sick when I was pressing on.

However, for me where it pales against the Golf is sheer fun - the latter has not go any more grip (less in fact), but that means its easier to get sideways - good fun for roundabouts - I never felt confident enough to truly get the vRS sideways. Apart from that its mainly the feedback that you get from the steering, oodles of feel, less body roll and better damping.

I am not slagging the vRS though, I still have very fond memories of it, and always will do.

Hope this clarifies my feelings

Edit: I've driven a Focus as well, and they do handle better than the vRS (but probably not as well as the Golf).

Always need to remember that the Furby vRS is a compromise leaning towards a bit more comfort. It is created as a warm hatch. IMHO the Golf GTI, esp. the earlier versions like Mk1 & 2, were made as a hot hatch. As Paul says, they got fatter & heavier over time.

Most cars these days are very heavy due to all the leccy toys, plus additional safety features. All adds to the weight. The PD130 engine is very heavy so you'll always be likely to get understeer or at least very much notice it's there

On the plus side, heaving done 15k in it now on 05 plates :eek: I find it very much a car that is easy to get along with. Having just picked up my first (and hopefully last) 3 points on my license I will probably end up changing my driving style a bit anyway.

MPG I was getting at a 'quick blast home' 45-ish mile trip would be down to low 30s at best. Now I am staying within more tolerable speeds, I hit high 40s for the same journey (although it's taking significantly longer...)

During more usual times of day, when there is significant traffic, I find the Furby is absolutely ace. You don't have to work it, keep it in 5th or 6th depending on dynamics of the road/traffic generally, and you get 50+ mpg on the motorway.

The '2k dash to 4k' thing can be smoothed a fair bit with the cupra intake, it makes it pull more smoothly and up to 4.5k without a problem (or smoke).

Remaps/tuning boxes will make that even more the case.

The strange thing with the Furby vRS is that it's all so effortless that you need to be very much aware of the speed you're doing as it's easy to forget (nope, I knew what speed I was doing when the officer pulled me, which probably helped in not getting a 28 day ban ).

Handling wise the car is pretty decent as standard. The brake upgrade is a big question for me - I am tempted but at the same time will it make me depend on them more in the wrong way on the road? I just don't know for myself. There is no doubt an improved suspension setup, possibly a bit lowered, and brake upgrade will make a good difference to the handling. But it's still gonna have that big lump up front.

Either way, nice review and as objective as you can expect from an ex VRS owner :P ;) seriously though, your objectiveness is admirable and it makes it a fair read

Thanks mate

Another couple of things I'd like to add since your comment has reminded me... first off, I would not like to do a long journey in the Golf. Its not that the engine is not up to the task, but the actual comfort of the car is nowhere near as good as the Furby. The ride is actually alright, but its the driving position and seats. The driving position that i find works best in the golf is a very upright, as far back as you can comfortably get. Whatever driving position I choose, within 2 hours, I start getting severe back ache. The Furby has much nicer seats, and a much wider possibility of driving positions, and quite often, I would drive the Furby all day, and felt as fresh as before I started the journey - quite simply one of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven.

As for the flexibility you hit on, I agree, the Furby is a superb motorway tool. The Golf is fairly torquey for a petrol car, but the torque generally is all above 3500 rpm. It is flexible enough that you dont have to change gear too often, but the Furby, provided you stay in the right gear, is just awesome. In the continually varying traffic conditions of the A1 western bypass in Gateshead on a morning, all you really had to do was leave it in 5th, and when the traffic cleared (occaisionally), anything else was usually left in your wake...

I agree that they actually did a reasonable job compromising between comfort and handling, as the car is capable of covering ground quickly, its just body roll and feel are its weaknesses. Really, I feel the car should have been lower to the ground and stiffer, but they should have used a slightly higher profile tyre. That way, the handling characteristics would have been better without ruining the ride quality. I believe this is the way the Golf does it, since it has 185/60/14 tyres, that is what allows the ride to be acceptable. Maybe if the Furby had 205/55/16 tyres, and lower, stiffer suspension and better damping it would have been better, and i believe those are a more common size, but I hear that they would have been expensive for skoda to do since they are using existing parts, and so would have to have gotten parts dedicated for the car.

Sorry to hear about your three points. Amazingly, when I had the Furby, I didnt receive any. However, I used to regularly comment to my mates that I thought it would be the car that would lose me my licence. However the three points were picked up in the Golf! Anyway, the brakes are adequate for standard driving, and I think the benefit of the 312 setup is going to be most apparent if you are consistently a "spirited" driver.

To be honest with you, if I could afford both cars, I would keep both the Furby and Golf, as I love them both

sorry if it starts another arguement but i can't agree with that i'm affraid. the focus(especially the ST170) will out handle the fabia every[/b'] time and they aren't that slow in a straight line either.

Sorry, looks like it has

I'm currently doing about 20k a year in the fab and about the same in a Focus at the moment, so I know what I'm talking about, and the Fab leaves it dead on handling.

The only thing I would reccommend the Focus (100bhp TDCi) on is fuel economy and the fact there are radio controls on a stalk by the steering wheel. That's it. Don't always believe what you read or see on TV.