I've decided on a complete departure from VAG for now and have decided to purchase a DS3 DSport+. Much higher spec as standard than the used Fabia's I looked at and fun to drive. The build quality may not be as good but a improvement on my Saxo VTS I owned 10 years ago.

In 2 or 3 years time I will look for a Mk3 Octavia vRS on the used car market, I'm sure it'll be a cracker of a car.

Theres a DS3 DSport on my street. Catches my eye every time i go past it. Really funky looking car.

I just think its a bit of a tragedy that Skoda couldnt or wouldnt (unsure exactly which) go to town on the Fabia like they did with the Octavia.

I think its fair to say that despite its footprint any Octavia vRS FL is as near as damn it a MK6 GTI clone, sharing very very similar suspension and braking improvements making them very much bespoke cars against the normal range; the Fabia has the sport suspension package ala Monte and the same 288mm discs as the 105hp cars, only real difference being the Fabia has rear disc brakes. I just think a car with 75hp more than the next model in the range would have seen a bit of attention in those areas.

Also the Fabia being based on the old Polo platform is actually a bit of a porker, being nearly 200kg heavier than the Polo and Ibiza which cant help matters.

I have fond memories of ths car; the engine and gearbox combo was a peach and certainly in estate format there is nothing else of that footprint with as much bang thats as practical probably the first and last time ill own a 180hp hot hatch estate car too so that counts for alot.......however I think anyone suggesting that a Fabia vRS drives as well if not better than an Octavia I wouldnt agree with them sorry.

Edited 31 March, 201313 yr by pipsyp

having just gone from a fabia vrs to an octavia vrs I can really tell just how bad the suspension and brake setup is on the fabia vrs.

The Octavia is a much more composed car and less like a go cart, you dont feel to be going that quick until you look at the speedo. Also the Octavia feels more special if that makes any sence?

I think skoda really missed a trick with the fabia and should have had lots more options like bigger brakes / better suspention? and leather interior

The brakes on the fabia vrs are perfectly adequate. Agree the suspension is quite poor though.

The brakes on the fabia vrs are perfectly adequate. Agree the suspension is quite poor though.

Not for a hot hatch they arent!! hot hatches should work on the road as a daily commuter as well as on track and in fast road. the brakes are not good enough for fast road and certainly not enough for track

@ Dirty hari

You'll get linched for saying the Fabia doesnt handle, your not allowed to say things like that on here. Peopl get upset!

A hot hatch IMO doesn't need to work on the track. If you are reaching the braking limit if the vrs on the road you are probably driving like a complete tit and dangerously

The brakes on the fabia vrs are perfectly adequate. Agree the suspension is quite poor though.

I found they improved a bit with some miles initially they felt v wooden but boy oh boy did they fade seriously under heavy braking. If the car weighed a couple of hundred kg's less i agree the 288's would have been fine as they are on the Polo and Ibiza but 180hp and with the fact they have quite a bit of mass to reign in the Fabia could have really done with 312's

A hot hatch IMO doesn't need to work on the track. If you are reaching the braking limit if the vrs on the road you are probably driving like a complete tit and dangerously

If your only ever driving on the road, wouldn't do a trackday and stay within speed limits then why even have a vRS? YOu obviously dont need the performance, handling or braking of a hot hatch why not just get a Monte Carlo?

A hot hatch is meant to breach that point between a hatchback and sports car. You should be able to turn up at a trackday, sprint or a back lane blast at national speed limits as well as do a shopping run in comfort with plenty of space. Its not just a case of "on the road you shouldnt have reached the braking limit". The simple fact is with the performance on tap it can EASILY reaches its braking limit when it shouldnt.

They achieved the hot hatch effect that with the engine, most will agree that, but the brakes and suspension in mine and many others peoples opinions(including pretty much all the journalists) do not achieve that and are not matched well to the performance available from the engine. Comparatively to other proper hot hatches, the vRS is substandard.

But again, just like performance and handling its all relative. If you don't do trackdays, or have no experience of cars with good braking systems beforehand then you will no doubt think they are inadequate, if on the other hand this is one of the most sporty cars you have ever had then you will be overwhelmed.

