A very Good car with a good sense of space great for familes looking to buy a big hatchback

 

I had done a lot of research before buying the Skoda Fabia Ambiente 1.2 petrol. We are a small family of three Me, my wife and our 8 months old son. The primary thing that I was looking out for was space and comfort as we do take the alternate weekend getaway drives and the extra space in the car comes in handy and fuel economy is also good (I am guessing because of the inputs from VW in Skoda cars the engine is the same used in VW 1.2 polo) . Prior to buying the Skoda Fabia I had driven the Swift(Didn't want to buy as a new model was coming in a couple of months plus the rear seats are not to comfortable), ritz(didn't like the gear shift may be it was the test drive vehicle and the back is certainly a put off) i10(good car but build quality is OK), i20(A great car loaded with features but pricey ouch), I did think of the Polo too, but the long waiting list and the interiors were cramped when compared to the Fabia.

Well anyways it was down to the Fabia ambiente and the i20 sportz, in the end, I did like the i20 alot but the extra 90k that was being asked for it make me go in favour of the Fabia, which after owning the car for 4 months now and having driven it around 5000kms seems like a very good decision. The car is an able cruiser and I have touched 165 KMPH on this car, though I believe that may be 170 KMPH is the limit for  the 1.2 petrol which is quite good as most of will never get to that speed   you will also love the comfortable seats  and stability of the car at high speeds and the interiors which are almost as good as some 3 box cars (Sedans) and space along with a Good AC the cabin of the car is a good place to be in, The car has given me excellent mileage on the highway of around 19 kms/litre if you go for a mix of city and highway the average consumption does drop down to around 16-17 kms/ litre and then in the strictly city driving the car gives around 14 kms / litre which is quite good considering the size of the car.

However, if you are looking to go for this car there are some drawbacks that you should consider though not too big but something that one should be aware of when choosing the vehicle.

When you start the car(1.2 petrol) the engine does sound noisy, the first time I cranked the ignition, I thought I was driving a Diesel car, but the noise soon dies down and the drive is smooth.

You cannot open the car boot without unlocking the car and then pushing on the rocker switch near the gear lever to open all the doors which is pain sometimes(only in the classic and the ambient models), also the fuel filler cap needs to be opened with a key. which in this day and age is a strict no - no.

And the central locking system is also a bit weird, one problem is you cannot open the boot without unlocking the car by clicking on the rocker switch near the gear lever and the other is my son who is usually seated on his mothers lap on the front seat and has a habit of pressing buttons and holding the door handle. The thing to look at here is although there is child safety locks at the back, but in the front anyone can open the front door by pulling on the door handle from inside even when the car is locked and with no physical door locks, like you get in the Maruti or the Hyundai cars, the door can be accidentally opened this is a draw back according to me.

If you can live with the above mentioned things this is certainly a good car. and yeah lastly just for people who might consider buying this car do remember to bargain with the sales people. My car's cost  on road was 5.5 lacs in Pune and after bargaining and the corporate discount the car costed me 5.19 lacs, I got a straight 7 - 8 k of the insurance the trick is to get a quote from outside then go to the dealer and in most cases he will match or better the offer you are getting.

 

Exterior Great looking car, The Skoda badge does have a brand (snob) value :-) the car is great to look at from some angles and the car when standing next to sedans like Hyundai Accent (Viva) it is almost the same length.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Lots of head room and cabin space, tall people will like the cabin space I am 6'1 and I fit comfortably.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine performance is good I would not call it excellent, if you like the spirited driving go in for 1.6 liter model(though the fuel economy might be less). Fuel Economy is great for Fabia Ambiente 1.2 petrol

Highway: 19kms/ Ltr +.

City and highway driving : 16-17 kms / Ltr.

Only City: 14 kms / Ltr.

The gear box is also silky smooth and has a good feel to it.

 

Ride Quality & Handling The suspension setup of the car is slightly on the soft side, so if you go hard into a pot hole you might bottom out the shock absorbers but the drive is very smooth over most surfaces. Handling is a one of the key aspects of this car  very composed and stable on high speeds a very able long distance car I have done almost 700 kms in 10 hrs and at the end of it I was hardly tired.

 

Final Words A great car to own, and with the reduced price the car has become a very good option in the premium hatchback segment. You get a lot of car for your money, there are few niggles that I have mentioned above. but those can be looked over in view of the bigger picture. From my ownership experience I will say it is a good car , nice mileage and handling and a very good weekend getaway car, good boot space. People who like to for long weekend drives will enjoy the balance that Fabia brings to the table.

 

Areas of improvement The engine noise, a better central locking system, and remote boot and fuel filler cap opener.

I hope this is helpful to anyone looking to buy this car. I would love to know anyone elses views regarding the ownership experience of Skoda Fabia.

Please feel free to comment if you have any queries regarding this car.

Regards,

Manojit.

 

Good fuel economy, nice and comfortable drive.No remote opening for the boot & fuel filler cap,engine is noisy, Dimwitted central locking System