Hi there,

 

3 years ago I bought a 2nd-hand VW Sharan 7N 2.0TDI for the family... I was looking for a Touran but I've found this Sharan and I bought it without doubting, supposing that it was going to be a good choice for long trips and for my wife's everyday.

 

Meanwhile, I bought as well a Skoda Fabia II 1.2 HTP (70hp) 2007 for my daily commuting to work, to keep the travelling costs down.

 

However, I've found myself driving the Sharan everyday because it was too big for my wife, and also to avoid screwing up the DPF with small trips in the city.

 

The problem is that the Sharan is very boring for the everyday drive... and this one has no DSG and the driving position is not so nice as in a car (typical SUV position), and even worst if you are taller than 1,80m...
 

So, I'm studing possibilities for a future change... but I have several constraints that are limiting my "freedom" of choice: we live in Austria and the cars here are charged with a tax that goes directly associated with the PS of the engine. For example, I pay 500€ yearly for the 140PS TDi of the Sharan... and I don't want to pay more than that (so I need to find a "light" car that gives me plenty of fun with less than 140ps)

In addition, I don't want to spend more than 25-27k€, which will demand a small investement if I give the Sharan as a part of the payment.

Of course, it needs to be big enough for the family (2 kids) and the luggage, and I'd prefer a State rather than a SUV.

I'd like to have a solar roof and sport suspension.

And, last but not least, the DSG is a must.

 

So, putting all these boundaries on the table, I have very few options left:

- Seat Leon ST 1.4 TSI DSG (to get a "sporty" version in Austria I need to go to the FR, which won't cost less than 28k€ new)

- Octavia State 1.4 TSI DSG (even more expensive than the Leon, and less sporty)

- the same cars with the 1.2TSI DSG (cheaper, will get in my budget, but with the risk of a too small engine for the size and weight of the car)

- a 2nd hand 1.4 TSI DSG Golf Variant (difficult to find one with low km and all the equiment I'd like to have, and with a price that justifies going to a 2nd hand car, because most of them are very close in price to a new Leon ST)

- other brands which I don't like too much (Peugeot 308SW automatic, etc), but we are again in the range of the price of the Leon ST.

 

- OR... a Skoda Fabia State 1.2TSI DSG with all the possible optionals, including panoramic roof, 17" wheels, sport suspension, maybe the installation of the Octavia wheeldrive with the shif-pads, etc etc, that won't cost more than 23k€ with all the condiments...

 

PROS of the Fabia State:

- car mass, good relationship mass/power

- price for new

- fuel eficiency

- equipment for price (in comparison with the other mentioned alternatives)

- lower tax rate in Austria (for 110cv I'll pay 380€ per year instead of 512€ that I pay now)

- CO2 is lower than 120 g and in 2016 it seems that we'll get a tax for that as well

 

CONS

- interior space, with almost no option to carry a 5th person with the 2 kid-seats installed.

- engine maybe not "fun" enough (I haven't driven it so far), or too "short" when the car is fully loaded

- maybe no shift-pads on the wheeldrive (I still need to confirm that the installation of the Octavia's wheeldrive is possible)

- sport-suspension maybe not enough to get a real "sporty" drive feeling...

- maybe (I don't know) too noise on highway at limit speeds compared with a bigger "brother"

 

Sorry for the long text, but I'm really in doubt about this... I'm not in a hurry because I'm not thinking in changing now, but I'm trying to collect opinions and facts to justify the crazy decision of downsizing from the Sharan in such a radical way...

 

Thanks for your help in advance!!!

 

Diego

Edited 12 June, 201511 yr by diegoiua

 

 

Hi there

 

The Fabia is not a sports car, and you really should try a test drive to see if the car suits your need.

Attempt to reply your CONS:

 

 interior space, with almost no option to carry a 5th person with the 2 kid-seats installed.

It is a 4 person car, with the possibility to have 5 if they are really good friends on shorter runs.

 

  - engine maybe not "fun" enough (I haven't driven it so far), or too "short" when the car is fully loaded 

 0-100 km/h is stated at 9.6 sec., the DSG is shifting up and down quick, so it is possible to outrun a faster manual car (done that). But again try for yourself.

 

- maybe no shift-pads on the wheeldrive (I still need to confirm that the installation of the Octavia's wheeldrive is possible)

I only drive mine in D, the combo of the rather lightweight Fabia and the TSI110 DSG seems to be perfect. Mine is on standard 15 wheels, and perhaps 17 wheels will make the car less agile.

 

- sport-suspension maybe not enough to get a real "sporty" drive feeling...

Again mine is the standard that is just easy to handle, but go for the Ford Fiesta if sporty drive is high priority.

 

- maybe (I don't know) too noise on highway at limit speeds compared with a bigger "brother"

Mine is less noisy on highway speed compared to Fabia I and II.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 12 June, 201511 yr by torslunde

There are the Face Lift Seat Ibiza coming out with possibly a better petrol engine choice and DSG,

Maybe a New Ibiza ST would suit if they do the 1.4 TSI ACT and DSG.

 

I have driven the Diesel and Petrol All New 2015 Fabia with DSG and Sporty and an enjoyable means of transport they are not

but that is just a personal opinion obviously.

