lowlander

Not as daft a comparison as it sounds.

Both produce the same power - 130 bhp

Mondeo has more torque - 243 lb ft vs 229 lb ft.

Mondeo has 6 gears vs Fabias 5.

Fabia is more economicaly although not by much.

Mondeo has more space (a lot more), more toys, good handling (Although fabia probably better)

Zetec model has sports suspension, 16" alloys, cruise control, CD player, very good seats, ABS, traction control, 6 air bags, Climate control, etc, rake and reach adjustable steering,

A 1 year old example of each can be had for approx. the same money.

I'm seriously considering a diesel for my next car and it strikes me that a 1 year old mondeo looks stunning value for money.

What do you think?

Martin.

brickboy

The Mondeo TDCi 130 is a very good all round package. Don't be fooled by the family barge looks, they really are good to drive and handle better the harder you push them.

If you need the space & versatility, go for it. However I've seen some road test reports that say the TDCi mill is not as economical as expected / claimed. It might be better with the 6-speed box.

As a Passat PD130 sport owner, I can say the VAG diesel lump is every bit as economical as its claimed to be -- I've AVERAGED over 47mpg in the last 30,000 miles, in real terms (i.e. not on the trip computer). However the handling is stodgy with zero feedback. I like the interior better than the Mondeo and the Passat has better in-gear go than the older 5-speed TDCis.

The Fabia has 6 gears, by the way

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

'A 1 year old example of each can be had for approx. the same money.'

If thats the case then its the Mondeo, the Fabia's arent cheap secondhand but a terrific value new, I had a basic 1.8 lx Mondeo for a bit and it was a great car so the diesel would be better, theres quite a lot more car there, the Mondeo is bigger so will cope better with the weight of the diesel lump up front, the handling is good (well the petrol one was) as it has a much more advanced set up than the Fabia which isnt meant to be great.

Fabioso

Unusual comparison imo because of the difference in size. Basically this is how I see it. If you need the space then go for the Mondeo but if you don't need the space then go for the Fabia. A couple of reasons really :-

• The Fabia can be chipped, is not as common as a Mondeo and has generally good build quality.

• The Mondeo has depreciated significantly which is why its the same price as the Fabia (new price being a helluva lot more). The Ford will continue to free-fall for another year at least so if you don't plan on keeping it for many years then it will be worth alot less than the Fabia ( I haven't seen many 03 vRS's (2 yr old) in the £8-9k range).

• It puts a smile on your face when you're driving it which is why there are alot of people on Scoobynet driving them.

MooseRacer

If you think a Fabia handles better than a Mondeo then you are mistaken.

Brendan Hughes

What Fabioso said - expect to lose far more on depreciation of the Mondeo, the longer you keep it. Does it look so attractive when you consider you'll get much less at selling time? (Of course depends if you sell after 6 mths or 3 yrs.)

A more accurate comparison would be with a Focus, or even Fiesta. You get less car perhaps, but don't lose so much.

Big cars almost invariably depreciate quicker than little cars.

mg driver

you get lots of equipment in the mondeo and they handle very well ,,,,the vrs doesnt handle well at all,,,,mondeo is surprisingly fast too ,they can really cover the ground and mine was very fuel efficient for the size of the car,,the average never went under 40 mpg.

Petem95

Mondeo is probably better value, but as has been said the Fabia will hold its money FAR better. Used vRS prices arent significantly lower than they cost new, even for the oldest ones.

Boils down to how much space you need I suppose. The Mondeo is quite a lot bigger, even tho the Fabia is bigger than you might think - slightly bigger than a MK3 Golf.

My mum has a 2001 Fabia, and although build is very good (feels like being sat in a mini Audi - same layout to everything), there are some things I dont like - one is the high dash means you cant see the bonnet at all, and secondly the paint seems poor and scratches very easily. (chances are the newer ones have better quality paint tho)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

The Fabia is still new and its a supermini but the depreciation will come, it cant stay at nearly new prices for ever.

It is very heartening to see people wanting Skodas, does anybody else think like me that they are one of the coolest brands around to those who know, in an anti statement way.

Is Skoda a cooler badge than VW and BMW ?

JRS

cant fault our Vrs Fabia , apart from the light grey seats

its hard work to keep them clean with the young ones.

Petem95

I reckon its now a very cool badge - very understated and quietly confident. The cars are obviously very good and IMO stylish and quite bold looking - especially the Fabia vRS and new Octavia. Chavs and people who know nothing about cars might sneer at them which is of course good for the owners who are getting the last laugh

Whereas brands like BMW are probably going downmarket as they become too common, Skoda is heading in the other direction.

