1994 Skoda Favorit GLXie 1.3 petrol

Summary:

My first car, but I'm certain its the best I will ever have - its unique

Faults:

Not much at all... infact nothing.

The only things are smashed wing mirror and dinted bumper, but that's all human error. the car is solid as a rock.

General Comments:

The car is amazingly cheap - cost 400 quid and does about 45 to the gallon.

I can fit all my band equipment in the boot. that's a full drum kit, PA and amps.

And I can still beat all the boy racers off the line with their novas.

It's a comfy car - I've done a few long journeys in it and its handled very nicely.

Bodywork is immaculate.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd November, 2004

1994 Skoda Favorit GLX ie Flairline 5-dr 1.3

Summary:

Simple and Effective

Faults:

Needed new battery.

General Comments:

What a good little car this was. Bought for £150 with one owner and 44k miles, it represents one of my best motoring bargains.

It was run as a 3rd car, so didn't do many miles, but in that time it always started (even in very cold weather), and proved totally reliable.

As our two other cars were both new, the Skoda was quite old fashioned to drive, particularly with no power steering.

Handling is best described as adequate, in that it does go round corners, the steering is as vague as Tony Blair, and the engine sounds like an old lawn mower!

But, it all does the job, in a kind of honest, no frills way, and makes you realise how far modern cars have come.

I'm not surprised that Skoda used to win rallies with these old engines as it was incredibly tough and amazingly simple (even I could perform basic maintenance).

I don't see how people can run these things over a similiar aged Cavalier or Astra as a main car, and when new I certainly wouldn't have bought one, but as a second or third car they make good sense, and to boot we managed to sell it on for £350!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th September, 2004

22nd Sep 2005, 11:47

Skoda didn't win any rallies with the 1.3 engine. The rally cars used a specially produced engine.

21st Mar 2006, 15:16

I've driven Skodas (Estelles and Favorits) for years. The engine is as tough as old boots and the nearest I've come to blowing one up was when the head gasket leaked repeatedly on an Estelle 130. The Favorit engine, in either 135 or 136 variant (differing only in details), seems immune to that failure and my last one was still going strong at 115,000 miles, which is not bad considering the basic engine design dates back to the early 1960s. The rest of the car is an object lesson in efficient, reliable, sturdy, no-frills budget car design and actually I find the handling excellent. Buy the best tyres you can find (I use 175/60 on the front) and replace the original equipment shock absorbers, preferably with gas types (they're completely compatible with shocks for the Skoda Felicia, whatever the books may say, which increases your choice), and you get handling that will see off most similar-size Fords et al.

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1994 Skoda Favorit LXie 1.3 petrol

Summary:

An economical car that performs surprisingly well

Faults:

The Cylinder Head Gasket was blown when I bought the car. The guy who had it just parked it up when the gasket blew and seemed to use it as a dog kennel. A good clean out solved that!

The brake pedal sticks on.

The rear wheel arches are rusting a bit.

General Comments:

The head gasket was repaired and a full service was had for less than £250 making this a bargain car to buy.

The car is extremely reliable and takes me to work and back with no complaints which for a 10 year old car is great.

This car returns more than 35 mpg which is better than I was hoping for, a really economic car with good performance.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th June, 2004