Fabia MK3 not that common in the UK?

[MozzyMarr]

As I have ordered one I am always looking out for one and very often I can be out and not see any where as every other car is a VW Polo.  The MK2 seems a lot more common. I wonder if the slicker looks and advanced infotainment systems have put off some of the older buyers?  I am 35 and the Fabia was just the perfect package for me, although part of me wishes I gave the new Ibiza a look too. I think also it is a big mistake not offering a 5 year warranty on them as standard. I think Kia and Hyundai are steeling a lot of sales from the smaller Skodas.  The 60PS engine on the S trim models needs to be replaced too buy the 75 version. I just find that engine very cynical.  I like the slick looks of the Fabia, I wanted mirrorlink and a big boot (for a small car) so the Fabia fits my needs perfectly. 
 

The Octavia still seems to be selling very well, I went in two last night (yes they were taxis!) 

[Rooted]

The MK2 Fabia had around 30% of Skoda UK first registrations at for a few years before being discontinued.

The Mk3 Fabia is picking up, but Skoda is a low volume seller compared to VW in the UK. Hyundai build good cars in the Czech Republic, but Hyundai and Kia are not volume sellers in the UK.

All the new Skoda models of cars sold in the UK in a year is still less than just the  Ford Fiestas first registered in the UK in a year.

http://skoda.co.uk/news/skoda-posts-record-uk-sales-in-2016 

 

VW first registered more than twice as many Polo in the UK in 2016 and probably the same again by 2018.

http://autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/94280/best-selling-cars-in-the-uk-2017 

They punt those Corsa out on cheap leasing / finance and to fleet / hire companies.

 

 

Edited 19 November, 2017 by Headinawayoffski

[rum4mo]

Remember to the casual observer, the 6R Polo looks the same as the 6C Polo, so a lot of the Polos you see will be the earlier version - unless you are filtering what you are seeing by the reg plates.

 

Ibizas make handy shopping trolleys, and the newer version looks very smart - to me.

[GeneralPurpose]

A lot depends on the number of dealers in the area. Where I live in North Essex there are loads of mk3's (& 1's, 2's) and you cannot go out without seeing one. Skoda generally seem to be everywhere. I don't think the more advanced systems put off older folk like me (I'm in my mid sixties). After all, my generation invented the computer as we know it, the internet, the mobile phone, etc etc. Lol. 

 

Edit: Just did a quick add up of ages of folks I know with MK3 fabia's. Two friends are in their 50's, my two neighbours are 70 & 80 respectively,  my sis is 60. In my road there are two other mk3's owned by a twenty something & a very nice lady in her 40's. On that basis I'd say it's the younger folks not buying.

Edited 20 November, 2017 by Estate Man

[sleeper77]

Locally I have seen more Mk1 Fabias more than the Mk2 & Mk3. In a way this does not surprise me as they sell very cheap used & would make a great 1st car , or a straightforward A to B auto imo. 

 

As time goes on I think there will be more Mk2s about as they depreciate more & can be found for a good price.

 

Mk3s are not rare here, & I do see them every now & then given some of the deals going about atm. 

 

 

[Rooted]

Producing Mk1's for 8 years and selling, then Mk2's for 7-8 years would certainly have more about than something 3 years in production.

[sleeper77]

Agreed, but from what am referring seems to be more based on price than availability. Its the same with the old Ford Focus cars Mk1 & Mk2. I see them more on the road than the Mk3, but again its likely because the previous two generations can be found at very good prices & are solid reliable cars. I know because I had a Mk1 & was very pleased with it at the price I bought it, only to sell it later on because it was getting on but the engine was still mint. 

 

Give a few years & not only will you see more Mk3 Fabias on the road because availability, but also due to reduced prices so dealers can get them out of the way for newer stock whether later Mk3s or the Mk4 if it comes out.  

[Rooted]

Travel further north out of the affluent south.

Plenty Mk3 Fabia further up the country where Skoda Dealers are plentiful, people buy or lease new cars and there are less old motors on the roads.

You do see lots of well looked after 2007 or so cars in car parks in Aberdeen due to them maybe being some of the best built cars around 10 years ago or more, 

and they use the old cars as daily transport and the Premium ones for weekends and trips etc.

