RE: Skoda axes Fabia vRS
Discussion
vrsmxtb said:
They're not all bad - I've had minimal oil consumption on mine. I think it helps if they've been run in enthusiastically, mine was an ex-demo 
The high oil consumption is caused by the hopeless long life castrol oil they put in them - don't allow the rings to bed in properly Podie said:
I think he meant it is about the torque...
Yes he is, and he's still wrong because it's all about the power. If you could have a 10bhp engine making 500 lbft, do you still think it would make a really quick car?Why is the Ibiza with the 1.8 20VT engine so much quicker, even though it's peak engine torque is quite a bit lower?
The new Fabia is rumoured to just be the Rapide without the boot.
Might actually work well for them.
But I fear for Skoda. They are making the same mistake as Seat did - producing cars that are too closely resemblant of their VW counterparts; in style, dynamics, and price.
If a VW isn't that much more expensive than a Skoda and is no different to drive, who would buy the Skoda?
Past buyers will because Skoda dealers are, in my experience at least, outstanding (esp. the smaller independents), but I can't see the brand growing. The cash-strapped buyer / retiree will move down to Hyundai and Kia et al. (after all, look what happened to Nissan in that customer segment).
Might actually work well for them.
But I fear for Skoda. They are making the same mistake as Seat did - producing cars that are too closely resemblant of their VW counterparts; in style, dynamics, and price.
If a VW isn't that much more expensive than a Skoda and is no different to drive, who would buy the Skoda?
Past buyers will because Skoda dealers are, in my experience at least, outstanding (esp. the smaller independents), but I can't see the brand growing. The cash-strapped buyer / retiree will move down to Hyundai and Kia et al. (after all, look what happened to Nissan in that customer segment).
I think the Monte Carlo has not helped! I am in a position where I get to drive all varients of the Fabia and I personally think the 1.2 tsi 105ps Monte Carlo is a nicer drive! Add the fact you can now get the techs with say nav and Bluetooth they can make a more tempting prospect than the VRS!
I know someone who's worked in a Skoda dealer for a few years now - he reckons the image problem is completely gone BUT that there's a growing issue with the cars themselves.
Put simply, the quality isn't there and people are even commenting on it in the showroom. He also reckons that the endless seeking of niches is creating a 'can't get enough of them or can't shift them' issue - he could sell 5 times the Yetis he gets but the Fabia sticks to the floor like glue (vRS or otherwise).
He has a lot of less 'price flexibility' then he once had too - in that margins are tighter. His cars are better equipped than some competitors but it's not always easy to sell people that aspect - they see the sticker-price and they baulk.
I also think the idea of putting a diesel engine into the vRS killed it's sales - those badges are for the hot-hatch lovers, they like brands and they like being spotted. They DON'T like people wondering if they're driving the diesel version...
Even VW don't put GTi on a diesel model do they (GTD is close enough without really stealing anything from the GTi)??
Put simply, the quality isn't there and people are even commenting on it in the showroom. He also reckons that the endless seeking of niches is creating a 'can't get enough of them or can't shift them' issue - he could sell 5 times the Yetis he gets but the Fabia sticks to the floor like glue (vRS or otherwise).
He has a lot of less 'price flexibility' then he once had too - in that margins are tighter. His cars are better equipped than some competitors but it's not always easy to sell people that aspect - they see the sticker-price and they baulk.
I also think the idea of putting a diesel engine into the vRS killed it's sales - those badges are for the hot-hatch lovers, they like brands and they like being spotted. They DON'T like people wondering if they're driving the diesel version...
Even VW don't put GTi on a diesel model do they (GTD is close enough without really stealing anything from the GTi)??
405dogvan said:
He also reckons that the endless seeking of niches is creating a 'can't get enough of them or can't shift them' issue - he could sell 5 times the Yetis he gets but the Fabia sticks to the floor like glue (vRS or otherwise).
I think that is true - a lot of models seem to sell quite well when initially released and then fall off a cliff these days, the life cycle is much shorter, especially for the more niche products. 405dogvan said:
I also think the idea of putting a diesel engine into the vRS killed it's sales - those badges are for the hot-hatch lovers, they like brands and they like being spotted. They DON'T like people wondering if they're driving the diesel version...
Even VW don't put GTi on a diesel model do they (GTD is close enough without really stealing anything from the GTi)??
The Octavia has both and does quite well (diesel massively outsells the petrol though as is expected these days sadly). The Fabia was diesel only Mk1 and petrol only Mk2 so there isn't any confusion there, except that created by Skoda by changing the nature of the car entirely!Even VW don't put GTi on a diesel model do they (GTD is close enough without really stealing anything from the GTi)??
405dogvan said:
I know someone who's worked in a Skoda dealer for a few years now - he reckons the image problem is completely gone BUT that there's a growing issue with the cars themselves.
