Item: Used Skoda Fabia 2015-2021
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

The main rival for the Fabia in this class is the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>, which is one of the best-selling cars on the UK’s roads. It has always been a cut above its rivals to drive, with peppy engines and delightful steering and handling. It’s comfortable, too, with a smart, well-equipped interior, and it comes loaded with safety technology. It’s pricier than the Fabia, though, both new and used, and it’s not quite as practical.

The other main rivals both hail, like the Fabia, from the Volkswagen Group: the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/used-review/n987">Seat Ibiza</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/used-review/n722">VW Polo</a>. The Ibiza is both great to drive and remarkably spacious. It’s efficient, too, and has no major weakness in any area.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Polo has a deserved reputation for taking all the good qualities of that evergreen car, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/used-review/n776">VW Golf</a>, and compressing them down into a small car. It’s a well-built and entirely logical car, with a good range of engines and trims and, despite it having a higher purchase price than the Fabia’s, there are still some good used cars to look out for.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/skoda/fabia?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Skoda Fabia</a>&nbsp;or any of the other small cars mentioned here, please check out our used car classifieds section <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

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<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Driver's airbag</h3>

A recall concerns the driver's side airbag of&nbsp;Fabias&nbsp;made between 8 January and 28 February 2018; it may not deploy fast enough. Speak with your Skoda dealer to find out if your car is affected,&nbsp;it will need to have a replacement airbag unit fitted to solve the issue.

&nbsp;

The Fabia backs up its well-put-together air with a good reliability record. In our most recent reliability survey it finished in 15th place in the city and small car sector out of a total of 24 cars with an excellent overall score of 92%.

Skoda as a brand consistently finishes highly placed in reliability and customer satisfaction surveys, often way above its more premium siblings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/audi">Audi</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/seat">Seat</a>. It finished in 12th&nbsp;place out of 30&nbsp;manufacturers in our most recent survey.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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Hatchback

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

FABIA

The Fabia is a really great small car&nbsp;and, if you choose carefully, excellent value for money

Used Skoda Fabia 2015 - present

<h3>MPG</h3>

Choose one of the older diesels if&nbsp;maximum fuel economy is what you need;&nbsp;the 89bhp 1.4-litre has a combined figure of 78.6mpg under the older NEDC tests.&nbsp;

Most will be well served by one of the turbocharged 1.0 or 1.2-litre petrols. Those looking at earlier models will end up with the 1.2, which gets a figure of 60.1mpg in 89bhp form under the older NEDC tests;&nbsp;later 94bhp 1.0-litre engines do a little better at 65.7mpg, or 52.3mpg under the newer and more realistic WLTP tests.&nbsp;

<h3>CO2</h3>

All diesel engines and the 89bhp version of the 1.0-litre petrol sneak under the 100g/km threshold for free road tax. The more powerful 109bhp 1.0-litre emits 105g/km, followed by the non-turbo 59bhp 1.0-litre at 106g/km. Even the older and larger 1.2-litre petrol isn't that polluting, with figures such as 107g/km for the 89bhp version and 110g/km for the 109bhp model.&nbsp;

<h3>Road tax</h3>

Annual car tax (VED) for cars registered before the tax changes of April 2017 came into force will be based on CO2 emissions, while those registered after that date will be charged at the flat rate, which currently stands at £155&nbsp;a year. To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3>Servicing</h3>

Servicing costs are moderate for most examples, and you can arrange a&nbsp;fixed-price servicing plan. Maintenance&nbsp;alternates&nbsp;between interim and major services every year or 10,000 miles. An interim service costs £159 and a major one £249.

<h3>Insurance</h3>

Insuring the Fabia won’t cost a fortune, either, with insurance groups starting from group one&nbsp;for the least powerful 1.0-litre engine. Add a turbo to that engine and the ratings jump to eight for the 94bhp version, or 11 for the 109bhp. The 89bhp 1.4-litre diesel is group 10.

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<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/skoda/fabia?used=true&amp;amp;nearlynew=true?utm_source=what%20car%20reviews&amp;amp;utm_medium=leaderboard&amp;amp;utm_content=Skoda%20Fabia&amp;amp;utm_campaign=used%20cars"><img alt="" src="https://whatcar.media/jpg/50/0/0/770/80/0/0/0/0/aspectfill/center/0/0/0/0/0/images/uploads/usedReviews/f4c36153aa0781a1b36c3ed0efa934df253db491.jpg" /></a>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Used Skoda Fabia 2015-2021

The Fabia is a really great small car and, if you choose carefully, excellent value for money


Used examples of the Fabia represent good value. Prices for this generation start at around £5000 for an early example with plenty of miles on it. However,&nbsp;we'd suggest you spend £6000 to £7000 or more to get a 2015 or 2016 example in&nbsp;SE specification&nbsp;with an average number of miles. Step up to the&nbsp;£8000 mark and you’ll find plenty of 2017 and 2018 1.0-litre SE models from a franchised dealer, with a full history and often lower-than-average miles. Meanwhile, £9000&nbsp;should secure you a good facelifted 2019 or end-of-line 2020 model.

Check the value of a used Skoda Fabia with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

At the launch of this generation of Fabia, Skoda offered two turbocharged 1.2-litre engines, one of 89bhp and the other of 109bhp; our preferred version&nbsp;is the lower-powered variant. However, this was replaced in 2017 with the smaller but slightly more powerful engine&nbsp;known as the 1.0 TSI 95, which is certainly quick enough and very economical. It's the one to go for if you can afford it.

