So starting off my new life in Europe, we've been motoring along in a brand-new, VW Polo.....um, I mean its Czech-built cousin, the Skoda Fabia. Really, mostly the same car, just some different badges and a lower price point. But hey, new rental car is nice ! That new car smell eminating from the black cloth seats, rental car white with 16" wheels with hubcaps- ok not visually exciting. but its new ! Came with just 110km on the clock, so I had to break-in properly, but we're past that now. I'll still have another month or so with the car, so perhaps future updates are in store.
After just under a month, we've covered 2000km including a long weekend trip to Strasbourg and a few day trips to other cities in the Rhein/Main region. And it's not been a bad ride. Basically, this is the "Toyota Corolla" of subcompacts. It does everything its supposed to without fuss, it's practical, it's not a bad drive, it's spacious for the class, and it's well-appointed for a reasonable. So for those of you who value solely these attributes in your transportation vehicle, look no further. Starting at just over 12 k€ and as-tested "Ambition" line with a few optional extras just over 20 k€, it's good value for what you get.
For those interested in other things, read on.
As a function of my mother unable to operate a manual transmission, this rental was equipped with the 7-DSG (dry clutch system) and the 1,0 TSI engine. The 7-speeds are excellent in making the most of the 110PS while maintaining a good highway cruise, but there's no mistaking it for the wet-clutch DSG systems found in North America. Despite my general skill with such gearboxes, 3 situations where the 7-DSG gets sketchy.
- Roundabouts
- 3-point turns (Ha! Good luck)
- Frequent start-stops, in conjunction with the Auto start-stop
The 3-cyl motor itself is good, if not particularly powerful compared to 125PS and 130PS variants offered by Ford and PSA, respectively. This car excels at urban driving and sips fuel, with a low consumption of 7 l/100km in urban driving and 5,1 in rural routes. On the autoroutes, it'll hold its own but you're asking for trouble above 130, where the right pedal just makes more noise and little acceleration, and fuel consumption rises sharply. Generally the drive is vibration-free, and the drivetrain doesn't make itself heard or felt.
The chassis isn't as taut as I'd like, but on rural roads it's best described as competent. The light steering doesn't offer much feel but is accurate, the brakes are reassuringly firm, and the body motions are held in check despite the standard suspension offering a fair amount of roll. The plus side is that on the cobbled urban streets, impacts are fully absorbed without fuss. At speeds exceeding 170, the overall feel remains solid as a subcompact can be (way better than a Fiat 500). No mistaking this for a sporty variant though.
Inside, it’s pretty much the same story. The seats are comfortable for short trips, but beyond an hour, you’re ready to shift and shuffle around. The passenger seat feels perched too high (height adjustment is optional), and the rear seat is best left for kids on short hops. Boot space is acceptable for this class, if not particularly roomy for larger suitcases. The optional climate control works well and the engine gets things up to temperature quickly, but the fan is on the loud side. Controls are logically lid out and nothing rattles, but the plastics remind you you’re in a budget-conscious Skoda, not it’s slightly more expensive Polo cousin, and there's zero design or flair inside. Wind noise becomes a bit prevelant above 130.
The infotainment system works well, similar to that you would find in a modern VW Golf or Polo. The touchscreen doesn't work with gloves, but responds to swipes and commands quickly. Annoyingly, a lot of basic things like adjusting the instrument panel brightness are now shoved into the settings as well (no manual switch). It also integrates Phone/SMS reading and responding into the Infotainment system as well. The theme of "Boringly Competent" continues here too.
And because it’s boring, the small niggles start to surface. The rain-sensing wipers work fine, but you hear the click from the wiper relay when it's on intermittent. The optional centre armrest just gets in the way, so I leave it flipped up most the time. The lack of steering controls makes adjusting audio or accepting calls more distracting than necessary, and the trip computer controls get relegated to the wiper stalk, making toggling thru menus difficult. The wipers themselves work too slowly. The Front Assist Forward Collision mitigation system, while working well when sensing an imminent collision, is overly aggressive at reminding the driver of maintaining distance- it displays a ! if following too close.
So in sum, the Skoda Fabia is on paper, the ideal car if you value practicality, value-for-money, and low running costs. It’s also devoid of any personality. As a result, I really can’t recommend it except if you place emphasis solely on such things. And if those attributes are all that you’re looking for in a vehicle……well *yawn* *Zzzzzzzzzz*
Summary: A competent car that does everything well. No more, no less.+ Engine
+ Well-priced at lower trim levels
+ Spacious in its class
- Low-speed behaviour from 7-speed DSG
- Anonymous styling
- Devoid of personality
Some Technical details:Engine: 1.0 litre petrol, 3-cylinder direct-injected turbocharged
Max Output: 110 PS @ 5000-5500 1/min
Torque: 200 Nm @ 2250-3550 1/min
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 9,8s
Vmax: 196 km/h
130km/h in 7th gear: 2800 1/min
Observed fuel consumption combined (rural): 6,2 (5,1) l/100km
CO² emissions: 106 g/km
