RE: Skoda Fabia vRS TDI | Spotted

[Water Fairy]

Quhet said:

Pretty punchy price. Unfortunately I can't really see the appeal of these now given that you'll get rogered for the ULEZ fee with one

I hate to break it to you but most people don't have to worry about ULEZ. Whilst I agree the price is high and many won't see the appeal of a diesel Skoda I have to say I like them.

Bought a new one in 2004, same red as this, for the wife and she did 165k in 10 years.

Autocar had one long term and reckoned they got 0-60 in the 7s but of course some will remember Skodas' cheeky efforts back in the day to 'massage' the power of press cars.

Ours kept blowing the intercooler pipe off as the metal spring clips get 'tired', rear washer pipe also used to come loose and the power steering rack got replaced under warranty along with a repainted the front bumper due to lacquer peel.

Overall a great fun car that felt quicker than it probably was but all the same we loved ours.

[Bladedancer]

I'd prefer Seat Ibiza tbh. Even more horses and IMO better looks.

[Pica-Pica]

It was overpriced when new (2005).
Our 1.2TSi was 12k new in 2013, still going strong. Probably worth £2k or less, but a great car, and the next model from that one.
That low mileage is irrelevant, it is worth 1k at the very most, for someone who wants the seats.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

Had one for 7 years. Bought new in 2004. Once the leaking door deals were fixed and sodden carpet replaced, and then the gearbox rebuilt (baulked into 2nd from new), and the ABS modulator valve (faulty from new) were replaced/resolved it was great. It was never any kind of warm or hot hatch, more like a small cruiser with brutal mid range shove. Very good on motorways as it was civilised for its time and felt bigger than it was, and on urban motorways where the slip-road and merge acceleration was epic. Would have kept it longer but it got written off, whilst parked, after being hit at 65 MPH by an uninsured scrote being chased by the police.
I wouldn't pay this for one. Not now. If it had the vaunted seat surgeons leather work it would be worth something more, but still not this much.
The seats don't show accurate miles as the material deteriorated very quickly if you were not very careful. The one thing the car needed from new was darker and more durable seat material.

[Maccmike8]

In the day these were great cars.

[Drive Blind]

I ran one of these for 2 years, changed job, needed a diesel, got sucked in by the hype. Bought a 5 year old example for just under £5K.

Hated it, the tractor like pd lump, the terrible handling. Mine suffered from things I've never had on any other car, burst radiator, seized calipers, it leaked.

I think i washed it twice in 2 years, I have no evidence of owning it. Every other car I've owned I've got a few momentos and pics. Not the Fabia.

The only good thing I can say about it was I got a really good trade in price for it. The dealer knew he could sell it on at a good price due to the hype.

The replacement was an Ibiza with the CR140 engine, better in every way.

and I've just remembered,,, the vRS badge attracted every nutter on the road like a moth to a lightbulb. The closest I've every been to a full on road rage incident was in that car.

[Yahonza]

This isn't a classic car and never will be. The engine is ok though, bar the smoke.
What is it with de-cat PD diesels?

[CDP]

I thought I was reading Shed of the Week until I got to the mileage. That price is ambitious.

[AC43]

mooseracer said:

I hated these with a passion when they were released as they seemed to me the anthithesis of a hot hatch (stodgy handling and the wrong engine).

My FIL had an Octavia VRS. Decent car. Shame about about the tug boat engine.

[Tom1312]

Had one in black around 2014. Absolutely loved it, paid about £2k for it on 80 thousand miles.

Ran it for about 20k and what felt like £20.

Swapped it for a newer car as I had a new job and better money and regretted it ever since.

[joshcowin]

Bladedancer said:

I'd prefer Seat Ibiza tbh. Even more horses and IMO better looks.

Arches rusted worse than fiesta zetec s on those! But yes a better looking car!

[ScoobyChris]

Page 3 and no one has mentioned all the quotes that people were regularly trotting out on Briskoda

- The vRS has more torque than a Porsche Boxster
- It accelerates quicker from 50-70 than a BMW 330i
- It is as quick 20-40 as a Lotus Elise.
- All vRS’s left the factory with 160bhp not the claimed 130
- Skoda measured the 0-60 4-up with a full tank of petrol and lots of luggage which is why it’s so slow

Had a Fabia and not a fan after that experience.

Chris

[georgeyboy12345]

These were good cars, but this particular example is not a good one, especially at that price

[TameRacingDriver]

ScoobyChris said:

Page 3 and no one has mentioned all the quotes that people were regularly trotting out on Briskoda

- The vRS has more torque than a Porsche Boxster
- It accelerates quicker from 50-70 than a BMW 330i
- It is as quick 20-40 as a Lotus Elise.
- All vRS’s left the factory with 160bhp not the claimed 130
- Skoda measured the 0-60 4-up with a full tank of petrol and lots of luggage which is why it’s so slow

Had a Fabia and not a fan after that experience.

Chris

Yep, I owned one from new in 2004 and was a member there, and remember most of these quotes, although I don't necessarily think all of them originated from there, still quite amusing though

I had one, meh, once you got over the surge of acceleration between 2k and 3k it was pretty rubbish otherwise. Remap woke them up quite a bit but the rest of the car simply couldn't cope (barely could as standard).

Standard, they probably felt quicker than they were, I had trouble out dragging a Puma in mine, which, when you think about it, isn't that odd seeing as the Skoda was 130 bhp and 1300 kg, while the Puma was 120 bhp and 1050 kg.

[Wren-went]

Never owned a Fabia TDi VRS but have owned a 51 plate Golf GT TDI 150 which is the only brand new car I've ever bought and after 4 years or so I bought my next a 53 plate 130 GT TDI and Engine wise both were brilliant.

The 150 I sold with 70000ish miles or so and the 130 I sold it with just under 130,000, did over 90,000 in the 6 years or so I had it, for how good the PD engines are I always thought I'd buy a Fabia VRS , I should have as my next car a MK5 GT TDI 140 wasn't a patch on the 2 earlier cars .

Fabia VRS a car I should definitely have bought and definitely regret not.

[James6112]

horsemeatscandal said:

£9k, hilarious. Almost guaranteed to be owned at some point by an overweight vaper.

Weird

[Mr Tidy]

They're a bit unusual, but I'd rather have the Ibiza Cupra TDi, Leon Cupra TDi as they are a bit more powerful and I think they look much better too.

And this one looks to be priced at about twice its value!

[MrHooky]

Had the equivalent Ibiza FR TDI PD130 in 2004. Bought from auction (when BCA was a good hunting ground for non traders) for about £10.5k on c.2k miles. Recall list being about £13k ish. Don't know why it was going through auction as a nearly new car but didn't care. Cheapest 'fast' car I could insure as a 21 year old on a grad salary.

Felt fast. But I was coming from my parent's 1.1 Saxo 'Desire'. A rocket ship with the engine from Passats/A4s/A6s. Had it remapped (Superchips) and it then felt really quick in a straight line. Superchips quoted c.160/170bhp. Clutch would slip a bit when I sold it, as not sure it could cope with the remapped torque. Did about 35k in 2 years and sold it on for a Megane 225 Trophy. Megane was a proper hot hatch. As soon as I drove it the steering felt another league. Petrol turbo which loved to rev. I'm no driving god but it's chalk and cheese.

Ibiza and Skoda were a cheap hatch with a primitive heavy diesel lump in the nose. For 21 year old me it was perfect. And the miles I was doing as another poster said, it would chug along at 80-100 with great economy. Rose tinted glasses though and don't miss it.

£9k is madness. Looks a £2-3k runabout. Only thing keeping it out of shed territory is the mileage and what to me is a false reputation. If you want that engine get it in an A3 or MKIV golf - both nicer cars to chug around in.

Do love a fast diesel though. Now run an F11 535d daily with c.370bhp with a 2003 986 Boxster as a fun car in the garage that cost me £4.5k, i.e. half the price of this. I know what I'd rather have.

[CDP]

MrHooky said:

£9k is madness. Looks a £2-3k runabout. Only thing keeping it out of shed territory is the mileage and what to me is a false reputation. If you want that engine get it in an A3 or MKIV golf - both nicer cars to chug around in.

Do love a fast diesel though. Now run an F11 535d daily with c.370bhp with a 2003 986 Boxster as a fun car in the garage that cost me £4.5k, i.e. half the price of this. I know what I'd rather have.

This

I agree a MK4 Golf or A3 isn't a lot heavier, has no scene tax and can be had with the 150bhp engine.

The Porsche route is even better but not suitable for carrying four people.

[mooseracer]

I'd have the 130pd over the 150. Well I wouldn't as they are just different versions of horrible engines but the 150 had issues that the 130 didn't.