Fabia suggestions

[Albervin]

I am looking at possibly buying a Fabia to replace my wife's Citroen C3. Needs to be a hatch not wagon. Prefer paddle shift as that is what she is used to. What about the engines? I like the idea if 132Kw if I need to play with it but really she would be happy with 77. Any engine/gearbox issues other than the well known DSG recall? I have heard the 1.4 can be problematic regarding oil and totally failing. Truth or myth? Trim levels, options etc? The Citroen (1.6L Sensodrive) is actually a nice car to drive but fit and finish is totally crap. We keep cars for 10 years so they need to be ultra reliable out of warranty and (relatively) cheap to maintain. Your input is not only welcome it is essential. Thanks.

[Rubbadub]

77 might be closest if you want "ultra reliable". The 132 is the most fun but in combination with the DSG most likely to have "issues".

For the record, mine hasn't had any mechanical issues, though many people would (probably quite rightly) consider using 1L of oil every 3.5 to 4k kms a problem. It is pretty good on fuel for the power to weight ratio you get, though extra weight/passengers, head/crosswinds seem to affect it more than other cars i've had. That could be down to its size.

[mmmRacer]

Check out the Monte Carlo. It has the reliable 1.2t engine and looks sportier then a VRS.

[Pugdriver]

My partner has a 77tsi wagon. It has Plenty of get up and go. The hatch performance is the same. It is a great handling, fun to drive car. Just ticked over to 6 months old.

We absolutely love the car. Not one single thing gone wrong. Its quality of assembly is perfect - can't find anything that doesn't fit and operate perfectly. It has a really solid feel - tighter and better fitting than my Peugeot which was about $10,000 dearer when new back in 2007. The Pug had quite a few warranty repairs needed in its first six months (all done without argument) the little Skoda hasn't had one.

I still really enjoy my Peugeot, but when it is time to replace it in 2 - 3 years or so, I will be looking carefully at a Skoda for its replacement.

[Difinity]

Love the vRS with DSG. Mine was a Feb 13 build, does lots of country kilometres. (Canberra, some slow traffic and lots of 80-100km travel). I do run it both soft and hard through the rev range though. Others I know have had some oil use issues, but they seem to be very gentle drivers. If that's the case for you, get the 77 or Monte Carlo.
Mine returns about 6.1l/100, no oil issues or DSG issues.

I've got the wagon though - little bit longer (more interior room) and a little more stable on road.
Great little car, and very good value.


Difinity

[Jake02]

Don't even touch the 1.4 to be honest, the Special Edition is a car that Skoda should have never brought here. It doesn't even have a proper glovebox! I'd go the Monte Carlo 77TSI, it looks better than the RS, and it's great value at the moment maybe leaving the option to give it a few options. After a C3, the Fabia should be great (a much better drive, with better finish too, and more reliable too! Only the RS has paddles though.

[BrashDaniels]

Not a day's problem with our RS - on or off the track (VWW'ers will know that already) So WE JUST BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE!!!!
It's perfect too.

I think SOME of the problems stem from local factory assembly/quality/origin issues, as my mate with the same engine/DSG combo in a VW made in South Africa, had every issue three times over - and the 2013 Model we just got has the newest DSG/engine version too.

We expect it to use a little oil like the other one did (about 2L in the first 8K km) and settle after that.

[Hajo]

Hi There, hoping this thread can help me out a bit rather than posting a new thread: I am considering swapping my Fabia 1.2 TSi DSG hatch for a Fabia 1.2 TSi Manual wagon. Have been very happy with the hatch and DSG 'box, but would like a bit more load space.
- Would like any feedback on differences in dynamics between the 1.2 with DSG versus with the 5 speed manual?
- How is the Manual in highway travel, with only 5 gears?
- There will be some city travel, but mainly commuting with the (not so occasional) odd traffic snarl-up to contend with.
- Any other comments that can help to shed some light.

How does the Rapid compare?

Thanks!