RS Grant

You can also Blue-Fin a Mondeo TDCi, which gives you impressive gains.


Cheers,
Grant

Jonty

It's interesting that many years ago many folk (I hold my hands up) would mock the name Skoda simply because of what it meant... cheap and nasty cars that were boring, desparate for an owner to love them, and... er... continuously mocked. And now..? I'd be very happy to consider one.

It's my belief that some manufacturers have actually realised what a lot of people want and made sure their cars have rolled off the production line accordingly. Sell a car that has decent power, big wheels, sporty seats, plenty of goodies, whilst still affordable and the lads queue up to buy them.

Perhaps if Rover/MG had spotted the desire a lot sooner their demise could have been avoided. Seat and Skoda seem to be heading in the right direction... I bet good money that if companies like Citroen, Nissan (exc. 350Z), and Suzuki pumped out cars like Skoda, they'd be selling like hot cakes. In a world where everyone seems to want to get from A to B before anyone else, why settle for anything less than 2.0 litre and a turbo..? NA..? Why the hell would anyone want gravity doing the work?!

Jonts.

carl

Much like Subaru then?

Jonty

Indeed, but IMO for totally different reasons. Subaru's problem is that their iconic Impreza has been around for so long that depreciation and credit allows for the cars to fall into the wrong hands. It's not just Subaru that has this problem though... unfortunately another passion in my life has the same problem too... the MR2, especially in Turbo form. Give it a few more years and see how the M5 and RS4/6 are doing.

Jonts.

Jamesemt

Sorry to be pedantic, but the vRS has a six speed 'box.

Completely different cars to compare, really.

The Fabia is basically a supermini...

MooseRacer

I dont know if Skodas are cool or not - but I'm chuffed with mine. They just aren't as all conquering as some on here would have you believe

vindaloo

What he said ^^^ Fabia vRS has a six speed box.

The vRS is quite narrow but tall. You get lots of space in the front. The back seats aren't bad and it's more practical than most hotish superminis as it's a five door.

It rolls and dives a little too eagerly to be truly bungable but it's a good compromise. Some have expressed the opinion that it's under-damped when testing the limits.

J.

marcymarc555

Fabia Vrs are flipping mental with revo or the new custom code, a proper super mini.

My mate has one with revo and its ace, the sensation of being pushed back in your seat is just crazy, i think its got 300 and something pounds of torque which is ridiculous.

carl

No, I meant before the Impreza turbo. When it first came out in the UK (94/95-ish) it was a real enthusiasts car because no-one knew what it was, and Subarus had an image problem (farmers' cars). Then it became a cult icon for the Playstation generation (as did the Skyline). Maybe the same could happen to Skoda, so best to get in now while there's ignorance.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Marcy Marc, whats the new custom code entail ?

lowlander

Thanks for all the replies,

Whilst I don't need the space the mondeo does strike me as being a lot of car for the money. The only downside I can see is the depreciation.

I do circa 13000-14000 miles a year and having a car that does everything well is important. It needs to be comfortable, reliable, reasonably quick, have reasonable servicing costs, decent handling, have enough space to carry friends, family, golf clubs, hillwalking gear, skis, etc. I previously owned a Mk2 mondeo and found that surprising good in terms of handling, comfort and speed. The current mondeo is meant to have class leading handling and whilst the quality of the interior may not be up to Audi standards its still better than a lot of cars out there. Not sure how Fords compare with Skodas in terms of quality.

People are put off Ford because of the badge but I personally think that Ford make some of the best all round cars on thew market. I want to use my car for fun and for getting around, going to work, weekends away, etc. Is there anything a BMW 5 series (for example) will do significantly better than a Mondeo to warrant spending double the money?

Cheers.

Martin.

Brun

Here is what i think of the Mondy

Jonty

Gotcha Carl. Apols, was a bit slow there.

Jonts.

Petem95

Some of the newer Ford stuff has surprisingly good interior quality - the Mondeo and Focus anyway. Ford Ka is as tacky as it gets, but then they are one of the cheapest cars on the market.

Skoda quality is better no doubt about it. According to reviews theres nothing in it between the new VW Golf and new Octavia in terms of build quality, and comparing the Fabia to the new Polo theres not a lot in it. There are some hard plastics in the Fabia, but on the other hand you get stuff like metal interior door handles whereas the Polo's are now plastic.

From what you say you need the car for though it does sound like the Mondeo would be the best bet, and they are excellent cars.