2000 Skoda Felicia 1.3 Goes for a Drive

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[@dmodeboy]

This is one of the reasons I enjoy your channel much like Hubnut. Given the choice between seeing a review of a Porsche/ Aston Martin or a Skoda Felicia...I'd enjoy the Skoda one more. I like seeing cars that have been ignored/forgotten/undervalued/ridiculed being in the spotlight. 😊👍

[@matthewgodwin3050]

Until a week ago, my friend's son had one of these, same year and same colour. He got blinded by an idiot who didn't dip their lights on a dark country lane, and lost control of the car. It hit something on the side, somersaulted, and ended up on it's roof. The poor Skoda is written off of course, but my friend's son got out without so much as a scratch. He's pretty shaken up, but I reckon that car saved his life. Very well engineered, and immensely strong. It even started and drove onto the recovery truck. If you need a cheap but safe car for your children's first car, you couldn't do better than one of these.

[@ryano8768]

I had one of these when I was 18 (8 years ago). People joked - especially the older generations - however the car was brilliant and a hoot. RIP Slowda.

[@knobchocolate6491]

This is currently my first car haha

[@toppledgod]

The Czechoslovakians were great engineers and what's less known is that Skoda works is a huge company producing products from Freight Ships to Window Glass, in the middle Zetor Trctors, Jawa and CZ motorcycles, trans and buses amongst others. Most striking in this video is the distinctive roar of that Skoda Engine which is so memorable to those of us who drove the rear engined Skodas. Nice video.

[@eggy1962]

Loved my estelles i had 3 , 2 of 1174cc and the best one 1286cc yup the old rally ohv with cast head.. Prior to my skodas all the cars i had needed engines or gearbox or other major parts replacing.....a 4 yr old estelle with just 27000 miles was a breath of fresh air to me .....i alway answered the jokes with.....it wins its class in the rallies

[@matuhsch]

Let me correct some mistakes. The drop brace was standard in all models with airbags, i doesn't have anything to do with the engine. The larger VW engines are much heavier so they actually need the brace even more than the light weight 1,3. The 1,3l with Bosch Mono Motronic was produced only until 1996, then they switched to MPI on all markets. The steering wheel was the same as in other models like Golf and Polo as well as Seat, and there is no Volkswagen badge underneath the skoda logo. The buttons are not similar to polo ones. The bottom part of the dashboard is actualy the same as in Favorit, it is only covered with the new curvy top part and in different color. Electric windows were not standard, but you coud get them in Felicia as well as AC, electric mirrors, heated seats, side airbags an many other things. Also the power steering was available in 1,3, but as an extra. The blanking plate was the place where you could have a dashboard computer, however this feature did not come straight out of the factory but was mounted by the dealer. The unusable phone slot is where the electric window buttons and the seat heating controler goes. Thanks for the video and greetings from a Felicia fan from Czechia! :)

[@Dornacgove]

Also, the two blank buttons in the middle are actually for heated seats, as heated mirrors were controlled with the same button as the rear window defrosting.

[@jeanthegreat7845]

no, you couldn't get side airbags. felicia had an option for only 2 front airbags

[@matuhsch]

@@jeanthegreat7845 Yes, you could - there was a special edition "Safe Line"..

[@DRAINTVofficial]

Heated seats were an option in the L&K version. There were different central consoles too. Versions with airbags were made too and not just front airbags. UK didnt get many options. AC, abs, sunroof, trip computer. the range of interior colours. Leather seats, power windows etc. Felicias are still quite common first cars around Czechia and slovakia. Cheap reliable By far my favorite version is the Fun pick up where you "fold away the rear seats"

[@richardmartak3536]

you can find one for 200€

[@90rghtnow57]

Richard Marták :3 neasi

[@richardmartak3536]

Napr ja som mal ponuku Kombi za 50€ , hmlovky nesli a brzdne svetla ;)

[@jigrodrigues]

It was a solid, affordable and very decent car.

[@maybenot6075]

We own 2 along with the subaru forester family car (big trips etc) the felicia's are bomb proof, done 35k miles last year in mine with not much needing spending for the mot 👌

[@dronespace]

@@maybenot6075 💪

[@DRAINTVofficial]

6:22 that blanking plate. Optional extra in some markets. It was a trip computer. Would tell you your fuel economy etc

[@caelebyoung2658]

I cannot listen to this being as VW orientated as is made out. The steering wheel is VW, but the column stalks were Felicia specific, and the instrument panel was identical to the Favprit, save for a rounder font and orange needles on the dials. The central switches that were blanked off were for heated seats, the air con switch (which I've only ever seen once) is a round button on the heater panel. Electric window switches were by the handbrake in Peugeot 106/Saxo style. There was also a trip computer available in the big blanking plate above the fog lamp panel. (not so interesting, the headlight switch on LHD models was where the fog lamp switches are and the fog lamp switches were in the centre). This was almost entirely just a facelifted 136 (Favorit). Really uninteresting, ABS was an option & traction control and limited slip differentials were available in some markets. Bore over.

[@Cavalier_Steve]

To be fair I thought your comment was most interesting and important.