 

2 & 3 year cars are filling dealerships and auctions as leases end, and people are not buying cars going out of warranty when new cars / finance is still cheap.

Many of the First Registered Mk3 in 2015 were sold / leased to Hire Car Companies and them and demonstrators were the first on the used market, and now the lease cars are arriving and not worth much, not good on depreciation, asking prices still high though.

Edited 20 November, 2017 by Headinawayoffski

[Crassus]

In Kent I see fellow mk3 owners on a daily basis.

 

A 5 year warranty wouldn’t have lifted sales that much as PCP deals encourage people to change cars after 3 years. Further more warranty can be extended at an acceptable cost of £164 year.

 

Skoda will only grow more popular as the Kodiaq and Karoq will lure Skoda sceptics into dealers, win them over and get them to consider other cars in the lineup.

[sleeper77]

Sounds more like leases then for the new Mk3 Fabias up north, rather than people buying. And yes, after what happened with my Octavia, I will not buy a new or newish car without a warranty so that is understandable.  

 

Here in the affluent or "affluent" south, you will see more new Mercedes, BMWs & even Maseratis here than Fabia Mk3s. That is how affluent it is here  

I would have been tempted by a Fabia Mk3 if the plug had not been pulled on the VRS range. Would have liked to have seen them with a 1.6 TSI to challenge the Ford Fiesta ST & VW Polo GTI ( which maybe was supposed to be the new Fabia VRS afterall). 

 

 

[MozzyMarr]

I live in south Manchester and Audis are by a huge mile the most popular VAG car here. I see loads of Skodas but they mostly have taxi plates on them. The Fabia is very common here but not the MK3. However as others have said it has only been out for three years so that maybe why the Fiesta seems a lot more common (I know they sell a huge amount more).

 

I actually like the fact it is not massively common here, it makes the car a bit more of a talking point. Some people have said the current Fabia looks dull but I think it looks timeless. The new Clio for example will look very dated in a few years time. Rather like the Astra G looked a bit dull in 1998 but now looks far fresher than the Focus MK1. 

[Rooted]

Not to pee the highest maybe check out the cars used as taxis in Aberdeen and the Prestige Dealerships oop north in the small population country that is Scotland,

less than that of London by a couple of million people, so there is a McLaren Dealership, and then Maserati, Bentley, Tesla etc.

Some in the South will be down at Holiday homes, just as some up north will be.

Easy come easy go for some with money, and as it is well known the average spending on vehicles is higher in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK.

 

Scotland is a nice cheap place to buy used cars and there are plenty to choose from.

 

Many of us that had Fabia vRS would have liked to see a new model but that never happened, 

but supposedly a Hybrid hotter model is coming, time will tell.

Seeing as there was no 1.6TSI but they did a 1.8TSI 192 ps and now a 2.0TSI for the Golf and maybe even the Ibiza there was no need really for a Fabia one, but the 1.5TSI EVO would be nice, Skoda badge 150ps with handling & not the size of a Taxi / Airport transport would sell.

Edited 20 November, 2017 by Headinawayoffski

[Gerrycan]

On ‎20‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 03:17, MozzyMarr said:

As I have ordered one I am always looking out for one and very often I can be out and not see any where as every other car is a VW Polo.  The MK2 seems a lot more common. I wonder if the slicker looks and advanced infotainment systems have put off some of the older buyers?  I am 35 and the Fabia was just the perfect package for me, although part of me wishes I gave the new Ibiza a look too. I think also it is a big mistake not offering a 5 year warranty on them as standard. I think Kia and Hyundai are steeling a lot of sales from the smaller Skodas.  The 60PS engine on the S trim models needs to be replaced too buy the 75 version. I just find that engine very cynical.  I like the slick looks of the Fabia, I wanted mirrorlink and a big boot (for a small car) so the Fabia fits my needs perfectly. 
 

The Octavia still seems to be selling very well, I went in two last night (yes they were taxis!) 

Skoda sold in Australia have standard 5 year warranty for nearly two years now as part of their effort to get better acceptance here.

Small car sales here are really poor and there is a lot of competition so seeing a Fabia on the road here is rare but there is at least one in my area.

