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Afternoon
I'm after a second vehicle for the other half and ankle-biter, and like the look of these for a blend of performance and economy. Anyone got any tips or xperience of the VRS. I've had a few VWs with that 130ps engine without any hassle on big mileages.
I've been looking at these of late for my good lady. We've two diesels at the moment, a TDCi Ford at 160k & a Galaxy (with the 130hp TDi VW engine) at 80k. The Galaxy is no slouch, so the same engine in something 2/3 of the weight would be intresting. 🙂
We lug a 1500kg caravan with it also, & it doesnt struggle.
I've had one from nearly new and it's been great. Mine is far from standard in the engine department but still no real problems to speak of, just general wear and tear. All the info you could need on Briskoda.
Cool, I'll have a look. Cheers.
My brother had the Fabia VRS SE before he got the Octavia VRS. He wishes he'd never got rid of the Fabia which he only did so he could get a bigger car.
He never had a single problem with Fabia and it was very economical no matter how badly he drove it. When I drive it I thought it was nippy but a little peaky, as are most diesels, but it could tootle along in traffic or be rapid open road. It's no hot hatch but for the money there isn't a lot better.
Cheers Craig.
She's had her proper hot-hatches as well as the associated costs. I'm after something solid with a bit of poke that doesn't cost the earth to run; the Fabia seems to fit the bill with 16" wheels, 50mpg, etc.
Wifey has had one from new (04). Never missed a beat. Can't find anything to replace it. Does 50 mpg all the time and can embarrass stuff way above its weight. Superb little car.
I used to have one, great car. Only swapped it for more space so got an octavia. It was cheap to run, cheap to buy, and fairly brisk for an oil burner.
I've got the Ibiza Sport 130 Tdi which is effectively the same car.
I was going to get the vRS but the Ibiza could be had for £1k less for the same age/mileage. And I didn't think the white/black vRS seats would hold up to the rigours of mountain biking very well.
Mine is an 03. I bought it 3 years old with 24k on the clock. It's now on 182k and is a really great car. Only problems have been front passenger wheel bearing at 38k, failed clip on intercooler hose fixed for £45, recently replaced the air con compressor, which was quite pricey - £500 fitted, but I do 30k+ miles per year so it was worth the money...
Performance is nice, it rattles a bit from cold but is fine once warm. Economy is 55mpg without too much bother, more on a run or if driving a bit slower.
Depending on your budget, they turned the 130 sport into the FR to differentiate it from the 100 brake version.
Oh, and the Ibiza Cupra Tdi might be worth a look. Same engine but160 brake instead of 130, about 2 secs quicker to 60, nice 17" wheels, ap racing brakes etc. They didn't off the Fabia with this engine.
I did look at these, but running costs & insurance group (14 instead of 7) put me off. Kinda regret that now to be honest...
I have been thinking about getting one for a while to replace by standard Fabia. But I can't help but think it will be a better idea to get an estate of some sort what with my current one spending most of its time as a van with the rear seats folded down.
Got a friend with the same engine in a golf and its damn quick!
I have the Bora - same engine/gearbox, slightly bigger car.
I've had it 4 years now. Had 55k on the clock when i got it, and it has 110k now. In that time there have been a few niggling faults (brake caliper sticking, turbo vacuum hose collapsed, boot-released failed... all cheap fixes) but overall the car has been great. No intention of getting rid of it any time soon.
130 bhp isn't an awful lot, so don't be deceived into thinking it's a fast car. But it's got a hell of a lot of torque and, driven right, it can really shift. Leave the cruise control on, and it'll do 60+ mpg on the motorway.
Highly recommended.
Edit - go steady in the lower gears, especially if it's been mapped. They are renowned for destroying clutches....
chrisdw ^^^ yep, I looked a while ago at chopping my 130 Sport in for the Cupra Tdi, but I think I will run this into the ground & replace it with an estate of some sort. As you say, mine is more like a van with the back seats down all the time.
Thing is, I can't see this car giving up anytime soon. Which is a good thing, but doesn't really give me much excuse to look for a replacement.