 

A Leon FR ST 1.8 TSI 180ps DSG is a cracking driver IMO. New or Used.

 

 

Hi there

 

The Fabia is not a sports car, and you really should try a test drive to see if the car suits your need.

Attempt to reply your CONS:

 

 interior space, with almost no option to carry a 5th person with the 2 kid-seats installed.

It is a 4 person car, with the possibility to have 5 if they are really good friends on shorter runs.

 

  - engine maybe not "fun" enough (I haven't driven it so far), or too "short" when the car is fully loaded 

 0-100 km/h is stated at 9.6 sec., the DSG is shifting up and down quick, so it is possible to outrun a faster manual car (done that). But again try for yourself.

 

- maybe no shift-pads on the wheeldrive (I still need to confirm that the installation of the Octavia's wheeldrive is possible)

I only drive mine in D, the combo of the rather lightweight Fabia and the TSI110 DSG seems to be perfect. Mine is on standard 15 wheels, and perhaps 17 wheels will make the car less agile.

 

- sport-suspension maybe not enough to get a real "sporty" drive feeling...

Again mine is the standard that is just easy to handle, but go for the Ford Fiesta if sporty drive is high priority.

 

- maybe (I don't know) too noise on highway at limit speeds compared with a bigger "brother"

Mine is less noisy on highway speed compared to Fabia I and II.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Hi torslunde,

 

thanks for your comments, I really appreciate them.

Yes, even without driving the Fabia III I can imagine that is not "sporty", but compared to a 1.7 tons 140PS VW Sharan, believe me, the Fabia will be very sporty

 

The 5 places is important, because we are 4 at home but sometimes I need to ride my sister-in-law or my mother with us, so I will need that extra place... and the problem are the child-seats, that they occupy the full place, without leaving any free space in the middle for an adult... so with the 2 child-seats it will become a 4-seater basically... and that's right now a big CON... but the a similar situation will happen with a Leon or the Octavia. I need to go to the size of a Passat or a Touran to get a real usable 3rd seat behind (always considering 2 child-seats mounted).

 

When I said "wheeldrive" I was refering to the steering-wheel... sorry for the misunderstanding...

 

The Fiesta is not an option, I need a small estate car...

Thanks!

There are the Face Lift Seat Ibiza coming out with possibly a better petrol engine choice and DSG,

Maybe a New Ibiza ST would suit if they do the 1.4 TSI ACT and DSG.

 

I have driven the Diesel and Petrol All New 2015 Fabia with DSG and Sporty and an enjoyable means of transport they are not

but that is just a personal opinion obviously.

 

A Leon FR ST 1.8 TSI 180ps DSG is a cracking driver IMO. New or Used.

 

Hi goneoffSki,

 

the Ibiza is ok, but it's smaller than the Fabia, taller, and I like it less... but with the 1.4TSI will be a great option, but I don't think they will do it... perhaps as an FR version, yes.

 

Thanks for the comment regarding the engine. With 9,6s for the 0-60 I was wondering how "sporty" was the feeling of the engine, and mostly with the DSG, but it seems is just normal... Anyway, I'm more worried about the torque than anything else, as the engine only has 175Nm torque, which sounds like ok for the size of the car but not too much (I had a 1.4TSI 125CV Leon II with 200Nm torque and it was not too much, but the car was heavier, so I expect a similar "feeling" on this Fabia).

 

And yes, my "dream" combination will be a Leon or an Octavia with the 1.8TSI... I'm in love with that engine since I saw its grandfather version in the first Audi TT 1.8T 180CV like 18 years ago... yeah, the new one has nothing to do with that old one, but that combination of 1.8 liters and 180CV sounds like "armonic" to me...

But the problem is the tax... 720€ per year... just road-tax...it's not that I can't pay it, it just that it hearts...

It will be interesting to see how they price them.

& how it will force Skoda to rethink the new Fabia, sort out connectivity, and introduce decent engines later this year.

 

The 1.8TSI Ibiza is going to be manual only (no idea if more than 192 ps)

unlike the Polo GTI 1.8 TSI 192 ps with the choice of Manual & 320 Nm & DSG with 250 Nm

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kEJiaEOm3KQ

Edited 12 June, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

The Ibiza restyling 4 doors is nice... but the Estate has only 430liters of trunk, against the 530 from the Fabia...

And perhaps it's just visual, but the Fabia with the sport suspension looks lower than the Ibiza...

The Ibiza restyling 4 doors is nice... but the Estate has only 430liters of trunk, against the 530 from the Fabia...

And perhaps it's just visual, but the Fabia with the sport suspension looks lower than the Ibiza...

The Fabia Estate does have a large boot space, even more than the new Mondeo Estate. 515 with space saver as opposed to 500.

However as a 5 seater, I think it would be a struggle, as it is a very narrow car. However, that is just my personal opinion..

The Octavia Estate is surely the way to go. But, none of the Skodas offer decent 5 adult seating, in my view, not even the Yeti, Superb etc, because of the design of the back seats .. (sculpted out seats left and right, hard narrow flat seat in the middle).