Hi Guys,

 

Always had fast diesels as my daily drivers (Including my much missed Black vRS AD54 DKN if anyone on here knows where it is) but now I've got a weekend fast car I'm wanting to scale down my running costs on my daily. Now add to this I'm in the process of being promoted to a job that involves me travelling the country in my own vehicle (I'm paid per mile mind you and my travel time is included in my working week so it's all good) so all of a sudden 40-45 mpg isn't so "ok" anymore.

 

So my requirements:
* Less than £1.5k

* Post 2001 registration for cheaper tax.
* At or below 130k miles
* Air Conditioning
* Cruise Control (Or retrofittable for £100-250)
* An estate (Don't need huge load bay just a flat sill for the dog)
* 55mpg +

 

Other spec isn't essential as I've got a Head Unit to go in with Bluetooth etc.

 

I'm uninterested in spec, all I want is Air Con and cruise control.
1). What is the life expectancy of the air con in an Fabia?
2). I had cruise control retrofitted to my 1.9, is the service available for the 1.4 ? (Doing a lot of motorway miles and I can't live without it as I get pains in my right ankle after a while without moving 1it)

One of the other important things is obviously reliability...
3). I blew my turbo in my 1.9, are they sound in the 1.4 ?
4). If not what are the main concerns with it?
5). Longevity? I'm from a Peugeot background really (Have a 306 Rallye as a weekend car still) and ran a 306 HDI to well over 200k without many issues. Am I expecting to much from a 8-9 Skoda on 130k to do me trouble free for a couple of years up to around 190-200k ? Anyone on here run something that high?

Economy...
6). 55-60mpg realistic on the combined cycle considering a considerable amount will be motorway cruise control at 70 ?
7). Spare parts, inevitably something may gone wrong. Have these Fabias hit that "Golden period" yet where there's plenty being broken for cheap parts on eBay ? There are NO Auris spares, ever. And I've had to buy everything brand new from Toyota. I'm looking at running my next car on a shoestring (As all my money will go to the weekend car and my supercharger kit haha) and want to be able to grab parts of eBay and fix it myself.

 

Cheers in advance everyone.

 

FYI the Fabia estate doesn't have a flat entry to the boot.

 

Loads of Fabia spares on ebay, and of course polo/ibiza/golf mk4 spares loads of bits cross over within the VAG group, mean you can pick bits that are identical, but maybe less desirable because people don't know which items for a Seat fit their VW for example.

 

Aircon should last the life of the, may need gassing every so often but that's a service item. Of course, it can always break just like any other part that is supposed to last the life of the car.

 

I'd stick with the 1.9 simply because they are a lot more common when you need engine/turbo parts and there will be less stress on the engine. Turbo may or may not go what ever the car. Guy at work has run his 100bhp hatch to 160k iirc, he had a Turbo at 140k though. Lots of people here on 200k+ and some even on original turbos I'm betting.

 

Cruise can be retro'd for £90 + fitting iirc.

 

If you already have a devil you know that can do 45mpg have you calculated how much you'll actually save switching to the devil you don't?

FYI the Fabia estate doesn't have a flat entry to the boot.

 

Loads of Fabia spares on ebay, and of course polo/ibiza/golf mk4 spares loads of bits cross over within the VAG group, mean you can pick bits that are identical, but maybe less desirable because people don't know which items for a Seat fit their VW for example.

 

Aircon should last the life of the, may need gassing every so often but that's a service item. Of course, it can always break just like any other part that is supposed to last the life of the car.

 

I'd stick with the 1.9 simply because they are a lot more common when you need engine/turbo parts and there will be less stress on the engine. Turbo may or may not go what ever the car. Guy at work has run his 100bhp hatch to 160k iirc, he had a Turbo at 140k though. Lots of people here on 200k+ and some even on original turbos I'm betting.

 

Cruise can be retro'd for £90 + fitting iirc.

 

If you already have a devil you know that can do 45mpg have you calculated how much you'll actually save switching to the devil you don't?

Hi Mate, Thanks for getting back to me.

 

Doesn't have a flat load bay?! WTF?! I thought all estates did, I've tried googleing an image but can't find a reliable one. Anyone with a mark 1 estate that can grab a quick snap for me?

 

I knew the 1.9 would be recommended but my concern with that it surely can't achieve the mpg the 1.4 can?

 

With regards to the devil I know I've got a 2.2 SR180 D4D and it's the worst car I've ever owned and despite being a diesel and me doing only long runs and driving like a saint my average lifetime is 39mpg when I got 49 mpg lifetime in my remapped etc. Fabia vRS and 47mpg out of my Astra CDTi150+tuning box. So I can't go on with the devil I know unfortunately...

Hi Mate, Thanks for getting back to me.

 

Doesn't have a flat load bay?! WTF?! I thought all estates did, I've tried googleing an image but can't find a reliable one. Anyone with a mark 1 estate that can grab a quick snap for me?

 

I knew the 1.9 would be recommended but my concern with that it surely can't achieve the mpg the 1.4 can?

 

With regards to the devil I know I've got a 2.2 SR180 D4D and it's the worst car I've ever owned and despite being a diesel and me doing only long runs and driving like a saint my average lifetime is 39mpg when I got 49 mpg lifetime in my remapped etc. Fabia vRS and 47mpg out of my Astra CDTi150+tuning box. So I can't go on with the devil I know unfortunately...

