[shivir]

Originally Posted by Zero Cool

off topic -

dude whats the baseball bat for .....raccoons......or the scum of society that roam the badlands of gurgaon!!!

ROFLMAO! You guessed it correct! The streets of Gurgaon aint as safe we want them to be so its generally there to discipline any bad boys who want to get out of line! And that btw is an aluminum composite Louisville Slugger not just one of those seedy wooden BDM types!

[TracerBullet]

Shivir,

What fuel do you use? Regular petrol or premium - Shell super/BP Speed/HP Power?

I think Skoda manual recommends Octane 91 petrol.

Thanks,

[Mysticeyes]

Congrats Shivir, the 1.6 looks pretty hot hope you're having a wonderful time. by the way, is those mileage figures for highway drive too? I'm having an Ambiente 1.2 (petrol, aug. 2008) and the mileage is between 10.75-11.20 in city.

take good care of the hottie and have a safe drive

[shivir]

Originally Posted by TracerBullet

Shivir,

What fuel do you use? Regular petrol or premium - Shell super/BP Speed/HP Power?

I think Skoda manual recommends Octane 91 petrol.

Thanks,

Yup Skoda recommends regular 91 Octane so thats what I use. Why mess with what the manufacturer says? I use IOCL as my regular fuel, however have tanked with BP today since it was more convenient!

@ Mysticeyes - Thanks mate. Most of my driving is city (I consider the gurgaon part of NH8 the same a city traffic). I am quite sure the AC will impact these figures once the summer kicks in, though I must confess, I get better economy between 2.5K and 4.5K on the tach rather than when I keep it below that.

[Cesc]

You are writing a nice review buddy. The red color looks really good on the car. Did you test out the diesel variant by any chance?

Re. the gearshift - I have been driving an Octy L&K for 5 years now (which incidentally was also bought from Giriraj) and even to this date the gearshift is one of the best part about driving it.

[shivir]

Originally Posted by Cesc

You are writing a nice review buddy. The red color looks really good on the car. Did you test out the diesel variant by any chance?

Re. the gearshift - I have been driving an Octy L&K for 5 years now (which incidentally was also bought from Giriraj) and even to this date the gearshift is one of the best part about driving it.

Hey Thanks Mate! The Octy L&K is quite a ride. And to say that five years down it still stands out only means that not only is it smooth but also high quality - like most other parts of their cars!

- You a gunners fan quite obviously! Great game versus the magpies, just unfortunate you guys couldn't get all three!

Also, do let me know on what the servicing is like at Giriraj and anything in particular I need to be watchful of?

[Cesc]

IMO Skoda cars are built to last and Fabia is a quintessential Sokda. If you take reasonable care of your car then 5 year would just be a number.

Re. the servicing at Giriraj - I got the car serviced with them for the initial few years. A couple years ago they played around with my bill (billed me for synthetic oil when they put in mineral and billed me for coolant when all they put in was water) and I never went back to them. I get my car serviced outside and whenever needed source authentic parts from a know dealer in Kashmiri Gate. Since you have taken Skoda shield I suggest you be with A** till the warranty ends but try supervising your vehicle's servicing. If you ever need parts just PM me.

Re. the Gunner bit - but of course I am a fan. Have been sold on them since their Viera, Pires, Henry days. The magpies game - let's not talk about it. The most heartbreaking league game I have seen them participate in. To add to the misery was my nephew who is a Newcastle fan - he got a fair bit of stick from me over the first-half of the game which he duly returned with interest over the second half. But as far as Soccer goes - it was a great game. I am an out and out sports buff and games like that are always a treat to watch no matter which side one is on.

[shivir]

I will take your suggestion and supervise the service from start to finish - makes it easier theres a place to get lunch right next door in case I get hungry! I believe the ownership of Giriraj has changed hands as part of the Skoda rejig on dealers and has gone to someone called Jai Auto. Skoda Shield ties me down for about four years so I guess Ill have to check the quality of what they do else use someone in delhi - one of the authorized guys.

Will take you up on the parts thing in case I need some help on it.

Your nephew seems to know his footy since it takes knowledge to support the Magpies these days! Im a Milan fan myslef but also throw my weight behind United, though they remain my second love.

[shivir]

Ok, So I have clocked about 1650 on the odo and thought this would be a good time to put my thoughts down on the Handling and General Ride Quality. Also will give you guys a quick update on the overall ownership experience till date.

Stay Tuned, update to follow later today.

[iSpoke]

shivir,
Keep posting, we have tuned in! Don't miss to update any new mileage numbers that you might have achieved by this time.

[shivir]

Ride / Handling & A General 1500 KM update:

In terms of ride quality and handling, theres very little I can say about this car that hasnt been said already. It certainly is sure footed and very reliable. I have been able to take the car to speeds of about 160 KM/H and have been fairly comfortable, if our roads and drivers were any better than they are, I'm quite certain I could have held those speeds longer.

Here is something interesting to note, I often take my corners and bends fairly aggressively, and this car makes me very comfortable while doing that. In terms of speeds, I take corners at about 80 - 90 Kmh and have found a few instances of oversteer, that too fairly predictable. Body roll is quite controlled and I have never really been worried while doing this. For all the impressionable minds out there, please note that I do this on roads that I am very comfortable on - that I know very well and at times when there is a very limited possibility of stray cars or humans on the road. I also ensure there are no passengers in my car - and my seatbelt is always on! Bends are even more fun to do and I have taken them as high as 120 and will push harder as I develop more confidence in the car and my own understanding of the car.

