Jap2Scrap

Hi

I've been doing my maths and I reckon I could get a brand new Fabia vRS for free..

I do about 600 miles a week at 30mpg so around 20 gallons or 91 litres. At 83p a litre (optimax) that's £75 a week. I also spend £30 a week on smokes. Now I'm giving up the baccy let's call that £30 'free money'.. If I trade in on the vRS I'd get a minimum of £2,600 off the list price of circa £12,600.

At 65mpg the Fabia will do the 600 weekly miles at a cost of £34. Now I've another £41 'free money'.

Add it all up and I get £307pcm 'free money'

More than enough for the finance on a vRS (about £240 I believe)

The new car would give me that extra incentive I need to pack in smoking.

So my question is; at 65mpg, 30,000 mile servicing, 0-62 in under 8secs and a respectable top end, is the vRS any good? Anyone got one?

SteveV-WRX

I looked at the vRS, very well put together machine.

Girlfriend just didnt like the badge and we got a better finance deal with renault.

Anyhow, I loved it, craking motor.

Steve

mw2655

i like your reasoning, ie "free money."


i used similar to "save" money whilst buying my 205 gti as a second car. i test drove a new wrx and liked it.

wagon with ppp.......... £22k ish.
trade in for my turbo.........£8k

price to change.............£14k


so by buying a £900 gti i came away with a profit of £13100


it is with constructive accounting like this that thousands of pounds have been spent by SN members on mods/new cars/wheels etc whilst meeting wife/girlfriend approval


but back to your point the vRS is a good car. try www.brisoda.net


cheers matt

mw2655

www.briskoda.net

Petem95

I dont think 65mpg is realistic - 55mpg overall is more likely. Cant think of any bad points about those Fabia vRS's tho really - build really is good, great chunky looks, value rention is in the same league as Audi's/Mercs, brand is on the up - and they only cost 12k in the first place!! Definately the 'thinking mans' sports hatch.

Jap2Scrap

Well that's me ... I think...

Cheers guys.

brickboy

To echo the point, you will NOT get 65mpg unless you cruise at 55mph and drive like a girl

However, my Passat PD130 has averaged a true 48mpg from brand new (now done 25,000 miles) and I don't treat it gently once it's warmed up.

Matt_Turbo_2000

I have a golf GT TDI PD115 and I average 53 mpg I stick 20 quid diesel in and I normally get around 290 miles out of it! In my Impreza I used to average 125 miles from 20 quid of optimax so quite a bit of difference but hey I still miss the impreza performance

dba

you will only get 65mpg if you drive like a girl

nearer 48 as an average

logiclee

You will only see around 50mpg with normal driving.

The Fabia vRS is also on 10000mile or 1 year servicing as the Fabia doesn't have the required sensors or ECU fitted that enables the diesels to be put on 30000mile variable servicing. Saying that services are around £100 for the standard service and around £160 for the inspection service.

Cheers
Lee

Reffro

If you are doing a higher mileage they can put you on a different servicing schedule. My friend is running a Fabia vRS and has covered 10k miles from new since Oct 04. His first service, which is essentially an oil change cost £65, versus the £160 quoted for an annual service. Oh and he's averaging 55mpg.

Jap2Scrap

I'm positive I read the 30,000 mile service thing on the Skoda site.. Maybe it was re. the Octavia. I was reading them too..

ChrisB

Another vote that 65mpg will be Driving Miss Daisy territory.

Best I've had out of my PD130 Ibiza is 67mpg which was a steady chug up the congested M6 one morning to the Reebok Stadium. Otherwise, I normally average 50 to 55mpg if I don't boot it around too much.

Iwan

It's just the Octavia that has variable service intervals, Fabia is still fixed at 10,000 miles or 12 months as it doesn't have an oil "dirtiness" sensor. The ECU would support it though apparently.

I have a Fabia vRS and it's great, only picked it up a month ago and have done 1300 miles so far.

You almost certainly won't see 65mpg average unless you go round the bowl at Milbrook at 55mph. I went from Swindon to Luton, then Luton to Gatwick on saturday and managed 58mpg at between 65mph and 75mph the whole way.

Gatwick back to Swindon wasn't so good as i "wound it up a bit" (for a bit read "a lot" ) but was still over 40mpg.

You should still see 40mpg round town and over 50mpg combined if you're driving normally.

I reckon it's perfect for me. It wouldn't be so good if you need to carry 4 adults everywhere as its a bit cramped in the back. Also the grey seat material gets dirty very easily so probably not a good idea with kids.

Jap2Scrap

I've heard this particular niggle a lot. I guess there's no option with interior colour then? FTR I like the yellow ones never thought I'd say that!

Butkus

And another vote here for not achieving 65mpg. I have a Polo TDi PD (1.4). Combined fuel consumption should be 61.4mpg. 53-57 is more accurate, unless you really can be bothered to do all the fuel saving tricks - coasting in gear downhill, very gentle acceleration, minimal braking etc..

