USED Skoda Fabia Hatchback (00 - 07)

My car

This is an update after two years of ownership of a 53 plate model. I've now done a 10,000 miles, most of which is urban driving. The car is still excellent to drive with responsive handling through corners and good enough acceleration for town driving.

It has passed two MOT's with no work required whatsoever. The only other work it has needed in two years (other than annual services and tyres) are new door carrier seals to stop water leaks into the rear footwells and a loose gear lever to be re-attached. These are known problems which are easy to fix and the total cost was less than £200. That was at the main dealer so it could be cheaper going to an independent. Either job could be done by a competent DIY mechanic.

We often take a family of five in it to go shopping or for local days out and it copes fine. The only thing I would want is a centre rear three point seat belt but these are available on younger models (04' and younger I think).

MPG is a fairly steady 36-38 and I have a fairly heavy right foot so a more cautious driver will do better. The 3 cylinder engine sounds a bit rough at times but it will easily go up to 70-80mph if required.

In summary, if you want a reliable town runabout or a first car that is suprisingly spacious yet cheap to run then the Fabia is an excellent choice.

My car

Spent ages poring over reviews and specs before buying the Fabia vRS,was looking for the best possible value/performance/economy/residuals balance, and I have to say I haven't been disappointed.Simply the best car i've ever owned. Economy - 60MPG+ easily possible .My average over 46K is 51mpg. Performance - Rides along on a wave of torque.50-70mph is despatched in no time.Motorway cruising is a relaxed affair due to the 6th gear,just over 2000rpm at 70mph. Quality - very well screwed together, no rattles or squeaks although the interior is rather sombre and couldn't be called stylish. Practicality - on a par with supermini rivals,though does have proper tilt/fold rear seats rather than just a fold down backrest. Dislikes - The paint is water based and is very soft and easily scatched,my first car was black which makes the problem even worse.Bird droppings leave a mark if not removed promtly.The seats in the vRS model are black/light gray,the light gray portion on my drivers seat looked grubby in no time, also the seat fabric is rather "nylony" and is constructed of thousands ot tiny loops which are pulled up by rivets on jeans etc. Reliability - minor problems over 46k in two cars.Engine management light on after 10k in the first car, faulty EGR valve replaced under warranty. First car again at 25k,creak in front suspension traced to n/s antiroll bar drop link,replaced under warranty.Car number two, 12k so far and no problems at all.

Overall - Highly recommended.

My car

I have had the 1.2 for 20 months, bought from a car supermarket, and can honestly say that it has proved to be the best small car I have ever owned.

Some warranty work has been carried out, namely replacement of the two rear door seals, the heater fan switch and the water pump.

The dealer's service has been very good, although I would say that costs at the dealership were at best competitive only.

The car itself is a pleasure to drive, with a comfortable ride and plenty of room, and a respectable turn of speed given that it has just 64bhp and 3 cylinders.

A big attraction was the standard-fit air-con, a boon in all weathers. Based on my experiences, I would recommend this model to anyone.

My car

The VRS Fabia is a fantastically fun car to drive, especially when taking into consideration it's value for money. The 1.9 TDI engine is superbly torquey and responsive leaving much more prestigeous cars in the rear vision mirror. Acceleration between 30 and 50 mph is excellent and pulls strongly to 70 with ease. Econonmy is fantastic - I have had it up to 65mpg driving very carefully with an average of around 50mpg. Dispite all this I would describe it as a warm rather than hot hatch. I have had a couple of problems. Small niggle - the petrol cap lock failed. Bigger niggle - all four door cavity seals failed resulting in a £360 bill including replacing the underlay. I suspect damp is a major issue for a lot of Fabias as I recall quite few that I test drove having a strong smell of damp. Bit of a fly in the oitment considering that in many ways this is a pretty fantastic car. Only other criticism is that the interior has a very cheap feel - coverings are light and mark easily and the plastics feel pretty tacky. Overall I love driving this little car but compared with the Hondas I have owned in the past it is lacking in build quality.