[M00M]

@ shivir: regular i think was 87 but i think with euro 4 they were supposed to bump it up but im not so sure. please check up with your skoda sales staff before the next refuel just in case to not damage your engine. wish you lots of trouble free miles on it.

[shivir]

Originally Posted by M00M

@ shivir: regular i think was 87 but i think with euro 4 they were supposed to bump it up but im not so sure. please check up with your skoda sales staff before the next refuel just in case to not damage your engine. wish you lots of trouble free miles on it.

Thanks mate. Did check with them twice and they insisted on regular fuel so am sticking with it. Will let you know how it pans out.

[FrankMartin]

Originally Posted by shivir

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!

Congrats buddy,

You bet, this comes as a shocker, i actually sat up and read it again. City mileage of 13.5~15.5 and Highway mileage of 18~19 for a Fabia is mind blowing. No.. now its really really "FAB" . I am now seriously thinking of sending off my WagonR for a new Fabia 1.6.

Also i find it hard to believe that you are able to get these mileage figures in the RPM band of 2500 ~ 5000, i mean 2500 is understandable, but this mileage at 5000 RPM ki baat kuch hajam nahi hui.
Can you also provide some info on the speeds that you try to maintain in the respective gears.

[shivir]

Originally Posted by FrankMartin

Congrats buddy,

You bet, this comes as a shocker, i actually sat up and read it again. City mileage of 13.5~15.5 and Highway mileage of 18~19 for a Fabia is mind blowing. No.. now its really really "FAB" . I am now seriously thinking of sending off my WagonR for a new Fabia 1.6.

Also i find it hard to believe that you are able to get these mileage figures in the RPM band of 2500 ~ 5000, i mean 2500 is understandable, but this mileage at 5000 RPM ki baat kuch hajam nahi hui.
Can you also provide some info on the speeds that you try to maintain in the respective gears.

You cant imagine how shocked I am - so let me try an explain this - this is my regular driving band and percentages could be thus:

1) 2500 - 3000 RPM - 45%
2) 3000 -3500 RPM - 20%
3) 3500 - 4000 RPM - 15%
4) 4000 - 4500 RPM - 10%
4) 4500 - 5000 RPM - 10 % (Mainly third - I dont stretch second on a normal basis)

So maybe it is my bad - I didnt explain the bands earlier. Also, most of my driving happens on NH 8 - and I consider this city traffic - it probably wont give you the same in the crawling traffic of Pune or Blore. Also I think I ran the engine in pretty well. Also there is no air-conditioning at this point.While I had the AC on a similar route I got about 12. Which is what my swift gives me incidentally.

I will try to watch the gears and speeds and write an on update this. I miss my WagonR though, great traffic car that!

Please also note that all my readings for mileage are on the digital readings I get on the MID. I am quite certain there will be some margin for error. Please check for yourself on a TD before making up your mind - because Pune has completely different roads and traffic from Gurgaon.

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by FrankMartin

Congrats buddy,
You bet, this comes as a shocker, i actually sat up and read it again. City mileage of 13.5~15.5 and Highway mileage of 18~19 for a Fabia is mind blowing. No.. now its really really "FAB" . I am now seriously thinking of sending off my WagonR for a new Fabia 1.6.

I was (and little bit still) under impression mostly because of hearing it from NON-Owners that Fabia will generally (not talking of that b2b crawling traffic) give pretty lesser mileage, or the order of 10kmpl. Only on highway it may reach of the order of 14-15kmpl. I'm in the process of buying that first car, thats the reason I keep on asking "Kitna deti hey?"

Originally Posted by shivir

Also, most of my driving happens on NH 8 - and I consider this city traffic - it probably wont give you the same in the crawling traffic of Pune or Blore. Also I think I ran the engine in pretty well. Also there is no air-conditioning at this point.

While I had the AC on a similar route I got about 12. Which is what my swift gives me incidentally.

Is something wrong with your Swift or with AC its common?

Please also note that all my readings for mileage are on the digital readings I get on the MID. I am quite certain there will be some margin for error. Please check for yourself on a TD before making up your mind - because Pune has completely different roads and traffic from Gurgaon.