[@timhancock6626]

We had two Favorits, one 1990 carburettor pre VW (and more fun to drive) and two Felicia Estates. They were all brilliant cars and we did well over 100,000 miles in all of them. The estates were fantastic load carriers. The estates are the poor persons Volvo. I won't hear a word against them and we didn't have a single major failure (the worst was a clutch replacement on two of them after 100,000 miles) even though they were beginning to look a bit ropey after ten years. The interior heaters are the best you will find anywhere regardless of price. We drove to Bordeaux and back one summer and the car just lapped it up. All ours had 1/3-2/3 rear seat folding, and you could take the entire rear seat out in less than a minute.

[@frglee]

A really good review of a car I know very well - I had 2 estate versions of them and a Favorit Estate before, all with the 1.3 engines, and drove several hundred thousand miles in them all round the UK and Europe for work and holiday trips between 1996 and 2008. Reliable, economical and cheap to insure, pleasant to drive, solid and very comfortable. btw, that anti-roll bar in the engine really helped reduce roll on corners that the Favorit was so prone to. Though Skoda Felicias are no longer such a common sight on British roads, in the Czech Republic, there are still oodles of Favorits and Felicias (and even earlier models) on the roads, many having been restored and renovated, even customised, for younger less affluent drivers who actually prefer them to more modern cars because they provide practical and highly affordable transport - insurance, parts and servicing being being especially good value there. Sometime, might you review the car that replaced the Felicia and is even better - a bog standard 1.2 Fabia Mk1 from the early noughties for instance? Many of these are surprisingly long lived, 15 year+ old 200,000 mile examples are not uncommon, and the galvanised bodies don't rust badly. They make good first cars for younger drivers.

[@xavierentwistle8758]

I'm in the UK with a 1.3 estate as my first car.

[@KT8D5]

Forman not favorit estate

[@grayfool]

The start of a very Good thing. The value for money is excellent but I think it is also the more restrained character of the cars. No stupid racing crap on the VRs models for instance. Some of us like that, I don't want to shout about what's under the bonnet too loudly. Also, on the very few occasions that I have visited Skoda dealers, the staff have been really nice, helpful, and polite people. Not always the case in some more "premium" showrooms. Nice one , thanks.

[@zumbieuk]

Always found the dealers of old were great.come the fabia,VW/Skoda started to take the dealerships away from those that grew the brand,and gave them over to the big corporate dealerships.some of the old dealerships became Skoda specialists but fell by the wayside as technology took over and you couldn't fix the cars with a spanner

[@admiralalcatraz6080]

Officer: Can you explain why you were swerving violently down the road? Me: Of course, I was eating soup out of my glovebox. Officer: What kind of soup?

[@alansimpson835]

Great review. I think the 90s was a great era for cars. Reliability was strong so cars were dependable but not yet laced with driver aids that distance you from the fun. I have to say that working at a Skoda dealership was a real eye opening experience as the cars were genuinely decent and customer satisfaction very high. I ended up having two Fabias after i left and both were brilliant. If you ever get the chance to visit the factory it is amazing. It feels like an office with a production line casually going past in the background

[@GTDpowah]

I had a 1998 1.6mpi with 75hp until a year ago. Had 78.000km when I bought it. It served me really well and the glovebox position is great. :)

[@skodakatie7341]

My parents very kindly helped me buy a brand new Škoda Felicia L in 1999, after I switched to Škoda from my first love a Lada Riva, the Lada brand sadly was no longer imported to the UK, it was the same colour as this one, (ralye red), I loved that car, owned it for 6 years without any mechanical problems, in fact all it required during that time was a new battery, I replaced it with a new first generation Fabia in 2005, then another, and another, until my present 2018 Fabia Monte Carlo in race blue.

[@Runeakb]

One of the last cars to have old fashioned windscreen rubber fixtures instead of glueing

[@furiousdriving]

Good point!

[@timhancock6626]

@@furiousdriving I remember paying cash for a new screen to be fitted in 1998 after a thrown up rock cracked the screen. The entire bill was about £80 and that was a tinted screen at a local fitter. I couldn't be bothered with an insurance claim where'd Id have had to pay £50 excess anyway.

[@theDolTom]

Thank you for reminding me of this glorious thing! It was the first car I have ever driven. Here in Slovakia it was a big hit, both my uncle and my father in law had one, both in “brittish racing green” colour. Unfortunatelly many rusted away, my father in law had one in mint condition up until last year when the engine gave up (blocked oil distribution in the engine block i think). Still a glorious thing, though.

[@histriamagna1014]

Ahoy from Slovinsko. We also had one from 1996 to 2009. Great little car.

[@mikelangdon2534]

Green is considered unlucky in the UK, you did very well 😂

[@tides2002]

Last year I attended a tour of the Skoda museum and factory, very interesting and worth a visit if in the Czech Republic. It’s worth noting apparently how much design and engineering work Skoda now do for the rest of VAG. Our guide of the afternoon looked quite horrified when I told her that I own a Skoda Roomster…

[@markharris7662]

My dad had one of these for years. It was a very good reliable car.

[@Lewis_Treff97]

I have a soft spot for these and the Favorit. I've had a pd100 MK1 Fabia and a MK2 Fabia Monte Carlo. Both lightly modified them to make them look and handle better. You can pick these up dirt cheap but they're getting rare due to people thinking they're scrap

[@Thecampercz]

I had 1.3 1999 with power steering, ABS, 2 airbags, electric mirrors and electric sunroof. My father has (we still keep it to move junk around in LOL) 98 1.6 L&K with heated leather seats and leather interrior, but that one does not have power steering. Some models also had powered windows, but those are extremely rare.

