bmw 120d or fab vrs

[DavidIF]

i have a 120d company car and i am thinking about opting out of the company car scheme and i am thinking about replacing it with a vrs. the bm has 163 bhp although doesnt really feel that fast although is very smooth.i have tested a vrs and was impressed it felt stronger low down in the rev range than the bm .has anybody else made the comparison between the 2 cars and if so i would be interested in any opinions

[Leon-y-k]

bit of a big comparison isnt it? premium hatch back to a supermini? hmm surely the bmw seems more tempting or is it basic spec?

[Johnwg]

bit of a big comparison isnt it? premium hatch back to a supermini? hmm surely the bmw seems more tempting or is it basic spec?

Have to agree, never driven a 120d mind, but on paper it would appear a no brainer :confused:

[Shifty]

Don't be silly.

BMW!

[Snoopie]

Go with the BMW 120d.

[Leon-y-k]

Don't be silly.

BMW!

BMW!!

[DavidIF]

bmw is an es rather than a sport or msport similar spec to vrs ie a/c rather than climate control 16 inch alloys non sports interior etc just thought that vrs would be more cost effective when i have to buy my own

[DavidIF]

my point is that i am trying to find a more cost effective way to enjoy motoring the vrs is much cheaper to buy than the bmw and probably more fun

[The The]

You have just answered your own question, the Bmw is a nice car and rear wheel drive but at least 10k more.

[ScoobyChris]

my point is that i am trying to find a more cost effective way to enjoy motoring the vrs is much cheaper to buy than the bmw and probably more fun

Sounds like you've already made your mind up and have convinced yourself that the Fabia is the car you want. I wouldn't agree about the fun thing, but it's not my money

Chris

[stumpy1]

Having just had a 1 series loaner for a few days I would say get the BMW. I hate the looks, hate the interior, hate the ride quality, hate the lack of space in the back BUT as a driving tool, it is unmatched in its class. You can really feel the quality too.

[sharkrider]

recently after buying my vRS I spent a whole afternoon test driving the BMW120d (a friend of mine blagged it from the dealer for a few hours because he was thinking of buying one, he also drove my vRS)

I did a review of this car, it may show up if you do a search.... my short opinions as follows..

BMW is way more expensive, by a long way.... a thought if its your own money

it's not really a fair comparison , but...

the BMW handles way better, one of the best handling cars I've driven....

however, the one we had, had only about 150 miles on the clock, the engine felt rough, and there was detectable vibration in the cabin.... and it HONESTLY felt slower than the vRS, now I don't care how many people post after this quoting power figures ect, but every time both of us switched between cars, the vRS felt the faster, end of story (even if it wasn't , this was the effect, and hence the big grin on the face) to be honest there was a big difference, maybe it was because the bmw wasn't run in, but then my vRS had only done 1,500 miles at the time... (58k now and still happy)

not gonna go into any more detail, but we spent hours with the car, and decided the bmw was a better car (if slower) but to be honest fabia vRS £12,000, the bmw we tested £22,000, it was in NO WAY £10,000 better, my friend says he may have bought it, had he not driven my vRS and had the two to compair... in the end the bmw was too expensive for what it was... fabia was less vibration inside, faster, just as well built, and handles like pants, the bmw was not worth the extra £10,000....

he bought a merc a-class in the end!

in summary, if it was my money, i would deffinately have the vRS, and a few holidays instead, or maybe two vRS's for that money!, besides, there is no way I could live with the BMW's stupid indicators! lol....

[meames]

This was exactly my choice of 2 cars this time last year. I never drove the BMW, I had already seen the Fabia vRS and booked in for the test drive, and went straight off to BMW to talk to them.

I found their staff rude, obnoxious and just generally didn't care - which I told them - in the end I was so wound up that I walked out of the garage (it was either that or smack one of them) and because of this would not touch a BMW again. If the staff don't want to sell me a car just because I happen to look a little younger than their average buyer, then its their lost sale.

