J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Quite fancy changing my plans, instead of buying something daft that uses a lot of petrol, I was thinking that I may get something Diesel for through the week and think about either a track day car or have a go at drifting.

Anyway, have been looking at the Fabia VRS, mainly cos its cheap and cheap to run, only do a 26 mile commute so dont want anything too big and it doesnt need to be much of a mile muncher, anyway, I have seen info and reviews on these and you get the strong VW 130 bhp unit plonked into a Polo sized shell, not the greatest handler but the performance is meant to be great, very torquey engine in a little car, best part is Revo have graphs showing it chipped to 181 BHP and 305 Lbs ft of torque, now that must be amazing through the gears, I would imagine in a straight line it would worry many a performance car. My wife has a Sharan with the lower powerd 115 PD in it and that moves the best part of two tonnes reasonably well, its not fast but it never feels short of torque.

Has anybody had any experience of these, chipped or standard ?

50 mpg, 11 grand + (400 to chip), 180 bhp, wheres the catch ?

I dont count a Skoda badge as a catch.

Ralph Wiggum

not sure if u will get 50 post remap although some say itsmore efficient and even more mpg also think of a milltek exhaust i'd check out apr, and jabba

zakk

i want to get an octavia vrs at some point in the future, would say the fabia is a little more trendy, catch? depreciation (could be a lot worse though, the octavia doesnt seem to hold value that well), handling- you mentioned, though if you chip it you'll have to sort out the handling/braking.

i cant see anything else as a 'catch'.

enjoy, hopefully i'll join you in skoda ownership someday.

Ralph Wiggum

oh and AmD

Ralph Wiggum

fwiw they are very smart andbloody nippy ,although on a long road it don't have the legs they are heavy too 1300+kg!

gingerboy

Never driven one but have followed one and for a dieel it couldn't half shift, everything I have heard, read and seen cannot praise them enough for perfomance, handling and value for money!

Paul

mw2655

try www.briskoda.net

i'm picking mine up tomorrow.

matt

Duck_Pond

I'm considering replacing my pipe & slippers Rover diesel that I use as my daily commute with the Fabia. Have been looking at a few sites concerned with the chipping aspect, as like you, it seems almost too good to be true.

My concerns are a) insurance and b) from some sites, the extra power & torque from the performance upgrade can cause the clutch to fail. Apparently it's already prone to slipping, in the standard 130bhp guise.

It's tempting alright... just need to clear a few debts before considering it properly...

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

1300+kg!

Jesus, thats heavy for such a little motor, my Saab 9-3 only weighs a bit more !

Ralph Wiggum

that VAG engineering for you. I was honestly very suprized at the fact

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I suppose its the diesel lump that hoiks the weight up, plus aircon etc, anyway, I dont think 1300 kilos would trouble 305 llbs/ft very much !

Ralph Wiggum

no certainly nippy around town

Jamesemt

Nippy everywere!!

Ours is great - but it isn't as good as my Scoob.

We bought ours as the daily driver/shopping car and it's great - shrugs the mileage off no problem.

Mpg - drive like a vicar and you'll see the fuel computer nudging 60mpg (maybe a tad optimistic, but who cares). Worst we've ever had is 45mpg. We average 50mpg (working the fuel out properly, not trusting the computer) but that includes a lot of city commuting at rush hour. Easily get 53mpg at a steady 80mph on the motorway

Regards depreciation, ours has lost £300 in a year; the Scoob lost £5k in the same period...

Ralph Wiggum

is yours chipped out of interest

certainly a good car even liking the front now , wouldn't swap my scoob for one and my daily driver is a 500quid shed save my money for the scoob

vindaloo

I've got one too. Not planning on a remap though.

50mpg is quite possible with a light right foot, not that I've managed more than about 44 so far: I like lanes and I hasten to/from work rather than potter if the traffic allows me. Stick to 60-70mph and it'll go on forever.

They are heavy due to the engine and the gearbox, mostly. Less well equiped models weight slightly over the tonne.

Useful additions could be mudflaps (small discreet and cheap but I haven't got them yet) and the boot cargo nets (£30 and I picked them up on Saturday). Maybe the B pillar covers on a non-black car.

J.

Jamesemt

No, standard cos I'm saving the money for a Scoob remap

Think they look far classier in silver, shame ours is red (wife's choice)...

compshack

I've driven a chipped one. From a Skoda dealer. They said it was 180bhp. Really did take off from the mark you could wheel spin down the road (if you wanted) no problem at all. No lag just instant power. Really impressed with it but the handling and brakes seem to let it down abit.
I had an STi at the time and getting out of the Skoda back into the STi there was no comparison.
The dealer had no problem with running at that power and said they would still honor the warranty which was good.
I think they tried the tuning box which was on the car that I drove and the Revo re-map which was more powerful but you couldn't remove it like the box.
Still a hoot to drive though for small money.

