Skoda Fabia - Why Would you?

[GTI JOE]

Have a second, third, fourth look at the above photograph. I wouldn't mind the accessory attached to that car

[kaanage]

I'd be tempted to buy the Fabia rather than the GTi as it isn't trying to be a mini Golf (and falling short) but is being it's own thing (one of the charms of the 9N3 even though it looks rather dowdy).

And it'd tune up just like a Polo GTi and with coilovers to raise it close to the standard model height, no one would think that it was a performance car (except those who matter).

The pricing is odd, though, unless it has inclusions that are extras for the Polo

[pologti18t]

maybe the wagon option is a better bet :

YouTube - VW Polo GTI v Skoda Fabia vRS v SEAT Ibiza Cupra review - Auto Express.

The Fabia is significantly cheaper than the Polo GTi in the UK

From what i can see the skoda gets alarm, 8 speakers, standard mdi, privacy glass. choice of different alloy wheels and coloured roof. larger selection of colours. 2 whites, red, black, silve, bright yellow, green and electric blue

[GTI JOE]

Wagon doesn't do it for me either

[Pugdriver]

I'm interested in the Fabia diesel wagon - I only started looking at the Polo because the Skoda Fabia wagon isn't available in Australia. Now I read that the Fabia will be launched at the Melbourne motor show - I'm very keen to have a look, though the reports so far are that the diesel and wagon won't be available at launch, but should come later...

[Buller_Scott]

drop this thing 35-40mm all round, and that would look ufcking sick!

fabia vrs wagon + MANUAL + tune / exhaust / intake etc + good adjustable dampers + hard-as-ufck poly bushings all round (even if they have to be replaced every so often) = a car that would be quite up my alley.

[kaanage]

I'm interested in the Fabia diesel wagon

I just hope that the diesel engine setup isn't that same as the one in the 6R. That said, it should be OK out your way as you don't get many traffic crawls (except maybe on some weekends with all the cars and buses going from Apollo Bay to the 12 Apostles).

Did you see a gaggle of 9N3 Polos and Suzuki Swifts passing through town a couple of weeks ago?

[Pugdriver]

Hi Kaanage

no, I didn't see a bunch of Polos and Swifts, what were they doing here?

Can you "please explain" your comments about the diesel setup in the 6R Polo? I expect the Fabia will be the same, they use the 66TDI engine.

It is my biggest concern about the Polo and Fabia - I test drove a Polo diesel and though generally I liked the car, I was disappointed about its lack of the expected diesel "grunt." I currently drive a Peugeot 307 1.6 HDi wagon and it has the same size engine but gets 80 killer wasps from it, VW's diesel of the same size is only 66 kW. I noticed in one spot when doing 80km/h in fifth on a flat country road, as I passed the 100km/h sign I planted the right foot and absolutely nothing happened, it just slowly oozed up to 100km/h. In the (much heavier) Pug it would have picked up its skirts and run. So where is the famous diesel torque???

From reading here and elsewhere, it appears VW's implementation of a diesel particle filter is not as sophisticated as the Peugeot system - Pug was the first to use them in a passenger car, maybe they have more experience with them? The Peugeot FAP (DPF) has a small tank of a catalyst fluid under the floor, near the fuel tank. The liquid is called "Eolys", I think it is like the Adblue used by some others. Its purpose is to lower the temperature at which the DPF regenerates, so it is sensors tell the computer that the DPF needs a regeneration and isn't up to temperature from normal driving, it adds a splash of eolys to the incoming diesel fuel, which does two things - it increases the exhaust temperature, and lowers the temperature at which a "burn off" occurs inside the DPF. I have been a member of the Aussiefrogs forum (the French car equivalent to this forum) since about 2006 and I have never heard any mention of the problems that these VWs are said to have, with not regenerating with short trips and inner city driving.
We have been looking out for a new car for my partner for over a year, we didn't get a previous model Polo precisely because it doesn't have a DPF - we are pretty "green" and want to have a low emissions car. It pretty much ticked all the other boxes. Now the new model has doubts about its get-up-and-go, and we can't get fog lights without the sports pack - and on our crappy roads I don't want lowered suspension and boy racer 17 inch alloys/low profile tyres.

Hopefully the Skoda will fill the bill, otherwise a runout model Focus diesel, though bigger than we really wanted, is looking good. It uses a Peugeot diesel engine, don't know yet about their DPF though.

In case anyone wonders, though we love my Peugeot, the Partner hates the 207.

[Finance_Analyst]

Skoda dealer in Brisbane tried to convice me that the Superb was an Audi and that I should buy that instead of my GTI

[break]

Price.

There is a good $2.5k (aud) difference between the two, with no mechanical differences in the drivetrain.