Demise of VRS announced

[newbie69]

I have always criticized the stock vRS handling as well. But add a rarb and upgrade the springs and it's a totally different car. We are talking of such low a cost that it's probably less than adding the "Winter pack" or similar on a BMW.

 

Doesn't deserve to be at that price point? A car which is faster, more practical and with more standard equipment than almost every competitor at its class? (Adding a semi-automatic to any car out there means taking at least 1000 gbp out of your pocket right away). Sure it doesn't, it could have easily costed more if I'm honest. In my eyes it just ticked all the boxes so easily I felt everybody else was buying less for more...

 

I totally accept paying more for the "invisible" BMW quality (and by that I don't mean irony at all, I mean things that aren't normally advertised such as less rattles, more road-insulation, better general build quality) but I can't understand how one could feel the vRS, all in all, is an expensive car...

Edited 13 September, 2013 by newbie69

[Ootohere]

Logiclee,

You like all the others that never bought one had a lucky escape in not getting landed with such a hopeless car. 

God they really sound horrible, anyone that bought one must really not have a clue about cars.

Anyone that bought more than one must be a raving loony.

 

Or maybe just like miles of smiles for not much dosh.

Only, £2,000 a year lost on the price paid on new one does seem to be quite rare among cars.

[fabandy]

Lively debate! Bottom line: thank you Skoda for giving us a twin-charger dsg at thousands less than Audi and an option that other manufacturers just do not offer at this price point or any other; thanks also for the mark 1 Fabia VRS - a diesel hot hatch when they were practically unheard of; and thank god Skoda has a good enough rep nowadays to have decent residual values too. Fact: Skoda design chief says the new Fabia will be a stunner. I agree with PDIKB - the Rapid Spaceback looks awesome, especially in red with panoramic roof an blacked-out hatch n big black alloys (can you believe Skoda is doing that in a production version?)! What else will they offer us? I don't know. But I can't wait to find out and one thing is for sure: there will be more choice than ever before. Personally? I love the idea of a lighter Fabia on MQB chassis with the new 1.4 tsi 140 (fingers crossed) or (fingers double crossed) the 2.0 tdi 150. Maybe the new gen engines will come on-stream in the Rapid? Realistically though, emissions regs are making super powerful engine options less likely but you never know....

[vrskeith]

Lively debate! Bottom line: thank you Skoda for giving us a twin-charger dsg at thousands less than Audi and an option that other manufacturers just do not offer at this price point or any other; thanks also for the mark 1 Fabia VRS - a diesel hot hatch when they were practically unheard of; and thank god Skoda has a good enough rep nowadays to have decent residual values too. Fact: Skoda design chief says the new Fabia will be a stunner. I agree with PDIKB - the Rapid Spaceback looks awesome, especially in red with panoramic roof an blacked-out hatch n big black alloys (can you believe Skoda is doing that in a production version?)! What else will they offer us? I don't know. But I can't wait to find out and one thing is for sure: there will be more choice than ever before. Personally? I love the idea of a lighter Fabia on MQB chassis with the new 1.4 tsi 140 (fingers crossed) or (fingers double crossed) the 2.0 tdi 150. Maybe the new gen engines will come on-stream in the Rapid? Realistically though, emissions regs are making super powerful engine options less likely but you never know....

GOOD BALANCED COMMENTS FROM A SKODA FAN.

[fabandy]

vrskieth - thank you mate - and yes - guilty as charged! Enjoy your vrs!!

[logiclee]

I have always criticized the stock vRS handling as well. But add a rarb and upgrade the springs and it's a totally different car. We are talking of such low a cost that it's probably less than adding the "Winter pack" or similar on a BMW.

 

Doesn't deserve to be at that price point? A car which is faster, more practical and with more standard equipment than almost every competitor at its class? (Adding a semi-automatic to any car out there means taking at least 1000 gbp out of your pocket right away). Sure it doesn't, it could have easily costed more if I'm honest. In my eyes it just ticked all the boxes so easily I felt everybody else was buying less for more...

 

I totally accept paying more for the "invisible" BMW quality (and by that I don't mean irony at all, I mean things that aren't normally advertised such as less rattles, more road-insulation, better general build quality) but I can't understand how one could feel the vRS, all in all, is an expensive car...

 

I sit inside our 1.2TSi DSG and question whether the interior build is up to a £13k price point never mind £18k.

 

To show what I mean.