If you want real deisel power go for the BMW 330D Sport with a tuning box on. That will give both WRX's and some STi's problems with both performace and handling.

wide

Had my vrs 3 weeks now and I cant fault it but it does wallow in the bends , but looking at eibachs, and it does skit about in the wet, all that power through the front wheels. But I have only filled it up once in 3 weeks and still have half a tank so that will last the next week, meaning I will have saved approx £120 on fuel compared to the scoob!!

dtriggs

I have a Fabia vRS and it is remapped. I used Revo as I was never gonna get to Jabbasport in Peterborough. Revo can be done at lots of dealers as it is franchised out.

The car itself is fantastic and has lost nothing in value since I bought it in March this year (9 months old for £9500). Pre chipping it ran out of power 3/4 through the rev range. Now it pulls all the way through. It is also more economical presumably as I dont have to try as hard for the performance. I was concerned the remap would make the clutch slip but so far I havent had a problem, but then again I dont really use the performance for standing starts, just once rolling. I have the switch which puts the car back to standard if I want to, as some dealers may cause a fuss. Having said that my local dealer doesnt care. My insurance company has charged me an extra £50 for insuring with the remap.

Cant really find a catch so far. Handling is fine by me. Yes it rolls a bit and isnt that firm but then with Uk roads and with my family I dont want it any firmer. So all I can say is go for it.

mg driver

there was a fabia vr's diesel at pod last saturday and it was running decent times and beating some supposedly quick cars ,,dont know wether it was standard or not but it was pulling well right to the line ,,i think it was doing 15 sec runs.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, sounds very positive, if I get one, I will remove the VRS badging and replace it with 1.2 Elegance, we do like a Q car round here !

Petem95

Residual values for the Skoda Fabia range are excellent - pretty much the best in the class, and just about on par with the VW Polo (which is the same car as it happens)

Fabia vRS residuals must surely be outstanding as demand is clearly VERY high (everyone on performance car forums seems to be changing their low MPG petrol cars for either a Fabia vRS or a BMW 330d!!)

The exterior of the vRS looks very smart and understated IMO (especially in silver or black) - typical VAG. Interior is again surprisingly good, just feels like your sat in a little Audi.

Would love a vRS myself, but cant really afford one! (bad thing about the excellent residual values!)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I really like the front, not an instant good looker but really distinctive, 11 grand gets you a branny, about the same as a Clio 182, both very tempting, I know the Clio is very quick but a chipped VRS must be similar in a striaght line and better in gear if not quite the handler, it will however I assume last longer and be worth more at the end.

I like the anti statement of the Skoda badge (especially here in Cheshire, so many badge and label snobs), therefore I think it rates highly in the cool stakes, not that may 11 grand dont give a **** Q cars about, the BMW 330 is a hell of a motor but its to aspirational/common to be cool, dont want respect is due from people who tuck their jumpers into their jeans.

Fabioso

I got one, alot of car for the money. I can get over 50 mpg without much problem and very rarely ever see it dip below 45.

Insurance costs me £320.

The car is well made and the only thing that lets it down is the handling, but I can live with that as most of my driving is long straight motorway driving.

Overall it still gives me some smiles for very little outlay. I can't see myself changing the car for over a year (and thats a long time for me)

RB5#111

iTrader: (5)

VRS's are awesome!

Yeah the brakes are ****e and it does wallow slightly but its soo nippy, everywhere!

A chap on briskoda just had his remapped at JabbaSport, 192bhp and 420nm of torque
This was with a panel filter and the cupra 160 air intake

s70rjw

iTrader: (2)

I enjoyed a thrash in my mates Jabba sport car. It couldn't handle the power out of corners and the MASSIVE torque meant lots of wheelspin.In a straight line it was great but then I don't live in the Outback

Frazer

Was that "192 hp" tested on Jabbas rollers?


Got to laugh.

mn_angrybeats

Couldnt be worse than AmD's rollers surely ???

My Cooper S made 243hp and 185lb/ft..... and although its far faster than a std Cooper S it aint that much, more like 210 I reakon

RB5#111

iTrader: (5)

I take it that Jabbas rollers are known for not being accurate then ?
Did'nt realise sorry, thought it was genuine figures.

Clarkie172

lol i wondered about the torque part too! 420nm? good one!