Skoda Fabia

Mpower · 24th July 2009, 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by devarshi84

AFAIK the 1.4 is discontinued. Do you mean the diesel? It's too clattery for my tastes atleast. The 1.2 is really good for city drives but quickly loses steam on the highways. The torque betters most hatches in its segment.

I meant the petrol. Yes its now stopped but he wants to buy used and many basket case 1.4s are out there and attractive prices.

joslicx · 24th July 2009, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by devarshi84

The 1.2 is really good for city drives but quickly loses steam on the highways. The torque betters most hatches in its segment.

I took a TD of 1.2 sometime back and I felt the opposite! It takes forever to reach 100 but once there it is a charm afterwards! It easily touched 150 and there was still some juice left to take it higher (I didnt had the guts for that!) It was so amazingly supplanted at 150 it felt like 100! And I overtook lot of other cars very easily. I felt it was a great highway car. I dont know if you meant speeds over 150 when you say "loses steam on the highways"!

On the other hand it wont accelerate at lower speeds even on completely flooring the pedal!

Axe77 · 13th August 2009, 20:59

I would stay steer clear from the Fabia for all the reasons above.

For diesel, i20 and punto are worth considering.

For petrol, the Jazz truly feels premium (although annoyingly overpriced).

I think the Puntos may feel a little underpowered - the interiors are not outstanding either.

On performace, I dont think there's any hot performance hatch in the true sense. They're all fairly mediocre on the performance stakes. Perhaps the Polo will change that if it gets the 1.2 TSI but we need to wait and watch.

NevGin · 13th August 2009, 21:29

Floyd,

It's a simple no in my opinion. There is just too many bad experiences here with Skoda's after sales service, car reliability and high cost of ownership. My suggestion: Please test drive the new i20's with the diesel and the 1.4 Epsilon (I think that's what its called). They also offer an automatic should you desire one. While they are not really performance hatchbacks, they don't disappoint either.

Please let us know your decision and the rationale.

benz_vasu · 14th August 2009, 09:51

I was in the same situation 1 1/2 months back. The car I really wanted to buy was a Ford Fusion + Petrol. But since the dealers themselves were not sure whether Ford has stopped it or not, I started looking at other options. Punto was my next choice, but was really disappointed with its interiors. Too bad for that price. At 6.6 Lakhs for the top-end petrol
on-road in Bangalore, it is not cheap by any standards.

I looked at i20 Asta (Pertol), Punto both petrol and Diesel (Emotion packs) and then Fabia 1.2 HTP Ambiente. In fact 4 of us were looking to buy a car in the 6-8 lakhs price bracket and checked out these cars multiple times. The car everyone of us liked by a big margin is the Fabia. We considered build quality, interior quality, space and engine responsiveness as our criteria for selection. In all these parameters Fabia was better. Its positives far outweighed its negatives as a car.

Fabia 1.2 HTP delivers its peak torque of 108 NM at 3000 rpm(latest reviews by magazines put it at 108@2500 rpm). It has better in-gear accelaration figures than any of the cars mentioned above, even swift and Jazz doesn't match up. Everyone who drove the car in our test-drives said it is very responsive.

It has terrific leg space at the back and the AC was very effective.

In our group I ended up booking the car, others chickened out because of the very very bad feedback on Skoda dealerships. I am still waiting for the car to be delivered.

In my opinion, it is the best VFM car out there among premium hatchbacks. Jazz is just overhyped. Think about it, a Jazz which is very under-specified compared to a Fabia Ambienet petrol, costs 2 lakhs more here in Bangalore. The Jazz engine betters Fabia in the 0-100 figures, which is not really that relevant compared to in-gear accelaration figures.

There is a huge risk in terms of Skoda dealerships, but I decided to take that risk because no other car in this price range gave me that feeling of quality. You would really like to be in that car. Also outright performance was not my major criteria.

ajmat · 14th August 2009, 10:36

As long as you service the car at Vinayak, you should be ok

anekho · 14th August 2009, 12:18

I really liked the skoda fit and finish and solidness of the whole car and was all for it until I drove it. This regards petrol as I haven't driven the diesel one yet.