[@cornishrider]

This is why this channel is so good, engaging & entertaining videos filmed with passion regardless of the greatness (or lack off) of the cars!

[@mp3bbb]

Still have a V reg LXi, unlike the test car it has power steering, electric mirrors and split rear seats, the seats remove really easy giving a huge boot space. Over 20 years old and only one 20p size spot of rust on the car, has passed every MOT.

[@Bitbucket_03]

They missed the perfect ad slogan, Buy Felicia!

[@martinda7446]

It's not the first time the Germans took control of the Skoda factory. I love the look of the 60s - 70s version of the 110 coupe it has aged very well. I thought about getting one when they were still plentiful, but would have gone for another even loonier vehicle like usual. If I could find a good one now at a sensible price I'd like one.

[@BarryAllenMagic]

Skoda 110R Coupe is my dream car......particularly in green! 😍

[@martinda7446]

@@BarryAllenMagic Excellent, It would be an easy choice for me over an ugly (modern) Lamborghini. I'd take the Skoda.

[@BarryAllenMagic]

@@martinda7446 Thank heaven I'm not the only person to think this way! I remember my Dad considering buying a green 110R - must have been 1978? I also remember looking at it with him in a Skoda showroom in East London.....I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, he reckoned that the rear seating was too small (for my Sister and myself to travel); so he finally opted for a one year old turquoise Datsun Sunny (120Y) instead. That was a pretty epic car - given that he was trading in a '72 Morris Marina! However, as a kid, I remember looking at the Skoda sales brochure in awe; and the love affair for a green 110R continues to this day. I really should have sourced one over the years - too late now of course. However, I ask myself all too often why designers these days continue to create such pure sameness; when the shape of a Skoda 110R, remains such an epic style of car.

[@martinda7446]

@@BarryAllenMagic My idea of somethings beauty has changed over the years. I now think aerodynamic designs of the 30s are the best. I love the quality too. Nothing was built like that. Then the late 50s to early 70s that extended decade had so many great cars...I think the Skoda coupe esp in its curviest form is beautiful. If you like little coupes try the Simca Abarth, Ogle 1000, Fiat 850 coupe, Honda S800.

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

@furiousdriving; Yes, the strut brace was available on the 1.6 Felicia. The reason was nothing to do with the road car itself - what is was, was the 1.6 GLXi (specifically) was the basis for the WRC homologation in Group A S1600 class, and thus the strut brace was factory-fitted to these 1.6's. The 1300s competed in the 'up to 1300cc' class, as well as having the cars built for Skoda's own domestic rally trophy series in various countries; so the strut brace was factory fitted to those as well. The homologation docs are still available online, on the FIA's own website. :)

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

...And with the split/fold seats you don't just fold them forward; just remove them entirely (takes 10-15 seconds to remove the seats!) then you have a shooting brake.

[@emmajacobs5575]

OsellaSquadraCorse ah, I thought it was probably homologation reasons - you saved me a job checking and typing all that out!

[@smoothmicra]

Terrific cars, as are all modern Skoda's in my view. My fifteen year old Fabia with 150K on the clock still drives as sweetly as the day I bought it....with 16K on the clock.

[@Blackmamba12345]

That's because it's basicially a polo.

[@yekateradiffin5939]

Skoda made a good choice to bring them in, i suppose that is what comes from being great engineers

[@JohnnyPaton]

I’ve had several Octavias. One made over 400k, another 320k and my current one is on 171k. For some reason the Octavia is more reliable than the equivalent Golf. If you can get over the slightly bland styling then they offer the best value for money for a car today. Imagine buying a Nissan Quasquai over an Octavia????

[@yekateradiffin5939]

I agree the spec is better like for like, they appear to put up with bad roads and the styling is less bland than the vw

[@JohnnyPaton]

andrew jenner 171k on my current Skoda Octavia and the only suspension repairs have been new front shocks.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I drove a 1998 Felicia Estate 1.6 many years ago. It was a lot smoother than the old Skoda OHV unit which dated back until the 1960s, but only had about 7 bhp more than the top 68 bhp Skoda engine... Only the Felicia Magic Special Edition got electric windows in this country, as far as I remember. The old engine actually kept going (badged as a 1.4) in the Fabia until 2003 as a value option.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@TomAlter1000, I wonder if yours has the hydraulic valve lifters if it is a little bit smoother? I drove a 2001 Fabia on my channel recently, funnily enough, but it was the 1.9 TDI.

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

7bhp, but a lot more torque in the 1.6, makes it a far more practical (though nowadays, expensive to tax) car all round.

[@barerust5140]

Great to see an old Skoda being reviewed ! I have had several Felicias over the years, and still own one a Felicia "fun" limited addition pickup. The bright yellow one with the pull out cabriolet rear seat !! Your quite right once u own a Skoda and know what great value fun motoring they are not to mention reliable ! U will end up with more ! I currently have three a daily favorit estate, and a Skoda Estelle 120L still undergoing restoration but nearly at the end now !

