2003 Skoda Fabia Attractive 1.2 6v MPI
Summary:
Golf-sized body with a Smart-sized engine
Faults:
Throwout bearing shattered into pieces - new clutch kit for 270€.
Coil pack no. 2 broke down - 60€.
Engine shakes badly at idle and resonates through the whole body. It also rattles at idle and has shaky throttle if standing still for more than a few seconds, or if it just started running.
General Comments:
Very roomy and comfortable inside. Overall well built and rust free (for the last 12 years at least). Perfect for that new driver who wants a set of wheels to get to work/university safely or as a shopping trolley.
Performance-wise it's really lackluster even for a 1.2, but it's expected from a car with 55 HP. It pulls well though, and you may get some whiplash if you try to squeeze it. Most of the times you do need to squeeze the engine since it's painfully slow. Do not drive on motorways unless you're comfortable doing it at 80kph.
Fuel economy is decent if you cruise at 60-80 kph, returning 5.5-6l/100km. However, for the performance it provides, it's really not that great.
If you're buying a used MK1 Fabia, go for the 1.4 TDI or 1.2 12v engine if you're still after a petrol version.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th July, 2015
20th Jul 2015, 18:49
OP here: Despite the really slow acceleration figures, it has loads of low RPM torque on a close ratio gearbox. 1st gear @ 5000RPM = 40-45 kph. Since it's a heavy car for the engine, you do need to rev it vigorously when exiting junctions, thus the whiplash. It goes really well up to 60 kph, but struggles from that point onwards. Even if you release the clutch slowly, once you dab the throttle you can feel the slight bounce. It's not as refined as one would think, bearing in mind it's a Polo in a slightly better looking (guilty for bias) shell.
16th Jul 2015, 18:04
Not a bad review, but one thing I'm struggling to understand is how do you get 'whiplash' when you push a car that only does 0 to 62mph (that's 100kph) in 18.5 secs?!