Bad roads are quite the constant here in Gurgaon, and have given me an opportunity to see how this car performs on these pothole strewn road. No it doesn't feel like Im gliding on air - it is however a lot better than my swift or even the Honda Citys that I end up driving to frequently for my liking (both the NHC & ANHC). The tyre pressure plays a big role in this. My best experience has been while i got my cold pressure at 30 PSI - this is what I would recommend as the ideal pressure. The smaller bumps get eaten away almost unnoticed if you are at 40 or more however seem to be noticeable below that speed. The large moonlike craters that form the larger part of what we call roads here in Gurgaon have to be dealt with fairly conservatively, but dont bounce me off my seat like they used to in the Swift. I ran this assessment past my wife and she agreed with me saying that she preferred the Fabia to the Hondas and the Swift.

Steering is fairly precise, and while not the best at high speeds, it is not poor either. While at Parking speeds it is an absolute breeze to get the car going in the direction you want it to. But every time I think about the steering wheel, I cant help but feel that Skoda should have given me volume controllers and a bluetooth module on the wheel. Big miss right there.

All said and done, this is perhaps one of the strongest parts of the car - the handling and drive setup!

General 1500 KMs Review:

The one thing that has people shocked has been the fuel economy and here are some general trends.

Heavy traffic, ie 1st and 2nd gear movement - nothing above 7 or 8.
Normal traffic, ie regular everyday driving - getting between 13.5 and 15.5
Highway - short hauls on the highway can get me anywhere upto about 18 and have seen it close to 19. Have not yet done a long haul on the highway. I say 50 - 60 clicks is short and anything above a 150 clicks would be a long.

I did not buy this car for mileage, I bought it because it is fun to drive. However, I am impressed with this engine in terms of its frugality. Also, please beleive me when I tell you that I do not drive this car for economy either.

The most interesting thing I have seen is this, if the car is below 2500 revs it is using a lot more fuel, if you keep the car between 2500 rev and 5000 revs you will get a lot of frugality. Which is fantastic, and a job well done Skoda!

Likes:

1) Power on tap
2) Comfortable ride and assured handling
3) Easy shut off with the car doing all the thinking and checking
4) Drives like a sedan and parks like a hatch!
5) Built like a tank
6) Looks mature without being flashy
7) High quality parts, fit and finish

Dislikes:

1) Tough to maintain interiors
2) Awful stereo / speakers and no bluetooth
3) No steering controllers
4) Driving position was tough to find - have found it now but took a while!
5) Not the quickest off the line

All in all its been a fun first 45 days with the car, and have been able to drive a fair bit too due to wedding season and festive season. The car has been well behaved and nothing to worry about just yet.

Will update again soon!

PS - In one word, would I recommend this car to others - friends & family - Damn Right!

[shivir]

Just also thought Id give you quick update on something that has gotten a lot of coverage about the Fab.. the lack of the rear wiper and defogger.

We are in the middle of some real dreary weather r right here today. It has been spitting rain which makes our dust laden roads really muddy and dirty. While I think it would have been a good to have I certainly didnt think it was a must have! The rear window didnt get too bad and visibility while reduced wasn't dangerous or really something that bothered me. Maybe it because I am not used to one anyway - Swift didnt have one nor the Wagon R.

Roads were really bad and suspension did a nice noiseless job on it and ride, handling and stability were pretty good. Also, the view of the road was clear and the wipers pretty much did good job. First bit of rain, albeit a spattering and no real surprises thrown up.

[guha_2001]

Originally Posted by shivir

Just also thought Id give you quick update on something that has gotten a lot of coverage about the Fab.. the lack of the rear wiper and defogger.

We are in the middle of some real dreary weather r right here today. It has been spitting rain which makes our dust laden roads really muddy and dirty. While I think it would have been a good to have I certainly didnt think it was a must have! The rear window didnt get too bad and visibility while reduced wasn't dangerous or really something that bothered me. Maybe it because I am not used to one anyway - Swift didnt have one nor the Wagon R.

Roads were really bad and suspension did a nice noiseless job on it and ride, handling and stability were pretty good. Also, the view of the road was clear and the wipers pretty much did good job. First bit of rain, albeit a spattering and no real surprises thrown up.

That sounds good. The Fabia's better than average front wiper system should come in very handy during rains

In the south we don't really need a rear defogger, our winters are nowhere as cold as in the north

Drives like a sedan and parks like a hatch!

Very well said, this is an extremely easy car to park & drive in bumper to bumper traffic, it is easier than the Swift! No other car offers this brilliant combination

[M00M]

@ shivir: 91 octane petrol will increase the running costs of the car. a friend of mine just bought the fabia 1.6 and he uses regular fuel.

[shivir]

Originally Posted by M00M

@ shivir: 91 octane petrol will increase the running costs of the car. a friend of mine just bought the fabia 1.6 and he uses regular fuel.

I use regular fuel too. They recommend regular fuel, and please correct me if Im wrong on this, but regular fuel is 91 Octane in most places now. The Speeds & Powers of this world are usually 93 Octane or have additives over the regular 91 Octane - Im not too sure how this works! Point noted though, will continue to use regular fuel to run the car.

@guha_2001 - I agree on the ease of driving over the swift, the fact thats its slightly narrower gives it quite the edge in traffic. What I do miss is the sheer "flickability" of the swift in traffic. Also, I know how you guys must feel not freezing to death in December and Jan. Fortunately for me, most of my regular parking is underground - work and home so no worries about fogged up glass there!