Fabia

http://imgproxy-cdn.skoda-auto.com/wwk2-k2carpicker/de47f5e8-fae0-478b-86a1-ab9a426ebefb_201308261139.png

£10k Fabia Reaction fine but not an £18k interior

 

208

http://carblade.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Peugeot-208-GTi-Interior.jpg

 

208 is 19k but does have 200bhp, interior looks like a 19k car though. (Although I hate French cars )

 

DSG used to be £600 in the Fabia, now it's £850ish. Audi/VW will charge you £1500+

 

Did you buy yours on the VAT deal?

 

Cheers

Lee

Edited 13 September, 2013 by logiclee

[Ferdeche]

I sit inside our 1.2TSi DSG and question whether the interior build is up to a £13k price point never mind £18k.

 

To show what I mean.

Fabia

http://imgproxy-cdn.skoda-auto.com/wwk2-k2carpicker/de47f5e8-fae0-478b-86a1-ab9a426ebefb_201308261139.png

£10k Fabia Reaction fine but not an £18k interior

 

208

http://carblade.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Peugeot-208-GTi-Interior.jpg

 

208 is 19k but does have 200bhp, interior looks like a 19k car though. (Although I hate French cars )

 

DSG used to be £600 in the Fabia, now it's £850ish. Audi/VW will charge you £1500+

 

Did you buy yours on the VAT deal?

 

Cheers

Lee

I bought our Mk1 Fabia estate in 2004. It didn't look like it had the interior of a £13k car then. Eight and a half years later, however, and the fact that it is still in one piece, doesn't rattle etc etc, suggests that it was actually worth it!

 

The Peugeot interior may look nice, but how well is it actually screwed together and to touch, will it feel like elephant arse-hide like they all seemed to?

[Ootohere]

All the same metal, alloys, plastics and materials and the interior much the same costs £1000-£2000 more RRP in the Seat,

the VW £3000-£4000 more, the Audi more again.

 

The same or similar Materials, Engines, Gearboxes and a nice interior is not really worth Double the price for that nice interior and a prestige badge. Say in a Golf with an ikle more space, and economy and no more pace.( Less space than a vRS Estate).

Well not in some peoples opinion.

 

Pricing is as VAG make it up or people pay.

Then dealers sell at what people pay.

 

the vRS was the bargain of the 4, 180/185ps DSG Twinchargers,

not maybe to some peoples tastes, certainly not to those that never bought one,

but it is the one that UK buyers bought most of,

if its overpriced for what it is, then others still think its a bargain at the price they are paying.

Still buying and still paying and still ordering them.

 

george

[vRSy]

I love how defensive these threads get.

[Ootohere]

What i do not understand is that like yourself you have your experiences and others have their experiences,

and like or dislike,

Keep them or get rid of them.

But its those that seriously can not see why anyone buys one, that would be so down on them, that amazes me.

 

They are only cars that some bought and appreciate. or did not.

 

george

[vRSy]

What i do not understand is that like yourself you have your experiences and others have their experiences,

and like or dislike,

Keep them or get rid of them.

But its those that seriously can not see why anyone buys one, that would be so down on them, that amazes me.

 

They are only cars that some bought and appreciate. or did not.

 

george

 

on the other side of the penny, your posts are typically dismissive of anyone who talks down the Fabia in any way

[Ootohere]

Actually dismissive of those that have not got or had one.

Had a road test then decided not for them.

Or People that express opinions on a DSG then turns out they never tried the vRS and that DSG as an example.

 

I have never discounted the views of a vRS owner, thats their experience or opinions.

i know the cars faults pretty well.

 

Bossfox bought and sold, good move for him.

 

You spent thousands broke it, returned to near standard and will or have sold it.

and some moved onto say a Octavia vRS and came back slagging on strange things that seemed obvious before they bought the Fabia.

 

Its just the strange argument from the same place, on the fact that people paid what they paid that really seems odd to me.

 

george

[Dark_Hero]

I didn't buy a mk2 Vrs, but really liked the idea of one. 180bhp from a stock 1.4 plus twin charged engine. I think the fact it was such a change from the mk1 ruffled a few feathers of the Fabia faithful. I think if they had the choice of petrol and Diesel engines like the octavia it would have been a better seller

[logiclee]

I love how defensive these threads get.

 

Strange isn't it, for many this is their first Skoda and no one is allowed to say anything against them.

 

Our 1.2 TSi is our 8th Skoda, my Passat would have been a Superb and our 9th but the Skoda wouldn't fit in the garage.