[@AlejjSi]

Hi! I just came across your video, though it is now mor than 6 months since you di it. I'm from Czech Republic, the country it came from :) Felicia was (and still) is my firtst car (though I now have 5 cars :D) back in 2010 as I was 18, when I got the 1,3 liter from 1995, so with the Bosch SPi Mono Motronic fuel injection and 68 HP. I even visited London with it back in 2012 :) And I'm glad you see the qualities of the car. Just a few more info on what was or wasn't available. The car originally was designed for the light 1,3 liter nor just aluminium block, but also head and light engine, so when VW stuck in their heavy 1,6 and 1,9D engines, that were almost 40kg heavier than the 1,3, it was found that the body was sor of sucking itself to the inside, so that's why the ting between the upper schock mountings was introduced, to stop the body rolling. It was not standard on 1,3 (I don't have it), but many people stuck in there anyway, cause it made the body more rigid in the corners. 1,6 and 1,9 had it as standard. The base engine was the 1,3 liter SPi that came from the Favorit, and later, in early 1996, it was upgraded to the MPi Simos 2P fuel injection. The dashboard and the instruments are not from VW, maybe just design, but the machanical aprt is all Czechoslovakian, from PAL company and were produced in Prague and are simillar to those from the Favorit. The only thing from VW is the digital clock in those that had revcounter, cause for the 54HP version of the 1,3, there was a large analog clock as standard (like the Favorit, or the Peugeot 106). This four spike steering wheel indeed is straight out from a VW, but there were also non airbag two spiked versions built in Czech republic too. Also the turn signals/wiper controls are not from VW, in fact, it is a British Lucas license bought by the Czechoslovakia in the mid 80s for the Favorit. The power steering was available for the 1,3, but only as an option sice mid 1995, so not really anybody selected it since they were used to not have it and it was not necessary in the 1,3. It was standard for the 1,9 and 1,6, but there are som early 1995 1,6 that don't have it and then it's hard work. The car could have aircon, electric mirrors (and heated) and front windows, sunroof, ABS, up to four airbags (the Safe Line model) and so many things, but people did not buy it in our country mostly cause they did not have the money. I enjoyed your video, thank you for it and I give you a like :)

[@davidhinkson8856]

Had to get a look at this video as I saw it pop up this morning. The 1996 version of this car, pre-airbag and the Octavia style grille, was the first car I purchased. I had it for just over a year and I absolutely loved it. Only problems I had were that the central locking regulator failed, leaving the left rear door locked (a common problem everyone I knew that had one experienced) and I had to change the ECU box because the original design allowed water to seep in during heavy rain. Thanks for the memories, Matt!

[@georgehuser4711]

My dad bought it in metallic green when I was born. We had it for 16 years and we never had more reliable car. Just oil, filters and brakes. But the rust killed it. Ah memories!

[@maxidyne]

This bring back memories, I remember well servicing these cars! The garage I worked for was a VAG specialist, and these Felicia's where popular at the time. Very simple and well built car. Too bad you don't see them anymore... Enjoyed it Matt, thanks!

[@ivan747100]

The most likely reason for the cigarette lighter or USB charger adaptor not remaining secured in the socket is that there are usually three or four little flexible metal tabs inside the socket, that are bent slightly outward (with a little lip on them) & should help to hold the lighter or USB charger adaptor firmly inside - over time, and with repeated insertion / removal of said items, these tabs get bent inward and can no longer do their job properly - I had the same issue in my car, aggravated by the lighter socket being angled slightly downward as well - and using a small flat-blade screwdriver, I managed to bend the metal tabs back out slightly so that they now work as intended again.

[@jonytube]

I thought it was a VAG thing. My old 90s SEAT also had what appeared to be an "oversized" lighter but now that you pointed that out, it might have been just normal wear.

[@christineayres7094]

Bullet proof that old Pushrod engine is even with a blown head gasket my one always got me from A to B

[@gosportjamie]

Another car that was generally viewed as rather naff and very much the poverty choice at the time, but was actually really rather good. They made good rally cars and the diesels, very much in the vein of older VW diesels, weren't fast but they'd go on for ever, far beyond most people's boredom threshold. And, of course, they were the last Skoda Skoda. I spent a while thrashing around in a 1600 SLXi estate, maybe the only one sold in the UK with factory air conditioning, it had done star ship miles but it flatly refused to break and would return fuel consumption you just wouldn't credit while you were driving the big ends off it. I would have happily kept that car until it turned its' toes up, but it wasn't mine, just a loaner...

[@histriamagna1014]

Good morning from Slovenia. My father owned one from 1996 to 2009 but it was the 1.6i model. Never an issue with it.

[@alphatrion100]

I had one for a short time. Nothing but engine trouble with the vw engine.

[@alphatrion100]

@Florence Upton i believe it was a 1.4 mpi but it could have been 1.6. It was a long long time ago. I remember it said mpi. It would idle too high and then too low. Then it would lose all power at certain revs. It only had about 120000 KMS on it

[@histriamagna1014]

@Florence Upton My father had the 1.6 with Magneti Marelli fuel injection and we did 170.000 km with no issues at all. The only thing that broke was the thermostat. Other that that only basic servicing and tires changing. Pretty punchy engine for the car. Very good low range kick and good fuel economy. They told me the Bosch managed cars were far worst. My 1998 Ibiza had the same engine but it consumed cca 1 liter more of fuel per 100km.

[@histriamagna1014]

@Florence Upton Strange. Is it related with climate and humidity ? Here on the adriatic coast we never had such troubles. But we didn t had remote central lucking but the simple one where you turn the key.

