Service Time for my combi and the local Skoda garage were good enough to give me a courtesy car for the day. I'd never driven a new 1.2HTP hatch before today and we couldn't believe how different it was to my 5yr old 1.9tdi combi. So after a day zooming around Worcestershire this is pretty much what we thought ...

Negatives;

Uttlerly gutless - I didn't exactly cover myself in glory by stalling it trying to pull out of the parking space at the garage and things didn't get much better when I realised the throttle pedal wasn't connected to anything !

My other half said it felt it was so light she thought it might be a handfull in a crosswind.

Seats were like bar stools!

Positives;

Lovely light handling, mine feels like an ocean liner down country lanes by comparison

HTP engine is nice and torquey when kept below 3k rpm, and sounds good over 3k rpm ... and the average mpg fugures looked good too.

Very light clutch pedal, again it didn't feel connected to anything

Lovely gearbox, a pleasure to use ... and it didn't feel ... blah blah blah.

Just goes to show how much the character of a chassis can change with a different lump under the bonnet ...

(Had a look round the new Bread Van in the showroom :eek: Nein Danke)

The only fabia's I haven't driven is the 1.0 and 1.2 6v.

I've owned 2 derv fabia's and now a 1.2HTP 12v. The 1.2 handles a lot better than it's derv realtions and in my opinion is just as good as the vRS around corners (no heavy lump making it understeer). It's no rocket but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I find best acceleration is between 3 and 4k rpm and average 43MPG on mixed driving (actual not trip computer reading) and about 48MPG on the M Ways. It will sit quite happily at 80 on my private test track although it's nearly pulling 4k rpm!

Both the SDI saloon and the 1.2 suffer in cross winds- it can get quite scary! Although both cars ran 14" wheels and I suspect wider wheels would help reduce this problem.

The lazy throttle is something that most petrol fabia's suffer with (or is it a 'design' feature?), given time you get used to the momentary pause in action!

I suppose the seats are firmer but I don't really find it a problem.

Lazy throttle is all down to modern emmissions etc etc.

I've had my 1.4mpi remapped by Morego (BBR GTi) and it is a whole lot stronger and the throttle response is SHARP.

Handling is not that bad either, with the light engine.

Doesn't the three pot engine sound cool though; would be better with a decent exhaust?

I had one as a coutasy car as well, I also had a 1.4 fabia combi. Of the two cars liked the htp best. It did have a little bit of torque, and it did sound quite cool.

The best bit about having a coutasy car is that when you get back into the vRS you remember what you love about it.

My brother and I have the 1.2 HTP his is brand new while my car is 3 years old, the newer car is better to drive but I would think this is because it is new and the seats are firmer again being brand new.

Still not bad for under 7K in comparison to the other crud like Kia and Suzuki etc have to offer

had a test drive in a 1.2 6v jesus that was slow!! 12v is a fun little car tho...only for about town no good for anything else i dont think

I'm looking at replacing my wifes Felicia and it will have to be the 1.2 as anything else will be to expensive to insure with my university student daughter as a named driver. OK, its not quick, but as a shopping car doing local trips it ideal. Have just noticed that my local dealer has a 54 plate on sale at 5.5k.....

Andy

I'm looking at replacing my wifes Felicia and it will have to be the 1.2 as anything else will be to expensive to insure with my university student daughter as a named driver. OK, its not quick, but as a shopping car doing local trips it ideal. Have just noticed that my local dealer has a 54 plate on sale at 5.5k.....

Andy

Have you thought about the 1.2 Sport - your daughter ought to love the red seatbelts and dark tinted rear windows

I still swear by that little lump its still a cracker to drive... and will easily sit at 110 on your private track.

I still swear by that little lump its still a cracker to drive... and will easily sit at 110 on your private track.

110 - kph or mph?

Yes; the three pot, I drove one of the 1.4TDi for the day recently, has a lovely gruff rumble to it. Better though if it were a bit more aural like a Laverda Jota :eek:

110 - kph or mph?

