Matt Bodycombe

I know it's not "another car" but can you guys tell me what you think. If you are thinking about buying a Fabia VRS I hope this helps but it's purely subjective!
LIFE WITH A SKODA FABIA VRS

I have always had a soft spot for Skodas, even in the days when they formed a part of every dodgy comedian’s patter. One of my friends owned an old Estelle 105E after he passed his test. It was powered by a 1050cc alloy block/iron head (yes you read that right) engine which produced all of 40 bhp while sounding like it was about to launch its pistons into orbit. Top speed was only about 80 mph so the technique was to maintain momentum at all costs. With the engine hung over the rear axle the handling was interesting to say the least but we had some great fun in that car. I do suspect that our enjoyment was enhanced by our being high on the petrol fumes that made their way into the cabin though!
Over the years Skoda, under the Volkswagen Group, have banished those communist built cars into unlamented memory and started to produce world class cars but they had become conventional and lost the quirkiness that had endeared me to the Estelle. I was impressed by these VW cars but had no desire to put my hand in my pocket (or rather the bank managers) to buy one.
However in 2005 I had finally finished studying and got my first proper job. The little Peugeot 106 1.1 that had given me valiant service for several years was getting tired and could not really cope with the long motorway journeys that I was increasingly undertaking. It was at that time that that I saw a glowing long term report on the Skoda Fabia VRS in a well established motoring weekly and took one out on the back of this. I was not expecting much as I had my heart on a Honda Civic Type R or a MINI Cooper S but both were ruled out by their high prices and swingeing insurance costs.
The drive in the little VRS blew all thoughts of those two cars straight out of the window though. I just could not believe the acceleration and the 50mpg fuel return it gave me in the hour long test drive. The car flings itself down the road at the slightest touch of the accelerator and there is purposeful pull from above idle. On the other hand it is happy to spin round to its 5000 rpm limiter if you ask it to. Such driving is completely unnecessary though as 229 ft lb’s of torque at 1900 rpm means that you can change up at around 2500 rpm and find yourself covering ground very rapidly indeed. Turbo lag is minimal (although the torque does come in with quite a bang) and the car has effortless midrange shove (50-70 mph in about 5.5 seconds in fourth gear) which makes overtaking safe and drama free. Hard acceleration in the lower gears can set the traction control light winking like a barman at a blonde but the acceleration becomes a totally effortless surge in the higher gears. Steep inclines are nonchalantly shrugged off and I remember my first long journey in the car approaching Telegraph Hill outside Exeter. What would have involved a flurry of revs and a carefully planned run up in the 106 was carried out in sixth gear at 70 mph with the rev counter rock steady at 2200 rpm. Such torque in a car of this size has given me much more confidence as a driver. I am not talking about hooligan irresponsibility here but the total opposite. My driving has become much more relaxed as the reserves are there when you need them.
Fuel economy is invariably over 50 mpg on a run but will fall to about 35 mpg running about town. The worst I have seen is 28 mpg in London gridlock. Build quality is first class and I am amazed that they have managed to preserve the inherent quality of their parent marque for a lot less outlay. After three years and nearly 30,000 miles the car still feels solid and the paintwork is still rich and lustrous. Maybe a few switches inside have been deliberately cheapened to distance the car from the “higher class” Polo but I personally think the Fabia is better built than the Spanish made Polo. Reliability has been brilliant with only a leaky radiator cropping up just after I got the car which was immediately replaced under warranty. I just hope that engine stays reliable as the camshaft operated unit injectors cost several hundred pounds each to replace. That can only get worse now that the Volkswagen Group has ditched this technology for the mainstream common rail technology. I haven’t heard as many horror stories with this system as with common rail though. My brother in law is a Ford tech and he says that that these engines in the old Galaxy give far less hassle than the TDCI motors. The fact that you have to use a special and fairly pricey engine oil (to cope with the stresses of those high pressure injectors) is a bit of a pain though.
One of the less pleasing aspects of the car is the handling. There is plenty of grip, but the suspension is set up too soft for my liking and the car lurches and rolls a bit too much for my taste. The flip side is that the car is supremely comfortable over rough surfaces but I would trade some of this comfort for more tautness. One of the things I really miss about my little 106 is its blend of very supple ride with crisp handling and next to no pitch or roll (although if you lifted off in a corner or on a roundabout in the wet things could get “interesting”)! I have also found that the engine infuriates as well as delights me. On start up there is a chattering crackle that sends vibrations through the pedals, gearstick and steering wheel. It is enough to put many people, who otherwise like the car, right off it and every modern Diesel I have driven trounces it for refinement. It sounds like the knackered old Transit minibus that my school had back in the ‘80’s. I’m almost inclined to burst out into old dirty rugby songs every time I start it! Maybe I am being a little unfair as, once underway, things start to improve the engine quietens down nicely on a motorway cruise (although road noise from the low profile Continentals fitted at the moment is quite pronounced).

I had an opportunity to compare my car to a 1.4 TDI when it went in for servicing recently. This little three cylinder engine is noisy on start up but I found it far smoother than the 1.9 once revving (which it does very freely for a Diesel) and it has a lovely off beat growl under acceleration. I gather that this engine has a Lancester balancer shaft . I wonder why Volkswagen didn’t fit one of these to the four cylinder which shares the same basic design?

In all though the Skoda Fabia VRS is a terrific little car which has its own little cult following with devotees calling it the Furby (why name it after a gimcrack children’s toy?!). It represents outstanding value for money and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a rapid, well built and economical car. My friend doesn’t drive a Skoda any more but mention the name and a smile still spreads across his face. I can see where he is coming from as, despite the progress made since our Estelle escapades, Skoda still knows how to make a car that can put a smile on your face and that is not and never has been a joke.

sharkrider

nice review, I'd give you a decent mark for it

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Fiat Grande Punto Sporting (158 bhp 314 lbs/ft) in Red....

Furby vRS , black magic,passenger airbag de-activation switch, (now gone, but not forgotten!)

Matt Bodycombe

Cheers mate I'll post a review of the 500 (not as long trust me) 1.4 next week. I will try to get a run in a G.P Sporting in both guises but maybe from another dealer. My cousin has a basic 1.2 G.P as a daily runner and loves it.

red-devil

Top review

sharkrider

if you try the 1.9 sporting, read about the differences between the comon rail and the PD in the vRS... it wont feel as fast at all, but if you check the speedo, you'll see different..... no big torque shove, but more free revving ect...

if you try the 1.4 t-jet (120bhp) I'd be really interested in the review, as I haven't tried this engine, but its apparently very good! 40+mpg, and low emmisions, and can be tuned to 180bhp! in the arbarth versions....

edit: I see you live down south (I'm up in the borders!) but I will be at the weston meet in march,(SW section) if you want to come along, I'll be happy to let you test fly mine

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Fiat Grande Punto Sporting (158 bhp 314 lbs/ft) in Red....

Furby vRS , black magic,passenger airbag de-activation switch, (now gone, but not forgotten!)

ncarring

I'm not sure if the old skool Skoda fans on here will agree with the "unlamented memory" phrase, but otherwise quite nicely written.

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Nick

North Wiltshire RoADAR

Matt Bodycombe

Perhaps I should change that to generally unlanented! I love old rear engined Skoda's. As I say my best mate had a 105 and that was fun If anyone has a nice 136 Rapid, with the sport mods, I'd be interested!