Hey Shivir,
That was a neat and detailed post, Thanks buddy. Let, me clear one assumption that yours being 1.6 and me considering 1.2 should result in even better mileage. Is that correct?

Actually many a times I seriously think to go for Diesel Ambient since its not way costlier than Petrol Elegance, but at the cost of losing ABS, ICE, MFD, Remote key and rear PW. Of which I can get a decent player with USB/AUX at much reasonable rate. Well, it hurts but may be I can live without that for the sake of not drilling my pockets.

[S_U_N]

Tried to get a test drive of 1.6 petrol. The dealers do not have a test drive vehicle and are unable to arrange for one either.

[theoriginal9321]

Desperately need more pictures

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Tried to get a test drive of 1.6 petrol. The dealers do not have a test drive vehicle and are unable to arrange for one either.

hey, which dealer you went to, was it Europa or Asset auto? So you too looking for the New Fabia in Pune, please share your experiences.

I went to Europa at Wakad (Pune) a week back only, didn't take the test drive yet actually the sales guy whom I contacted first wasn't there on that day. I went there just to inquire about the (missing) accessories that can be fitter later on an Ambient variant (as compared to the top-end Elegance). Though they keep saying that now the spares price came down by 40% but I was shocked by knowing few of the spare costs. Its not any exaggerated but I'm sharing as what I got from them (as aprox costs). Needless to mention that these are Original Skoda spares.

Front Fogs - 20,110/-
ICE Skoda Music System - 32,620/-
Alloys - 38,000/- (something 9K+ each)
Body Strips - 2642/-

But their website under accessories section they quote just 7109/- for an alloy. Well, there must be some labor charges and tax,etc. but 2K diff that too per each wheel should not be there. Don't know if the web is not updated or these guys just estimated very very randomly.

As I have already listed few of the spares, let me share the original accessory prices right from Skoda Fabia Inida web (check extreme bottom options, Accessories listed second last).

Item - Part No. - MRP
RADIO BLUES (1 DIN) - 5J0035152A - 26,024/-
RADIO SWING (2 DIN) - 5J0035161C - 29,393/-
KIT FOR FITTING REAR SPEAKERS - ABA700002 - 7,729/- (FYI, even the topend Elegance comes with 2 Speakers and 2 Tweeters in front, but no Rear speakers - only provision is there)

[S_U_N]

^^ I had put in a request on carwale for a quote. They in turn forwarded this to Europa.
So, far my experience with Skoda has not been positive. I had scheduled the test drive two days in advance, yet on that day, they were unable to arrange for a car - not very professional.
The spares are still very expensive. Skoda monogram is about Rs. 3000. Painting a door is about Rs. 7000 (these are rates that my friend was quoted for his Fabia).
I will insist on detailed spare part pricing information before I proceed further with Skoda.

[shivir]

@ iSpoke - Again NH8 might be considered highway driving by some and maybe I am reaping the very few rewards of living in Gurgaon! Since we never have electricity or water, they might as well help us with better mileage! My Swift didnt get the best run in because it was run in B2B traffic and maybe that impacted the long term running cost of the car. Also, I drove the wheels of that car. I dont know what the 1.2 will give in terms of mileage but I dont think there will be a major difference - also I doubt you will get anything close to what i am getting in Pune and I doubt Ill get anything close to this once the Summer sets in. Also, I get to avoid rush hour due to more convenient work timings. I also recommend the Petrol Elegance (1.2 or 1.6) because of the additional safety features and it will take you really long to recoup your additional investment on a diesel Elegance. I always feel Diesel makes sense if youre clocking about 3000+ clicks in a month. Else Petrol makes more VFM.

@theoriginal9321 - More pics in a bit. Will pull out the camera this weekend and get you some more shots.

@S_U_N - Parts are more expensive than Suzuki for sure but Skoda has cut costs on their spare part list quite drastically. Also, something I always tell my friends is this - Buy the car without thinking about banging it! Because thats the only we will buy the car we enjoy!

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by shivir

@S_U_N - Parts are more expensive than Suzuki for sure but Skoda has cut costs on their spare part list quite drastically. Also, something I always tell my friends is this - Buy the car without thinking about banging it! Because thats the only we will buy the car we enjoy!

I somehow would not want to compare Skoda spare part cost with Maruti.
I would like to compare it with Honda or Toyota.
Who prices the spares better amongst the three?

[FrankMartin]

Talking about monograms i have been seeing lot of Skodas, VWs, Hondas, BMWs and Mercs without their logos.
This also got me thinking about how do we make the logo/monogram theft-proof. couple of ideas
1. Remove the logo fabricate bolts behind the logo and refasten the logo using "Araldite and then completely securing them with the bolts.
2. In addition to step 1, introduce a layer of rubber between the body and logo and electrify the logo using the battery to give a "tazer" effect to anyone who tries to remove the logo.

On a side note I couldnt help wondering if they are really being stolen or the owners are removing them in advance as a precautionary measure. I think if i go for a fabia or a polo, i would promptly remove the logo and keep it in my safe rather than going thru the anguish of seeing it stolen.

[shivir]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

I somehow would not want to compare Skoda spare part cost with Maruti.
I would like to compare it with Honda or Toyota.
Who prices the spares better amongst the three?

Honda parts I would imagine are more expensive. Also their service is very overrated. They refuse to start work on any damage till they receive the insurance claim. At least thats what we go through with Pearl Honda in GGN. Honda on road assistance is lightning fast though - as we found out last week with a drained battery - which I found really strange on an 8 month old city. IMHO Honda India is very overrated. Toyota I dont know much about but am quite certain they would be competitive with Skoda.

If someone can share facts with us it would be a big help!

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

^^ I had put in a request on carwale for a quote. They in turn forwarded this to Europa.
So, far my experience with Skoda has not been positive. I had scheduled the test drive two days in advance, yet on that day, they were unable to arrange for a car - not very professional.
The spares are still very expensive. Skoda monogram is about Rs. 3000. Painting a door is about Rs. 7000 (these are rates that my friend was quoted for his Fabia).
I will insist on detailed spare part pricing information before I proceed further with Skoda.

As far as know the Skoda monogram (Front and Back) costs about 750-850/- each, I inquired it with Skoda dealer itself also I read the same price range in a thread on Tbhp.
Yes I inquired it with VW too. For Polo the front badge costs around 2000/- bucks but the rear one is whooping 7-8K (yes you read it correctly). The reason is that the rear badge is not sold separately, it comes as an tail gate assembly.

Originally Posted by shivir

I dont know what the 1.2 will give in terms of mileage but I dont think there will be a major difference - also I doubt you will get anything close to what i am getting in Pune and I doubt Ill get anything close to this once the Summer sets in. I also recommend the Petrol Elegance (1.2 or 1.6) because of the additional safety features and it will take you really long to recoup your additional investment on a diesel Elegance. I always feel Diesel makes sense if youre clocking about 3000+ clicks in a month. Else Petrol makes more VFM.

Let the difference in mileage be less among 1.2 and 1.6, but going by simple logic that 1.2 will provide bit better mileage at the cost of less powerful engine. I'll happily prefer a Petrol if 1.2 will give anything close to what you get with 1.6. I'm thinking about Ambient Diesel only because I've heard (from most non owners) that Fabia gives too low mileage (~10). Also the price difference between Ambient D and Elegance P is only 25K, so it wont take that long to break-even when I think about diesel.

This is what I believe, as it will be my first car and I never owned a car so I could be wrong somewhere. But not to worry, coz thats why I'm here at Team-BHP!

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by iSpoke

As far as know the Skoda monogram (Front and Back) costs about 750-850/- each, I inquired it with Skoda dealer itself also I read the same price range in a thread on Tbhp.
Also the price difference between Ambient D and Elegance P is only 25K, so it wont take that long to break-even when I think about diesel.

Which dealer has quoted you that price for the monogram?

Your comparison is across trim levels. Remember that you are missing out some features along with the cost saving. You should compare elegance Petrol with elegance Diesel, (or the mid level trim petrol vs mid level trim diesel) in my opinion.