 

Brand loyalty that's me, but I'm realistic about the products and they are not that cheap anymore. I believe the Fabia's true price point is 20% less than list which is why they sold on no VAT.  But the interior screams budget as did the early Rapid. The new Octy is much better but it's very close to VW money.

 

The difference between a Fabia and Golf is massive, it's not just small difference in plastic quality it's the whole package. A motorway run at 70mph+ shows the biggest difference, the Golf is quiet and refined, the Fabia as we know has plenty of wind and road noise. Take a Golf down a potholed road and feel the damping and control, different price point certainly but different level of engineering and build to, even if it does have the same engine and gearbox as some Fabias

 

I say as it is, I defend Skoda when I have to but come on the Fabia is what it is.

 

Cheers

Lee

[logiclee]

I bought our Mk1 Fabia estate in 2004. It didn't look like it had the interior of a £13k car then. Eight and a half years later, however, and the fact that it is still in one piece, doesn't rattle etc etc, suggests that it was actually worth it!

 

The Peugeot interior may look nice, but how well is it actually screwed together and to touch, will it feel like elephant arse-hide like they all seemed to?

 

That's why I won't have another French car. The new interiors are good and use high quality materials, many reviews said the new C5 interior quality rivalled BMW/Merc. I had a C5 and it was very well put together but electrical problems and crap dealers ensured it would be my last.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Mk1 Fabia was 6 years old when we sold it and didn't have a squeak or rattle, our two Mk2's had rattles within a couple of years, not so good. 

 

Lee

Edited 13 September, 2013 by logiclee

[lol-lol]

I would like to think I am open minded about brands and I like to read lots about the new cars from various printed and web sources.

 

The Fabia Mark 2 is a six year old model but I still struggle to see anything that is better at being either a fairly quick small car or in its HTP format a cheap and efficient runabout.

 

Most of us who bought Fabia 2 VRS only paid between £13-15K for something that does 0-60 in seven seconds (hold the UK MSA distance time records up to 100Km cars up to 1500cc) does over 40 mpg on a longer run and the later models can go on variable servicing ie 20K between services.

 

Unfortunately as the GB pound has been so much weaker than the Euro for the last few years other decent euro-metal ie VAG brands are relatively expensive.

 

Same for Japanese stuff too.  Korean brands have been the one of the few growing brands along with Skoda as they have also represented better value.

 

Find many of these other brands quite claustrophobic but being 1.85 M, 6'1' in old money, find the A1, Polo, Fiesta, DS3 that they were not biult for my size/gender/etc. 

 

Residuals not too bad and the goofy looks are to me a bad of honour that I am not sheep.  Been to CZ and love the people, love the cars, cannot see anything on the horizon only other Skodas to replace the Fabia VRS with in a year or two, probably be a hotish Rapid Spaceback which they will hopefully drop a 1.8 TSI or hotter 1.4/1.6 TSI, suit me fine. 

[RapidRonnie]

But I got sent a link on FB last night to the Skoda Space-something.  Funky looking Rapid "Sportback".  Looked good in Monte trim/body kit.

 

And yes, not exactly on topic, but maybe the Rapid will have the sport models, the Fabia stay staid granny trolley.

 

The Fabia3 is allegedly going to look nice, so it's a shame there will be no vRS version.

 

You can see from the S2000 rally car that there is nothing wrong with the design concept for the current Fabia, just that it was squeezed on to a too-narrow platform. The new one will be lower and wider so should cure most of the aesthetic problems.

 

I imagine the Fabia3 will be lighter than the old car, MQB or not. If we're not getting a vRS hopefully some slightly more powerful standard engines will be on offer. 1.4TSI-ACT with 140BHP in a Monte/Sport style trim would do nicely

[fabandy]

Dark_Hero - I can understand your point about the VRS mk 1 and 2 being so different. Both cars were a surprise but I would have been just as disappointed not to have a direct replacement for the mk 1! The ideal would be a choice of VRS tsi and tdi like the Octavia but they may yet surprise us with something nice!

[logiclee]

Most of us who bought Fabia 2 VRS only paid between £13-15K for something that does 0-60 in seven seconds

 

 

That's the issue, at that price it's value, good value. The shortcomings can be excused at that price.

 

It's not a £17.2-£18k car + options though, at that price it doesn't sell and it gets a 2 out of 5 star review on whatcar because of that price.

The new CEO ensured the Rapid was denied certain engines and options to keep it's upper price point low. I think that's what the CEO will want to do with the Mk3 Fabia. Why have a high priced halo model that will only sell when heavily discounted. The rest of Europe tried to sell the Fabia vRS at full price and it just didn't sell.

