Skoda Fabia Road Test

Skoda Fabia

How It Looks - Interior

The minimalist interior is simple and uncluttered. The standard of the materials is high and the soft-touch plastics give the cabin a quality feel. The standard 'starship silver' upholstery and carpeting was of a good quality and should prove durable in the long term.

In Car Entertainment and Satellite Navigation

The Skoda Fabia Comfort 1.4 TDI is equipped with a Symphony radio/single slot CD player. The system was easy to operate and had a good sound quality for a car of this class. The on/off/volume control button was excellent to use you push it in and it pops out to adjust the volume.

Rivals

Rivals include the Audi A2, Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris.

What We Liked

• Exterior and interior looks
• High quality materials
• Build quality
• Height adjustable seat lever large and tactile good for the elderly

What We Disliked

• Hard plastic steering wheel and gear knob (leather versions available on better specified models)
• Diesel engine noise intrusive at low speed
• Passenger vanity mirror only
• Difficult to judge precisely where 30 mph is on the speedometer takes time to get used to

What We'd Like To See

• Side airbags as standard
• Better heating controls existing ones a bit weedy
• A lockable glovebox

Build Quality

The Fabia's build quality is excellent - it is a well engineered car with good quality materials that has been built to last.

Value For Money

At £10,250 the Skoda Fabia Comfort 1.4 TDI is excellent value for money. An equivalent price Volkswagen Polo would cost approximately £12,000 for what is in essence the same car. Of course the Polo will depreciate less but if you are buying the car with long term ownership in mind the cheaper initial purchase price of the Skoda might appeal to you. You could even use the money you save to add some optional equipment.

Overall Opinion

In our opinion the Skoda Fabia is a great all round package with few niggles. We were not overly keen on the diesel engine but it averaged 42.3 mpg over the 300 miles we drove it. Of course the Skoda badge will be a stumbling block to some potential purchasers and if you are a badge snob the Skoda won't even get a look in. However, if you are of a free thinking disposition you must seriously consider the Fabia against the Polo. If you were to prise the Skoda badge off the Fabia we would defy most people to know it wasn't a Volkswagen - Its that good.

Skoda Fabia