When i test drove the vRS i tried the brakes on an empty dual carriage way with a series of 70-20mph stops and the brakes went woolly as hell. On my first trackday at Rockingham in this car it would only do 3 laps before the brakes required cooling down. Uprating the fluid and pads helped but only marginally. Now with my uprated BBK i have the confidence of being able to brake as hard as i want when i want without having to worry about fade or poor braking performance. Plus the kit uses VAG OEM Leon Cupra Discs and Pads so its cheap to own and run as well. This is what a hot hatch should come with out of the factory like.

I remember when i first posted up on here about my test drive and i absolutely slated the Fabia vRS, and people got all defensive, just as is happening here, however, relishing a modifying challenge i bought it as a project to improve, excluding the reliability issues ive had, id honestly say that this car with my modifications is fantastic and exactly how it should have been: OEM ride quality, phenomenal body control, fantastic brakes, great performance(stage 2 is more than adequate for this car), and great economy.

The brakes are adequate IMO. There's nothing more that needs to be said really. I wouldn't want to reach the limits of the VRSs brakes on a public road. You might want to, and that is your choice.

I dont, for me on the road a 140hp TDi is adequate, i drive like miss daisy the road and do less than 5k a year mileage, but i do trackdays and 140Hp TDI would be pants. As i said, i like to drive on the road as any other normal person, but also want to be able to turn up at a trackday, make no changes to my car, have a fantastic time without having to rive around a cars flaws, then drive home again afterwards like any other normal person.

The brakes are adequate IMO. There's nothing more that needs to be said really. I wouldn't want to reach the limits of the VRSs brakes on a public road. You might want to, and that is your choice.

two hard brakes from 60 and the heat fade killed the brakes plus the pedal feel is pants too, 312's were much better and should have come on the car as standard

I dont, for me on the road a 140hp TDi is adequate, i drive like miss daisy the road and do less than 5k a year mileage, but i do trackdays and 140Hp TDI would be pants. As i said, i like to drive on the road as any other normal person, but also want to be able to turn up at a trackday, make no changes to my car, have a fantastic time without having to rive around a cars flaws, then drive home again afterwards like any other normal person.

It's all my opinion. We have different needs in a car. It's ok to have a different opinion

That it is.

One question though. Why did you buy a Fabia vrs if you wanted a car you could drive on the track without needing to change anything??

Post#84 last paragraph. I bought it as a challenge.

As i have said before, the Fabia vRS when standard isnt that quick, has crap brakes and suspension.

My Fabia vRS, when its not broken, is phenominal and i dont change anything between track or road. If there werent reliability niggles it would be a perfect second car for me IMO

Some don't see the Fabia vRS as I see it.I don't see it as a "hot hatch."A Clio Rs 200 is a hh.

I didn't see the Octy vRS as a "sports saloon"...I saw it as a family saloon with a big boot an a fair turn of speed.

The Fabia I see as a small but spacious four door with a quite powerful engine and the advantage of an auto dsg gearbox.

It's not fast in absolute terms but since most of it's performance is instantly accessible it's effectively very quick in most situations on the road...It's also CHEAP..never forget that,there are many better cars but not at this price!!

As I've said before,handling is not great but it can be improved at minimal cost.

Brakes...ok so far but I leave a safety margin in road driving.

It's good enough for me but I don't crave for it to be things it isn't.

Some don't see the Fabia vRS as I see it.I don't see it as a "hot hatch."A Clio Rs 200 is a hh.

I didn't see the Octy vRS as a "sports saloon"...I saw it as a family saloon with a big boot an a fair turn of speed.

The Fabia I see as a small but spacious four door with a quite powerful engine and the advantage of an auto dsg gearbox.

It's not fast in absolute terms but since most of it's performance is instantly accessible it's effectively very quick in most situations on the road...It's also CHEAP..never forget that,there are many better cars but not at this price!!

As I've said before,handling is not great but it can be improved at minimal cost.

Brakes...ok so far but I leave a safety margin in road driving.

It's good enough for me but I don't crave for it to be things it isn't.

Yes. If you want the extra 10% of performance, handling etc, you're going to pay for it. This car is reasonable in terms of quickness, handling, comfort etc, but it's cheaper than the hardcore Clio as an example. Everyone knows, or should know, what they are getting. Comparing it to a Clio or even the new Fiesta ST(by all accounts) is silly IMO, but it is far closer to those cars than a Monte, which is a big step behind in dynamics. Again, the Monte is perfectly adequate for what it is, as is the vRS.