 

Cheers

Lee

[newbie69]

I sit inside our 1.2TSi DSG and question whether the interior build is up to a £13k price point never mind £18k.

 

To show what I mean.

Fabia

http://imgproxy-cdn.skoda-auto.com/wwk2-k2carpicker/de47f5e8-fae0-478b-86a1-ab9a426ebefb_201308261139.png

£10k Fabia Reaction fine but not an £18k interior

 

208

http://carblade.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Peugeot-208-GTi-Interior.jpg

 

208 is 19k but does have 200bhp, interior looks like a 19k car though. (Although I hate French cars )

 

DSG used to be £600 in the Fabia, now it's £850ish. Audi/VW will charge you £1500+

 

Did you buy yours on the VAT deal?

 

Cheers

Lee

 

I was only talking about the vRS which actually has some differences compared to the photo you posted (Climate, leather steering wheel, semi-bucket seats etc.) More like:

 

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/content/image/2/0/2011_skoda_fabia_rs_and_fabia_wagon_rs_07-4b8dcf87bc20c.jpg

 

Plus, comparing a 2007 car with a 2013 one styling-wise, doesn't really tell much. It also doesn't say anything about the quality either.

 

But apart from that, I mentioned quite a few very important (in my opinion) areas where the vRS excells such as performance, practicallity, price, maintenance costs that normally come first when I decide for a car. If you (apparently) choose to neglect all of the above and decide if a car is worth its price solely by looking at the dash/interior styling well... it's fine by me, I just find it makes no sense to discuss seriously on that basis!

 

Edit: Just saw your question, no there where no VAT free deals in France (or pretty much elsewhere in Europe from what I've known). Amazingly (!) the vRS was still a better deal than every other competitor.

 

Edit 2: I'm saying all of this as price wasn't even the 1st most important factor for me. I had almost ordered the Polo GTI (which was the most expensive of all 3) when I found out about the vRS and at the time, I chose it for the only single (but important for me) problem I had with the Polo: Boring look and just too common! Was seeing dozens of them every day. Parked in a supermarket lot you don't know which one is yours if you don't look at the plates...

Edited 13 September, 2013 by newbie69

[lol-lol]

That's the issue, at that price it's value, good value. The shortcomings can be excused at that price.

 

It's not a £17.2-£18k car + options though, at that price it doesn't sell and it gets a 2 out of 5 star review on whatcar because of that price.

The new CEO ensured the Rapid was denied certain engines and options to keep it's upper price point low. I think that's what the CEO will want to do with the Mk3 Fabia. Why have a high priced halo model that will only sell when heavily discounted. The rest of Europe tried to sell the Fabia vRS at full price and it just didn't sell.

 

Cheers

Lee

 

Skoda/VAG/VFS are subsidizing the Finance and I would expect most dealer would move in the Retail price, it is the 11th commandment is it not "never pay retail (unless it is a Dacia ie the new Skoda).

 

True price would be closer to £16K I would have thought in real hard cash.

 

Cars sales are at a twenty year low (funny UK government said the recession was over and green shoots were here) and most car companies are desperate to move their stock and therefore selling at a constructive loss via HP or Lease.

 

 Good product, great dealers, certainly mine here is Worcs, a hoot to drive the petrol VRSs.  I would be amazed if there is not hot version for a while but then they like to tease and keep us waiting.  Look how long it has been between Civic Type Rs, the whole time of this very long and protracted recession.   

[vRSy]

Thing is i still wouldn't pay 16k for a vRS.  Its a fantastic car for £14k but its the price which makes it fantastic.

[Sparkly]

Thing is i still wouldn't pay 16k for a vRS.  Its a fantastic car for £14k but its the price which makes it fantastic.

And the owners : )

[lol-lol]

Thing is i still wouldn't pay 16k for a vRS.  Its a fantastic car for £14k but its the price which makes it fantastic.

 

 

Ohh you have quite a fine line.  

 

Been sorting out someone's import of a Zonda, not a lot less than a million £, as Einstein said, its all relative. 

[fabandy]

I think prices will always look a little inflated when you offer 20% off (VAT) - but I guess that was part of Skoda UK's strategy to weather an economic meltdown in Europe. I am still hoping that the limited engine range on the Rapid was because of the changeover to EA211 and that we will see more engines - like the 140ps 1.4 tsi act that RapidRonnie mentioned above - in both Rapid and new Fabia.