2008 Skoda Fabia Greenline 1.4 turbo diesel
Summary:
An ECO model car with no drawbacks!
Faults:
Nothing.
General Comments:
After a reality check on how bad Vauxhall customer service is, I decided to part ex my car and purchase a brand new Skoda Fabia. I have only owned it for 3 weeks and I wish I'd purchased it sooner.
The cabin is amazingly spacious, and the engine is VERY economical as I am getting 43MPG in town driving, compared to the Corsa getting 35MPG on average, and goes very quickly.
You may think that a 1.4TDI wont be able to cut it, but I would recommend taking a test drive because it is a very good engine.
The car may be an eco model, but it is really good to drive and very light on fuel. Also, the dealer was fantastic, very friendly and gave me what I wanted. The salesman did not try to persuade me to buy a different trim level. He gave me exactly what I wanted, and I had the car in less than 3 weeks from placing the order (the car was already built and on its way, so I didn't have a choice on interior trim or car colour, but I like them both).
The only thing is that it rattles like a tractor when it's cold, but when it's warmed up, it quietens down.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th October, 2008
2nd Dec 2008, 14:04
I am surprised you say you only get 43mpg around town - thought you would get more.
5th Dec 2008, 08:17
I get 43MPG because I do short journeys. I only need to travel 4 miles to get to work.
My previous car only just managed 35MPG.
16th May 2009, 15:16
I've had two cars with this little 3 cyl motor (2001 Seat Arosa and 2003 Fabia) between them I did more than 180,000 miles with no problems. The revvy nature of the engine is a real joy. They don't half make a racket when cold though :-) I have the 1.9 TDI Fabia now and there is much more pull at higher speeds with the bigger engine. The 3cyl is a fine little engine though.
JON.
26th Oct 2008, 03:46
Before I purchased the vehicle, my friend was trying to convince me to buy the 1.9tdi engine. I said I didn't need the extra power. He has been in the car a few times now and has not once joked about the lack of power. It takes a while to get used to driving around town in third and I only use 5th when I'm going 70 or more. I found out that the Fabia I own chucks out FAR more torque than his Astra does. I haven't had any trim rattles yet, but I have not even breached the 1000 mile mark yet.
Also, I would highly recommend using Turtle Wax Synthetic Ice after washing the car. It'll look like it came out of the showroom, and it can be used on glass and plastic trim as well as the bodywork. I did it last week and it has been raining heavily and I don't get watermarks on the bodywork. The water just beads off.
It's great to hear from another Fabia driver who is happy with the car.