<h3>Specification</h3>

The base S trim is a little too basic, so we'd suggest you go for an&nbsp;SE trim car&nbsp;instead.

A facelift in 2019 brought&nbsp;one or two minor cosmetic and trim updates, but the 1.0-litre SE continues to be our favourite of these later cars.

Our favourite Skoda Fabia: 1.0 TSI 95 SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought by single people or couples with no children – but the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen&nbsp;Polo have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

The Fabia is a very well built car, so most of your concerns will surround whether&nbsp;the interior is clean and tidy and that the alloy wheels, if specified, haven’t suffered any kerb damage. Its most likely use will have been as a town car, so check the bodywork for minor scuffs.

Owners reported problems with the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox&nbsp;of earlier cars; it could be overly jerky when shifting. Some also found it difficult to utilise the Mirrorlink system on the car’s infotainment system. In our most recent reliability survey, the Fabia scored well on brake, tyre, windscreen wiper and headlight bulb wear, all being below the class average.

Given how many <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/small">small cars </a>there are on the new and used car market, it takes one of exceptional competence to really stand out. The Skoda Fabia has, over its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n758">various generations</a>, been instrumental in <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/skoda">Skoda’s</a> turnaround from the manufacturer of cheap and often erratically behaved cars into a modern-day front runner with a range of competent and desirable products.

This third-generation Fabia was our <a href="http://www.whatcar.com/awards/">What Car? Car of the Year winner</a> in 2015, when we had no hesitation in naming&nbsp;it the most rounded small car on sale, and we still rate this version&nbsp;very highly indeed, especially as a used car. Indeed it won the award for our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/used-car-of-the-year-awards-2021-small-cars/n22016">Used Small Car of the Year 2021. </a>That's because the Fabia is practical, well equipped and inexpensive to run.

It’s been available with a wide range of engine options, too, from two non-turbo 1.0-litre petrols of 59 or 74bhp;&nbsp;two turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol units of 94 and 109bhp, and&nbsp;a further two turbo petrols of 1.2-litres and either 89 or 109bhp.&nbsp;There’s also a trio of 1.4-litre diesels in 74, 89 and 103bhp flavours, each&nbsp;of which&nbsp;offers excellent economy for those who clock up higher mileages.

Trims range from S, which is a little too basic for our tastes, through SE, which is our pick and offers such niceties as alloy wheels, air-con, rear parking sensors and a 6.5in colour touchscreen featuring Skoda’s Smartlink sat-nav, up to the sportier-looking&nbsp; Monte Carlo and increasingly more opulent SE L, with its climate control, cruise control and keyless start.

Whichever version you choose, the Fabia is good to drive, surprisingly refined and very comfortable. The basic non-turbo 1.0-litre&nbsp;engine is adequate around town, but we'd seek out one of the&nbsp;turbocharged petrol models; these have more get up and go for motorway use. The diesel options all have plenty of low-down grunt, but aren't&nbsp;quite as smooth and refined as the petrol engined-cars.

Around town, the Fabia's ride can be a bit unsettled, but at higher speeds things settle down and it all becomes much more composed. In corners, the Fabia steers well, and there's plenty of grip, and it handles in a secure and competent fashion. Overall refinement is good, with low levels of both wind and road noise.

Inside there's an excellent driving position, with good visibility, and the dashboard and surrounding areas are all laid out in a logical fashion. The 6.5in touchscreen is clear and easy to use, too. Space-wise, there's more than enough up front, and generous amounts of leg and head room in the rear, at least for two; three is a little bit of a squeeze. The boot is a competitive size, too, and is usefully square in shape. However, fold the rear seats flat and there is a noticeable step in the boot floor.

All in, though, the Fabia is a great car, and it should be fairly light on your pocket, too, with some excellent buys appearing on the used car forecourts.

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/skoda/fabia?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Skoda Fabia</a>&nbsp;or any of the other small cars mentioned here, please check out our used car classifieds section <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;

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<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Used Skoda Fabia 2015-2021 review

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What to look for when buying a Skoda Fabia 2015 - 2021, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

The Fabia is a very well built car, so most of your concerns will surround whether the interior is clean and tidy and that the alloy wheels, if specified, haven’t suffered any kerb damage. Its most likely use will have been as a town car, so check the bodywork for minor scuffs.,Owners reported problems with the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox of earlier cars; it could be overly jerky when shifting. Some also found it difficult to utilise the Mirrorlink system on the car’s infotainment system. In our most recent reliability survey, the Fabia scored well on brake, tyre, windscreen wiper and headlight bulb wear, all being below the class average.,,Driver's airbagA recall concerns the driver's side airbag of Fabias made between 8 January and 28 February 2018; it may not deploy fast enough. Speak with your Skoda dealer to find out if your car is affected, it will need to have a replacement airbag unit fitted to solve the issue. ,The Fabia backs up its well-put-together air with a good reliability record. In our most recent reliability survey it finished in 15th place in the city and small car sector out of a total of 24 cars with an excellent overall score of 92%.,Skoda as a brand consistently finishes highly placed in reliability and customer satisfaction surveys, often way above its more premium siblings Volkswagen, Audi and Seat. It finished in 12th place out of 30 manufacturers in our most recent survey.,If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.Page 3 of 5

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Used Skoda Fabia 2015-2021 review

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