How harsh is the ride in a Fabia vRS?

[vxh26]

I am looking to buy a new car.  After weeks of research I had pretty much settled on an Octavia 1.4 TSI DSG Elegance but am not convinced that I need quite so much room (i.e so long a car).  As a result, I looked to see if there was an equivalent Fabia.  Strangely enough, the only 1.4 TSI DSG is a vRS.  I am put off this for a number of reasons:

• I suspect that harder suspension would make it a rougher, less relaxing ride
• the annual road fund licence charge is £110 higher
• it is in a significantly higher insurance group

The latter two points are beyond question.  However, I don't really know quite how harsh the ride would be on a long run (e.g. 200 motorway miles and/or on twisty country or hilly roads).  To be honest, I am not that bothered about blindingly fast acceleration or top speed or even stunning handling when haring round a track.  I just want a roomy, compact(ish), comfortable, reliable, economical car that can carry the occasional large load to the rubbish dump of take four adults on holiday in Europe with bikes on the roof.  The 1.4 TSI DSG seems to fit the bill except for the vRS :(

 

Any comments based on actual experience would be very much appreciated.

[leevrs180]

Why not just go monte with 1.6 diesel lump or 1.2 tsi. Road tax on fabia is 140 quid a year and insurance is cheap many vrs's are owned by younger lads, I myself am 24 1 claim and 6 points and just short of £400 a year

[Ootohere]

If the Fabia is the right size, then why not just get a Hatch or Estate with DSG & on 16" Rims,

and not a vRS & the 1.4 TSI Twincharger.

 

Best go ask for a test drive in a vRS and other cars and see what you think.

 

george.

[Ally_bassman]

The ride isn't bone shattering, but it's not sophisticated either.

On the motorway it works well, I do think it was setup for motorway work rather than town driving.

[sharkrider]

I would sugget a 1.2 105 bhp DSG7 fabia... will be more comfortable, better economy, and cheaper

[XK140]

You say you don't want/need the accceleration that the vRS provides,yet that is the essential point of this model.

So why even consider it?

[James I]

Fabia has a good ride, not harsh at all imo, as for the insurance group, I wouldn't worry, the VRS is one of the cheapest cars I have ever insured for whatever reason.

Road tax is an emission thing but not extortionate.

 

 If you are looking for a largish compact, with low VED, smooth ride and low insurance go and look at the Nissan Leaf..

[fabiamk2SE]

You should also consider the weight difference between the fabia and octavia. The octavia is clearly a bigger and heavier car

Youd be fine with a 1.2 tsi 105 i think. Its a brilliant engine, plus doesnt have the potential oil burning problems of the 1.4tsi

[tonystop]

I found the ride harsh, but I'm getting old and I now prefer a more comfort oriented ride.

 

However previously owned the Monte 1.2 tsi and this was very good- engine is superb as well.

 

Fabia will be soon replaced with a newer version, so if you do go for the Monte make sure you get a sizeable discount.

[vxh26]

@ XK140 - It is the 1.4 engine that I am interested in, as available on the Octavia. (Fabia 1.2 TSI torque = 175, Octavia 1.4 TSI torque = 250)

 

@ James I - I believe that the Nissan Leaf is an electric car? Q.E.D.

 

@ Otaylor38 - I was under the impression that the oil burning problems applied to an earlier version of the 1.4 TSI?  I may VERY well be wrong on this.

 

@ tonystop - I hadn't realised that there was a new version of the Fabia due, although this marketing driven practice does seem to be the norm with all manufacturers these days.  I had noticed that Skoda were offering sizable discounts on various Fabias at the moment.

 

 

Reading between the lines of various posts, I get the impression that I am right about the rougher, less relaxing ride.  If I can find a dealer that will agree to my borrowing a Fabia 1.4 TSI DSG vRS and an Octavia 1.4TSI DSG for reasonable time periods, I will certainly compare and contrast the ride.  Ideally I would like to drive one in Devon wher you do get a variety of road types - I know someone who lives down there so I may drop in and visit for a few days

[Ootohere]

Is the Octavia 1.4 TSI not 103BHP (105 ps) and 175 Nm 

Or are you looking at a 140 ps one ?

 

(EDIT, i see now the 138 BHP (140ps) & has 250 Nm torque)

Shows low emission & VED, & good MPG.

About £17,700 

A new vRS Fabia is around £2000 less.

 

george

[James I]

Yes it is electric, very spacious, cheap to run and cheap to insure and no road tax, if you really want a Fabia then the 1.2 105 bhp is the way forward.

