After owning and driving both a monte and a vrs I can verify the vrs brakes far better when needed!

Bear in mind that there could be tax free deals own so buying a 6 month old one wouldnt make sense compared to a new one with the tax discounts.

Monte Carlo v vRS......Monte Carlo. Then just enjoy the car without worrying about it breaking down. I guarantee there is not a single guy on here with a Mk2 vRS whether its had problems in the past or not who hasnt thought about the liklihood of issues happening to their car. Thats the biggest problem with the vRS IMO. The constant niggle in your mind that it might go wrong, fr me ruins the ownership.

Hmmm, not me.

At the time I was looking to replace my MKI vRS I thought about a Monte. However, in the used examples I was looking at there was very little difference in price - approx. a grand.

To be honest, who really cares? The vRS was always a very well-priced car - even if it goes tits up after three or four years you've lost next to **** all.

Whoops started a bit of a debate here :p I've been thinking I may treat myself to a brand new model (then I can add any extras I want too) but it looks like the Monte will win for me...

I really wouldn't worry. The majority of threads on this forum end up going way off topic and have some sort of debate about them, when the time comes, you might might even find yourself driving something other than a Skoda. Good luck with the house purchase.

Can't beat buying a house. Even if the market fluctuates in the short term, I guarantee the re-sale value in twenty years will be far higher on a house than a Fabia (Monte or vRS)!

,

Well they share the same front brake setup. The brake bias on these is approx 85-90% front so rear discs versus drums on the back probably makes minimal impact overall. Id bet the difference between them is minimal.

If there's no difference why would anyone fit rear discs?

As I understand it there is always a difficulty in balancing front to rear effort with a mixed set up,and this tends to worsen with different wear rates.

Jaguar pioneered disc brakes in the 50's and to this day they have NEVER,I think,fitted anything but discs all round.

The vRS brakes deliver enough braking power for me on the road day to day. It's how they deliver it that gets on my nerves sometimes - the brake pedal has waaay too much spongy travel at the top before they start to bite. SWMBO not a fan of the brake setup either.

The reason the Monte has naff drum brakes at the back is simple..... They are cheaper. Skoda can get away with fitting these as the monte is not a 'performance' car, I.e. it's no quicker/any more powerful than the shopping trolley spec Fabia SEs that they flog en masse to pensioners up and down the country. The vRS would lose a lot of credibility (and therefore sales) If it came with rear drums, can you imagine the slaughtering it would have got from the motoring press lol!

The vRS brakes deliver enough braking power for me on the road day to day. It's how they deliver it that gets on my nerves sometimes - the brake pedal has waaay too much spongy travel at the top before they start to bite. SWMBO not a fan of the brake setup either.

The reason the Monte has naff drum brakes at the back is simple..... They are cheaper. Skoda can get away with fitting these as the monte is not a 'performance' car, I.e. it's no quicker/any more powerful than the shopping trolley spec Fabia SEs that they flog en masse to pensioners up and down the country. The vRS would lose a lot of credibility (and therefore sales) If it came with rear drums, can you imagine the slaughtering it would have got from the motoring press lol!

even if the front to rear brake bias is 90/10 surely the use of disc's on the rear would be a more efficient than drums???

I personally like the brakes on my vrs, once they warm up they have a good amount of bite.

and that's coming from my mk1 with the 312mm brake upgrade.

The brakes often do not get tested to see how efficient other than driving on the road,

for the first time at a MOT after 3 years.

(not many mk2 Fabia vRS have been through a MOT yet,

i put one through @ 2 1/2 years and Brake Efficiency was just so so. but 'so so' is a MOT pass.)

Rear Discs are easier to check to see if the Pads are OK.

The discs are often rusty after the first winter often before the winter ever comes and on wet salty roads might stop a car no better than a set of Shoes and brake drums would stop you quite often.

the drums can be better in the wet..

You are not needing to pull the handbrake on for a few yards to clean the surface rust off after sitting only over night.

The tyres traction on the road along with the braking effect slows or brings a car to a halt.

Wet road and 'so so' tyres and the best brakes or ABS in the world and you might still not stop very quickly.

Many do very little braking while driving using gears rather,

and in an emergency stop are using down changes in gears and braking to stop.

The DSG is very good on a vRS and can be on a other Fabias with DSG or autos for killing speed.

Skoda Discs are just often a rusty thing with not the best friction area with the pads that Skoda fit as Standard.

Often the Drums that just rust on the exterior can do a better job IMO.

george

18 month old discs left picture,

and then the replacements ones which were fitted, and this is them only 9 months later.

(and the 9 month old replacement Dark Chrome wheel, coating flaking off after one winter,

wheel not damaged or any White Spider)

Can't beat buying a house. Even if the market fluctuates in the short term, I guarantee the re-sale value in twenty years will be far higher on a house than a Fabia (Monte or vRS)!

I'm only 22 now, the house (well it's actually a bungalow) already has a spare room if the family expands and it's the perfect build to turn in to a dorma! So it'll be bought to be done up and last

I can see the benefits of both the monte and vrs as I have a vrs and the wife has the monte 1.6 remapped. Also former Mk1 VRS owner, Monte is more like the old VRS once it was mapped. I seen the mk1 you looked at (westgate skoda?) thought it was a tad expensive though. VRS is not expensive to insure, monte went up by £30 after it was mapped. £20 a year tax on the monte and good fuel economy. Wife has decided to sell the Monte now though (only 8 months old) I think she's envious of the extra power in the vrs!!! so its up for sale. Think she's after TT roadster.