Biggest selling cars here are either 'utes' (Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux etc) or SUV labelled vehicles of any description. Skoda styling does people off here.

 

I was struck by the number of Fabia on British roads last month but I'm not familiar enough with it to be able to distinguish automatically between the various mk's. :(

 

Edited 21 November, 2017 by Gerrycan

[threadbear]

Round where I live there is a good cross section of Skoda`s with Octavias and Yeti`s being the most popular with a sprinkling of Fabias and Citigoes (?) of various ages and the odd Superb. Rarest are Rapids.........

Edited 21 November, 2017 by threadbear

[vc-10]

Well I have a Mk.3 in south Manchester! And I'm 26. Like @MozzyMarr I needed a small practical car and wanted Android Auto, and I also wanted something with a turbo engine not the NA 1.0. I wanted a Polo, but couldn't stretch to the 1.2 TSI Polo, and would have had to pay extra for the phone mirroring system too. The Fabia is great, but it does have a little bit of an image problem. I don't particularly care, but one friend does refer to my car as 'the Uber'!

 

There's also one driven by a 20-something woman who works in the office behind my house, and one that I always see parked up on a street by mine. There are a few about!

[Damo]

I see a fair few around me in Sheffield.

plenty of Colour Editions like mine (due to the £169 deposit £169pm no doubt)

Nobody ever waves though, like when I had a vRS.

Guess it’s just a sensible car choice, and not enthusiasts

[Rooted]

37.5 vehicles road registered in the UK, obviously those are not all cars, but if there is about 50,000 mk3 Fabia on the road and in Dealerships then there are a fair few to go around for Mk3 Fabia spotters.

[Crassus]

18 minutes ago, vc-10 said:

The Fabia is great, but it does have a little bit of an image problem.

 

Skoda's image problem is slowly going away and the new line of SUV will open the flood gates to lots of first time customers giving Skoda a go.

 

My girlfriend is a badge snob who didn't even want to step foot inside a Skoda dealership. However, she was quickly won over and she loves everything about our white colour edition. This weekend we had a ride in our friend's Audi A1. The back seat is tiny and sitting in the front, my arms were rubbing the door panels. Yet the Fabia has Android Auto/Carplay but only cost me £162/month. I'm laughing all the way to the bank and couldn't have purchased a better 2nd car to complement our 2016 BMW X3.

[vc-10]

Oh absolutely. I love my Fabia! It's the best car I could afford to drive. But the Fabia is slightly seen as a pensioners car, and something that's more sensible than fun. But I'll take a TSI pensioner's car that actually moves when you hit the accelerator over a 60PS Polo any day!

[Crassus]

15 hours ago, vc-10 said:

But the Fabia is slightly seen as a pensioners car, and something that's more sensible than fun. 

 

Haha 

 

Thank you VW AG for blessing us warm blooded youngsters with the Colour Edition 

[vc-10]

Well yeah, there is that! Although I am not a fan of black wheels, I would kind of have liked to have gone for the blue Colour Edition! If nothing else, it gets cruise control which I regret not adding!

 

Having said that, my mum's best friend, who is in her early 50s, has a red SE TSI 90 like mine, but with the black roof and wheels...

[acousmatron]

On 28/11/2017 at 13:09, Damo said:

I see a fair few around me in Sheffield.

plenty of Colour Editions like mine (due to the £169 deposit £169pm no doubt)

Nobody ever waves though, like when I had a vRS.

Guess it’s just a sensible car choice, and not enthusiasts

Too true. I used to find fellow mk1 vrs on the motorway, wave and form a convoy. 

[RickW]

I wave at empty buses 

[JoePeddos]

12 hours ago, RickW said:

I wave at empty buses 

And why not if it’s one of your life’s little pleasures   I did have a Citrone 2 cv many years ago and other doux cheveux drivers usually waved, never tried crossing a ploughed field with lots of eggs on the back seats though Joe

 

 

   

[Skodaboy1983]

I see a few in Edinburgh mostly the base s models like mine, due to the fact the local Skoda dealer pre registers a lot and gives them away at silly prices.

 

Most of the ones I see are the estate version in either S or SE trim.

 

Davy