Fabia VRS Estate - Thoughts?
Discussion
KevinA3DSG32 said:
3 engines to me points to driver error, not manufacturer. I would think the driver is ragging it from cold.
Possibly, though I drive mine reasonably quickly from cold with no apparent ill-effects.I don't 'rag' it, but I'm not shy of using full throttle and full revs within about a mile and a half of a cold start, when required (leased company car, and obviously still under warranty, so I'm not too worried if the engine disintegrates - they'll just have to give me a new one.
).3 engines in a year due to driver abuse would seem to suggest serious driver abuse!
It's interesting to note that they've seen fit to include an oil temperature reading and warning on the multi-function unit, though, which (since they give no warnings in the driver's handbook about warm-up) suggests to me that there are/were some concerns about the engine cooking its oil?
Sam_68 said:
sjg said:
You won't get 40mpg around town, my combined figure including quite a bit of motorway is hovering about 37. I'd expect low 30s or worse if it's all 6-mile journeys in traffic.
This is true - sjg must have a reasonably light foot to manage an average of 37, even. I average between 28mpg (summer) and 32mpg (winter, when I tend to drive more cautiously), with pretty much a 50/50 mix of rural roads and motorways with the odd foray into Bristol, shopping. I've seen as low as 18mpg average on my brisker drives home from work in summer - it's not a particularly fuel-efficient engine.
Short journeys in traffic, I'd suggest you need to assume 28mpg and take anything more than that as a bonus.
My 1.8T Octavia vRS does better than that!matchmaker said:
My 1.8T Octavia vRS does better than that!To be fair, I averaged about 28mpg in the Octavia, whereas the overall, annual average for the Fabia is probably a bit better...maybe 30-31mpg. But to make progress in the Fabia you have to use all the revs, all the time, in which case it gets pretty thirsty!
Sam_68 said:
the Fabia takes some winding up to get above 1.2.
Mine seems pretty good at getting up to its 1.4 Vmax, which is seen not infrequently, downhill it tops 1.5 easily enough. Sam_68 said:
to make progress in the Fabia you have to use all the revs, all the time, in which case it gets pretty thirsty!
Fuel consumption is generally mid twenties, mid teens when thrashed, I can get over 30 if I potter around.
Edited by Balmoral on Wednesday 14th March 19:29
I've just come back from a little 20 mile stint in my Fabia, no motorways or DC's mostly country roads and 30/40's
Got 47mpg whilst making best efforts to be economical, I only did this out of curiosity as I'll soon be giving up my company fuel card. I reckon 40mpg would be easily achievable without making too much of a conscious effort. But I'll keep averaging 30 until the fuel card goes at least.
Got 47mpg whilst making best efforts to be economical, I only did this out of curiosity as I'll soon be giving up my company fuel card. I reckon 40mpg would be easily achievable without making too much of a conscious effort. But I'll keep averaging 30 until the fuel card goes at least.
Balmoral said:
Mine seems pretty good at getting up to its 1.4 Vmax, which is seen not infrequently, downhill it tops 1.5 easily enough.
Is that GPS or speedo though? I've managed to equal the official top speed of 138 on GPS (by which time, yes the speedo was reading 150 ish), but not better it.Same with the Octavia, to be fair - it exactly equalled manufacturer's claimed top speed of 147.
sjg said:
I've got a hatch, which has been fine so far - none of the supposedly-common issues around oil consumption and the like.
Wanted an estate, but I needed a car in a hurry and there were none that suited and at the right price. Local dealer had a 3-month-old demo hatch that was fully specced up and at a very decent price. I really like it, plenty of power, DSG works well, and for me it's incredibly cheap to insure.
You won't get 40mpg around town, my combined figure including quite a bit of motorway is hovering about 37. I'd expect low 30s or worse if it's all 6-mile journeys in traffic.
We've got the same set up in my wife's Golf (just the 160bhp though) and its a very thirsty engine! Whilst the car might be heavier I was surprised as I thought it would have been a lot more efficient (struggling to get 30mpg average as it's predominately short journeys). It's exacerbated by what seems to be a small tank, so we're always at the petrol station! Wanted an estate, but I needed a car in a hurry and there were none that suited and at the right price. Local dealer had a 3-month-old demo hatch that was fully specced up and at a very decent price. I really like it, plenty of power, DSG works well, and for me it's incredibly cheap to insure.
You won't get 40mpg around town, my combined figure including quite a bit of motorway is hovering about 37. I'd expect low 30s or worse if it's all 6-mile journeys in traffic.
