It was on a 54 plate facelift EP3 model

All I have to say wow, so underpowered Hardly Amy torque, gearing was notchy and brakes were shoddy...

only plus points were seats and interior!

Preferred my old celica t sport over the Type r

I'm so glad I picked the fabia vrs diesel over the Type r lol

Did the vtec not kick in yo?

You have to drive them hard, really hard.

When I had my celica t sport, it had lift which kicked in aggressively from 6,200rpm

The type r vtec seems gradual at top end its ok, but such lack of torque means that getting it to its potential is hard given the fact it's not practical power

I wasn't that impressed with this vtec yo

If it's anything like my mates celica t-sport then I wasn't impressed. Makes loads of noise then even more noise in the 'lift' but still doesn't get moving that quickly.

I had one of the 1st VTEC.s brand new way back in 1990 ... hated every second of it and got shot after 6 months

I drove one the other week - hatefull.

It's all down to how you drive them. 

The easy power of a diesel or remapped turbo petrol feels faster lower down, but when you live with one then you get used to it and drive accordingly.  I agree that they initially feel underpowered though. 

In the hands of someone who knows what they are doing then they are a fantastic car.  My remapped Octavia would be slightly quicker in a straight line from standstill but show a standard vRS of any kind a corner and it's game over.  Even a mildly tweaked Skoda still handles like a barge in comparison.  It's all down to personal taste at the end of the day.  If we all drove turbo powered cars then where's the variety?

Shame vtec is now dead

It's all down to how you drive them.

The easy power of a diesel or remapped turbo petrol feels faster lower down, but when you live with one then you get used to it and drive accordingly. I agree that they initially feel underpowered though.

In the hands of someone who knows what they are doing then they are a fantastic car. My remapped Octavia would be slightly quicker in a straight line from standstill but show a standard vRS of any kind a corner and it's game over. Even a mildly tweaked Skoda still handles like a barge in comparison. It's all down to personal taste at the end of the day. If we all drove turbo powered cars then where's the variety?

What you saying that I don't know what I'm doing with that machine? Lol

All cars are going Turbo now, look at new type r out next year.... Turbo it Is....

If it's a turbo type r that redlines at 9000rpm then your talking

you have to drive them like they are stolen lol to get them going I reckon they are ok for what they are nothing special

What you saying that I don't know what I'm doing with that machine? Lol

All cars are going Turbo now, look at new type r out next year.... Turbo it Is....

If it's a turbo type r that redlines at 9000rpm then your talking

 

Nah, not implying anything at all mate.  It's down to personal preference at the end of the day.  Having owned various cars over the years I've come round to the philosophy that driving is about enjoying the experience rather than going really quickly (must be getting old).

I've had more fun over the years in the cars that leave me with happy motoring memories.  Mk1 Golf Gti, S1 106 Rallye and my current car are about working to make progress.  The remapped Octavia was nice in terms of being fast, but it made me a lazy driver - it was all too easy.  The Type R makes you work for your rewards and some people can't be arsed to do that so prefer instant power. 

As for the new Type R, the purists won't like it!

Of course they will feel like they have little torque if your driving a turbo diesel regular. It might feel slow to you... But dont race it for V5's unless your fabia is running good power.

I dont like vtec either.

Its all about torque at useable revs for me, having to change down gears or waiting for vtec to kick in (yo!) isnt what i like.

My best mate loves them with a passion though. Just like he likes redling his Inline 4 motorbikes, And i prefer a decent vtwin.

Its all down to driving style and taste i think.

I will say though. That same mate, with a 1.5 single cam vtec, has commented on how much more torquey my 1.2 HTP 70 fabia is, without revving it lol.

Depends what you get used to i suppose

In my opinion the mark 1 Fabia VRS is better in every way than the 54 plate Type R

 

It's feel more solid, better built (no flimsy door panels)

More practical (5 doors vs 3 doors)

More economical

Lower insurance group

The CTR has no air con unless added as a factory optional extra

The CTR costs a lot more new

Fabia is more comfortable (no need to rev the nuts off unless they can stand the noise)

 

The money and fuel saved on the Fabia VRS can be put towards lowering and a remap and still left with plenty of change over the CTR.

In my opinion the mark 1 Fabia VRS is better in every way than the 54 plate Type R

Handling

Edited 7 April, 201412 yr by BigJase88

Handling

Yeah the CTR is better handling than a standard Fabia VRS but the money saved can be put towards suspension/lowering.

Edited 7 April, 201412 yr by fabia55

Yeah the CTR is better handling than a standard Fabia VRS but the money saved can be put towards suspension/lowering.

I heard even with handling mods such as coilovers, anti roll bar and polybushes Still don't bring the fabia up to level of the type R

But saying that the fabia does feel safe and planted just keep it within its capabilities

Mine is mapped to 168bhp, 283lb of torque and it definitely felt more refined and composed in its power delivery. On the other hand the civic sounded whiney and a bit unstable, you can't drive it at low speed it's like a fiery jack Russel waiting to take off

I find the gearbox in the fabia wayyy better over the civic, more precise and better ratios

Diesel power lol

Handling

 

Noise.

 

Revs/red line.

 

Resale? (Not sure on the last one though.)

 

As much as I love my 330d, I do fine the engine frustrating at times, but then I think back to how annoying my RX-8 was daily, and I think I've made the right choice. If I wanted a car for fun - it wouldn't be the heavy 6 cylinder derv I'd choose!

Edited 7 April, 201412 yr by TriggerFish

I've also heard that a Fabia vRS is as fast as an M3 and can take a Mustang Like a King.....

Noise.

 

Revs/red line.

 

Im not sure on the noise tbh. Iv heard a few with aftermarket exhausts on and they just sound too high pitched and screamy.

High Redline can be a laugh, but its equally a pain in the bum to have to rev up there to get the power

I struggle with the concept of a car that unless you are ragging the plums off it is as flat as a fart.

The Type R runs rings round any Fabia or Octy for handling and maybe ricing it around a track it is a quick car too, but there are too many real world driving situations where the Type R either can't hit Vtec (yo!) because of traffic etc and is infuriatingly wet or you have to drive it like an utter tool to get it to do what cars with forced induction do without breaking a sweat or embarrassing you by screaming about it.

I like it as a concept, but having driven a couple I could never bring myself to buy one.

The CTR is a far better motor than a fabia.

Faster, handles better, the gearstick is were you want it. If you think the CTR is slow go drive one properly. Plenty of power before the vtec, PLENTY!

Why do all fabia drivers try to justify their cars in comparison to a CTR?

They are completely different cars. Both have plus and minus points. All depends what YOU want as a driver / owner.

In the most polite way possible, Its a skoda forum, many people on it drive fabias, and its a thread about CTR. Comparison in some way is bound to occur .

It all depends what you prefer. What your tastes and driving style take to. Vtec isnt for me. Id rather have a diesel than have a vtec.. But others swear blind they're the best thing in the world lol.