[multiskoda]

The Octavia elegance will undoubtedly have a more comfortable ride. Really no question about that.

Shame there's no 1.6 tdi dsg as that would satisfy your torque requirements by the sounds of it.

[Furbytom]

If you are worried about ride then I wouldn't bother with the vRS. Its quite a strange riding motor - not hard as such but bumps do have a way of crashing into the cabin and rattling the dash/trim in a not entirely pleasant way tbh. I suspect the 205/40 17 tyres are to blame as the sidewall is very skinny. Rough surfaced roads aren't a nice experience.

Performance wise the 1.4tsi isn't bad but if you aren't interested in that I'd go for the excellent 1.2tsi on 16" wheels :-)

[logiclee]

If you are worried about ride then I wouldn't bother with the vRS. Its quite a strange riding motor - not hard as such but bumps do have a way of crashing into the cabin and rattling the dash/trim in a not entirely pleasant way tbh. I suspect the 205/40 17 tyres are to blame as the sidewall is very skinny. Rough surfaced roads aren't a nice experience.

Performance wise the 1.4tsi isn't bad but if you aren't interested in that I'd go for the excellent 1.2tsi on 16" wheels :-)

 

+1

 

I'd test drive the 1.2TSi DSG and see what you think. 

[TeebsVRS]

As others have said it's not overly firm or harsh but does seem to crash quite a lot, and certainly rough surfaced roads bring out the worst of it. It's like it can handle the big bumps fine eg. speed bumps, larger bumps but the small stuff eg. rough tarmac etc are quite tiresome. It may be the tyre size, it is very slightly better on the 45 profile winters \i run.

 

Other than that it fits your requirements quite nicely and the extra grunt is useful on the motorway and on A roads. Having said that I was well impressed with the 1.2 TFSI engine, and it seemed to offer more than enough day to day driving performance in a hatchback.

[XK140]

I have few doubts that the vRS is UNDERDAMPED,i e uprated shocks are an essential item (there is a Bilstein kit available to do this).

The thing is most,like me,firstly just uprate the springs to Eibach or similar,whereas no-one,as far as I am aware,has fitted uprated shocks on standard springs.

I strongly suspect that this would smooth out the ride and also improve the handling,but as far as I am aware no-one has done this yet,most being desirous of a low stance for appearance sake with low springs.

If I keep my vRS long enough when I uprate the std shocks I will at the same time revert to the standard springs.....the outcome will be interesting!!!

[MattGreen]

A vrs estate retro fitted with 16" wheels may tick all of your boxes. I too believe that a lot of the vrs's ride traits can be blamed on the low pro's.

I don't mind the ride. It's firm but forgiving, not too sporty to be awful on English roads but not too sloppy either. I will mirror a previous comment that it can feel unrefined at times though. I've not tried it on 16" wheels so take my opinion with a pinch of salt as it is just an opinion. It sounds like you need a Golf or Seat Leon though to be honest...

[vxh26]

Thanks for the many replies. Browsing the forum, I see that according to PistonHeads, Skoda has confirmed that as of 2014, the Fabia vRS will be dropped as a result of poor sales.

In response to the very sensible suggestion by MattGreen (and others), Skoda do not offer 16" wheels on the vRS; this may have something to do with the brake calipers? As I understand it, some insurers load your premium if you fit non-standard size wheels, even if they are the original car manufacturer's wheels as offered on other trim levels of the same model - I don't want to get into this situation. Replacing springs and/or dampers would be out for the same reason.

I will certainly have a look at the 1.2 TSI but again from Googling about, I get the impression that it is not really suitable for long journeys with four adults on board.

Just as a rider, I don't want a diesel and I would probably go for an Estate version.

[Big S]

The vRS ride is no less comfortable than many modern Ford, BMW or Audi sportline cars with handling biased suspension. This was exactly my own concern when buying mine. And you know what? I have the recommended winter tyre size on mine now, on 15" rims and 55 profile tyres, and that has made it even better. And yes 15" wheels do fit wIth vRS brakes: that's what is supplied as a spare anyway! (And before anyone asks, yes my insurance company knows I have winter tyres and no they don't charge a premium.)

[Big S]

Oh - and I happily carry 4 adults around in comfort on long journeys with space for a very surprising amount of luggage in the boot. Having the vRS power means hills and motorways are a pleasure and the big fat brakes are reassuring. I can only imagine your googling has unearthed comments from people who don't actually have long-term first hand experience of a vRS estate.

[Ootohere]

vhz26,

16" wheels fit on a vRS no problem, and no Insurance company have a problem with that.