[@histriamagna1014]

@Florence Upton Great things wd40 can do.... Im joking. We did not had that problem. Dunno...

[@gg_vard]

6:30 In the left hand drive models, the six button in the middle where (from left to right) Heated Rear Window, Front Fog Lights, Rear Fog Lights, Hazzard Lights, Blank, Blank and on the side of the steering wheel (on the left) were the Sidelights and Dipped Headlights. Much more "normal" layout. 7:28 The blank buttons, at least in left-hand drive form, here in Greece, where the A/C button (a snowflake) and the Recycle Air button for the A/C system The electic window switches were behind the gear knob

[@anthonyperkins7556]

When Skoda replaced the Favorit with this, things improved massively and because the public could see the good side, even more people wanted a Skoda because of the VW Group's reliability / quality.

[@brownstar69]

Another great video of another great car. I prefer the 94-97 model Felicia, the nose is much better

[@histriamagna1014]

agree

[@borderlands6606]

I owned the later models, and also agree. Post '97 models were influenced by the pending Fabia, which were fine cars - and the MkI was the most attractive Fabia - but less Skoda-like than the '94 Felicia.

[@rydermike33]

Many thanks Matt. I've said elsewhere that I never understood the Skoda jokes. My S110 was a wonderful car I so wish I still had it. That little Felicia is a gem.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

I really like these - I’ve always liked the understated image, sharp styling, and what I think for the time was a really nicely resolved interior. Tried to buy one a few years ago when I needed an inexpensive runabout - ended up with a Volvo 440 instead.

[@MRtucnakCZE]

The blank spot on the dash is for MFA/Onboard computer, which was fairly clever. The brace was standard on 1.6l and 1.9l. There was an optional power steering on 1.3l. And optional power/heated mirrors and windows with switches from VW. Rare MTX version was morphed into a cabrio, Fun version had unique seat arrangement and Laureta had enlarged, almost insane wheelbase for commercial purposes. (and of course the VR6 and/or Golden Prague version, which never seen a production)

[@ondrejfenclcom]

I still remember times driving one of these 120mph (~190kmh) on a slight downhill regularly. Felt like breaking a land speed record. But was fun. And taking it on the B roads was the best fun ever... Unless you needed to accelerate uphill.

[@reggiekrager5411]

My father owned one, from 1997. Looked exactly like this one, except it was a light green colour. Neat little car. Worked really well. Lots of nice childhood memories.

[@MrCraftkeks]

i have enjoyed this video a whole lot! thank you so much for making it :] you dont see these much in germany, but ive seen a few of them on malta. Im gonna look around to buy one for sure

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Cracking review as always, and totally agree with you about the cars being endearing, on my third Fabia now and it's always my come back car after I have driven another marque for a while, realible, great value does what it says on the tin. Not so keen on the current look of the current Fabia Mark3 facelift but more than likely will have another one on the drive in a years time. Our current one is only the 1.0mpi in estate body but coming from a 1.6 daily it is like a little go kart

[@callmefoxie2950]

The car I spent my childhood in :). My dad got one back in '97 in basic equipment. 1.3 MPi as well. The blanked off part to the right off the steering wheel had a simple computer with consumption, battery voltage :). The best we could do back in '97! :D

[@robertevans8161]

A friend’s dad had one of these in the same colour and trim. The paint also faded to the pinkish hue seen in this video, but by all accounts it was a good, reliable car even though it became quite rusty towards the end. I always used to think the 1.3 engine sounded quite tappety from the outside, even when these were new.

[@743degrees]

My Dad had a Felicia 1.6 SLXi. It had a few extras over this one including electric windows front and back, walnut effect dashboard accents, tiny alloy wheels and both driver and passenger airbags, albeit at the expense of any kind of glove box! Good solid little car though, although it never felt particularly quick for a 1.6.

[@khew1]

Great video! Funny as I always thought that the Felicia was based on the mk3 Golf. This looks like a fun car

[@MadIIMike]

I recently bought a Felicia Van Plus (basically a Combi with GRP High-roof) with the 1.9D (note: it's the old Whrilchamber from the late 80s, not the SDI one used in the Polo 6n) engine, also has the strut in the engine bay and the "luxury" equipment on it is "no" unless you count the Brake Booster - no ABS, no power steering. It's from 2000 I didn't even look for a car for myself when I stumbled over it on a listings site. I bookmarked it because I've never seen one of those before. While I was reading up about it, the seller dropped the price to 50€ because nobody wanted it and he needs the space. Now, to be clear: It's just a hobby / project for me and there will likely be some work involved before the thing would be street legal... but regular Felicias in good condition don't sell for much either (here in Germany at least). I think the impressive thing about the Felicia - especially from a 2020 perspective - is that it's build to function. Imagine having a snow storm and having to get in a freezing cold car with thick gloves on: Not only will the felicia start, you can also use the buttons and so on as intended. (Sidenote: It's obviously not ideal to drive with thick gloves, it's just an example.) The "soft suspension" might seem weird at first, but it's a relatively light car and build for eastern european road conditions of the 90s, in many rural areas it's even a stretch to call them roads. The "bumpyness" kinda results from making them "pothole proof" (at lower speeds, anyway) without raising the ride height. Obviously the Felicia has it's flaws (mainly rust), but I like it's simplicity... even if something breaks, you don't have to take the whole thing apart. What really surprised me tough, was the negative image Skoda has/had in the UK, considering UK cars being regarded as unreliable by almost everyone including the Brits.

[@iainbruce3376]

I remember dodgey Skoda/vw electrics very well. Our fabia door locks used to activate/deactive on bumps in the road, CEL was always on, heated seats were intermittent.. great great car though. Loved it. That 1.4 16v was a peach.

[@seancooke4127]

A really distinctive look with the grille up front. The Favorit was a decent care that was wonderful value in the early 90s. It evolved into the Felicia with VW help and was still great value. I've said it before but, if Rover had been patient and priced the Cityrover more closely to its fit and finish, they could have evolved it into a much better, more Rover like little car which would undoubtedly have held loyal customers. VW has made a fortune through Skoda since they invested in the company.

[@jonord]

My 1.6 99 Skoda felicia Combi had that bar over the engine as well. I really liked that car. It was quite fun to drive after all, and had quite a personality and good economy. The main reason that we sold it was that it lacked AC, and also a bit of rust and problems with the locks.

[@Bombastic_Spastic]

I owned one of these! It was immaculate, the engine bay was completely untouched from factory. 61k fantastic car. W894 UFH mine was. I do miss it

[@ManuelJorgeMarques]

In the LHD model (my family in Portugal has a '97 pre face-lift model, owned from new!) the sidelight/dipped beam are on the smaller button cluster, and the fog light controls on the larger one. Also, I seem to remember from reading the owners manual that the two blanking plates on the larger button cluster was for heated seats, and the seemingly useless blanking plate above the smaller button cluster had an outside temperature display (which ours didn't have, even being a higher spec GLXi model). Good car, even if most of the electrics were quite dodgy...

[@idonotknowwhyyoutubeletsyo5893]

The basic Škoda Felicia models seem to be the most popular. But there were models which also had AC, heated seats, leather, electric windows, central locking and a trip computer. The RPM meter was also actually an extra bit of trim.

[@stevenjones1972]

Hi Matt,nice review on the Skoda Felicia,the body work could do a clean but seems fine.

[@waifuracer6516]

My first car before Ive got an mk1 vRS. I had a ton of fun owning it, it never let me down and was really easy to work on. 1.3 isnt a powerful engine, but with a rear muffler delete and a sport air filter it pops nice and has a very metallic, almost honda like induction noise, and the throttle response is pretty good. I had a ton of fun booting it about, and even when driving it hard It would still give me 30mpg. Was very sad when I had to sell it because I had no space and money to keep it alongside the vrs.

[@robertmaitland09]

Brilliant cars, I had 2,a 1.3 and a 1.6 which incidentally did have the strut brace and an anti roll bar. 1.3 was my favourite as it handled better. Good memories. Oh and my 1.3 did have power steering.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Great review of a sweet little car. The last Skoda we saw here was the Rapide and its rear engined saloon equivalent. Well put together little cars.

[@furiousdriving]

The Rapides were great, Ive not seen one in years though

[@RWL2012]

where's "here"...?

[@nikolaobretenov8130]

Really good video mate , keep up.

[@shand1967]

My brother-in-law sold his deeply unreliable '92 Jag XJ6 and replaced it with one of these. He loved it and when the Fabia came out, he traded in his Felicia for it. His Fabia used the same Skoda 1.3 OHV engine too. He kept it for 12 years when rust killed it. But he had done 220K miles in it with tick tock reliability.

[@julianowens4071]

Love the under dog,alway full of amazing surprises

[@PlaystationLounge]

I have a Fabia mk2 and love it (my first car). Good to see one of its forebears!

[@dors5969]

I almost bought the estate version with the diesel engine as my first car. In my country the diesel was available with driver airbag, abs and original air conditioning. If I remember correctly, two electric windows were also included. As far as I remember (more than 10 years passed), the 1.6 was also available with the same equipment. I really think that this was the best era of Skoda, the mk1 Octavia for example, was a robust car, especially with the diesel engine (1.9 TDI). I still see many of them, after servicing as a taxi, they are still functioning great.

[@gord307]

VW did take a lot of credit for things that they had no input into, and the "Look what a difference we've made" advertising helped perpetuate the image that the previous models were bad, forgetting the excellent rallying record and fantastic customer loyalty. The alloy engines were robust, capable of high milages and excellent MPG, they even found themselves into some VW models! Skoda today produces the VW range of alloy engines, showing that the engineering improvements were not all one-way. I think it would be good if you could test drive an old 136 Rapid, a 100% Skoda vehicle and most comparable to this in terms of price and spec. Thank you for the review! Gordon :-)

[@Blackmamba12345]

Except that they used most of the VW engines so it was mostly the other way round.

[@gord307]

@@Blackmamba12345 Skoda did only have one basic engine in production at the time, so for varieties sake, and for larger vehicles, they will have used the VW engines. However, VW only produced iron block engines, Skoda's aluminium casting abilities will have been most useful to VW, and, as I said, Skoda now produce VW's range of alloy block engines.

[@Blackmamba12345]

@@gord307 Actually, most of the Aluminium VW engines were first in the Audi. For example, my all aluminium Golf mk4 1.6SR originated as an Audi engine in the A4.

[@Blackmamba12345]

@@gord307 Also, they would only manufacture the older types if they do as Skoda is still a budget brand compared to VW!

[@gord307]

@@Blackmamba12345 I believe the block in your engine is cast iron, not aluminium. Have a good day. Gord

[@stephenwest9757]

I had the 1.6 and did have the Strut brace too. It was a great little car and much better performance with the OHC 1.6 .It also had good fuel economy with less maintenance due to no Valve clearance adjustment thanks to hydraulic lifters. I now have a mk1 Octavia Estate 1.9 TDI with 177000 a still going strong.

[@timhancock6626]

Less maintainance on a 1.6 What about the cam belt ?

[@benday1218]

VW did have quite a bit of input into the MK2 Favorit as well, as far as I know. Love these cars.

[@zumbieuk]

Traded up from VW facelift favrit glx estate to Felicia glxi 1.6....remeber the removable center console box with handle that slotted into tray in front of gear lever. Later had the fabia estate with Skoda engine 1.4...any chance of doing fabia review?...thanks for the reviews really enjoy them.its not about the speed,more about the experience as you imply

[@davidhayes4814]

Good little video. As a colour, standard red always seems to fade worse than other standard colours. I had two red Honda Jazzes.... great cars but they faded dreadfully with age.

[@jaggass]

I used to clean a blue 1.3 Felicia every week for mum's friend and every had to be careful round the wheel arches because they were rusty and bits of it would come off when drying it. It was reliable though.

[@petergouldbourn2312]

Great video. Thanks Furious. Pete 🇬🇧

[@peteb1051]

I had a 10 year old one of these in about 2007. I thought it was fantastic. I used to go to work down some country lanes and used to be able to throw it around like a good un.

[@Xendr121]

I have one Felicie after my Grandfather. Its also 1,3 MPi but this one is Lx version, witch dont even have middle bar with cupholders or space to put your phone in,. Yet I still say its the best car I have ever driven. After years since my Grandfather bought it only big replacement was change of Alternator, otherwise its very relaible car. It has only 130 000km on tachometer, but my grandfather did not drived it much in past years untill I got it.

[@philipcooper8297]

6:20 you could have factory fitted onboard computer there (mpg, range, temperature... etc.)

[@valkyrie1576]

Great reliable car,I bought a 2 year old glxi in 1999 with only 11k miles,sunroof alloys,front fogs but no power steering....had it for 6 years and never let me down....

[@Twangabilly]

My first car a red estate with the 1.3mpi. So incredibly reliable! Chain rather than cam belt is a nice touch too. 2nd car ended up being another 1.3 estate Felicia! Purely because it was mint and for £250 I couldn't say no!

[@n00bsky39]

My parents used to have one. I was too young to remember anything about it but I know for sure one thing, these cars were considered as luxury reserved for the most successful people from freshly formed upper-middle class in many Eastern European countries.

[@grathyfertiers8943]

Hi i am from czech republic and i love your video and my brother have skoda felicia with motor 1.3 bmm the car is in the family from 2006 and she never break down and she never left us in the lurch i sleep in her i was driving her we have lot of fun with her and we still have her its great have and bcs of felicia i fall in love with this car and all cars i must say i almost new everythink about felicia and i must say its very good car, cheap, fun and my first car gonna buy is gonna be felicia I send greetings from Czech republic and love you video mate (and sorry if my english is bad)

[@giselasilva5415]

My first car, a 1.9d van version which funny enough, had the same rear doors as the passenger version, door cards and all!! My dad still has it to go fishing, it has 360k and apart from electrical issues (sometimes the lights go off at night), it still is economical and reliable as ever 😉

[@thatitguy4453]

My local small skoda garage has a t reg green one as a dump car to leave when they take cars for MoT. Brilliant cars along with the mk1 Fabia

[@RWL2012]

a dump car to leave when they take cars for MOT...? I can't make sense of that, can you explain please...?

[@thatitguy4453]

@@RWL2012 in the UK we have to take our cars to be tested once a year to be allowed to drive them on the road. When he takes a customer car to the tester they come back in the Felicia and then go back in it to pick the customers car up.

[@timelwell7002]

Nice fun drive through Funtington, East Ashling, Lavant, and environs (West Sussex).

[@xeinsgaming]

didn't quite get to Lavant but close!

[@d33b33]

I wonder if there are any Skoda Rapids left in the UK (the rear engined 80s coupe). These sold poorly here across the channel, and are now extinct but I remember you Brits liked them so much you had a fancy convertible version. This Felicia could use some paint buffing compound, it's gone pink. I would do that and rebadge it "Felicia Day", my favourite redheaded actress. ;)

[@gord307]

Yes, there are a few. I've done a terrific amount of driving in them over the past 25-years. My 120L is in my garage at the moment, but needs a new sill, and my Rapid is awaiting its turn for restoration as it was hit by a Fiat a few years back and needs more than a bit of TLC. All the best, Gord :-)

[@VitorBarbosa]

Just because it's Skoda doesn't mean it couldn't get nice things! :) I drive a 1998 Skoda Felicia and it has electric windows and side mirrors! 😂

[@travelbuzz1]

Funtington? Ah... I thought I recognised the farm shop at 14:48 - we stopped off there many a time for Russet apples on the way down to my gran's in the 80s!

[@xeinsgaming]

its a memorable place!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Lunchtime viewing sorted...on my third skoda now never had a felica so be interesting to watch

[@furiousdriving]

then my comment near the end was true!

[@Spac8]

Friend had one of these. Strange mix of VW and Skoda bits. Wasn't a huge fan but it was torquey. My memories of it are rust, the oil filler cap not fitting properly and it being very softly sprung and boaty in the bends.

[@goclunker]

Yup. Rust murdered these

[@borderlands6606]

@@goclunker I owned two 1.3 Felicias, one of them from new and put stellar mileages on both. There wasn't a hint of rust on either of them, and I clean my cars every six months regular as clockwork. Unlike pretty much every car I've ever owned, the bodies were solid. The only issue I recall was dodgy window seals that went after a few years, and a gear box which died after about 100k, probably owing to bad clutch habits of multiple drivers in our house. I've subsequently owned a number of the Felicia's competition at the time, and all felt like toys compared to the Skoda.

[@Spac8]

@@borderlands6606 Well, this was 60k miles, two owners and garaged most of its life. A few years outside and it had turned to Swiss Cheese (I.e full of holes!). It wasn't even in reasonable places like arches, it was ALL seam rot. 😂 And really? A lot of competition I have driven drives and feels much, much better. I actually rated it as one of the worst cars I've worked on, had almost no redeeming qualities. It didn't look good, wasn't particularly reliable, dog slow and awful on fuel for a 1.3. Then again, I like British Leyland cars, so each to their own! 😂 😉

[@borderlands6606]

@@Spac8 Reading the comments here it seems Skoda changed the body panel gauge of the Felicia at some point. My 1300 Classic was purchased new when the Fabia had been announced (or launched, I forget which), so it was a lead-out model. It lived outside its whole life, so I can only guess they were galvanising the Felicia by that point. I also owned the estate, and that was also free of tin worm. The lack of rust encouraged me to buy further Skodas. I'm told they're not as reliable as they were, and they've gone a bit upmarket for my purse anyway.

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

@@borderlands6606 Weirdly they almost seemed to have gone the other way with rust. Mine is a late 1st-gen (97) and aside from a small amount of Arch rust is still clean, and lived all its life outside. The later (facelift) cars seem MUCH worse for rust - and paint fade.

[@Pmjs]

In the 90s my OH had Škoda Estelle in orange then a 136 Rapid in white. I liked driving the Rapid a lot. I had my Nissan Bluebird 1.6LX 89F then Peugeot 405 1.6GR 93K.

[@GentilsGarage]

These were good cars and a cheap quality alternative to French cars. The estate versions were popular too and another thing that came off directly from the period VW Polo was the bootlid handle.

[@coraz98]

i prefer watching "mondane" car reviews rather than Supercar reviews. Regular old cars always get my attention 💪 Nice review as always!

[@coraz98]

@@TomAlter1000 sorry, english is not my first language, i do my best

[@coraz98]

@@TomAlter1000 no worries 👌🏻🌞

[@fugawiaus]

"Last of the real Skodas" released just after vw bought it with a vw engine, gearbox, interior, switches, steering wheel, seats, guages etc. but it's a true Skoda, not like the rebadged vws. Haha

[@flippy9133]

the engine is not vw, the 1.6 was, the 1.3 was skodas

[@marcint2263]

In fact 1.3 engine is still the Skoda construction adopted from Favorit, as well as the gearbox. Of course it has some major modifications added with cooperation with VW like electronic ignition and multi point injection, but it's still the old, noisy OHV construction with the roots in 60s ;)

[@furiousdriving]

A fabia with a polo dash, its the last time it was a skoda shell or engine, designed from scratch rather than re-skinning a VW

[@losch78]

@@furiousdriving although actually the lower half of the dash (easily identifiable by the very straight lined theme, at odds with the curvy upper half) was still a Favorit carry over; I guess it'S also the reason for the weird 12V socket and the by that time kind of "too large ashtray by Western standards" ;)

[@OsellaSquadraCorse]

@@losch78 And yet, ironically given the size of modern phones; a very useful ashtray for modern times! ;)

[@Leon5216]

This brace, or strut bar, was a must have for diesel version - lot of people were adding them as an optional or aftermarket accessory to 1.9 diesel models. The main reason was the weight of this engine, which was too much for front chassis, causing bends and deformations. But I think at some point it became factory default for those engines, as well as heavier 1.6 petrol ones. For 1.3 petrol engines it was not neccessary, but in your case someone probably decided to add it anyway.

[@xeinsgaming]

it came from factory with it installed on this car

[@DougsCars]

I remember when those came out when I lived in Germany, as an American the brand was totally unknown. Great little cars though!

[@erikziak1249]

I did my driving licence test in a Felicia. Driving, or to be more precise, limping in congested city traffic in the midst of summer, the engine overheated due to a faulty thermostat. With the engine overheating to 120°C, it was "fun" to drive.

[@davidbates247]

Enjoying the Skoda video's 👍

[@davidbates247]

@@TomAlter1000 🤫

[@christineayres5339]

Very fun first car for me it was, i had the same 1.3 and it felt so fast but in reality was very slow LOL , eventually the head gasket went and the car magically kept working for another year until it exploded literally lol not bad for a 300 quid car

[@tiborbeetles1882]

The only brand new car my dad ever bought, ran it into the ground over 10+ years and well over 100k. Only major issue was it started to leak like a sieve after the windscreen was changed. And yeah it went pink too.