In-depth reviews

Skoda Fabia Estate owner reviews

"The Skoda Fabia Estate is a practical, affordable and generously equipped small family car"

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25 Apr 2019

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Carbuyer Rating

4.2 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.3 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

85%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Engine, Gearbox / clutch, Suspension (1 case)
Other (2 cases)

Review 1 of 13

Tell us what you think about your car?

Having previously had Ford Fiestas, I find this car’s ride & suspension to be crude. No feel & the back end hops around on bumpy roads, in fact most roads. It is also technically demanding to drive as it is hopelessly over-geared, showing just over 2,000 rpm at 70 mph in 5th! It is like driving a 3 speed Ford Popular. First gear requires considerable clutch slip, then is good for 25 mph+ & 4th gear is unusable below about 40 mph. The biggest problem occurs around 20 mph, a typical in-traffic speed. When slowing down, it is too slow for 2nd gear but impossible to select 1st. I find it necessary to almost stop then engage 1st. The drivers behind do not appreciate this manoeuvre. The name of the game is economy, drivability has been sacrificed, not entirely successfully. Around town it is very thirsty, clearly this is why the stop-start is there to salvage something from the debacle. Once in top gear at 50 mph+, it is completely the opposite, with remarkable economy, smooth & quiet. Unfortunately, where we live, such journeys are a rarity. Overall it is so thirsty, hard to drive & bouncy that it feels like a throwback to an earlier era. Carrying capacity is good, sorry Mr Skoda, but that’s the best feature. You should have listened to your test drivers.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Got this car as we needed something with more boot space for our growing family. I however wanted something more enjoyable to drive than our last car, and this is where the Fabia estate really delivers. Despite being an estate there is only 30cm length difference between it and the hatchback model, the chassis is the same, meaning this car doesn't feel big to drive, and can be manouvered very easily. Steering is very precise, brakes are very good and stop you with confidence, the bit I'm not used to right now is the power, that 1.2 petrol engine at 110bhp can shift the car very quickly when you need it to, the rest of the time it's very civilised and will happily hum along doing 60+ mpg according to the computer on longer journeys. That said, the interior is a lovely place to sit, the seats are comfy and I think it's straight to the point without being boring. The whole car follows this trend, I love the sharp lines Of the body, it looks great but the fact it's a mostly rectangular car helps with visibility. Mine is the automatic SE L version, and I honestly didn't think I could like automatic, I love this. The DSG gearbox switches up and down gears very very smoothly, so smooth you'll barely notice 1st all the way to 7th, yep, seven speeds. There is a sport mode, which I think should be only used in short bursts when you need an extra chunk of overtaking power, which it's great for, but the engine does shout quite a bit. Practicality in this car almost seems endless. Lots of places to store things and even a compartment in the arm rest for your phone. It's the same story in the boot with plenty of places to put things, the boot it's self is so big I was able to fit a pram which is a little on the big side, as well as £200 of food shopping in there without resorting to folding the seats forward, so this is definitely a great family car. If I had any minor fault in mind, the back seats are great for people but a graco all in one car seat facing rearward is a bit of a squeeze, it goes, but you have to sacrifice some leg room in the front. I'd imagine any isofix seat would fit better. All in all this car is a fantastic option if you want something fun to drive but need to be practical too. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing a well built family car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Top buy, a downsize from a MB C250 CDI but so far, no regrets. Decent mpg and overall low running costs make this an economical car to own. Performance from the 110 petrol engine is smooth and better than I expected. I would recommend a petrol engine unless you are doing silly mileage and the 110 is a bit better than the 90, for around £500 extra; I have driven both and there is not a massive difference in my opinion. Prices and deals are all creeping up; I was very pleased with my purchase and I expect decent residuals too. I would recommend this car as possibly the best new car buy I have made; it ain't the fastest or the flashiest, but it is sensible, solid and safe. Oh, and I quite like the dealership too; they don't give the impression that they are doing you a favour by selling you the car and if you have much experience of buying new German cars in Scotland, you may well know what I mean.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is my 2nd Fabia, the first was diesel manual and I changed to petrol automatic. The problem with both is the water bottle that holds the windscreen water. On both my cars this was cracked and leaking, and the garage said it was a design fault that meant the bottle was damaged over speed bumps. The other thing is that when you go around a corner you seem to travel physically further than the car and the seats are not that comfortable. Other than these little faults I think the economy and the drive is good. The car picks up nicely when you accelerate and it is a nice height to sit for road visibility. It is a neat little car and it also looks nice.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is the first Skoda I have owned. My grandad owns a garage and swears by skoda's for practicality and quality and he is not wrong. I drove the petrol and diesel versions and choose the 1.4 TDi with 105 BHP. It's a great engine and pulls really well. Have almost 200 torques means motorway drives and acceleration between gears is impressive for such a small engine. The boot is huge, me and the wife regularly go up north and can fit 2 suitcases, bedding, chairs, food all in the boot it's incredible. In terms of interior space I'm yet to find a more spacious car for the money. I would definitely go for the SE L model over the SE due to the impressive kit that comes as standard (cruise control, parking sensors, fogs, daytime LED's etc) A great car if you purchase one you will not be disappointed. Also, the skoda salesmen own cars for 3 months and then have a new car. The ones they use go on the forecourt and are sold at massive discounts (mine had 4K miles on at 3 months old and have £6k of the price of new).