 

My mate has an Vw Passat estate that has not so long ago clocked up 350 000 miles i am well impressed.

 

As for the MPG I don't know for sure and it's almost counter intuitive but I would say the 1.9 should be better on fuel as you don't have to use as much effort to maintain your speed, overtaking is a breeze once your up to speed you just cruise and easily return 50 mpg's. My mum had a horrible 208 with the 1.6 turbo diesel and my fabia was better on fuel than that she got rid after a couple of months.

Edited 1 December, 201411 yr by theezenutz

Anyone with a mark 1 estate that can grab a quick snap for me?

 

 

^ help? 2002 Mk1 Fabia classic estate (full of junk so no point me taking a pic of the whole lot :P)

 

It may be a spec thing as I know when I looked at Octavia estates for work years back the lower spec ones didn't have a flat load area which is one of the things we definitely needed.

That is really helpful mate. I can't believe it hasn't got a flat load bay, this makes the car useless to me! Anyone confirm whether this is a spec thing or not?

That is really helpful mate. I can't believe it hasn't got a flat load bay, this makes the car useless to me! Anyone confirm whether this is a spec thing or not?

 

Looking on the trader I can see Comforts and Classics with the same lip, and all cars appear to have the same shape rear end. The only way it would be flat with the bottom of the door was if the boot floor was built up by 5inches or so.

 

Actually it looks like that is exactly what is happening here in an Octavia: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201411028674626/sort/default/body-type/estate/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/postcode/bd15bs/radius/1500/page/1/make/skoda/usedcars/model/octavia/image-id/1856c4286153178c3e2ae3f4ec5b4600?logcode=p

Easy enough to put a false floor in the boot it would make a nice little place to stash your stuff.

 

Just out of interest why would 5" be too much for your dog to just step/climb over?

Easy enough to put a false floor in the boot it would make a nice little place to stash your stuff.

 

Just out of interest why would 5" be too much for your dog to just step/climb over?

 

He struggles now simply because of the height of the lip into the boot. I wanted something low to allow him easy access without the lip...

 

 

Looking on the trader I can see Comforts and Classics with the same lip, and all cars appear to have the same shape rear end. The only way it would be flat with the bottom of the door was if the boot floor was built up by 5inches or so.

 

Actually it looks like that is exactly what is happening here in an Octavia: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201411028674626/sort/default/body-type/estate/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/postcode/bd15bs/radius/1500/page/1/make/skoda/usedcars/model/octavia/image-id/1856c4286153178c3e2ae3f4ec5b4600?logcode=p

 

Cheers for looking there buddy, I genuinely can't believe they're doing estates without a flat sill.

If you're thinking of the 1.4TDI, I wouldn't recommend it for lots of motorway driving; it revs at 2600rpm at an indicated 70mph so MPG can suffer as a result. It just feels a bit stressed out and can get noisy. It's most econimical at 60mph.

I do about 500 miles a week in my 1.4TDI but I had the 5th gear swapped for a longer one so it's about 2.1k at 70 and 80mph is 2.5k. Average MPG since February (around 14,000 miles) is 61mpg which isn't bad at all. I couldn't afford the 1.9TDI because of insurance at my age, it was significantly higher than the 1.4TDI

Edited 1 December, 201411 yr by Midlands95

Cheers for looking there buddy, I genuinely can't believe they're doing estates without a flat sill.

 

We ended up with a Focus TDCI rather than an Octy at work simply because of the lip (couldn't afford the higher spec ones at the time) and being able to slide heavy items out. It was a good car except for occasionally going in to limp mode when pulling out in to traffic.

 

Totally understand about the dog, especially as they get older. Jumping on to a flat surface is preferable and the lower the better.

If you're thinking of the 1.4TDI, I wouldn't recommend it for lots of motorway driving; it revs at 2600rpm at an indicated 70mph so MPG can suffer as a result. It just feels a bit stressed out and can get noisy. It's most econimical at 60mph.

I do about 500 miles a week in my 1.4TDI but I had the 5th gear swapped for a longer one so it's about 2.1k at 70 and 80mph is 2.5k. Average MPG since February (around 15,000 miles) is 61mpg which isn't bad at all. I couldn't afford the 1.9TDI because of insurance at my age, it was significantly higher than the 1.4TDI

 

How did the insurance take to the 5th gear mod?

How did the insurance take to the 5th gear mod?

 

Went up by about £150 but then I moved house and my insurance dropped over £400 due to change of postcode

If you want to keep the running costs down, have you considered a 1.9 Octavia (90hp or 110hp, bosch pump) running an SVO/Diesel/Petrol mix? I think the last of these were up to about 2004. I ran mine like this for 20K miles before selling it on with no issues (in fact it ran quieter and smelled wonderful). Easily got 55mpg, with an average fuel price less than a £1/l. The cheapest oil I bought was 72p/l for the best SVO (rapeseed) from Asda. Funny looks wheeling out 200 bottles though. Its also completely legit.

I had a 2002 90bhp 1.9 tdi octy hatch bought new (I wish Id kept it longer) mpg was easily 60-65 mpg  plus massive load capacity boot. Parts were also half the price of the PD variants ie oil / filters etc.  So worth considering ?