Put simply, the quality isn't there and people are even commenting on it in the showroom. He also reckons that the endless seeking of niches is creating a 'can't get enough of them or can't shift them' issue - he could sell 5 times the Yetis he gets but the Fabia sticks to the floor like glue (vRS or otherwise).
He has a lot of less 'price flexibility' then he once had too - in that margins are tighter. His cars are better equipped than some competitors but it's not always easy to sell people that aspect - they see the sticker-price and they baulk.
I also think the idea of putting a diesel engine into the vRS killed it's sales - those badges are for the hot-hatch lovers, they like brands and they like being spotted. They DON'T like people wondering if they're driving the diesel version...
Even VW don't put GTi on a diesel model do they (GTD is close enough without really stealing anything from the GTi)??
I have just had a Fabia hire car and it was awful 12,000km and the paint on the gearstick had worn off, the steering wheel top had melted, the boot lid mounts had snapped clean off. And that was only the durability issues. The car itself was incredibly noisy (a diesel) and the ride quality was abysmal. It made me wonder, people say "modern cars are all pretty good", and I thought 'but they aren't'.Put simply, the quality isn't there and people are even commenting on it in the showroom. He also reckons that the endless seeking of niches is creating a 'can't get enough of them or can't shift them' issue - he could sell 5 times the Yetis he gets but the Fabia sticks to the floor like glue (vRS or otherwise).
He has a lot of less 'price flexibility' then he once had too - in that margins are tighter. His cars are better equipped than some competitors but it's not always easy to sell people that aspect - they see the sticker-price and they baulk.
I also think the idea of putting a diesel engine into the vRS killed it's sales - those badges are for the hot-hatch lovers, they like brands and they like being spotted. They DON'T like people wondering if they're driving the diesel version...
Even VW don't put GTi on a diesel model do they (GTD is close enough without really stealing anything from the GTi)??
I had a Citigo hire car earlier (and OK that is a re-badged VW) and that was fun, rode well, sounded great, seemed well put together, simple cheap. Handling was reasonabke bit road holding at speed was vague. If I had to choose between one of those and a Fabia, it would be Citigo every time, the Fabia is a lot, lot worse.
Edited to add: and the passenger window would go all the way down when you tapped or held the switch on the driver's side, but would only go up (or stop halfway) if controlled from the passenger side.
Edited by zebedee on Tuesday 17th September 15:17
First time poster but long time lurker. I have had one of these for about two and a bit years. My main gripe with it was the lead time from ordering to it arriving took over nine months. Skoda customer service has been good and build qaulity is ok although not up to VW finish. It does drink fuel and oil (perhaps the TSI refers to it being two stroke!) but it is a cheap, fun car at £251 (inc vat) to lease a month and including full maintenance and tyres. With is being bright green it is also pretty easy to pick out in a car park!
i really liked the mk1 (never driven one mind but tempted to buy one maybe as a runner one day) but then i saw this new one and thought well theyve killed that off. im not at all suprised the car doesnt sell on looks alone i cant imagine anyone who wants to buy a hot hatch would buy something mrs marple would drive. i drove a cooking fabia estate once and it screamed white head. everything about it was as far away from a driving experience you could get. of course if the vrs is different ignore that.
Andy ap said:
i really liked the mk1 (never driven one mind but tempted to buy one maybe as a runner one day) but then i saw this new one and thought well theyve killed that off. im not at all suprised the car doesnt sell on looks alone i cant imagine anyone who wants to buy a hot hatch would buy something mrs marple would drive. i drove a cooking fabia estate once and it screamed white head. everything about it was as far away from a driving experience you could get. of course if the vrs is different ignore that.
It is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde car, pootle about in D with the supercharger torque and it really could be any old Fabia. Once you hit 4k plus and the turbo kicks in it really has a whole different character.I do have to admit, even as an owner, it isn't really an "exciting" car to drive - I don't think it attracts the young hot hatch crowd, more the middle age one who go for value for money over looks and image, but still want something with a bit of punch now and then. It's clearly not a big enough market, as you'd think most of that market would sway towards an Octavia VRS and the younger lot would be looking at Monte Carlos with all the looks (or as much of a "trendy" look that the clumsy Fabia 2 shape can muster), but half the performance to keep running costs affordable.
I'm very happy with it as it does do 40+mpg driven sensibly, impressive for a highly strung little motor, and *touch wood* no oil consumption issues. If it hadn't achieved both of those I would probably have traded in by now, as I'm on a lot of business miles now. Annoyingly my old Mk1 VRS would have been perfectly suited for my current mileage now, but it was getting a bit leggy at the time.
Edited by vrsmxtb on Tuesday 17th September 12:20
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff