Out of curiosity rather than any immediate plan I called in at the Ford dealer today and sat in a new Focus.

In the future I may be interested in the ST version,they didn't have one in,so I just sat in a lesser model.

The drivers seat was set forward and high so I cranked it down,set it the right distance for pedal reach and adjusted the wheel down and out to suit my arm reach...bear in mind I'm only 5 10 wth shortish legs.

I then sat in the back behind the driver's seat and,major surprise,my knees were against the seat back,so apparently the same or even perhaps less room than the Fabia!!!

A quick look in the boot revealed apparently more space,but it only seemed a bit more than the Fabia hatch.

Quite a disappointment all in all.

Edited 13 September, 201312 yr by XK140

But the fabia is a bland box ?

I found in the new focus (hire car on holiday ) I drove knee rubbed on centre console sat in back knee rubbed on window winder. Felt a lot more cramped in the cabin than swmbo's monte

Thanks for adding to your long history of useless spam on this forum,Seboni.

Edited 13 September, 201312 yr by XK140

I found in the new focus (hire car on holiday ) I drove knee rubbed on centre console sat in back knee rubbed on window winder. Felt a lot more cramped in the cabin than swmbo's monte

Hmm..the point was that I expected the Fiesta to be on a par with the Fabia for interior space but that the Focus would easily beat it,seems not.

I completely second that. Apart from comparisons with other friends cars, I was at the Geneva motor show this year, and almost every other car I sat in (Citroen DS4, Focus ST, Evo X) seemed more squeezed in terms of interior space than my vRS. I don't know how this happens since from the outside, the car doesn't look that big at all, but in reality it beats any other comparable car (or even bigger ones) out there! Funnily, one of the things that may turn it into a keeper...

Thanks for adding to your long history of useless spam on this forum,Seboni.

No no I meant it in a positive way, I've owned 2 fabias and they are the tardis in car mode , I regularly got stuff in the back with the seats down that would amaze you , by simply removing the rear seat completely its awesome but square the other vehicles end to be less cavernous than the fabia , useless spam ? I love battered spam , the golf I've got at the moment has less space in the boot than the fabia had when seats are down simply because seats in the golf don't fold flat

Edited 13 September, 201312 yr by seboni121

I'm moving house shortly, another 10 miles up the road but am down sizing. If you had seen the amount of stuff I've taken to the tip in my little Fabia you'd be amazed.

 

To be honest, I love the Fabia as it does everything I want/need it to. It's practical, reliable, and comfortable.

 

I fear the styling of the Fiesta will quickly date and I certainly couldn't live with that " Cell phone" dash.

In the Fabia you sit high, even with the seats in the lowered position you sit high with bent knees front and back. This means it's easy to get in and out and the you do not have to push the front seat back to far.

 

We also have a new BMW 1 series which is a much bigger car but you sit on the floor and with the longitudinal engine you have the 8 speed gearbox sat in the transmission tunnel eating into the front footwell. Because the front seats are further back the rear seats have less space and then your have the rear wheel drive transmission tunnel in the middle.

The Fabia doesn't have more space but it feels like it does with the higher seating and open footwells. If you are getting on a bit and need to get in and out of the back seats the Fabia is much easier.

 

But that's how the Fabia was designed it's boxy and tall, it looks a bit odd and not as funky as many hatches but it's designed for space and easy entry/exit.

 

Many bigger cars will not feel as spacious.

 

Cheers

Lee

Edited 13 September, 201312 yr by logiclee

Am i in a parallel world or is there something different i see or drive inside  a vRS.

 

What feels like more space, is more space,  if it is actually more space, its not virtual.

your feet or knees have space to move. More room, not cramped is the same as more space not just the feeling of.

 

I drive with my artificial foot to the right of the throttle and the left foot on the throttle,

due to that foot well space, then my shoulders not rubbing on the door.

Passengers hands do get in the way of the gear stick sometimes, same as in many cars.

 

The seat goes right down and then right back on the runners, THe steering wheel goes down and out, and thats my driving position out of town.

if i leave it in that position and someone else gets in the car they pump it back up,

that is young hip drivers that have things like Focus RS etc.

 

As much space behind the drivers seat fully down and back as there would be in some 3 door fiesta or the likes.

Am i in a parallel world or is there something different i see or drive inside  a vRS.

 

What feels like more space, is more space,  if it is actually more space, its not virtual.

your feet or knees have space to move. More room, not cramped is the same as more space not just the feeling of.

 

 

 

Not strictly true George, the industry has standard measures for front and rear legroom, shoulder width, boot space etc.

 

With every measure the Focus and 1 Series have more "Space" than the Fabia. I've owned all three and still own two. The boot is bigger on the Ford and BMW but the Fabia's interior makes very good use of it's smaller cabin. The dash is small, the centre console is very thin and low and most importantly you sit high. When you sit high you sit a lot closer the the pedals and that free's up rear seat space. In the Fabia I sit around 10" closer to the pedals than in the BMW as in the BMW you sit  low with your legs stretched out. 

 

The Fabia is an excellent package for such a small car, that's why I've bought three of them, the tall boxy body allows high seating which maximises space and being a budget supermini it does without big wrap around dashboards and big centre consoles. Width is still tight for three in the back which is better in the Focus but the seating arrangement in the Fabia makes it very easy to get in and out.

 

Cheers

Lee

Basically they are what they are, i had more room in a iQ as a driver that the majority of medium sized cars,

more space than many big cars,

 

So when going to buy a Twincharger first i went for an Audi.

the A1 had almost the same space and seating to pedal position to an iQ so i ordered one, but the 185PS kept not coming..

