Well, a year ago I part-exchanged my Skoda Superb Twindoor 4x4 170ps (probably the best car I've ever had in over 45 years driving) for a Kia Sorento KX2 SATNAV Auto - the Superb was an exceptional car and I LOVED it, but I needed something heavier for my new caravan which was 1470Kg unladen (the Kia is a great tow-car if anyone wants to buy mine!!!!).  To cut a long and very boring story short, my wife and I have now decided to go down the Motorhome route so new Motorhome has been ordered, caravan has gone, Kia is going, her lovely little 3-year old Audi A1 is going and all we have to do now is choose which small(ish) car to get instead (I dont want two cars AND a Motorhome) ???????

 

Wife wont drive big cars and has an aversion to estate cars (even though we've had at least three over the years) - however, I have JUST discovered the new Fabia Estate SE L 1.2TSi DSG - and I want one!!!!!  It looks like a slightly stretched hatchback, has an amazing load carrying possibility and looks great.  What's more my wife "quite likes it"..... only down side so far is my local Skoda dealer doesn't yet have one to look at "in the flesh" so to speak.

 

I've looked at BMW Active Sport (£27,000+) - Audi A3 Sportback (£26,000+) - Volvo V40 (£25,000+) - VW Golf SV (£24,000+) etc. etc. and although they are all very nice, none of them offer such great value for money as the Fabia Estate (equivalent specs £18,000) - as you can see with comparable specs they are all several thousands of pounds dearer.

 

I do have one other small problem though, IF when we see one for real we like it, do we go for the 1.2TSi 110PS DSG (petrol) or the 1.4TDi 90PS DSG (diesel)?  We haven't bought a petrol engined car in over 25 years now and are very keen diesel fans but is the small diesel in the Fabia worth the extra money AND is the 1.2 petrol engine man enough for the job?

 

Any useful comments would be helpful!  (Sorry if I've bored you all!)

Optimist

 

The lower powered 1.2 seems to get the nod from all the motoring experts - enough grunt for most eventualities.

 

However, as a family of 5 and a big dog I am swaying towards the higher output 1.2.  I'm not under any illusion that it will be a sports car but will give enough spare capacity to ensure the brood can be transported in comfort and it should have a wee bit left if you wish to push on a bit.

 

I've got a 170bhp Octavia estate at the moment - great car, but the equivalent MKIII Octavia is more than I want to spend and a bit bigger which I don't need.  A cheeky 110bhp Fabia Estate SEL for £15,000 could fit the bill quite nicely for me next year when suitable discounts should be readily available.

It's a very good looking estate, I've ordered one in SE trim.

 

 

Frank.

BA Baracus,

as you currently have a powerful Octavia Estate, I would imagine you would feel the 1.2 Fabia a little underwhelming.

But worry not! My current Fabia Estate Greenline has pleasantly surprised me. My boy racer days are over, being 57. When my son takes over the driving, he regularly cruises at 95mph - not because I want him to!

Now that my car is 3 years old, I've decided to change to a 1.2 petrol. On the test drive I was pleased on its performance, compared to my diesel. It overtakes wonderfully, without drama, it goes uphill very well and I easily attained 80mph - briefly mind you, and with only 90bhp. So I can only guess at the pleasure you get from your Octavia.

I visited my dealer yesterday, and was disappointed that my new car may not have a CD player! Is this real?

Frank.

No CD, probably an SD card slot in the cubby. 

Really no CD player?! How times have changed lol

No CD but an SD card is so vastly better that it's no sacrifice really. It only takes a small amount of time to put a large number of CDs onto a card and then you can switch between them very quickly with no fumbling around. Sound quality is very good and I can't see anything much not to like!

 

No CD but an SD card is so vastly better that it's no sacrifice really. It only takes a small amount of time to put a large number of CDs onto a card and then you can switch between them very quickly with no fumbling around. Sound quality is very good and I can't see anything much not to like!

 having a choice of both would have been better even as an option,

Whilst tempted by the better co2 emissions and performance on the TSI's, particularly the DSG, has anybody observed the rear passenger floor space on the MK3? I have a MK1 and was in the market for a MK3, but having got the steering wheel and seat where I needed it on the MK3 the rear passenger leg space was pretty auwful compared to my MK1 and the MK2, I ended up getting stock clearance MK2. I got to sit in an estate MK3 and a hatch, no difference.  Looking at all that boot space on the estate, well both really, I wish they had managed to surrender a bit more of it to the rear passengers.

The other thing that put me off the MK3 but less so, was the mirrorlink system which whilst adopted by other car makers it remains to be seen how well the phone app industry will take to it, particularly for my unforgiving apple phone.

 

Externally the Mk3 is far better looking I thought, particularly the estate over the MK2 estate but like so many other skoda buyers I buy with my head first, my heart second

One thing I like about our Spaceback, it has decent rear passenger space while retaining a good size boot; fitted an old gas cooker in there the other day with ease (rear seats down obviously).

 

 

TP

I really like the look of the new Fabia Estate and could be tempted out of my Citigo in a year or so when the price drops a little and a Monte Carlo version (or, dare I say it, a slightly 'warmer' version) appears.

I really like the look of the new Fabia Estate and could be tempted out of my Citigo in a year or so when the price drops a little and a Monte Carlo version (or, dare I say it, a slightly 'warmer' version) appears.

It won't be warmer, just cosmetic like the current Monte.

One thing I like about our Spaceback, it has decent rear passenger space while retaining a good size boot; fitted an old gas cooker in there the other day with ease (rear seats down obviously).

 

 

TP

The only trouble with the Spaceback is the looks, it just doesn't look right IMO.

It won't be warmer, just cosmetic like the current Monte.

 

I'm an eternal optimist!

I'm an eternal optimist!

I think we all are !!!

I too like the look of the combi but does it still have its back seats that when lowered do not go all the way down ? i.e they are around 45 degrees ! Not keen on that as it makes the whole usefulness of an estate a bit mute.

Hello Hudson1,

 

I'm afraid I don't know the answer yet. But I'm going to my dealer on Tuesday, to arrange the part-exchange.

 

I know my current Greenline Estate rear seats don't lie perfectly flat.  In any case since I have 2 baby seats in the rear, I won 't be needing that feature very often.

 

In any case, my trusty old Fiat Doblo is the perfect estate in my opinion! Not pretty, but it does the job.  The current Doblos are bigger by all accounts.

 

 

 

Frank.

I'm looking forward to the 2.0T 4WD vRS version...... ;-)

Went to see the new estate last week - its great to look at, yet to test drive though as they didn't have the diesel DSG available, only the petrol DSG in the hatchback.  Also the saleslady informed me the estate can now be ordered with a sunroof and a removable towball.

 

Regarding the rear seats - when they are lowered they go way beyond the 45 degrees mentioned by Hudson1.  If you remember to raise the head rests a little before you lower the backs of the seats, they go almost flat and with the weight of whatever you put in the back, they go even flatter - not quite horizontal though.

Thanks for the Optimist, i will go and have a look at it and try the seats out, i like the idea in some cars when you pull up the lower seat to the rears can fall flat and you have effectively a box shaped hole in the back, this can be very useful.

Did the Mk 2's back seats only go to 45 degrees then??? - as I never had that issue with my Mk 1 - if I didn;t flip the bases up then there was a bit of an angle but not much and it was quickly resolve by flipping the bases or taking them out anyhow...

http://autocar.co.uk/car-review/skoda/fabia/first-drives/2015-skoda-fabia-estate-review

 

There is competition for similar prices and engine sizes other than the Seat Ibiza ST like a Peugeot 308 SW

which has more rear space.

Edited 9 February, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

All rather annoying for us! We have a Motability car and it came up for change last November (every three years), we need a large (500l+) boot for the wheelchair and everything else we take with us when we go away. So I went and looked at Skoda (Fabia, Rapid and Octavia). The Fabia was big enough but I wanted a diesel auto and the Mk2 didn't have that option. The Rapid's boot is far too small (especially for an estate) and the Octy was too pricey (£700 more up front payment than a Golf) so we ended up with a Golf... I'd have liked to go back to a Fabia after having owned two in the past but we'll have to wait until 2017!

 

BTW I've always felt the Estate versions of the Fabia to be nicer looking cars than the hatch which has always looked strange with that rear end "lump"...

The only trouble with the Spaceback is the looks, it just doesn't look right IMO.

I quite like it, it was the numerous reviews that seemed to critique its drive that concerned my although I have not ever driven one to form a view.  I'm probably less sensitive than a critic about the various handling nuances.

Thanks for the Optimist, i will go and have a look at it and try the seats out, i like the idea in some cars when you pull up the lower seat to the rears can fall flat and you have effectively a box shaped hole in the back, this can be very useful.

 

From the Autocar review in post #72: