(Fabia) 2006 1.2 HTP or 2003 1.4 MPI?

[ZefferZ]

Hello everyone, looking for some advice on 2 particular models  

After looking around in autotrader for an affordable hatchback for myself & brother (both recently passed) I've come across 2 Fabias in the same town so could look at both in a day.

 

Both come with a 12 months MOT from the respective dealers. The difference in insurance price between them is negligible.

 

Option 1 - £1295

2006 1.2L HTP 12V with 70K miles. Tax is £155.

On its last MOT it had several advisories, but the dealer noted that this was performed by Halfords (implying they would look for stuff to repair and charge?), and the previous owner was an old lady who always paid to ahve whatever work she was advised to have done. Please see attached image for its last MOT. My question is, how likely are those advisories to cause a fail come 12 months & could anyone give a rough estimate of how much it would be to repair any number of those.

 

Option 2 - £1250

2003 1.4L, I think its the MPI based off the advertised 68bhp but I'm not familiar with the car so could be wrong! 100K miles. Tax is £250.

Last MOT only had both near and offside rear shock absorber light oil misting as advisories. 

 

I think Option 1 is my prefered atm due the car being 3 years younger, coming with a facelift + more features, and cheaper road tax. However, I'm cautious about the number of advisories.

 

We both came from a 1.1L 106 so aren't bothered by the 1.2 vs 1.4 aspect as either will be more powerful.

 

Thank you very much for your time, any advice greatly appreciated. 

[Breezy_Pete]

None of those advisories is a cause for serious concern. ARB links are trivially easy and cheap to replace, as is the exhaust joining sleeve that is the likely cause of the slight leak.

The last four I would ignore completely as they are subjective and fairly inconsequential. Iff you did want to clean-sheet it, brake hoses and rear springs also not expensive to buy or have fitted.

[ZefferZ]

22 minutes ago, Wino said:

None of those advisories is a cause for serious concern. ARB links are trivially easy and cheap to replace, as is the exhaust joining sleeve that is the likely cause of the slight leak.

The last four I would ignore completely as they are subjective and fairly inconsequential. Iff you did want to clean-sheet it, brake hoses and rear springs also not expensive to buy or have fitted.

Woah thak you for the swift response, that is very reassuring! 

May I also ask what you would look for when inspecting this car, any known issues with this model in particular? 

Thanks again  

[Breezy_Pete]

Make sure all five doors open/close and lock/unlock correctly, and that the front electric windows work fully and smoothly/quietly.

Look for dampness in the cabin especially in the rear footwells, you may see watermarking evidence of ingress on the metal of the doors just below the door cards, or even soggy door cards if bad. If it has rained recently prior to inspection, look at the rubber seals at the bottom of each doorway for puddles sitting on them, more evidence of door carrier leakage.

 

Any/all of the above faults are harder to fix by 'virtue' of later mk1s having door carriers that are rivetted in place rather than bolted.

 

Engine noises, on cold start up, at idle, and observation of degree of vibration of the engine in the bay would all be worth checking if possible. 71k is not particularly high mileage for this engine, and I think a 2006 BME-code engine will not have an EGR valve which is one fault cause of the earlier 12-valvers.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 hours ago, ZefferZ said:

Tax is £155

 

I'd double check that if I were you. My 2006 (56) is an Ambiente 1.2 HTP 12v (BME engine code, which you'll find under the boot carpet, should the sticker still be there) and I'm paying £170 but was initially led to believe it was only £155. The newer one is also more economical than the older MPI engine (which harks back to the days of old Skoda) where instead of mid 30s in terms of MPG, you can see 40-46 in towns and A/B-roads and possibly about 45-48 on dual carriageways (keeping to 65ish) from what I'm getting with mine. 

 

Hope this helps you a little bit. I haven't owned a 1.4 MPI so can't quite speak of them with complete confidence, but I've had my 1.2 HTP 12v since March and have done just over 2,500 miles since I bought it.

P.S. Check for water in the spare wheel well if possible too. I had some there due to a leaking vent (fixed with bathroom sealant). Also are you aware the first one is a Cat N? - it looks alright however.

Edited 16 September, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium
Additional Information.

[Breezy_Pete]

See how cold the air is with the A/C switched on if you look at the 1.2, (and you care about having working A/C). If it's not much colder with the temp dial set to minimum and A/C button pressed and lit up yellow, it's probably not working and could be a price-lowering bargaining point. Might be a cheap/easy fix, but might well not.