Thinking of chopping in my VRS after only 7 months. After a total of 13 months in a mk2 vrs I have come to the conclusion that I hate the DSG box, and he general feel that the car is a sporty engine in a base model fabia (type feel).

Been looking at mk5 ibizas. My Other half has a 1.4 and it's a great looking car. I'm quite interested in the pre facelift 2.0 TDI FR, has anyone had any experience of these?

Is that the 2.0TDI Common Rail engine 140bhp in the pre fl??

 

Have driven that engine in a few other VAG models (Golf and A4) and liked it smooth, powerful, reasonably quiet.  Always thought the Ibiza that received that lump had the potential to be a lot of fun tuned up.

 

Never been in love with the Ibiza's looks though.  Unsure if it will represent a big step up in perceived quality (ride rattles etc) from the Fabia either.  Also are they available as five door?

Have a look at a Fiesta ST. Seems to be top dog in the world of small hot hatches.

Plus it has a proper gear box

Is that the 2.0TDI Common Rail engine 140bhp in the pre fl??

Have driven that engine in a few other VAG models (Golf and A4) and liked it smooth, powerful, reasonably quiet. Always thought the Ibiza that received that lump had the potential to be a lot of fun tuned up.

Never been in love with the Ibiza's looks though. Unsure if it will represent a big step up in perceived quality (ride rattles etc) from the Fabia either. Also are they available as five door?

Yes the 143 CR engine.

I know the quality of the Ibizas and understand it is not a step up. The Ibiza "feels" a lot more driver focused IMO though. You sit lower, and the roofline is lower etc.

Have a look at a Fiesta ST. Seems to be top dog in the world of small hot hatches.

Plus it has a proper gear box

If I was buying new again I would definitely look at this option. Looking to buy a used car and try and save some money

I sympathise somewhat but prepare to be offered only,perhaps,£11k.

I'm not averse to the dsg but agree that a manual box can be better in certain circumstances.

As many have said before certain aspects of the Fabia feel cheap...but it is a cheap car!!!

When I look back on the cars I've had I often think Car A had plenty of power but other aspects were less good,or Car B was not that fast but had good handling or other attributes.

For me the vRS falls into the Car A category.

But I will be keeping it because it does its everyday reasonably economical runabout job well enough and by keeping it another 3 years or so (I have the 5 year warranty) the depreciation should even out.

I'm not knocking the Fabia too much, and didn't mean to offend. I just think the DSG ruins the car for me. In D it always changed up too early and in S it holds the gears too long and is un drivable IMO. Manual mode just doesn't have the feel I want without a clutch.

I looked at the Ibiza FR before I bought the Monte but the interior, I thought anyway, is pants compared to the Fabia and it's a slightly smaller all round package.

The FRs do look good but it's certainly no step up in quality compared to the Fabia, got a better deal from Skoda too, the Seat dealers weren't as eager to strike a deal as much as Skoda were.

The new Leon is a cracking car, looked at them too but they were out of my price range, build quality both inside and outside are top notch as well.

I beg to differ, my now ex girlfriend has one of these, feels a much better finished car than my fabia. Handles pretty well too, good engine, great little car.

The problem with the fabia is it sits too high and because of that it is not as comfortable around bends as the FR.

Just my opinion of course, but have done many miles in my old Fabia vRS and apart from straight line acceleration the FR feels better, plus the manual makes the FR feel much better, as my dsg never seemed to be able to make its mind up.

If you want drivers car from Seat i would forget the Ibiza and some of the Leon and look at the Leon that come with Multilink suspension.

 

The Ibiza might look better than a Fabia, that does not make it better. Nice Though & Costlier.

(the roof of a Cupra is actually less than 3" lower than the vRS roof.)

 

george

The Ibiza does handle better, Seat is VAG's sporty budget brand but I still reckon that Skoda build quality is better than Seat.

If the new Leon is a sign of things to come from Seat then the next Ibiza will be a great car.

The new Octavia build quality is excellent too being built on the same platform as the new Leon, Mk7 Golf and Audi A3 so the next generation Ibiza and Fabia should be closer to VW standards.

Skoda, especially with the Fabia, are moving away from sports models so the Ibiza will be the natural successor to the Fabia vRS.

If you want drivers car from Seat i would forget the Ibiza and some of the Leon and look at the Leon that come with Multilink suspension.

The Ibiza might look better than a Fabia, that does not make it better. Nice Though & Costlier.

(the roof of a Cupra is actually less than 3" lower than the vRS roof.)

george

I didn't say I want a "drivers car", just not the dsg in the vrs

Gazbull17,

I have driven the FR (only with DSG Though) and several Cupra, pre 2013 and the new one with different suspension,

I ordered one and they kept not delivering.

and i drive a vRS,

 

They drive different, better will be the opinion of the driver.

215/40 R 17 tyres on the Cupra feels different,  215/40 R 17 tyres on a vRS and it can feel different.

 

EDIT,

Grapo,

'the Ibiza "feels" more like a driver focused car'. or what ever,  Is that not the same thing as wanting a Drivers car.?

Please don't attempt to de-rail this thread George.

Has anyone driven the 2.0 CR in the ibiza FR?

Best that you drive one and tell us,

i happened to like the Ibiza 150Ps DSG FR (petrol) and liked it as much as a much as a 180ps,

and took out a couple of bigger Seat Diesels with 6 speed DSG and seriously disliked, but then i like DSG's and even if i could drive manuals i would not. 