The first few times you start the car is different experience. Expecting the smooth refinement of a premium petrol hatchback, I turned the key. The three-pot crackpot clatters to a start and is more noisy than most diesels. The vibrations are many and it feels as though it might stall. The first three times it did. On the fourth time I was prepared and revved her like crazy and the car inched forward. Once she starts rolling it's not all bad, but it feels really really weak. Stop and go traffic will be a nightmare.

The first gear is longish one and your in big problems if you don't shift down in time. I was trying to drive the car up a decently sized hill on a 50kmph road, and had to pull this stint in second gear, pedal flat to the metal (I'm not kidding). The car managed 35. The car has no pulling power whatsoever. I didn't dare to take the car to highway and returned it to the showroom.

To it's benefit the gearbox is butter smooth and interiors feel nice and solid. The stereo is great and I test drove the fully equipped one with plenty of safety features. The brakes are effective - though you'll never use them as you'll never gain momentum

All in all - great car, horrible engine which puts it off completely for me. Maybe the diesel is better.

ps. When I say the engine is slow, I don't mean slow by petrol-head terms. Slow by old lady driving to shop terms.

Takumi-san · 14th August 2009, 14:01

Anekho, While I am not a Skoda fan myself, your review seems to bad to be true. Are you sure you were not driving a bad car / ruined engine ? Stalling so badly would be either due to driver experience or a bad car. I would be very surprised if Skoda actually released a car in such poor format. Try another car at another dealer.

anekho · 14th August 2009, 18:33

Takumi, I understand your feelings. We test drove the car here in sweden and the conditions were almost perfect - almost no traffic, smooth roads etc. ie there were no distractions from the car.

Both me and my dad drove the car and it had done only 800 km. The car appeared to be in perfect condition. My dad is an experienced driver while i'm still relatively new. The car stalled for both of us.

The showroom however was quite empty and perhaps the car hadn't been driven for several days. I mean, maybe it was a cold shivering start!

But still even ignoring the stalling overall performance was far below average.

Floyd de Souza · 17th August 2009, 19:59

OK friends I am back. I drove the diesel and though noisy, it felt very stable and secure. It had a quality feel to it which I have not managed to get from any of the Jap & Korean cars. It is very comfortable as well and at the price at which it sells, is real VFM IMO. Coming to A.S.S., there should not be a problem in Mumbai and with 15k service intervals cost of ownership also should be within control. I have met 5 Fabia owners/drivers and they have no problems whatsoever with the car or dealer except for the fact that regular servicing is on the expensive side. Two owned petrol Fabias (1.2l) and while one reported 12 kmpl, the other reported 9 kmpl in the city. The diesel owners reported between 15-17 kmpl in the city, which is phenomenal. Only one diesel owner reported highway mileage at 21 kmpl.

It would still be helpful if owners on tbhp gave their feedback.

loving_alaap · 17th August 2009, 23:47

again check for i20 CRDI before going for fabia.

You will cry while paying service bills if some falt happens to your fabia (there are many such unlucky guys)

For an absolute peace of mind & a real quality i20 is the way to go.

MileCruncher · 18th August 2009, 08:51

Having had driven the Fabia, I like the look and feel. I would call the engine performance as average. I got to know this from a friend that the Fabia diesel uses Synthetic Oil as standard. So you are looking at 6-7K/Service.

karizma_devil · 18th August 2009, 12:21

I think skoda that too a used one.. bad idea !!

My neighbour got a used 2008 Fabia 1.2 MPI 2 Months back.
He had a very bad experience , had loads of niggles and stalling issues.

joshguy · 22nd August 2009, 08:14

Hi Floyd de Souza Fabia advantages are Spacious seats and boot Build quality Tank like Ride quality Looks (may differ person to person) The Brand (when compared to suzuki or hyundai) Now the flip side.... Too noisy Expensive to maintain Dealer attitude or bad service (what i ve heard) Interiors of base versions not attractive (active,classic) Petrol could have had a better powerfull engine Now the decision is yours Why not consider Jazz and i20 too,nothing wrong in taking a TD

Madan Gopal · 24th August 2009, 17:05

Hi, I bought a petrol Fabia 1.2L, Classic version in March. Driven for more than 7000kms so far. I am getting a fuel efficiency of 12.5kms/l in the city with AC and about 16kms/l on the highway. If one is looking for a spirited performance, this is not the car, but OK for moderate driving both in city & highways. I am yet to taste the service standards of Skoda dealers. So far I am happy with the car.