Yes; the three pot, I drove one of the 1.4TDi for the day recently, has a lovely gruff rumble to it. Better though if it were a bit more aural like a Laverda Jota :eek:

MPH... takes half hour to reach that speed!! but when it gets there it'll happerly sit with no trouble. Lovely little lump that.

I wonder what bhp you could get out of it with a free flow exhaust & air filter and an ECU remap - 75bhp?

Then it would only take 20 mins to get to 110mph!!

Ive had a 1.2 HTP estate yesterday. It didnt want to go over 98mph And when I lifted off the throttle, it seemed to carry on for a second or two instead of engine braking :confused:

Is it only me that think they sound whiney and rough?

Handbrake was alright though!.

They do sound rough in my opinion but coming from a diesel that's nothing new! I just wonder how long the engine will last in these as they need to be worked to get them going, saying that mine's never been over 4K rpm since I've had it! I think they redline at 5.5K!

They do sound rough in my opinion but coming from a diesel that's nothing new! I just wonder how long the engine will last in these as they need to be worked to get them going, saying that mine's never been over 4K rpm since I've had it! I think they redline at 5.5K!

currently running a polo 1.2 courtesy car. It redlines at 5.8k but you can keep it going to at past 6k;) but seemingly no power

According to Skoda max power is at 5400rpm and max torque at 3000rpm!! I find the car protests hugely below 2000rpm and starts feeling lively around 3000, the noise it starts making scares me hence why I've never gone over 4000rpm!

I do a lot of motorway miles in mine (I've not had it a month and done 3000 miles already!) and find it perfectly acceptable both there and around town.

I'm thinking about getting a K&N panel filter for mine to see if it makes ANY difference, I'm not after more power just a bit more free reving for £35 it's worth ago!

I'm looking at replacing my wifes Felicia and it will have to be the 1.2 as anything else will be to expensive to insure with my university student daughter as a named driver. OK, its not quick, but as a shopping car doing local trips it ideal. Have just noticed that my local dealer has a 54 plate on sale at 5.5k.....

Andy

Andy, have a look for a 1.9sdi ... loads of torque, cheap to buy and low insurance.

The SDI is a good strong engine but the 0-60 time is somewhere near 19 seconds! The 1.2 is nearer 15. I have had both and think the 1.2 is a better all round package.

I remember doing an IAM drive in a 1.2htp courtesy car and the most noticable problem was that any gear over 3rd is a waste of time if there's any gradient whatsoever - gutless, gutless, gutless.

I genuinely didn't like it.

Edit: Just spotted the 15 seconds 0-60 :eek: SWMBO's 1.3 Getz does 60 in 11.5! What are VAG playing at putting such underpowered engines like that in modern cars???

Well I certainly have no issue with performance on mine - it takes me where I want to go and carries all my 'junk' too. Having a car with 100+ BHP for is a complete waste of money for me especially with increasing road congestion and the ever expanding downspeeding on roads, unless I needed tow a caravan or some large trailer. The MPG figure is, and always has been far more important to me and with the 1.2 have seen it return up to 60 mpg.

Theres a solid feel to the car as well - hired a Corsa in the summer and that felt like a tin can in comparison - I know which car I feel safer in.

Seats - had no problems at all especially on longer journeys but then maybe my bums been hardened by years of motorcycling.

Engine Sound - when I first had a test drive in one it nearly put me off, having not heard a three cylinder engine before, but decided to go for it as its something different, personally I think its a tad on the noisy side for me when accelerating or the engines working a bit hard, but the engine is fine at constant crusing speeds

Ok had some issues with one breakdown this year but it was only minor and been fine since.

In conclusion Im quite happy with my HTP, its a nice car to own and drive, and since I do most of my own servicing, to maintain as well!

Just my two pence worth.

The SDI is a good strong engine but the 0-60 time is somewhere near 19 seconds! The 1.2 is nearer 15. I have had both and think the 1.2 is a better all round package.

your forgetting the 1.4TDi, I got one, it is claimed 0-62 in 14.4secs, but it is or seems faster then that. Also with 144lbs/ft torque makes it as powerful as a 2.0 petrol Fabia. Pulls hills very well, and is nippy around town. Mine is a 53 plate and I paid