I own a Mk2 VRS and perversely I would recommend a Monte Carlo 1.2 105bhp with DSG. I drove a Roomster with this engine and it was extremely impressive, felt pokier than an old 1.6 Focus I used to have.. Of course a VRS will effortlessly show it a clean pair of heels, but in everyday driving I probably barely use more than 50% of the VRS's potential. MPG wise there probably isn't a huge amount in it, I can get over 40mpg on a longer journey in the VRS even at pretty brisk motorway speeds and around town the 1.2 I drove was showing comparable if not slightly worse figures than the 1.4 twincharger.

OP mentioned she's a petrolhead => vRS is the obvious choice

Petrolhead with a bit of an eye on frugality =>remapped used Monte oil chugger with DSG.

Unless you are going for sticikier tyres and are willing to upgrade both front and back brakes doing just fronts on standard tyres will actually increase your stopping distance unless EBD can cope with that shift in braking balance. People with brake upgrades comprising "bigger front brake kit" will report the car feels better under braking and they are right. Shift to front in brake balance it achieves gives them a car which is rock solid under braking, but being badly unbalanced (unless Electronic Brakeforce Distribution can cope with that-there's only so much back brakes can cope with) it actually decreases overall performance and increases braking distance. I know, very counterintuitive

I cant remember ever seeing a Monte with a DSG, was it ever an available option?

No idea, and if i suggested it was sorry.

1.2 tsi 105ps DSG is nice to drive IMO in what ever flavour, s, se ,se plus, eleganze

and you do not see the outside when driving it.

If looks are important, i think Brimmas White Estate looks as good as any vRS or Monte.

(and the 1.2tsi DSG gets a towing weight braked at 1200 kg, which a vRS does not)

george

I cant remember ever seeing a Monte with a DSG, was it ever an available option?

My bad, Monte has only 5 spd manuals in my brochure, should have looked Fabia Elegance has 1.2TSi with DSG box.

Aplogies for any inconvenience caused

Definitely DSG Montes available, down here at least. &sort=default&N=1246+1252+1247+1282+1216&vertical=Car&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5"]http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/results.aspx?base=1216&tabID=3012965&eapi=2&silo=Stock&items=[Make:SKODA,Model:FABIA,BaseEnabledBadge:77TSI%20DSG%20MONTE%20CARLO]&sort=default&N=1246+1252+1247+1282+1216&vertical=Car&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5

Definitely DSG Montes available, down here at least. &sort=default&N=1246+1252+1247+1282+1216&vertical=Car&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5"]http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/results.aspx?base=1216&tabID=3012965&eapi=2&silo=Stock&items=[Make:SKODA,Model:FABIA,BaseEnabledBadge:77TSI%20DSG%20MONTE%20CARLO]&sort=default&N=1246+1252+1247+1282+1216&vertical=Car&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5

And they're all petrol, DSG has never been available for diesel Fabias

I dont think we got the petrol DSG Monte in the UK either. Must be one of those weird specification changes from the rest of the world; like the drum brakes on the rear...

I can see the benefits of both the monte and vrs as I have a vrs and the wife has the monte 1.6 remapped. Also former Mk1 VRS owner, Monte is more like the old VRS once it was mapped. I seen the mk1 you looked at (westgate skoda?) thought it was a tad expensive though.

Yeah it was the 07 plate at Westgate... £7500 was a bit much for a 6 year old car, regardless how much I want one. I love the way the mk1 vRS drives so maybe a mapped Monte would be my best option!

Can't beat buying a house. Even if the market fluctuates in the short term, I guarantee the re-sale value in twenty years will be far higher on a house than a Fabia (Monte or vRS)!

Depends what you call short term, When the last Conservative Governments was in in 1989 an average house went from 133K (in inflation adjusted terms) to £90K (in adjusted terms) and after the 1997 election it took 4 years to reach that value again ie 2001 and again since 2010 when that house reached £185K it has fallen to £163K in real terms. http://www.housepric...l-inflation.php

Those of us who lived through these periods of negative equity it lasted a decade so it did not feel like a "short" term at all. Fortunately bought in 1997 so property equity could fall by 25% or 50% and we would still have equity.

Mortgage companies want 25% plus deposit as they believe/fear that history could well repeat itself as many of the signs are there ie stagnant economy even with virtually zero BoE rates.

Edited 2 April, 201313 yr by lol

I think it comes down to taste and running costs. Both Fabias are enjoyable, roomy with its boxy character and great TSI engines. The vRS is an out right fun car but needs to be driven carefully with the DSG.. I potter around in it, it has a split personality - its great... I have one and when it comes down to it.. Its a vRS with some additons in terms of keeping the car firmly on the ground.. - enuf said....

You really only live once.... I'll always be a vRS fan... but there have been reported problems with oil consumption, I will keep an eye on mine and look after the car - i.e. not floor it.... but it is a very high compression/powered engine, so there will be some usual top ups... A characteristic of the car...

Why wouldn't you floor a vrs?? In the long run it will do more good than to nanny it all its life

Azzbo786

I think you will find that majority of people who "do not floor it" tend to have problems with the twincharger. People who employ "a red line a day keeps mechanic away" attitude tend to have problem free sheds. Why would you buy a car with supercharger delivering 1.8PSI from literary 0 rpm then turbo pumping out 180 bhp and 250Nm from a 1.4 swept volume if you do not intend to floor it? there are excellent 1.6 diesels to have