I find the DSG great when just letting it do its thing and pootling (sp?) around, and its even better when you drop it into sport and give it some on country lanes - really fast changes/stays in gear as long as I would etc. Its the bit in between I struggle with to be honest, i.e. not relaxing along, or balls-to-the-wall - it never wants to be in the right gear and seems a bit lazy in changing.
Having said that, when the gearbox is so good the rest of the time its no real hardship.
I think it's certainly possible to get good mpgs if you drive like a saint - after all, it is a modern, efficient engine with only 1400cc. Having both a super- and turbo-charger though means you're "on boost" a lot of the time if you actually use any revs at all.
Clever way to get a low CO2 and official MPG rating, but realistically does anyone expect 45mpg from a 180bhp petrol car?
Clever way to get a low CO2 and official MPG rating, but realistically does anyone expect 45mpg from a 180bhp petrol car?
matchmaker said:
My 1.8T Octavia vRS does better than that!With regards to oil issues, I've had 4 done over 22,000 miles between them, cane them from brand new, cane them from cold and have used about 2 litres of oil. I think they really benefit from being driven hard from new.
The DSG can get a little confused when coming to a halt but not actually needing to stop, i.e give way junctions, round abouts I found the way round it is to pre empt it and drop it into 1st with the paddles so it's in 1st ready to go. Otherwise I'm pretty much converted to DSG, my current demo is a Yeti 170TDI and I've had it one week, while it's pretty amazing for that type of car I'm really finding I miss the DSG box!
The only customers I know who've had oil issues are those who've been a bit gentle with it especially from new, haven't had one in the workshop with any major issues i.e gear box engine just a couple of complaints on oil use but I know how those cars have been driven.
Seriously though in the context of running a car i'd suggest if your struggling putting a litre of oil a month in or so (absolute worst case) probably best walk.
missing the VR6 said:
Maybe but assuming your's is standard the Fabia is defiantely a quicker car, I know the stat's are similar but the Fabia is definately quicker than the figures suggest, I've had a little chase of a remapped MK1 VRS Octavia in one of my VRS and was keeping with him all the way.
It's not as quick - either in a straight line or around the twisty bits - as the Mk. II Octavia, though.In terms of straight line speed, I used to be able to pull a good 10mph more at the end of a couple of longish straights I travel on my daily commute when I was in the Octavia, compared to the Fabia, and the shorter wheelbase and narrower track of the Fabia means that you can't brake or corner as hard without it becoming noticeably fidgetty and the DSC intervening.
missing the VR6 said:
I think they really benefit from being driven hard from new.
Well, it certainly worked for me! 
Ironically, I wouldn't have driven the car like I did if I'd paid for it with my own money, though.
missing the VR6 said:
The DSG can get a little confused when coming to a halt but not actually needing to stop, i.e give way junctions, round abouts...
This is where it messes up worst, without a doubt. And as you say, you can avoid it by manually shifting, using the paddles, but it's a bit frustrating having to do that when you want to drive in full auto mode, and similarly frustrating when it automatically changes under some circumstances when you're in manual mode and expect to be full conrtol yourself.And I miss being able to heel-and-toe, which the pedals on the Octavia vRS were perfectly set up for.
It's when the brakes 'lock up' at low speed manouvering that bugs me, It's tight to get two cars on our drive, so I wan't to be within an inch or two and the brake pedal goes rock hard, the clutches have disengaged and I've lost creep.
And the way it sits at 28mph up a slight incline in 6th gear as I drive off our estate, the whole thing labouring and it booms and resonates around the cabin. It's as thick as pig s
t all too often I'm afraid.
And the way it sits at 28mph up a slight incline in 6th gear as I drive off our estate, the whole thing labouring and it booms and resonates around the cabin. It's as thick as pig s
t all too often I'm afraid.Balmoral said:
It's when the brakes 'lock up' at low speed manouvering that bugs me, It's tight to get two cars on our drive, so I wan't to be within an inch or two and the brake pedal goes rock hard, the clutches have disengaged and I've lost creep.
Never noticed that, and as you can probably imagine we do some pretty tight manoeuvers on the forecourt. Will look into that next time I drive one.
And the way it sits at 28mph up a slight incline in 6th gear as I drive off our estate, the whole thing labouring and it booms and resonates around the cabin. It's as thick as pig st all too often I'm afraid.
Drop it into sport or use the paddles?Never noticed that, and as you can probably imagine we do some pretty tight manoeuvers on the forecourt. Will look into that next time I drive one.
And the way it sits at 28mph up a slight incline in 6th gear as I drive off our estate, the whole thing labouring and it booms and resonates around the cabin. It's as thick as pig s
t all too often I'm afraid.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff