Purchasing Fabia Diesel

[NickMorgan]

Hello,

I will shortly be moving house, so will have a 45 mile each way commute. My wife has a petrol Fabia, which we love, and I currently drive a Honda CR-V, which only does about 30mpg. I have been considering getting a Fabia Greenline, but wonder whether the 3 cylinder 1.2 will cope with the commute and if it will have much power when I need to overtake. My local garage say they are good cars, but that the DPF and downpipe corrode and cost £1,600 to replace.

I notice that the 1.6 diesel is almost as economical and I guess it may be better for overtaking or towing a trailer. Do they share the same DPF?

Any advice on which car to go for and what issues to look out for when I buy one would be very much appreciated.

[Ootohere]

Welcome.

The 1.6TDI CR can be economical if it suits the driving you do, but be aware of the VW Emissions Scandal and the Voluntary Recall they did and The Fix applied to some cars and potential issues.

 

A 3 cylinder 1.2 might be a good shout.  Or a 1.2 TSI after 2012.

 How much of a trailer do you need to tow?

[KeithCheetham]

Have you considered a Fabia 1.9TDI in 3 form, top of range with good equipment levels which while it will be an older car, has the bulletproof 1.9TDI without the EGR issue of the 1.2 and 1.6 TDI that appear to occur after the VW emissions "fix".

 

[Bertie90]

it has got a DPF and a £1000 EGR if it fails which it does. Look out for the emission fix. I had Injector issues which cost £800 a pop. I service the car religiously and only do motorways which gives me 60mpg. It's a hit and miss but what i do know is that it can be an unreliable engine. 

[NickMorgan]

Oh dear, that all doesn't sound very good. The car would certainly have to be reliable. I wonder if I would be better off spending a bit more and going for the Mk III 1.4 diesel?

[Ootohere]

NO!  Not with my bargepole even.

Read the pinned thread at the top of the Fabia Mk3 section. 

 Overheating.    There are obviously ones OK, but time will tell.  Water Pump Issues.   Now no 1.4 TDI 3 Cylinder VW Engines.  Discontinued.....

[AGFalco]

A Fabia III 1.2 TSI petrol works well for me.

No DPF, no EGR, no DMF no GPF, £20 VED per year and last tank was 58 MPG.

 

Sweet engine with the low down pull of a diesel and strong power all the way up the rev range.

I swapped from Diesel to petrol with this car. No regrets at all.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[NickMorgan]

31 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

A Fabia III 1.2 TSI petrol works well for me.

No DPF, no EGR, no DMF no GPF, £20 VED per year and last tank was 58 MPG.

 

Sweet engine with the low down pull of a diesel and strong power all the way up the rev range.

I swapped from Diesel to petrol with this car. No regrets at all.

 

Thanks AG Falco

Sounds like the best bet. Shame the diesel engines seem so unreliable. I am not really a fan of diesels, but the fuel figures tempted me. We had a Fabia III hire car with a three cylinder engine as a hire car when we were on holiday in Spain this summer and it was a nice car. My wife's Fabia II 1.2 is a nice little car, too.

[AGFalco]

19 hours ago, NickMorgan said:

I am not really a fan of diesels, but the fuel figures tempted me.

 

I have been a fan and have been running Diesels for years, and I still have one.

But the latest ones are getting too complex for me. Petrol is now cheaper than Diesel as well.

 

There are several types of 1.2 petrol engine's, so check any you are looking at suits your wants/needs.

I was hoping for 50 MPG from the Fabia but have done better than that especially during the warmer months.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[spartacus68]

I've had diesels for years, but the writing is on the wall for them. My last cars included an Audi 80 1.9 TDI (1Z engine) and A4 2.5 V6 (AKN) and were no nonsense diesel cars. The worst that could happen was a leaking Bosch fuel injection pump. Got a 2.0TDI Allroad quattro now, but it's for hauling trailers and I use it 2-3 times a week as it only returns 40mpg.

 

I've got a 1.6 Fabia for the daily commute and I have put 60k miles on it in 4 years. It's a gutsy thing, great in snow with decent tyres, but it's not frugal. Best I've achieved is 60mpg during the summer driving like Miss Daisy. I've never towed with it. Had my share of EGR, glow plug wiring, DPF sensor and air intake issues. Given I've committed to keeping it for another year or so, then it owes me nothing, but if I were you, then I'd go down the petrol route.

 

A central armrest is useful given your miles, as is cruise control. Headlights are shocking, so look at upgrading bulbs for better reflection and definition at this time of year.

[m8t]

On 25/10/2018 at 20:16, KeithCheetham said:

Have you considered a Fabia 1.9TDI in 3 form, top of range with good equipment levels which while it will be an older car, has the bulletproof 1.9TDI without the EGR issue of the 1.2 and 1.6 TDI that appear to occur after the VW emissions "fix".

 

Agree. I had 1.6tdi and traded for a 1.9tdi. More reliable simpler engine. easy to service. Same mpg. No DPF to worry about.

[NickMorgan]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think I will give up on the idea of a diesel. Maybe a Fabia 1.2 petrol, but according to the details on Autotrader the three cylinder and four cylinder engines give the same power and fuel consumption and both are £120 road tax. 

Which is the better engine for a B road commute?

[Ootohere]

What power output engines are you talking about.

If they used EU Test figures they were nothing to do with a real car on a real road with real loads in it or a trailer on a tow bar.

http://skoda.co.uk/pages/fuel-consumption-statement

 

A 1.2 TSI engine from 2012 is a nice thing, and comes in 86 or 105ps.

 

[AGFalco]

On 27/10/2018 at 19:42, NickMorgan said:

Autotrader the three cylinder and four cylinder engines give the same power and fuel consumption and both are £120 road tax

 

It depends on when the car was registered.

I have a 1.2 TSI four cylinder from June 2016 and the VED is only £20/year.

This changed on 1st April 2017, See this link.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534511/ved-reform-briefing-for-motor-industry.pdf

 

Thanks AG Falco

[delta925]

I'm late coming in on this but from my experience I can not recommend the 1.6CR.

 

For me both disappointing mpg and costly. I would have been better off with the 1.2 TSI paying ~£800 less for the car then more for RFL and fuel, the latter perhaps not much more. When I come to change the car the residual value is going to be less than I envisaged too.

 

The 1.9PD was a good engine. Unlikely as all cars with it are ageing but if you did find one with sensible miles, full service history and generally good condition you ought to have a low cost car for a while.

 

Away from Skoda both my neighbours now have Fords with the 1.0 ecoboost engine and are very happy with them.

Edited 30 October, 2018 by delta925

[Ootohere]

Are they happy because they are the ones up to 2015 that will get new engines or the cars bought back by Ford if the are the lemons

. Or are the less than 3 years old and no reported issues yet?

[Kgod1991]

The 1.6 can be a good engine

 

Don't get the update, ignore the change gear completely, and maintain regularly even before it says.  Also make sure you do the mileage to warrant a diesel in the first place.

[delta925]

21 hours ago, Offski said:

Are they happy because they are the ones up to 2015 that will get new engines or the cars bought back by Ford if the are the lemons

. Or are the less than 3 years old and no reported issues yet?

 

Presuming you are replying about the Ford Ecoboost one is 13 plate and no issues although low mileage, the other is 16 plate.

[Ootohere]

Have you looked at the Ecoboost issues in the past month, or are you aware of them? If the 2013 one is not part of the recall then good.

[delta925]

10 hours ago, Kgod1991 said:

The 1.6 can be a good engine

 

Don't get the update, ignore the change gear completely, and maintain regularly even before it says.  Also make sure you do the mileage to warrant a diesel in the first place.

 

Being specific the 1.6CR itself is OK but the issues are numerous systems hanging off it.

 

The EGR failure is age as much as mileage or journey pattern and nothing to do with maintenance. The exhaust system sensors fail. The cambelt turned out not to be the Continental ' fit for life' 210000km versions but to be replaced at 5 year / 60000 miles where as as the 1.2 TSI is a chain. Overall actual costs for essential work beyond the requirements detailed in the service record booklet are significant.

 

Driving style to keeps the revs above ~1700rpm indeed helps with both economy and DPF system since running more efficiently as posted many times here. Maybe I've missed it but I've never seen a post on here saying under the same conditions the 1.6CR has been more economical than the 1.9PD despite the brochure figures showing this. Yes the absolute figures are under controlled conditions but the relative difference should apply to most day-to-day driving patterns.

 

 

Edited 31 October, 2018 by delta925

[delta925]

52 minutes ago, Offski said:

Have you looked at the Ecoboost issues in the past month, or are you aware of them? If the 2013 one is not part of the recall then good.

 

As in my first post these are my neighbours cars, not mine or my family, and their comments are from occasional conversation. Nothing has been said recently.

[Kgod1991]

1 hour ago, delta925 said:

 

Being specific the 1.6CR itself is OK but the issues are numerous systems hanging off it.

 

The EGR failure is age as much as mileage or journey pattern and nothing to do with maintenance. The exhaust system sensors fail. The cambelt turned out not to be the Continental ' fit for life' 210000km versions but to be replaced at 5 year / 60000 miles where as as the 1.2 TSI is a chain. Overall actual costs for essential work beyond the requirements detailed in the service record booklet are significant.

 

Driving style to keeps the revs above ~1700rpm indeed helps with both economy and DPF system since running more efficiently as posted many times here. Maybe I've missed it but I've never seen a post on here saying under the same conditions the 1.6CR has been more economical than the 1.9PD despite the brochure figures showing this. Yes the absolute figures are under controlled conditions but the relative difference should apply to most day-to-day driving patterns.

 

 

Whilst I agree that systems attached do hinder it somewhat

 

It does come down to individual experience, most issues I've seen have been related to the vw update 

[NickMorgan]

Interesting debate. Thank you everyone for your input. I liked the idea of the Greenline because I was swayed by the advertised fuel consumption and I do like my wife's four cylinder 1.2 petrol Fabia II.

Fuel consumption was my first priority, but the local garage pointed out the cost of the DPF and its propensity to corrode. I also read about people's concerns about having to replace the cam belt at only 4 years or 40,000 miles.

Interestingly the local garage recommended the 1.0 Fiesta, saying that it drove very nicely. They obviously hadn't heard of any issues with it.

I see that the Fiesta is advertised as giving 74mpg.

The Peugeot 208 1.0 does the same. The Fabia III 1.2 does 70mpg. I know that these are the advertised figures under very controlled conditions, but they serve as a good comparison. I think that the Favia III 1.2 petrol is my current choice!

[2ndskoda]

"Interestingly the local garage recommended the 1.0 Fiesta, saying that it drove very nicely. They obviously hadn't heard of any issues with it."

 

Beware - The ford 1-0 ecoboost engine does have problems. Overheating has resulted in many complete engine failures.  A recent press release says....In fact Ford are now replacing a number of engines, and also retrospectively refunding a number of users who have been charged for new engines  (who were told the failure was a result of their making).

Edited 3 November, 2018 by 2ndskoda

[delta925]

Tonight at the ASDA I pass on one of two usual routes to /  from work

 

Unleaded 122.7 p / litre

Diesel 133.7 p / litre

 

based on the former the diesel is almost 9% dearer .......... that is a significant chunk of the 1.6CR mpg gain over the 1.2 TSI.

 

If rather than a short term promotion / price war this becomes the normal difference yet another reason to give the 1.6CR a miss.