Not looking to note anything about mirrorlink here. This is about the rest of the car.

I opted to have nearly every option except the sunroof and the towbar wasn't an option.

The sports seats are pretty firm but supportive. I'm too slim to have snugness either side of my ribcage but they work well.

Sports suspension has also made it a pretty good handling car but there is body roll. Drives like a decent golf!

Everything works as it should (even the tire pressure monitor!)

Boot is pretty good.I note the seat bases can be removed entirely if wanted. The variable floor does make it flat. The hooks on either side of the boot are used regularly for bags. It's not as wide as it could be but the car isnt massive to start with. Can get a road bike in without removing wheels.

Now the engine is bedded it it has been pretty economical (500 mile range!) As well as low down torque now coming stronger. Driving fast is pretty easy and its not slow at all. Think light car with a 1.6/1.8 of 7 years ago. On par with mini cooper 1.6!

Things missing:

Electric folding mirrors

Total closure windows

Seat position could go lower

Smartlink should have been available from the start.

How much juice are you putting in to get the 500 mile range?

 

When you bought the car, did you try the sports seats/sports suspension back-to-back with the standard offerings? Or just go for them because you fancied something more 'sporting'?

My 110 TSI estate on standard springs and 15" alloys handles better than my previous Monte Tech, the sports suspension does look a little bit lower in the arches on the Mk3 but not sure it'll make much difference to the overall handling.

I got my car in march, placed the order before the official launch date so I was unable to try anything. Got to drive a 90 manual a couple of weeks before I got it.

I swapped out of a 3 litre one series and wanted economy as I wasn't using any of the power. (Halved my fuel bills). I still wanted handling and for an estate its not bad.

Nearly on par with a Honda Jazz but the turn in is slower because of the wheelbase. That car was like my classic mini for handling!

Not sure if sports suspension is adding anything to handling or just to look lower.

500 miles from 43 litres. I know how to hypermile so could be those techniques. As the temperature has now dropped its not quite as efficient so I can put the range increase down to higher outside temperatures too.

That's comfortably better than 50mpg. Impressive. We're still split between deciding on the Fabia estate and a 2WD Yeti. For's and against's for both. Because the final values are so strong for the Yeti on a Skoda PCP, there's surprisingly little to choose between the monthlies on a well specced Fabia estate and the 2WD Yeti.

 

Is there anything in the handbook to say how much load the variable boot floor can carry? I asked the question of our local dealer and got a blank look! Seemed a reasonable enough question to me. I'd have thought one of the main reasons for speccing it would be to negate the hefty boot lip you get if it's not there. I wouldn't want to lift something like a washing machine over that.

 

Any squeaks or rattles making themselves heard on the Fabia?

Edited 26 July, 201510 yr by Citigopher

When up its definitely reduced. It's a plank of wood resting on each corner. I'm sure its stated in the manual how much though.

Rattle from dashboard but can't tell if its items in glovebox yet. Going to remove my items and try it

That's comfortably better than 50mpg. Impressive. We're still split between deciding on the Fabia estate and a 2WD Yeti. For's and against's for both. Because the final values are so strong for the Yeti on a Skoda PCP, there's surprisingly little to choose between the monthlies on a well specced Fabia estate and the 2WD Yeti.

 

The Yeti is a better class product due to being bigger and in a higher class of vehicle.

But it will cost you more to run due to it's lack of aerodynamics.

Personally I think it's worth the sacrifice as you get a better view and a nicer cabin.

Although it can only be a couple of years before the next one... it's not going to bother you on a PCP.

A yeti is old school compared to a Fabia Mk3, but it depends if you want a pretendy 4x4 or a genuinly roomy supermini

These are all things we're pondering. There are also other considerations for us, that Skoda can't do anything about. For example - my wife doesn't like driving what she considers 'big' cars. Even though the Yeti is shorter than the Fabia, she felt at ease driving the Fabia, but I've yet to talk her into test driving a Yeti. Another is the boot space. I've not taken a tape measure to them, but seats up, the Fabia estate boot looks comfortably bigger (and better shaped) than the Yetis to me. Passenger space is a win for the Yeti, front and back. Also in the Yetis favour, SWMBO likes a high-up seating position (as do I). It's also apparent that the materials used in the Yeti are a class above the Fabia as soon as you sit in them. However, once I've bought the car, just how long I will (or should) spend fondling a soft-touch slush moulded dashboard every day is debatable :no: . As long as the tactile bits I'll come into contact with in day to day use pass muster (and there's little to choose between the two when judged on those grounds - steering wheel, switchgear, doors handles etc feel very similar) and visually it floats our boat, then I should consider that box ticked I suppose.

 

From a financial perspective, it depends very much on whether we decide to keep the car beyond the end of the 42 month PCP term. Although the specs I'm comparing - SE L for both - the Fabia with a fair selection of options added - have monthlies within a few quid of each other, the back end payment is a lot higher on the Yeti. That's what brought it into contention when we were originally only considering the Fabia. The 4x4 Yetis are out of the running. I'm not looking for an off roader - the 2WD Yeti is a Roomster on stilts as far as I'm concerned. If taking maximum benefit from the 0%, £0 deposit finance counts for anything, then the Fabia wins as we'd be paying off a larger proportion of its purchase price interest free so we'd be paying less interest when it comes to refinancing the car. If the current vibe about interest rates on the news is to be taken seriously, I don't think these type of finance offers will be around much longer.

Edited 26 July, 201510 yr by Citigopher

You are right on the boot, the Yeti is better than the Fabia hatch but not as big in there as the estate.

Kind of what you expect considering The Yeti is about the same length but with a larger passenger compartment.

For a car of it's size the Fabia estate has always had an impressive boot.

 

A yeti is old school compared to a Fabia Mk3, but it depends if you want a pretendy 4x4 or a genuinly roomy supermini

 

Indeed, the current Yeti is based on a car that was released 6 years ago.

But due to being a higher class car in the range it is still better in a number of ways.

 

A lot is down to pricing and what you get in each class so Skoda can separate it's models.

It's why the new Fabia isn't as nice inside as the previous Octavia/Yeti and why it lacks a few things (like electric folding mirrors and total close windows) which cars in the class above have had for many years.

You are right on the boot, the Yeti is better than the Fabia hatch but not as big in there as the estate.

Kind of what you expect considering The Yeti is about the same length but with a larger passenger compartment.

For a car of it's size the Fabia estate has always had an impressive boot.

 

 

Indeed, the current Yeti is based on a car that was released 6 years ago.

But due to being a higher class car in the range it is still better in a number of ways.

 

A lot is down to pricing and what you get in each class so Skoda can separate it's models.

It's why the new Fabia isn't as nice inside as the previous Octavia/Yeti and why it lacks a few things (like electric folding mirrors and total close windows) which cars in the class above have had for many years.

- and the Skoda Review or whatever they name your journal, is printed on thin and flimsy paper, whislt the paper quality increases during the VAG car price range.