13th August 2009, 20:59	#18
Axe77 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,923 Thanked: 20,665 Times	I would stay steer clear from the Fabia for all the reasons above. For diesel, i20 and punto are worth considering. For petrol, the Jazz truly feels premium (although annoyingly overpriced). I think the Puntos may feel a little underpowered - the interiors are not outstanding either. On performace, I dont think there's any hot performance hatch in the true sense. They're all fairly mediocre on the performance stakes. Perhaps the Polo will change that if it gets the 1.2 TSI but we need to wait and watch.
	() Thanks

13th August 2009, 21:29	#19
NevGin BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 503 Thanked: 437 Times	Floyd, It's a simple no in my opinion. There is just too many bad experiences here with Skoda's after sales service, car reliability and high cost of ownership. My suggestion: Please test drive the new i20's with the diesel and the 1.4 Epsilon (I think that's what its called). They also offer an automatic should you desire one. While they are not really performance hatchbacks, they don't disappoint either. Please let us know your decision and the rationale. Last edited by NevGin : 13th August 2009 at 21:31.
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 09:51	#20
benz_vasu Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10 Thanked: 0 Times	Buying a Skoda Fabia I was in the same situation 1 1/2 months back. The car I really wanted to buy was a Ford Fusion + Petrol. But since the dealers themselves were not sure whether Ford has stopped it or not, I started looking at other options. Punto was my next choice, but was really disappointed with its interiors. Too bad for that price. At 6.6 Lakhs for the top-end petrol on-road in Bangalore, it is not cheap by any standards. I looked at i20 Asta (Pertol), Punto both petrol and Diesel (Emotion packs) and then Fabia 1.2 HTP Ambiente. In fact 4 of us were looking to buy a car in the 6-8 lakhs price bracket and checked out these cars multiple times. The car everyone of us liked by a big margin is the Fabia. We considered build quality, interior quality, space and engine responsiveness as our criteria for selection. In all these parameters Fabia was better. Its positives far outweighed its negatives as a car. Fabia 1.2 HTP delivers its peak torque of 108 NM at 3000 rpm(latest reviews by magazines put it at 108@2500 rpm). It has better in-gear accelaration figures than any of the cars mentioned above, even swift and Jazz doesn't match up. Everyone who drove the car in our test-drives said it is very responsive. It has terrific leg space at the back and the AC was very effective. In our group I ended up booking the car, others chickened out because of the very very bad feedback on Skoda dealerships. I am still waiting for the car to be delivered. In my opinion, it is the best VFM car out there among premium hatchbacks. Jazz is just overhyped. Think about it, a Jazz which is very under-specified compared to a Fabia Ambienet petrol, costs 2 lakhs more here in Bangalore. The Jazz engine betters Fabia in the 0-100 figures, which is not really that relevant compared to in-gear accelaration figures. There is a huge risk in terms of Skoda dealerships, but I decided to take that risk because no other car in this price range gave me that feeling of quality. You would really like to be in that car. Also outright performance was not my major criteria.
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 10:36	#21
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14,863 Thanked: 27,973 Times View My Garage	As long as you service the car at Vinayak, you should be ok
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 12:18	#22
anekho Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: . Posts: 1,995 Thanked: 684 Times	I really liked the skoda fit and finish and solidness of the whole car and was all for it until I drove it. This regards petrol as I haven't driven the diesel one yet. The first few times you start the car is different experience. Expecting the smooth refinement of a premium petrol hatchback, I turned the key. The three-pot crackpot clatters to a start and is more noisy than most diesels. The vibrations are many and it feels as though it might stall. The first three times it did. On the fourth time I was prepared and revved her like crazy and the car inched forward. Once she starts rolling it's not all bad, but it feels really really weak. Stop and go traffic will be a nightmare. The first gear is longish one and your in big problems if you don't shift down in time. I was trying to drive the car up a decently sized hill on a 50kmph road, and had to pull this stint in second gear, pedal flat to the metal (I'm not kidding). The car managed 35. The car has no pulling power whatsoever. I didn't dare to take the car to highway and returned it to the showroom. To it's benefit the gearbox is butter smooth and interiors feel nice and solid. The stereo is great and I test drove the fully equipped one with plenty of safety features. The brakes are effective - though you'll never use them as you'll never gain momentum All in all - great car, horrible engine which puts it off completely for me. Maybe the diesel is better. ps. When I say the engine is slow, I don't mean slow by petrol-head terms. Slow by old lady driving to shop terms.
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 14:01	#23
Takumi-san BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 368 Thanked: 121 Times View My Garage	Anekho, While I am not a Skoda fan myself, your review seems to bad to be true. Are you sure you were not driving a bad car / ruined engine ? Stalling so badly would be either due to driver experience or a bad car. I would be very surprised if Skoda actually released a car in such poor format. Try another car at another dealer.
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 18:33	#24
anekho Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: . Posts: 1,995 Thanked: 684 Times	Takumi, I understand your feelings. We test drove the car here in sweden and the conditions were almost perfect - almost no traffic, smooth roads etc. ie there were no distractions from the car. Both me and my dad drove the car and it had done only 800 km. The car appeared to be in perfect condition. My dad is an experienced driver while i'm still relatively new. The car stalled for both of us. The showroom however was quite empty and perhaps the car hadn't been driven for several days. I mean, maybe it was a cold shivering start! But still even ignoring the stalling overall performance was far below average. Last edited by anekho : 14th August 2009 at 18:45.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 19:59	#25
Floyd de Souza BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 320 Thanked: 225 Times	OK friends I am back. I drove the diesel and though noisy, it felt very stable and secure. It had a quality feel to it which I have not managed to get from any of the Jap & Korean cars. It is very comfortable as well and at the price at which it sells, is real VFM IMO. Coming to A.S.S., there should not be a problem in Mumbai and with 15k service intervals cost of ownership also should be within control. I have met 5 Fabia owners/drivers and they have no problems whatsoever with the car or dealer except for the fact that regular servicing is on the expensive side. Two owned petrol Fabias (1.2l) and while one reported 12 kmpl, the other reported 9 kmpl in the city. The diesel owners reported between 15-17 kmpl in the city, which is phenomenal. Only one diesel owner reported highway mileage at 21 kmpl. It would still be helpful if owners on tbhp gave their feedback. Last edited by Floyd de Souza : 17th August 2009 at 20:00.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 23:47	#26
loving_alaap BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 808 Thanked: 9 Times	again check for i20 CRDI before going for fabia. You will cry while paying service bills if some falt happens to your fabia (there are many such unlucky guys) For an absolute peace of mind & a real quality i20 is the way to go.
	() Thanks

18th August 2009, 08:51	#27
MileCruncher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: MH01 Posts: 4,235 Thanked: 592 Times View My Garage	Having had driven the Fabia, I like the look and feel. I would call the engine performance as average. I got to know this from a friend that the Fabia diesel uses Synthetic Oil as standard. So you are looking at 6-7K/Service.
	() Thanks

18th August 2009, 12:21	#28
karizma_devil BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 421 Thanked: 21 Times View My Garage	I think skoda that too a used one.. bad idea !! My neighbour got a used 2008 Fabia 1.2 MPI 2 Months back. He had a very bad experience , had loads of niggles and stalling issues.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2009, 08:14	#29
joshguy BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,379 Thanked: 109 Times	Hi Floyd de Souza Fabia advantages are Spacious seats and boot Build quality Tank like Ride quality Looks (may differ person to person) The Brand (when compared to suzuki or hyundai) Now the flip side.... Too noisy Expensive to maintain Dealer attitude or bad service (what i ve heard) Interiors of base versions not attractive (active,classic) Petrol could have had a better powerfull engine Now the decision is yours Why not consider Jazz and i20 too,nothing wrong in taking a TD
	() Thanks

24th August 2009, 17:05	#30
Madan Gopal BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 34 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi, I bought a petrol Fabia 1.2L, Classic version in March. Driven for more than 7000kms so far. I am getting a fuel efficiency of 12.5kms/l in the city with AC and about 16kms/l on the highway. If one is looking for a spirited performance, this is not the car, but OK for moderate driving both in city & highways. I am yet to taste the service standards of Skoda dealers. So far I am happy with the car.
	() Thanks