Fabia'04 to Citigo'63 - an upgrade or a downgrade?

[winlaw]

Hi everyone!

 

This is my first post, after several years lurking in the shadows as Mk1 Fabia owner.

 

I had my silver Fabia Elegance 1.4 for 9 years and it proved very sturdy and reliable.  But it is now 10 years old and it is time to move on, so I am replacing it with a 1-year old Citigo 75PS Greentech (a midnight blue ex-demonstrator that's done 2,800 miles), which I will be collecting next weekend.

 

This change can obviously be described as DOWNsizing but in other ways it is an UPgrade, since technology and design have advanced such a long way since the first Fabias rolled off the production line.

 

Has anyone else made a similar move?  If so, what do you particularly like about the Citigo and is there anything you miss about your previous car?

 

One thing I am looking forward to is lower running costs - once you add up fuel, breakdown assistance, MOT, car tax, repairs etc the savings should be about £1200 p.a. for the first 2 years.  So financially it makes a lot of sense.  And I think it's going to be a lot of fun...

 

[Toxicvrs]

Taylor93 did the same thing,

[Oli3000]

Improved ride, quieter running, no rattles!

[cxprestigeauto]

Space and FUN!

 

Enjoy.

 

Rob

[Stormchaser]

Fun factor. Obviously costs as you say. Also a warranty [emoji16]

I do miss my Octavia though for that PD punch but the Citigo is beating it on mpg [emoji106]

[ettlz]

I went from a Mk4.5 Ibiza to a CitiGo. I upgraded primarily because of the improved economy, warranty and service package. The CitiGo also feels better-built than the Ibiza ever did.

 

The Ibiza was a good car: it never let me down, had bags of character, and was a laugh to drive. I also think it was (and still is) one of the prettiest hatchbacks in its class. Things I preferred on it:

• Its 1.2 3-cylinder engine sounded nicer than that in the CitiGo (it was marginally more refined, and had a balancer shaft so there was less vibration).
• In a few circumstances it felt a bit more pokey (the 1.2 has more torque, but the Ibiza had a few hundred kilos more metal than the CitiGo).
• More sound damping.
• Didn't ride quite so hard as the CitiGo.
• Could operate passenger-side window from driver's side.

[Professor]

I went from a Superb 3.6 V6 DSG Elegance to the Citigo Elegance 75 in blue.  Given the number of toys on the Citigo and the economy, it was not such a downsize at all.

[Didescharlie]

I went from a Mk2 Fabia vRS to a Citigo Sport, and have never considered it anything but an upgrade, including the fun factor.

[Taylor93]

Better economy

Fun to drive

No Slower than my old petrol Fabia's

Better build quality, newer/no rattles

Cheaper to run in terms of insurance/tax/petrol

 

Only thing is since i have found the Fabia to be more practical (although i did purchase a 3 door citigo rather than a 5 door) they are good for doing tip runs and moving loads of junk. Also due to the age my Fabias, they could be neglected a bit more compared to the citigo which being brand new i wanted to look after it. but for its class the citigo still has plenty of space to move things around, but bare in mind its no van!

 

None the less Citigo's are cracking little cars and although they could do with a few improvements such as dual window controls on the drivers door, they are still great!

[tweenster]

I went from a 200bhp Mondeo Titanium X to the Citigo Monte Carlo and whilst I miss the overtaking punch of the Ford and the relative silence in the cabin, everything else favours the Citigo.

[winlaw]

Thanks for all these enthusiastic replies - it seems that I've made a good choice!

 

From my test drive(s) I was struck by the quiet engine and the light steering, compared with what I currently have.  The engine note is different to any other car I have driven but hopefully I and my passengers will soon get used to that!  Relative to my old Fabia, I felt less insulated from lumps and bumps in country roads but the ride seemed very smooth around town.

 

I think I may miss having central air vents as I like to drive with a bit of fresh air in my face - I risk ending up with a chilly right hand if I only have the side vent to rely on!

 

I share the car with my other half and we are forever adjusting seats and mirrors, so it is a pity that the wing mirrors can only be adjusted individually.  (On my Fabia the left mirror moves in and out in sympathy with the right one, which works really well).  Also, I don't think the CItigo has "one-touch" window operation, which is always handy when stuffing tickets into car park machines etc.  But these, along with the issues mentioned in the previous posts, are only minor quibbles.

 

I am indebted to those Briskodians (if that's the right term?) who have sussed out the variable boot floor.  I originally asked the sales rep about this and he though it might be too complicated and/or costly - he wasn't too clear on the figures but apparently one of their existing Citigo owners had made enquiries and thought it was way too expensive.  With the info from the forums I have ordered the necessary parts - money well spent in my view.  But it may be too much to hope that the dealer will fit them for free before I collect the car.  I'll let you know ...

[winlaw]

PS: since economy is a big selling point, I've been following my old car's performance more closely in the last week or two.  The round trip to the Skoda dealer is about 60 miles and I was amazed to see that my ancient Fabia came in just short of 50 mpg!!  I can't wait to see how the Citigo copes on the same route