Dee33223

Prob looking like i have to, out of sanity get a Diesel pig due to the obvious Subaru ownership perils of now. I always said id put up with it until it gets close to 1.50 pl which it almost is. Im sick as hell. But it really is getting crazy. I do close to 400 miles in it a week so its a killer. It's old as hell and ragged so its still kind of cheap. You also have to figure in the love factor.

Anyways i have had a blast in a Fabia VRS, got to say i was more than impressed with it. Did feel heavy going into corners and its night and day with the Scoob(even an old bucket like mine). But needs must and all that.

I can pick up a decent VRS for £4-5k and they are pretty cheap to map with big improvement. Does anyone have any other alternatives for me?.
I like the TDi Golfs but they are expensive and very much in demand. The Octavia is too big, BMW 1 series td is meant to be good but i hate the brand.
Im not loaded so cant really keep the Scoob without using it and spendng more cash i dont have. Its the last thing i want to do, i have had her for 7 years. But im not rich anough to run her

CREWJ

Ever thought of getting a super mini as a second car. Your insurance will usually drop because of this plus you get the mileage of a super cheap car.

It's not performance like the VRS but it means you get to keep the scoob and use the lil car as the commuter.

alloy

i'd rather get a bus than drive a skoda, so bus pass perhaps as an alternative.....

Coffin Dodger

Snob

I still prefer a Skoda over a bus, at least you know the seats are probably clean.

alloy

Safety in numbers though, at least on the bus you can blend in with the public, in the Skoda your shame is concentrated!!

Matteeboy

I'd look at something cheap but good to drive like a mk1 Focus - excellent handling, cheap to run. Or a Fiesta.

The vRS is good but has pretty average handing unless you mod it fairly extensively.

Frosticles

iTrader: (1)

Get the VRS, Cracking car and like said, £300 gets you a re-map to about 180bhp. (Just watch the clutch though................)

Dee33223

Some good advice there along with the pretty old hat Skoda bashing sigh!... Cmon guys they make some good cars. A powerfull tdi Skoda will wipe a big grin off your face in a sub 300bhp Scoob rolling. They are damn quick the Vrs models.
I dont really care what i look like in a car im far too old now. But i very much do care i like driving it. I did feel with the VRS it was ditching into corners but thought i was taking bad from being in the Scoob. Matteeboy i appreciate your advice there. Maybe look at other things. I sickened myself of Fords years back and still dont trust em.

Supermini is a good idea but not much that really makes it worth shelling out for. The VRs will do around the 50mpg mark but a supermini that i may like will be around 40. My Scoob does 24 and costs me sod all. It needs to be a good bit higher to warrant shelling out a few grand. Add to that i dont want to get rid of the Scoob at all. I was liking the MR2 and posted about it. But rwd in winter where i live is a no no.

Keep ideas coming though thanku!

lozgti1

Fabia vRS brilliant.Yes,slightly nose heavy but so what!! Great fun great insurance great mpg....no alternatives I can suggest I'm afraid!

Didn't know people did skoda jokes any more!

CREWJ

Ok take the Toyota Aygo into consideration as a second car.

61-68 mpg
£20 a year to tax
£4k to buy
Save £££ on your insurance

F1 CJE UK

iTrader: (8)

Love my octavia VRS TDI just needs a re map now

lordharding

iTrader: (1)

I ran an octavia 1.8 diesel L&K for 6years 80k miles from new and was a fantastic car and averaged 55mpg mixed driving with 60 mpg on a steady motor way run
Compared to the wrxd 46-47 which i replaced the octavia for and my classic turbo which still gives me 25mpg it was cheap motoring

The fabia VRS old style was on of the best cars I ever drove as a courtesy car once
Power was fantastic and I would imagince similar mpg too
It's a small car but ok for a couple ,looks good to
Check out bri skoda website for opinions

But for 400 miles a week I would go the octavia diesel route as it is a bigger car and more motorway comfort

Taxi drivers run them as they can cover 250k+ mileages and are built to last
And parts are Very cheap. Too

Very good image skoda have now
Look at the jd power surveys they are always top

SRSport

Coming from someone who spends £60,000 odd on a Nissan....

alloy

Edited for accuracy

SRSport

Sorry I thought from your comment that you were more concerned about what brand your car was rather than its performance.

Maz

iTrader: (34)

Edited for accuracy.

alloy

I was jumping on the bandwagon, the truth is i'm too young to know what a rusty Skoda is so i am talking very much without any experience in true SN style

SRSport

How old are you then? For what its worth I would choose a GTR over a 911 all day long too.

alloy

26, test drove the 991 Turbo lovely motor but i'm not mid 40's, balding, and fearful my best years are over so they wouldn't sell me one

Datsun is great car for british roads, affordable tuning options and just generally a complete brute of a bully...ideal

SRSport

26?? How have you been able to get a GTR? Well done.

alloy

We're massively digressing here but i've had it nearly two years now, my pimp hand is strong and drug trafficking and racketeering are both recession proof businesses

Dee33223

Thanks very much all for some really good advice there. Its good to get some proper comments from people that have driven the car or have some decent alternatives. Lord H i do like the Octavia but i live in the sticks so motorway cruising is not such a big deal. Id like compromise of fun on B roads pulls on boring motorway. I also joined Bri Skoda last time i flirted with the evil Diesel it's a really friendly Forum.

Will try to get out and do some car test myself. May report how i get on.
Thanks to all again nice one!

SRSport

Is that slang for good fortune?

Your 400mile a week trip only makes sense to buy a diesel. I thought about it for a long time but I now only do short trips which end up costing diesel owners far more in breakdowns than what they save from petrol so am happy with petrol.

scoobyster

Mate of mine was on about a Seat Ibiza which has the same engine as the Fabia VRS and sports suspension etc. He reckons it's cheaper as less well known. Might be worth looking into.

Brun

My Wife has clocked up 110k miles since she bought hers at 30k and it's still going strong. I find it a complete hoot to drive (i do drive a soot chucking Mondeo however) and it often makes cars which are supposed to be "quick" look daft. If i could change anything, it would be the suspension. A ride height drop and less body roll really would make it a B road weapon.
Never looked at chipping it as she does 2.5k miles a month so reliability is the name of the game

alloy

Nope I just work hard and I'm good at what I do

Jamescsti

A mate of mine has the VRS Fabia and loves it, he had it remapped and said it really took it's toll on the clutch so put it back to standard again until he can sort a sports clutch, something to be aware of, I would still get one though

trails

iTrader: (41)

heard you have the dress sense to match too

vRS is a very nice car, nearly brought one as a runaround but Focus number four won the day

Jimpreza

That reminds me, I still owe you £20 for that reach around.

alloy

oh here we go, says the man from essex, you guys being properly represented on that ITV sh1te aren't you......

I'm far too selfish for that to have been me you big floozy