Well the time has come. My Fabia is back with Arnold Clark. It was only 4 months of ownership but they were 4 fun months (well when I had it).

Keeping it VAG I've down a deposit on a 2005 Seat Leon FR diesel. Hopefully I'll have more luck with this one.

I've learned more in 3 months from this forum than I have ever known, so thanks to everyone that replied to my posts.

You don't have to leave as you can still be a member. Although you don't have a Skoda you have a VAG group car and a lot of posts on here would be appropriate for the Leon anyway. I hope all goes well with the Leon.

Good luck with the Leon

I won't unregister just won't be browsing as much as I did before.

Hopefully I'll have better luck with the Leon. Although it has far less miles and is fully Seat serviced. So I'm hopefully it will.

Don't know the history of your vrs ownership but as the owner of an 06 Leon Sport DSG: It's a trap!

I can honestly say I will never ever buy another Seat, they've cut corners on the design (plastic rear window sections will crack, doors are a liability as they can be levered open way too easily), build (engine cover missing as standard, felt battery box, spare key non flip, thin paint, doors that leak, drain tube from sunroof nipped during build, cabin fan that sticks and the doors that are a doodle to lever open) and trim like you just wouldn't believe eg sports seats feel nice but the seat fabric is awful and wears badly. If you're familiar with the rest of the VAG brands it's a cheap imitation for GTI money.

Don't know the history of your vrs ownership but as the owner of an 06 Leon Sport DSG: It's a trap!

I can honestly say I will never ever buy another Seat, they've cut corners on the design (plastic rear window sections will crack, doors are a liability as they can be levered open way too easily), build (engine cover missing as standard, felt battery box, spare key non flip, thin paint, doors that leak, drain tube from sunroof nipped during build, cabin fan that sticks and the doors that are a doodle to lever open) and trim like you just wouldn't believe eg sports seats feel nice but the seat fabric is awful and wears badly. If you're familiar with the rest of the VAG brands it's a cheap imitation for GTI money.

Strange how Skoda, the VW groups 'budget brand' fares better than VW's 'Sporty' brand.

 

IIRC SEAT have been haemmoraeing profit for years while Skoda grow year on year.

 

If my old Toledo is anything to go by, it's no wonder. Skoda's seem far better built IMO.

Don't know the history of your vrs ownership but as the owner of an 06 Leon Sport DSG: It's a trap!

I can honestly say I will never ever buy another Seat, they've cut corners on the design (plastic rear window sections will crack, doors are a liability as they can be levered open way too easily), build (engine cover missing as standard, felt battery box, spare key non flip, thin paint, doors that leak, drain tube from sunroof nipped during build, cabin fan that sticks and the doors that are a doodle to lever open) and trim like you just wouldn't believe eg sports seats feel nice but the seat fabric is awful and wears badly. If you're familiar with the rest of the VAG brands it's a cheap imitation for GTI money.

Its the older mk1 model

I had one, wasn't a bad car. All VAG cars are as reliable / unreliable as the next. Just depends how lucky you are

Its the older mk1 model

I had one, wasn't a bad car. All VAG cars are as reliable / unreliable as the next. Just depends how lucky you are

I made no mention of its reliability, it's not let me down in that respect in any significant way yet. It is made on the cheap though, material choice and design is flawed to the point where you question why they'd do it, 3 in the family till recently and all of them have issues.

Cheers for the heads up but it's going to be something I'll find out for myself.

Used cars is a mine field and after the last few i've bought it can't be much worse.

I'd lived 5 have kept the Fabia but just wasn't worth it.

What happened with the fab? 

What happened with the fab?

Only had it 3.5 months and it was back in 7 times for the EML coming on intermittently but mostly on.

In the end it had been remapped (badly I think) it was also boosting too high even when mapped back to standard. Which would have been fine if it made it quicker but it was the same speed as my mates ibiza FR 130

Arnold Clark spent a few qquid on it in several garages including a skoda specialist who all washed they're hands of it. In the end I was told I could keep it and put up with it or send it back and have the finance cleared. So wasn't worth the risk of something going wrong a year down the line.

All this being said it was a fantastic car to drive and always made me smile. Although I felt I'd have needed to pay a few to improve the handling but again, it was suggested that the suspension wasn't standard.

You'll love the pd150!

Pulls like a train right upto the redline. You'll notice the difference.

Actually funnily enough does feel as 'punchy' low down as the fabia but having the bigger blower on it you'll notice it doesn't run 'out of puff' higher up the rev range like the pd130.

You'll love the pd150!

Pulls like a train right upto the redline. You'll notice the difference.

Actually funnily enough does feel as 'punchy' low down as the fabia but having the bigger blower on it you'll notice it doesn't run 'out of puff' higher up the rev range like the pd130.

Sounds great.

Thanks for the positive reply. Lol

Good luck with LEON, hope you have better luck than the old Skoda.. you can't win'em all.. LOL

Only had it 3.5 months and it was back in 7 times for the EML coming on intermittently but mostly on.

In the end it had been remapped (badly I think) it was also boosting too high even when mapped back to standard. Which would have been fine if it made it quicker but it was the same speed as my mates ibiza FR 130

Arnold Clark spent a few qquid on it in several garages including a skoda specialist who all washed they're hands of it. In the end I was told I could keep it and put up with it or send it back and have the finance cleared. So wasn't worth the risk of something going wrong a year down the line.

All this being said it was a fantastic car to drive and always made me smile. Although I felt I'd have needed to pay a few to improve the handling but again, it was suggested that the suspension wasn't standard.

Nightmare. Can't say my current situation is much different! 

My next move when I get the car back is to have faboka remap it hopefully, as I don't trust the remap thats on it at all. 

Nightmare. Can't say my current situation is much different!

My next move when I get the car back is to have faboka remap it hopefully, as I don't trust the remap thats on it at all.

That was my plan too. John helped me a lot through my situation and got it running back on a standard map. But it was still over boosting and Arnold Clark said they weren't prepared to spend anymore money on it so it had to go.

Shameless pic whore of my old one

Guessing yours will be the same? The fr?

Mines is red.

This one:

That was my plan too. John helped me a lot through my situation and got it running back on a standard map. But it was still over boosting and Arnold Clark said they weren't prepared to spend anymore money on it so it had to go.

Did they not have any ideas on what was causing it to still over boost on a standard map? 

That's an Fr+. Comes with the cupra r body kit and 17' versions of the cupra r alloys. The alloys on that have been resprayed at some stage. Cracking car. Needs a rear anti roll bar. Makes them handle so much better! Way better built than the fabia but not as nice as an audi.

Had one for 3 years myself. Sorry I ever sold it.

That's an Fr+. Comes with the cupra r body kit and 17' versions of the cupra r alloys. The alloys on that have been resprayed at some stage. Cracking car. Needs a rear anti roll bar. Makes them handle so much better! Way better built than the fabia but not as nice as an audi.

Had one for 3 years myself. Sorry I ever sold it.

Happy days. Didn't realise you got an FR+

The alloys have all just been refurbished with brand new tyres all round. Not sure what brand yet though.

Really looking forward to getting it now. Just waiting on the finance to be cleared from the fabia and then it will start on this and I can go down and collect it. It's a Roadtrip but sure will be worth it.

Yes fr+ was the run-out model so gets a few tweeks

Mine was the FR so it had the cupra bumpers instead of the R ones and had different alloys

The red FR looks very much (to me) like a Honda TypeR, just it's slower than one, but the Ibiza does have four doors, which is very much a plus (for me)..