Skoda Fabia reviews

I have recently sold my Skoda fabia after 3 years of ownership and thought I'd share my experiences. Firstly the looks are a little dated by modern standards, but after a good clean and polish it still looks a very nice car and appears planted and sporty with the green brake callipers, a subtle spoiler and flattened exhaust. The interior however is uninspiring. Don't get me wrong, everything works, all buttons and functions, it's just a bit dull. The worst part though is the cloth seats which are grey in colour. They mark easy and are a complete b**ch to clean! The engine is a solid performer. Yes it clatters around like an older diesel and sounds unmistakably like an older diesel but it can still make you grin with how it delivers it's torquey power. Foot down between 1750-3000rpm and it pulls well and can overtake effortlessly. It's not a 'fast' car but it's punchy. Keep it between those revs and you'll pick up speed satisfyingly well. Hold out for more revs and it runs out of puff oh so quickly. In it's hay day it would surprise many cars with how it could gather pace. Nowadays not so much, where every other car is a 2.0tdi and much more linear. Wear and tear aside it is reliable. The alternator packed up recently but other than that only the window regulator has broken causing the window to sink into the door. But it's never let me down on a winter's day or after long drives. It is a workhorse and feels like it's just happy to 'Keep going'. Best part though is the running costs. Fuel is easily in the low 50mpg without even trying. Try and it's very late 50's or even over 60mpg. Drive hard and you'll be low to mid 40's which is seriously excellent! Overall a decent car. Don't expect to break records or win many drag races but don't expect to be sat behind a Honda Jazz doing 40 in a 50mph zone for long with that torque.

I am extremely pleased with my new car and the service I received from the garage I bought it from which is accociated with the AA . The car was immaculate inside and out having been well looked after by the previous owner and having been valeted by the garage .

For longer journeys I would prefer comfort seats with armrests. It is not easy to maintain constant speed on motorways etc due to the position of the accelerator pedal in relation to off-side of the foot-well. I'm not keen on the gearbox action from 1st to second gear. There is no spare wheel, which is a disaster. Otherwise it's a very good car so far.

I have owned my Fabia for 12 years. I go for a car I like and keep it for a long time. I have found my car to be extremely reliable; I tend to drive in town so there is ample power for hill climbing (my home town is full of hills) and it is economical. These are my most important criteria. I have found the car comfortable on the occasional long journey and, since it is the largest car in its class, it has carried everything I ever wanted to to. I will change it when it starts costing money to get through its MOT (this has not happened yet) and I will strongly consider getting another Fabia.

A vary reliable car. Would like a bit more accleration and reduced fuel consumption but the space available is fantastic for a car this size.

This car has been very reliable. It is comfortable over long distance journeys of 2 hours or more. The running costs of this diesel version are about half what I used to spend on my previous skoda fabia which had a smaller petrol engine.

Economical, comfortable and suitable for short commutes as well as long motorway journeys. Would definitely buy Skoda again.

Very good value for money. Performs well if not very fast and is low cost and reliable. Very suitable for low mileage users.

Old geloppi that goes like a train and corners on wheels still giving 50 miles to the gallon

I have owned this car for two years. It had relatively low mileage when I purchased it. It is a VRS model and performs well. I am not a racer but enjoy the fact that it is very responsive. It is a bit cramped and the boot is quite small. However it is adequate for myself and my wife - it is only when we carry passengers that it is less convenient and also the limited luggage space when going on holiday. It is reasonably economical, averaging around 48 mpg. It has proved very reliable over the period I have owned it. The seats are comfortable and overall I am very satisfied with the car and would certainly consider buying one again although I might consider a larger model.

I bought this car in 2003 as a low mileage ex hire car that had coffee stains on the front passenger seat. This was rectified by a good valet service. Until I retired from full time work, I used this car for commuting, mostly on motorways. During the summer the trip computer normally recorded 59 MPG. A calculated consumption showed 54 MPG. During the winter this dropped to a calculated 52 MPG. The car was used every summer for camping trips for three people on the continent. The load area and the roof bars provided good load carrying capacity for all the equipment for these trips. This car performs very well and is sure footed and comfortable for both short and long journeys. I like driving on small mountain roads in the Alps and have not yet tired of the available performance of this car. To date the only time the car has failed to start was after it had not been used for 7 weeks while I was in hospital. It has covered just over 150000 miles and is now showing some signs of age. The air conditioning needs to be re-gassed every 10 to 12 months. There is an intermittent electrical fault on the back door lock, a rear side door has to be slammed before the back door can be opened and the service interval indication is no longer working. Last year some suspension components had to be replaced. Regular routine servicing is carried out as required on mileage. So overall this car is reliable, easy to live with, fun to drive when traffic conditions allow and economical to own.

My car is my mate called Betsy she is a goer gets me from a to b usually without problems what more can I say!!!

Unexciting, but reliable and comfortable.

We have been very happy with this car, though will probably change next year as it is showing its age, mostly with little bits like door handles falling off and the catch to the boot sticking. Also I would like automatic locking - all our doors are manual. The car has been regularly serviced and has had no major faults. The worst problem was water entry in a rear seat-well, which turned out to be from a replaced windscreen, so not a Skoda fault. Each year I expect to have to scrap it after its MOT, but each year it pulls through. It has been reliable and fuss-free, just what we want.

This is my first Skoda and though it may not be very flash looking I'm very happy with it and with the service I get from the Skoda dealers. My passengers are very happy - comfortable and quite nippy for a small car.

She is the best family car I have ever owned and most reliable the only car I've owned to beat it was a Ford Escort RS 2000 but that was a boys toy not a family car

Have been really pleased with the performance of this model. Has never let me down. But having a Volkswagon engine it should be reliable.

The fabia scout 1600 is great car for the highlands. It is very economical 50-68 miles to the gallon depending on length of journey.It handles well even on the rough roads we have up here.The only drawback I have found is the rear drum brakes.If you stop on a steep hill they will not hold on the hand brake. So far it has done 32000 miles and not once has it let me down.

This car is comfortable, reliable and is cheap to run. What more do you need.

4 star performance..the automatic Fabia has the lower powered of the two 1400cc twin cams so is never going to win the "traffic light grand prix" but is perfectly fine if you are not a boy racer. 5 star running costs...41+mpg throughout ownership 3 years and counting (probably do better in a manual). Service parts are cheap. 4 star comfort...acceptable seats and adjustments,all bits and pieces in easy reach (mine has heated seats being "Elegance " spec) Nice ride and handling. Ice cold aircon. 5 star reliability...not let me down yet. ( I speak of a low mileage example..its 12 years old with only 47000 miles) 4 star space & practicality...5 seats,split rear fold down for extra luggage space. perfectly adequate for the trips to the garden centre ,or diy shed.Loads of "cubbyholes " for odds and sods.