 

I am in no way attempting to derail your thread, you mention the Ibiza so i assume you have driven and like.

I know nothing about Manuals, i know a bit about Seats.

 

So it kind of matters how good and reliable Seats are, and since you mentioned depreciation earlier.

There are issued to be aware of, and there are some members that in the last year have come back to Skodas from having Seats.

Good packages available with Seat's and if buying to keep you can do OK.

If you need to sell or change one, you can get hit hard in the pocket shifting a Seat to other than Seat Dealers,

even then they sometimes do not want them back.

 

They are much the same as Skodas but with looks that some like, i like them & i like the Options Available,

other than the new lights, and if you like Seats, then great.

 

george

No worries George, just don't want a load of videos of empty Scottish roads being posted.

I don't see SEATs as necessarily better build quality, I just think the driving position makes you feel more involved (even if this is perceived involvement).

I had a mk4 ibiza pd130 fr before my two fabia vrs's, so know a little about the brand. As stated my gf has a 1.4 mk5 ibiza so I have driven this and know the build quality. Was looking for views of the 2.0 CR in particular though.

I have not read a bad word on them, and what i like about Seat is that where they can they stick with what works.

Only VW seam to hold them back when the have winners on their hands, 

I was taken out by a salesman in the one of the new Leon and it felt really good.

They promised me the loan of a 184ps DSG when they have one available.

 

Have fun trying one out.

 

george

I have driven the SEAT Ibiza FR CR140 and the only disappointment for me was the engine is very petrol-like. The CR engines don't have anything like the thrust-you-forward effect of the old PD130 unless they are remapped, in which case it apparently feels just like the old PD130 but not as rough.

The plastics in the dashboard are VERY hard and shiny and not a patch on the current Fabia, but the seats and most other fittings are the same.

The single biggest reason I would buy the SEAT over the Fabia though, is the xenon headlamp option. I simply could not live with the headlamps on the Mk IÍ Fabia. I genuinely think they are so bad they are dangerous.

grapo,  

i forgot you had a vRS before this vRS.  

How come you bought a second one before realising you hated the DSG,

what is different from the first car ?

<snip> I hate the DSG box, and the general feel that the car is a sporty engine in a base model fabia (type feel). <snip>

 

<snip>

I'm not averse to the dsg but agree that a manual box can be better in certain circumstances.

As many have said before certain aspects of the Fabia feel cheap...but it is a cheap car!!!

<snip>

 

What is the problem with the DSG box?  On th eface of it, it seems like a fantastic idea, is it unreliable or does it restrict your driving options?

 

Similarly, in what way is the Fabia "cheap"?

 

Finally, I have just downloaded the January 2014 brochure and see that Skoda are still pushing the Fabia VRS - I thought that they were dropping it?

 

ps - Happy 2014 to all

grapo,

i forgot you had a vRS before this vRS.

How come you bought a second one before realising you hated the DSG,

what is different from the first car ?

I think when I purchased my second one I was still in the "I will get used to it phase"

What is the problem with the DSG box? On th eface of it, it seems like a fantastic idea, is it unreliable or does it restrict your driving options?

Similarly, in what way is the Fabia "cheap"?

Finally, I have just downloaded the January 2014 brochure and see that Skoda are still pushing the Fabia VRS - I thought that they were dropping it?

ps - Happy 2014 to all

I don't like the dsg because for a sporty car it's always on the wrong gear. Don't get me wrong it's very smooth and easy to drive but it changes up far to soon, and remains in a high gear when slowing down to take corners or roundabout meaning you float round them instead of being ready to give it the beans.

S mode is also very badly executed and is basically a redline in every gear mode. There needs to be a happy medium between the D mode and S mode, but there isn't.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but te dsg just doesn't work for me on the vrs. On a big barge of a cruiser maybe yes, but a sporty small hatchback, no.

There is a Gear Stick (or paddles) and a choice of 7 gears, the car drives as a manual if you want.

No need to use D or S,

& if you forget the low 1st gear you have 6 gears to choose manually, and the only thing missing is a clutch pedal.

There is a Gear Stick (or paddles) and a choice of 7 gears, the car drives as a manual if you want.

No need to use D or S,

& if you forget the low 1st gear you have 6 gears to choose manually, and the only thing missing is a clutch pedal.

Yes George the important part is the clutch peddle is missing! Meaning changing gear manually in a DSG is a horribly unconnected experience

Edited 2 January, 201412 yr by grapo

I don't like the dsg because for a sporty car it's always on the wrong gear. Don't get me wrong it's very smooth and easy to drive but it changes up far to soon, and remains in a high gear when slowing down to take corners or roundabout meaning you float round them instead of being ready to give it the beans.

S mode is also very badly executed and is basically a redline in every gear mode. There needs to be a happy medium between the D mode and S mode, but there isn't.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but te dsg just doesn't work for me on the vrs. On a big barge of a cruiser maybe yes, but a sporty small hatchback, no.

IMO your issues can be overcome.

I never use the S setting and rarely the manual setting

....BUT when I want to drive briskly,e.g through a roundabout,I just click on the left paddle which means I will go through and exit in a lively manner in gear 2 or 3,accelerate sharply but,when up to speed the box will have reverted back to D by itself.

To me the box is more annoying in parking and its hesistancy in getting away from juctions.