I don't know why people can't be happy with 90% of a Clio RS at 90% of the price. No one seems to have a problem with the Polo GTI being half a step down on the Clio, even though the price in real world terms is almost a match for the Clio, in Australia at least.

In short, for what you pay it's a real pocket rocket, and more than adequate for the road. If you want a dedicated, track capable car, you will be spending money, whether on upgrading the Fabia or upfront with the Clio or Fiesta. Complaining that the Fabia is not up to the same standard is akin to complaining the current Clio uses too much fuel or rides too hard; it suggests you bought the wrong car in the first place.

Edited 1 April, 201313 yr by OzFabia

I drove back from my cousins last night where there's quite a few twisty B roads, some 60mph A roads, some roundabouts so a good mix. With it being quiet I cam back quite spiritedly and it was fine but my only concern is that it all seems a bit too easy. At certain points I'd be on a part of the road where as usual I drive by what I feel and what I could control, until I looked at the clocks. It was a lot faster than I thought so backed off. Towards the end of about a 20 min run the brakes were hot so braking hard from about 60mph was a bit squirrelly so I calmed back down and cruised home. Was a bit worrying that the sense of speed was a bit dulled when I can drive something like a Swift Sport at the same sort of speeds, sometimes more round certain corners and it feels like I'm doing even more than I am and surely that's a bonus when it comes to keeping your licence. Also noticed ESP can be a bit aggressive too. A SSS will let it move around a bit before it steps in and just feels better.

I have been debating for a while whether to sell for a Swift Sport or similar and while the vRS has more power and more space, in the real world I don't see it being a problem. As long as it's quick up to "60mph" and can easily hold that through bends that's all I want really. The vRS does this easily but so does the SSS and it's better on fuel and I wouldn't have to put up with all the bickering in the Fabia II section any more.

When I've taken my car on track it's been a laugh but I know it's not really designed for that. When hot hatches were first invented, public track days weren't as common as they are now and 90% won't go near one and are quite happy to blast down a quiet B road. Sure, manufacturers could make to hatches more track focussed but that would only appeal to a few people. They need to cover as many bases as they can. Personally I'd rather refine my style to be quick on the road from point to point when conditions are right rather than shave tenths off lap times. At the moment anyway, unless someone wants to enter me into the BTCC. I'd buy a car just for doing track days. Still road legal but built just for that.

I like many points people severe making above. Fabia vRS is many things for many people depending on their previous experiences, the cars they owned/driven before, how much of track day junkie they are. It's only natural then that people will arrive at different judgements. I suppose we should have different reviews/guides for different people with different baggage of experience behind them to truly cater for everybody. I personally find my Fabia vRS absolutely perfect on all accounts (track day experience on 1st June pending ). It has 5 doors and huge boot for the class so ticks all my "family use" needs. Value for money is the best on the market, especially with vat-less offer. Performance in engine department can always be better as it it with all cars, I can always do with more power ! Suspension is a perfect compromise between everyday comfort and snappy handling-it is not great at any but very good at both, as the whole car is. Brakes I find peculiar as I m stipend before. I need to "double brake/tap" to get the "proper bite from them but I do not find them lacking horribly. People mentioned heat soak. I am not sure about it as after a drive or two there was smoke curling out of them and I still found them working... Perhaps it is due to the way I drive where I adapt my driving to what I am driving and where? The only time I ever had problems with brakes when due to heat discs warped and braking was almost gone all together-quite fun experience, would recommend lol. As for Hot Hatches... I would hate to drive a car like Clio on everyday run arounds, I need my basic creature comforts. Then I'd hate to drive it on the track thinking I was behind a wheel of a track car as it would be pathetic compared to a fast go-kart or a single seater like Formula Ford cigar on wheels. I just think it is all about managing expectations and adopting a driving style suitable for your ride of choice:). Some people would say that Aston Martin Vanquish is the best car ever. For me it was the worst car I ever driven .

I think Seat nailed it with 4 pot brake setup but alas Skoda are not a hot hatch maker. Just a good brand doing sporty models.