The Ibiza was uncomfortable and felt cramped,

the Polo was cramped & the wide sill was not good for foot space or access.  Thats why sitting in and trying cars is important,

measurements count for nowt.

 

http://www.motability.co.uk/cars-and-wavs/search

Bottom of the page, '>Accessibility needs', as easy as it gets to see cars and measurements.

 

george

But, as I said before we shouldn't compare cars from different groupings. i/e Fabia = supermini, Focus, BMW1  small family. If the Fabia is getting anywhere near a Focus or BMW1 for size, surely that is amazing in itself?

 

One should compare the Fabia to the BMW Mini or the Fiesta when looking at size comparisons. Fabia performs very well in the supermini class for size.

I too have been in a Focus ST again today.  Im back there tomorrow for another test drive and to discuss costs and part ex prices a bit more.

 

You definitely feel more hemmed in, in the ST.  The seats are much more supportive, but i dont think this car would be comfortable if you were overweight (Im 5'9" and 13 stone asnd they HUG tight).  I also think the dash/centre console etc is much larger and protrudes outwards at an angle to focus around the driver more which gives the feeling of less interior space.  in the Fabia which comparatively is flat as a pancake from one side to the other it has much more free space between the passengers/driver and the dashboard.

 

 

At no point sat in the ST did i think that i needed more space.  I also tried the rear seats with my car in my normal driving position and had oodles of space available between my knees and the seat, although i do agree that the Fabia might have slightly more.  I think what people need to bear in mind is that the Fabia is definitely punching way above its weight with regards to space.  Same deal with the Octavia vs the competition.

 

Im hoping to get a spin in the Mountune 275 ST tomorrow.  

I too have been in a Focus ST again today.  Im back there tomorrow for another test drive and to discuss costs and part ex prices a bit more.

 

You definitely feel more hemmed in, in the ST.  The seats are much more supportive, but i dont think this car would be comfortable if you were overweight (Im 5'9" and 13 stone asnd they HUG tight).  I also think the dash/centre console etc is much larger and protrudes outwards at an angle to focus around the driver more which gives the feeling of less interior space.  in the Fabia which comparatively is flat as a pancake from one side to the other it has much more free space between the passengers/driver and the dashboard.

 

 

 

 

Wrap around dashes, bigger centre consoles and big seats all eat into space, our BMW is the same.

 

 

But even really big cars do the same too.

Jaguar XF Saloon,

 

 

Cheers

Lee

It definitely feels roomier in the Fabia than Mrs Oz's Fiesta. Maybe it's the higher "ceiling" - I guess the boxy shape helps, especially in the rear.

 

There is no real difference in space in the front between the Fabia than my (previous generation) Focus. The main difference is in the back, where the middle seat in the Focus looked like it could fit someone (skinny), whereas you can see in the Fabia that you would need to be a half-starved kid to be comfortable in the middle for long. I could fit a child seat in the middle in the Focus and still fit people to either side; in the Fabia I have put the same seat on the passenger side and can only really take one other passenger in the back.

The old vRS estate I had was huge, only drawback is it is a narrow car. Trying to go three up in the back was a challenge we didnt often take on with the car

Well, ive done the deal.  Goodbye Fabia, hello Focus ST

Another vRS owner bites the dust.

Good choice, I know the vRS is a good car but not in the same league as a Focus ST or Fiesta ST for that matter.

Defo a little bit more room in the Focus and Ford has a better pedigree for hot hatches than Skoda has, for road going cars anyway.

I know people don't like the Fabia interior but I prefer the no nonsense workmanlike appearance to the more fussy, scattered glossy buttons of the Ford but it still wouldn't stop me buying one if I was in that market.

Enjoy the Focus, I loved the XR2 and XR3s of old which were the cars of my later teenage years!

I do like my Fast Fords ive had my fair shgare of them in the past including an XR2i, RS1800, XR3i, Mk1 ST24, Mk2 ST24, Mk2 ST200, Mk3 ST TDCI, Scorpio Cosoworth, Mk2 Focus ST and no this one.

You've had your fair share then so your not going in blindfolded.

You'll know what I mean then about my fondness for Ford XRs.

The RS1600i was my personal favourite but it was rare to find one that hadn't been wrapped round a lamppost or nicked for the 7 spoke alloys!

We'll see if I look back at my Skoda days in years to come with the same rose tinted specs.

BUT Fabias are much more reliable-see 'Auto Express' Driver Power survey.

P.S. I regularly travel for up to 2 hours in my Fabia2 and am very comfortable.

Well, ive done the deal.  Goodbye Fabia, hello Focus ST

Having taken a good bit of inspiration from your project build Sy, thought someone should say thanks for treading the untrodden path early and seeing what the Mk2 Fab vRS could do.

Hope you enjoy the Ford. Is it the estate, for me it's a stunner.

if you get down to basics the Focus ST is a better car than the Fabia vRS,although running costs will be higher,but you get what you pay for and to the best of my knowledge an ST2 will sell discounted at about £20k whereas the Fab vRS with some options will be £15k.

So,you can say it's only X amount per month more but in the real world £5k is quite a lot of money or,in relative terms,33% more than a Fabia...and you have also got to say that there would be no expectations of the Ford having a great residual value.

You pay your money and make your choice...

Well the Focus competes with the Golf - but I guess re. handling there is a little more er mmm - focus?

No wonder you are excited, vRSy!