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car is excellent. The auto DSG box is first class. You don't notice it changing up or down. The finish overall inside and out is perfect. The infotainment touchscreen is very easy to use as are all the controls. This model comes with climate control which is very effective and has a very good setting layout. The seating is excellent as is the suspension. My previous car was a Mercedes C class estate purchased new 8 years ago. I can honestly say that the Skoda is as good and in some areas better than the Mercedes. If anyone is considering buying a new small estate car buy one of these. Don't worry about the badge, these cars in my opinion (and I have purchase many new in my 55 years of driving) are equal or better than most of the more up market makes.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Easiest car to drive in the 50 years I've been driving , and having spent most of my driving in company cars of many types this is by far the best car I've driven in both comfort and road holding / performance . Yes it was a tad expensive but worth the cost , and no regrets at buying the car I like everyone else thought of as a mobile skip . Time will tell if it lives up to the reports I've read but as an owner , look for reasons to drive it

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

In April 2017, we swapped our unpractical, boring Ford Focus hatchback for a Fabia estate. We had been considering the switch for a few months but never really got far, until this ex-Motability car came up. It was only five months old, with 3,171 miles on the clock. As it was the end of the quarter, we had a great discount. PROs - extremely economical, hugely practical (the boot holds £60 of Waitrose shopping and a £20 garden centre haul with plenty of space left), it's very stylish in Race Blue Metallic, it has a clever variable boot floor and other handy storage solutions, great to drive and is actually smaller than the Focus. CONs (only small niggles) - reverse gear (five speed manual) is in the top left corner of the gear stick and takes some getting used to, there's no middle seat headrest (option), manual rear windows (also option), the average MPG on trip computer never seems to settle. Overall, this car does everything in a very good way. It's a pleasure to speak to the Škoda dealers and the car reasonably undercuts its (few) rivals in price. Oh yes, that as well: unless you count the larger superminis or family hatchbacks, this car has no rivals. Yes, there is the much cheaper Dacia Logan MCV, but that is a flawed package because of a lot if things, build quality and residuals, to state a few. When you drive the Fabia estate, a smug feeling lingers in your thoughts that your car sits in a class of its own.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Had mine for just over a year now and very very pleased. Possibly the best car I have had since owning a Golf GL a few years ago. I elected to have the petrol rather than the diesel version because my kind of driving would soon wreck a DPF which are expensive to replace. That means that some fuel economy is sacrificed but that is no big deal for me doing a lot less than 10,000 miles per annum. Only one minor niggle and that is seat comfort which could be better. It goes round bends well and the turbocharger gives enough acceleration for most people. As it comes from the dealer, the ride can be a bit lumpy but I soon discovered that Skoda suggest two different tyre pressures and so I changed to the "comfort" version which made a significant difference. Of course you will need an accurate pressure gauge to do this but I would not be without one and they are cheap enough to buy. I have only one wish and that is that Skoda would still make the Roomster which was my previous car, sadly written off when badly damaged by a Mondeo Estate hitting it in the rear.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant car. Bought this as expecting baby now and needed to upgrade from my Citigo which was a great car too. The Fabia is a fantastic drive. By far the best car I have driven over 20 years. I love the boot space which is everything when having a family. The cabin space is decent and the tech is great as well. I like the integration with Android auto that works well with my Galaxy S6 and S7. Stereo is loud and punchy. Drive and handling is great with a distinctive roar. Mine has start and stop and that runs very smoothly. Gearbox is a dream. Visibility is good and I got mine with front and rear parking sensors that work great. I really cannot fault this car and really recommend. The body I see had Audi stamps on it and the engine bay is full of VW stampted parts. We looked at the Octavia which is a great car but felt for the extra money your just getting a bit more leg space. Not a huge difference. Clear to see why it's an award winner.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is my first new car, having always purchased used cars before now. I chose this on the reviews and on a test drive. So far it seems like a good decision. The car is fun to drive and comfortable. The entertainment system (with my Android phone linked via Android Auto) is excellent and the large boot, clever storage and large load space ,with the seats down, are just what I needed. I often forget it is 'just' a compact family estate as the new body shape is actually fairly sporty and with my vanity additions of Race Blue Metallic Paint and black 16" Alloys I like it a lot.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I had the hatchback version of the very same car for a short period. There were no real problems, but the air conditioning failed and there were some horrible noises and a low pressure issue while on holiday in Germany. This was all fixed under warranty. However it soon became apparent that Hatchback was not big enough for our pet dogs and so opted to replace with SKODA Fabia Estate 1.0 TSI 110 SEL 5DR DSG. Did some haggling and eventually got a good price and the fateful decision was made. On way home from dealer it rattled for first time. Location somewhere in center of dashboard. This was on a smooth slip road off the A14 dual carriageway. We contacted dealer for them to fix it however next day rattle was gone so we cancelled the appointment! A few weeks later it reappeared in another location, possibly the glovebox or passenger side vent. I think it is temperature related. It now rattles intermittently especially when cold. A recent week's driving in Shropshire was absolute hell. The rattle appeared to be getting worse recently and then it will disappear to resurface next day. It's only just covered 2k miles and two months old. The dealer had the car in recently but rattle failed to show itself! The dealer is reinvestigating next week. I wish the dealer had taken it apart to find the fault instead of blindly insisting on it demonstrating the fault itself. This, and an unhelpful attitude when discussing finance, will prevent me buying a Skoda again.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Too soon to comment on reliability or consumption, but the car is a pleasure to drive, narrow enough to fit in our garage but has a HUGE boot and plenty of room in the back. It's comfortable, the interior is cleverly designed and all dials and controls easy and light to use. I like the light steering. The engine makes a pleasing noise on acceleration, but it's generally a very quiet car. It feels very solid. I like the look of it too.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up