The vRS name is not going on a MK3 Fabia, all MK2 Fabias are being dropped when the discontinue building them.

 

A 1.2 tsi 105ps is as suitable for carrying 4 adults on a long journey as a 1.4tsi is, if that size suits.

Personally i can not carry 4 full fat adults (Long tall Sally's) in a Fabia,

there is no room behind the drivers seat when i have it fully back and down.

& no room for luggage for 4 people for a weekend or a holiday. (unless carrying only 10 kg Ryanair type cases)

 

You seem to have answered all your own questions, and an Octavia might be more suitable.

Or a 'Rapid',

Even the Rapid Spaceback, (with less boot Space but more passenger space. )

But thats a whole new question on if it is 'Crashy'.

1.4 TSI 122 ps with DSG available.

 

george

[lol-lol]

@ XK140 - It is the 1.4 engine that I am interested in, as available on the Octavia. (Fabia 1.2 TSI torque = 175, Octavia 1.4 TSI torque = 250)

 

@ James I - I believe that the Nissan Leaf is an electric car? Q.E.D.

 

@ Otaylor38 - I was under the impression that the oil burning problems applied to an earlier version of the 1.4 TSI?  I may VERY well be wrong on this.

 

@ tonystop - I hadn't realised that there was a new version of the Fabia due, although this marketing driven practice does seem to be the norm with all manufacturers these days.  I had noticed that Skoda were offering sizable discounts on various Fabias at the moment.

 

 

Reading between the lines of various posts, I get the impression that I am right about the rougher, less relaxing ride.  If I can find a dealer that will agree to my borrowing a Fabia 1.4 TSI DSG vRS and an Octavia 1.4TSI DSG for reasonable time periods, I will certainly compare and contrast the ride.  Ideally I would like to drive one in Devon wher you do get a variety of road types - I know someone who lives down there so I may drop in and visit for a few days

 

The 1.4 Twincharge Fabia has a fantastic spread of power/torque, better than any other Skoda and I think I have driven most of the engines except the 3.6 litre.

 

Ride is not harsh by any standard I am familiar with though the body roll is excessive when driven hard due to narrow track, high Centre of Gravity and built down to a price suspension and anti roll bars. I drive about 35K a year and find it comfy for long drives, not too bad on the A38 in Devon and other twisty bits but not as a good as a Leon Cupra for example.

 

Love the 0-60 in seven seconds and 400 mile plus range in the Fabia 2 VRS (extended by venting in an extra 5-8 litres or so 450 miles is quite possible).

 

Slight pain you need to use Shell V power or Tescos Momentum to get the full economy and power.

 

140 HP TSI DSG Octy 3 is the best replacement for me on from Skoda though I would like to see some better deals than there are at present. Octy 3 TSI DSG 1.4 looks to be 10-20% at least better in most areas except acceleration where it is about 10-20% worse.    

[logiclee]

The vRS ride is no less comfortable than many modern Ford, BMW or Audi sportline cars with handling biased suspension. 

 

Maybe last generation but drive latest F-Series BMW M-Sports you will find they are quite supple and not at all crashy. I'm sure furbytom will comment as he owns both.

The latest ST Fiesta and Focus are firm but they don't have the crashyness of Fabia vRS.

 

Not driven the new Audi sportline so can't comment on those.

 

Cheers

Lee

[Furbytom]

Maybe last generation but drive latest F-Series BMW M-Sports you will find they are quite supple and not at all crashy. I'm sure furbytom will comment as he owns both.

The latest ST Fiesta and Focus are firm but they don't have the crashyness of Fabia vRS.

 

Not driven the new Audi sportline so can't comment on those.

 

Cheers

Lee

Yeah Lee In total agreement. The 120d is on 18" wheels with m-sport suspension and run flat tyres. You'd think that would be a recipe for disaster but it's by far the best riding car I've ever owned. Feels like a magic-carpet compared to the Fabia. Don't get me wrong I still have a soft spot for the little furby but tbh the suspension feels like it is very primitive next to the Beemer. The 120d was about 9k more tho so not entirely fair! The wife loves the furby so might be awhile before I get her out of it. I don't mind as I rarely have to drive it now but if I did I dont think I could live with the crashiness for much longer lol. As I side issue the Fabia now feels quite slow and weak in the midrange now I am used to the Beemer. I find myself jumping up and down in the seat shouting "come on mooove god damn you!" when trying to press on. Just goes to show it's what you are used to that shapes your opinion. The Beemer has defo spoiled me!

Tom