The next weekend I walked into Skoda and within a few hours bought a Fabia vRS, and even now a year down the line, the staff their have been perfect with me, caring and always want to help, and to me thats what matters, I don't want to be lumbered with a car where I dread going to the dealers, I had the same experience with my Corsa before, which is the main reason I got rid.

I couldn't be more happy with my Fabia, 55-60mpg on a trip to London last weekend and that wasn't taking it easy either, will leave a lot of stuff behind on the motorway and always puts a smile on my face.

With the change I jetted off to Florida

[Auric Goldfinger]

And don't forget the Furbie comes with Indicators................

[Tom_vRS]

Will Walkie be along with his opinions

I can only echo what has been said. The 120D is a lovely car, will handle like a charm, but £10k more expensive than the Fabia... If it was £18k for a decent spec, then maybe.

[lozgti]

What is the cost per month on each car? Does it seriously affect you financially?

If it is a huge difference I just couldn't be bothered for the sake of a car.

If it makes little difference just have the BM

[SteVRs]

BM handles well and is a good distance machine. It's also less diesely - drives like a petrol IMHO.

That said, there's a couple (both 118 and 120 diesels) at work and both guys can't wait for the lease to be up so they can get rid of them and buy Golfs & A3 diesels etc.

[HellFire]

Get the 120d if you must but dont get the Fabia, it's outdated and a new one will be here next year. Resale values won't be that great and if your bothered about saving money and getting something fun, go spend

[Joff]

120d.

On performance/handling/etc, the vRS can't compete, even with a remap IMO.

My old manager had a 120d and we'd often have a quick blat on the way home after work. The 1 really uses it's RWD to full effect and it doesn't want to hang around either.

If it's my money, I'd go for the Fabia though.

[Shifty]

I was fortunate enough to get an invite to the launch of the 1 series, at Rockingham. I got to drive it round the track and have to agree thats its the best handling car in it's class. I'd just bought the Fabia the week before, and the BMW doesn't compare. It's so much better. If it was my money, doing lots of miles, i'd take the BMW anyday. Might cost more to run, but as Hellfire said, new Fabia is out soon, so the current one will devalue quite heavily.

By the way, the Fabia feels faster than alot of cars. The BMW - IS faster than the Fabia, but feels slower due to the much smoother power delivery, better construction, quiter cabin, and RWD.

If you are considering just the financial side of things, get the Fabia. If you want a drivers car, get the BMW.

[OldFlo]

I also compared the two before I bought the vRS. For me, the choice came down to badge snobbery (I hate it), the fact I'd save nearly £10K spec for spec, the servicing expense, and a ride in the BMW I wouldn't be able to live with.

All in all, the vRS makes sense as a fun car I can be happy to park outside a client's office, without it being too flashy. I also worked out the cost to be around £200 p/m cheaper than the BMW based on 15k miles pa.

HTH

Edit: Also, I couldn't fit my bass guitar in the back of the 1 without putting the seats down. The rear space is really really tight.

[P-A]

If it were me I'd go for the VRS. The decision would be just based on cost price and running costs. If you want a fun car that's cheap to run then the VRS is perfect. If you want a drivers car and have money to spend then you can't go wrong with the 120d. The beemer should hold its value better too.

[HellFire]

just a quick note, the vRS's ride quality is average and awful once lowered, but lowering does sort out the handling to an extent

[texasjohn]

120d is the better car, but I am not sure it is 10k better.

I have just sold a Fabia vRS for a 330d and the Fabia is the better car round town in many ways. I'd imagine the 120d is the best of both worlds. If I was doing long journeys I would stick with the 120d, myself.

I've driven the 130i and vRS back to back, hardly fair to compare those two though.

[lozgti]

I thought this thread was about saving money coupled with the a question about comparing a skoda and a BMW.

Answers 1)Skoda is cheaper

2)BMW is nicer inside and faster

3) Both came from the design school of the famous but blind and talentless Sri Lankan designer 'Dyathinkpeoplewillpukewhentheyseetheuglymunter'

Get a three year old 3 series or a 120 with some serious tints