My car just has 75bhp and is quite nippy - I'd imagine with 130bhp the Skoda will really move.

logiclee

Not on the Fabia they can't.

Some dealers even get this wrong so don't believe them even if they do tell you the Fabia can go on variable servicing.

Cheers
Lee

logiclee

On the fuel economy side I run an Octavia to goto work in and my wife has a Fabia 1.9TD PD100.

The Octavia is a 110 that is running 140bhp,220lbft and the Fabia is standard.
There is little difference in economy, both cars easily do 50mpg, will do 60mpg on a gentle A road run and even if you have a heavy right foot round town they still wont drop below 40mpg.

Cheers
Lee

Mossman

Fantastic car!! Agree with all the people posting ref fuel economy. We are currently on 51mpg average and that is with a lot of city driving. On a good run at 75 - 85mph, we get 55mpg.

It is a nippy car, especially in third and fourth gear. Get a remap from the likes of AMD, Revo or Jabbasport and it is supposed to be superb. Insurance is also pretty cheap - two of us includiing business for £492 from Liverpool Victoria.

I do agree about the potential for dirty seats - we had them Scotch guarded and fingers crossed, have been fine so far (no kids though!).

Cheers,

Mossman

logiclee

Found this letter from Skoda UK over on www.briskoda.net . It explains why the Fabia is on fixed servicing.

The appropriate service regime is indicated on the vehicle data sticker, which can be found on the front page of the service schedule. Data stickers containing the code QG0 can only be operated in line with traditional fixed service intervals. Vehicles identified with the code QG1 are manufactured to a different technical specification, which allows them to operate a variable-servicing regime. It is not feasible to upgrade vehicles designated QG0, as the Fabia vRS is, to conform to this specification.

In order to operate a vehicle on a variable regime the ECU ( Engine Control Unit) requires four variables: the distance driven, engine load, engine speed and oil temperature. In order to measure the fourth variable, vehicles equipped with variable servicing capabilities are supplied with an additional sensor within the vehicle's sump that measures oil temperature. However, simply fitting this sensor to a vehicle designated GQ0 will not allow the vehicle to operate on variable servicing as the ECU will not be able to interpret the information.

In a vehicle designated QG1, the four variables are compared against electronic maps within the engine ECU which calculates the "S Wear" (a comparison of the oil temperature and engine speed) and "S Soot" (a comparison of the engine speed and load). These maps are not found within ECUs fitted to vehicles designated QG0.

In addition to the above, in order to interpret and display variable servicing information, vehicles designated QG1 are fitted with a different dash insert.

Finally, in order to allow the vehicle to operate safely for up to 2 years without inspection, the vehicles are supplied with low maintenance lead-calcium batteries (with visual status) and brake pad wear indicators.

Cheers
Lee

Reffro

I didn't say variable....The car will still have an annual service, just that it only requires oil change services in between.

logiclee

A work mate has a Revo'd Fabia vRS, it's running around 180bhp and 300lbft.
It doesn't half shift but tracton is a problem in first and second (and even third in the wet. ).

Cheers
Lee

logiclee

Sorry, I now realise what you mean. I did look into this for my wifes but the pricing doesn't work out any cheaper unless you do mega milage. Doing 30000 a year though like jap2scrap it would probably work out cheaper.

Cheers
Lee

scott8629

Im thinking of getting one of these or a Leon 150TDI as I would like the extra room as I have a daughter. I may wait until nearer the new model release of the Leon then hopefully I may bag a bargain. I heard that Seat were doing 0% credit on the Leon so it may be worth a look. However the Fabia is 12K and the Leon is 16K!
Can you fit a young family in a Fabia?

Vette_76

Does an ecu remap invalidate the Skoda warranty?

Mossman

Hmmm ..... kids could go in the back fine but watch those muddy feet with the light coloured interior...

As to warranty and remaps, not sure. Technically yes, but some dealers have offered cars which have been remapped and also, some are undetectable.

Cheers,

Mossman

logiclee

Yep!

But Revo sell the "One Click". A little device that you plug in and can upload the Standard Map or the Revo Map.

As long as you take it to the dealers with the standard map uploaded you will be OK.

Saying that there are some Skoda dealers that will remap your car and are re-map friendly.

Cheers
Lee

logiclee

The Fabia is a couple of inches narrower than the Octavia/Leon but interior space front to back is only one inch shorter.

The big issue with the Fabia is boot space, if the boot is big enough for you then you will be OK with the Fabia.

Cheers
Lee

longdogs

The money I "Save" by not driving the scoob up and down the motorway not only pays for the Fabia but also contibutes to the fuel for the Scoob at the weekend..

Pulls like a train great comfoy ride on the motorway get it with cruise can't fault it. Black and tinted.

Drivethedeal.co.uk 11k band new. oh and take them to jabbasport or simular and have them taken to 180Bhp and enough torque to pull your garage over.. sorry but diesel is the future.. well Monday to Friday anyway

scott8629

I may have to look a little closer to the fabia as it sounds big enough.

Thanks

Scott