The Turbocharged And Supercharged Skoda Fabia vRS was an 85 year old's Daily Driver! (Review)

In today's video we are looking at one of the forgotten hot hatchbacks of recent years - but this is one that people have actively tried to forget. The twin-charged Skoda Fabia vRS, powered by a turbo-supercharged 1.4L engine that was known for one thing - being very unreliable.
So, all these years later, is there any reason to buy one?
#Skoda #Fabia #vRS
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[@silentwhisper742]

I like the fact how he goes from reviewing Ferrari straight to Skoda 😂

[@ryano8768]

He went from reviewing a Lambo to an Austin Allegro the other day... 😂

[@markwright3161]

@@ryano8768 From the same Lambo dealer too. 'Which other car would you like to drive from this lineup sir?' 'The Allegro' Mr Martin replies. :)

[@ryano8768]

@@markwright3161 And who in their right mind wouldn't. There's plenty of Lambos out there but an Allegro is an Allegro.

[@raGEEE1986]

My mum purchased one years ago needed a replacement engine , since then been spot on. she loves her little red vrs estate

[@markfrank8057]

How much was the replacement??

[@gaspermedved5803]

@@markfrank8057 3,5€ or equal to about an average döner kebab.

[@markfrank8057]

@@gaspermedved5803 😂👍

[@raGEEE1986]

@@markfrank8057 it was under warranty at the time so skoda picked up the tab and she had a roomster for a week or so which she hated

[@jimthesalad]

Wait they made estate fabia vrs?

[@JanHejn]

As a Czech person it is still kinda surreal and awesome to see Škoda with my such a great car KZbinr and channel, even though it is the most unreliable of them :D

[@jackmchammocklashing224]

Love my Skoda Fabia VRS 1 STILL doing all I need and the engine is signed by the assembler, fully maintained and in great nick

[@00kirbyd]

As a former owner having to top up your oil more often than the petrol is by no means fun and I never got to experience its full potential because of the reminder it go bang at any moment. Avoid!

[@00kirbyd]

@@DaleSteel Erm yes they did and yes it was. What have you been smoking today?

[@00kirbyd]

@@DaleSteel not only did I own a Vrs for 3 years I worked for Skoda where some came in on their 2nd and 3rd engines still displaying the same issues. They were extremely unreliable, caused financial headaches for their owners and if I can save some poor soul the pain of owning one of these I will. So stop commenting your bullshit lies and get lost.

[@woody555kl]

@@00kirbyd the engine wasnt the only weak point of these cars the mechatronic unit used to shit itself too

[@mattvanders]

My seat Ibiza Cupra had oil starvation and needed new turbo @ 30k followed by piston ring lettering oil by which killed the engine @ 50k. Needed a full rebuild thankfully covered by extended warranty. Disagree with the car having any lag, very smooth though the how rev range

[@00kirbyd]

@@woody555kl Yep and the clutch packs which are very expensive over £1500 (fitted IIRC). All three issues combined were the reason I sold it. I really should've done my homework before buying one. Anyway, you live and learn!

[@reeceappleton5371]

I have a skoda with the later engine and it's one of the best purchases I made.

[@johnogorman6372]

I've a '14 vrs fabia myself and love it for its rarety here in Ireland

[@cme2cau]

We bought a Golf VI with this engine, and the infamous dry clutch 7 speed DSG. The first engine lasted 40,000 km. The car's reputation made it poison on the used car market, so I resolved to drive it until the wheels fell off. To be fair, when everything was working it was a really nice car to drive. The end came when wires broke inside the wiring harness (so invisible), possibly as a result of the harness being removed so many times during the multiple recalls! The dealer said " We never done nuffin" but an independent figured it out, fixed it and told me to get rid of the car.

[@greenmoose_]

I was lucky enough to have one of these from new in 2014 for 3 years. I had the estate version which weirdly was slightly lighter and slightly faster. Go figure. Mine had climate control too and a bluetooth stereo if I recall. Gotta say I don't remember it having the "lag" you describe but that could be related to my general mpg being more like 35 than 45 so perhaps I just kept those revs higher for longer ;-) One thing you didn't mention was the electronic "LSD" this car has found on a lot of VAG products that works by automatically actuating the brakes. This took a bit of getting used to but once you learnt to trust it, you really could fling this car around with an astonishing amount of disrespect and it would just grip like a maniac. This might account for the "uncertainty" in the handling you describe for a newer drivers if you're unaware it's there! I loved my car and was very sad to see it go, to be honest watching this video has made me want another one though I am still very wary of this cars reputation for grenading engines.

[@georgewalker7061]

If you had weighed your estate you would of found it was not 5kg lighter than the hatch even though the hatch had 25 kg ballast weight on the rear crashbar. Your acceleration was quicker because that success ballast to have the car slower than the Polo or Ibiza or A1 twincharger. The Fabia estate has stronger tear springs so does not squat like the hatch and go light at the front losing traction. So no TC flashing, and not the same wheelspin.

[@greenmoose_]

@@georgewalker7061 I never made any comparison and I never raced the two.. I have no idea, just going by the official specs. Just saying it was a nice car bro.

[@craigfozz1632]

Had two of these (estate and hatch) absolutely loved them, never had a single problem with either. Maybe I was lucky, but I was also meticulous in maintaining them. Great review as always 👍🏼

[@andyhunt457]

As always meticulous servicing helps reliability,just ignore the stupid long service schedule

[@J0hnny8ravo]

Or maybe you got rid of them at the right time...

[@TheShaun277]

It's a miracle the engine or box didn't blow up when recording, absolutely brilliant idea and execution but such a disappointment on the reliability front

[@ireneuszpyc6684]

I used to own one; I drove it from Milton Keynes to Stansted airport (6 hours drive, nonstop speeding on M1 & M25) - nothing blew up, but a year later there was a strange sound coming from the front, and I sold it

[@user-ue6iv2rd1n]

I don't get the point of the supercharger if it disengages at high rpm, the dsg box should keep it in the powerband so it's not getting used? Is it not just giving you bad fuel economy at low rpm?

[@TheShaun277]

@@user-ue6iv2rd1n the dsg still has a fixed ratio as its an automised manual so you'll still have to have reasonable gear ratios for a box with 6 gears this includes not making the gears too close together, the supercharger gives it loads of low down torque and I've driven a few and it's brilliant

[@NitroNuggetTV]

@@user-ue6iv2rd1n supercharger will operate at the rpm the turbo cant, this eliminates turbo lag and gives you the sensation of a bigger engine all across the entire power band.

[@Gentleman...Driver]

@@user-ue6iv2rd1n The supercharger is a really tiny one, since it doesnt need that much air to spool up the engine. Because of its size it is useless at higher RPMs, and a supercharger is taking away the power from the engine anyways. So this is where the turbo starts kicking in (a turbo needs always the RPMs from the engine, because it is spooled up by the engine exhausts). Supercharger is just for reducing turbo lag, thats all.

[@dannywhite132]

The best description I've heard of the engine in this car is fun, pokey, and made of chocolate coins

[@kevinjekyll1521]

I have a Passat W8 wagon in metalic grey, to this day I think it is an unappreciated car. I guess it will be as close as I will ever get to an exotic car. The cars you mention, I would love to be even be able to sit in them. Love your channel, gives me a glimpse of what we all would love to do. Now if I had a wish...

[@anthonyfmoss]

Get in contact with him then and get your car on this channel!

[@ericpisch2732]

Avoid the 1.4 turbo/charged cars like the plague. We had a polo GTi, from new it burnt 1tr of oil per 1k miles… perfectly acceptable VW says, finally at 70k miles it would make smoke like a battleship trying to avoid the bizmark… VW refused to fix it wanting fortunes for a new engine… Filled it with the thickest oil we could find and PX at a VW dealer that had a Kia Sportage in stock. Will never buy a VAG product again

[@MeakerSE]

Ouch, 1ltr per 1k, jeeze, ok for the 60s.

[@ericpisch2732]

@@MeakerSE they actually sent us a printed page to add to the manual to say it was normal ….

[@JohnSmith-lb6ww]

So some poor sod driving round in your fucked motor, nice 👍🏼

[@PeteCourtier]

@@JohnSmith-lb6ww what would you have done?

[@jondonnelly4831]

@@PeteCourtier Drove it into a wall and claim insurance.

[@spainter1985]

These would be great if it wasn't for that engine, absolute crap. Also affected the Polo GTI/Ibiza so not unique to this model. The prices they go for however mean they are excellent value compared to say a leggy Mk5 Golf GTI and not much smaller.

[@Nile9063]

The Ibiza and the Polo got a better 1.8 TFSI engine later tho... Don't know if the Skoda did...

[@spainter1985]

@@Nile9063 Pretty sure the Skoda didn't unfortunately, would have been a great car with that engine!

[@theotherchannel2028]

what do you mean by 'leggy'?

[@spainter1985]

@@theotherchannel2028 Mk5 GTI's are getting on a bit now, great cars but many abused examples around nowadays

[@leviathan5207]

@@spainter1985 Trying to find a Mk5 that was not ruined by an 18 year old, who is too cool for school, is borderline impossible. Finding an Octavia VRS, from a family guy, who put great care into maintaining, it is very easy. Seeing how the Octavia and the Golf share an engine, I think the Octavia is the smarter choise and in my opinion its quite a bit more handsome in sedan form.

[@edthomas8486]

I am reliably told you would love to share a pint with anyone.

[@PicnicAtTheTesco]

I wouldn't share a pint with Jay, i'd tell him to buy his own. But then we'd talk cars...

[@mattgreen9507]

I had one of these second hand, had it for 5 years. Very nice car, fun and quick (no Boxter but still fun). The engine could drink oil but there was a fix for this. The parts (oil squirters) are cheap but you need to do a lot of work to replace them, I had mine done for 700 quid with a service thrown in. From the group of owners I knew I'd say that most didn't have the issue and that it effected fewer of the revised engines than the older ones but, unfortunately the fix wasn't found until near the end. I had mine chip tuned (Superchips), which brings a welcome chunk of extra power and torque but I could still get over 50mpg on a quiet run. I agree that it's annoying when the car changes up at the red line but you get used to it. I also found that it's worth using Sport or Manual mode on the gearbox so you can access those higher revs. Great car, never let me down and always ready to put a smile on my face :-)

[@eze8970]

Thanks J! Interesting car, enjoyed the review. Bet the 85 year old, previous owner, had some great car history.

[@poovaneswaransupramaniam19]

Cool review jay, this particular powertrain is prevalent in malaysia, as it was powertrain of choice for vw jetta, vw cross touran and tiguan...and yes, horribly unreliable...it got so bad, that vw owners club malaysia had a good going over with vw malaysia..

[@banjodog]

I have done almost 200,000km in my Estate, CAVE engine. So far its been troublefree motoring, bit of oil use earlier in its life, but it came good. Love the car!!!!

[@Buck3366]

I was talking about the Super March the other day and couldn’t think of another twin charged vehicle off hand…… the VRS slipped my mind totally. I heard horror stories about the engines but I’m sure every engine has its naysayers lining up to tell tales of explosions and 300 hour engine out cam belt swaps. Great review of a quirky little car.

[@Gentleman...Driver]

No, that engine was really notorious and unreliable and many customers had very high oil consumption right from the beginning and excessive engine failures with low mileages (10,000 - 30,000 miles). Lucky customers got a new engine under warranty but soon faced the same problems again. As an excuse theyve received from VW/Seat/Skoda the answer it is "state of the current technology". It wasnt because it was twincharged, but because of the timing chain, piston rings and some other minor things. The piston ring issue is even today a problem in some VW engines. :) As mentioned in the video the engine wasnt the only problem. The dry sump double clutch system is also famous for failing. With the models after 2012 it got much better, but just to make sure VW sorted the engine out and the Polo GTI became the more reliable 1,8 TFSI. Other cars that had a supercharger and a turbocharger were the Lancia S4 and some Honda Civics had these, too. There has to be definitely a few more, but I cant remember.

[@markwright3161]

When I heard about this car's previous owner and that this car 'has been driven', I immediately thought about the VW ad with the red mk3 Golf and its 'one elderly lady owner'. :)

[@nikokaliterna]

My mother had VW Tiguan with 1.4 twincharged engine and it was so terribly unreliable... In 2019 the car spend 7 months in service facilities...

[@psions555]

It's just going to be so much worse in a car like that, like how the Rover K series head gasket issue was way more prevalent on a Freelander than a Rover 200, big heavy car = wider throttle openings at low speeds

[@unhealthycarobsession]

One of my favourite engines. The oil consumption was ruinous! Had to check it often. But it's lots of fun and sounds great.

[@ianfrost3529]

My Cousin used to work at Skoda main agent but has also worked at VW and Audi main agents has a mechanic and he said these were quite fragile in the engine and gearbox department. They did get better but still not great. But the irony his he drives one because he really like them. The advice he gave me was treat it like a race engine let it warm up before you thrash it. Let it cool down if you take it for a thrash, check the oil because they do burn oil and just keep the servicing up to date (ideally half the the service time which is what he did) And don’t be tempted to remap them or they will go bang. They reduce the power of these engines later to make them more reliable, which did work. My cousins one has know done just over 100k but his is one of the last.

[@Gentleman...Driver]

The things you described (drive it warm before you accelerate hard / let it cool down before you shut off the engine) applies to every car I know. It has nothing to do with how you treat the engine. Obviously because of the high oil consumption you have to have an eye on it. But the thing because most of those engines have destroyed themselves is because of timing chain failures and also because of the piston rings that are decomposing. :)) There are quite a few engines with the same issues within the VW company, but I never saw an engine so frequently failing... lots and lots of customers had issues, and VW wasnt really helping them after warranty. :))

[@ianfrost3529]

@@Gentleman...Driver Some engines you can abuse and they seem to be able to take it to a degree. These aren’t one of them. But I agree VAG generally are not best when it comes to warranty.

[@thefatboyhotmailcouk]

I had one with a Miltek exhaust. Used a bit of oil but nothing crazy. Fun car. Not the best handling. Got an Octavia vrs now.

[@weedth]

I own fabia vrs like this for 4 years now. Got it used with 100000 miles on the clock fairly cheap. No major issues, eats a bit of oil, fun car to drive, luckily got one of the first upgraded engines and dry gearbox. No timing belt, uses chain, cheap to run, quick, also really roomy for its size.

[@spirosgal1885]

Second Video in a row..im impressed. Subed

[@mrvik8]

Had the same engine in my polo GTI. Went through about 1 litre of oil every 600 miles. Dealer said that was normal. Sold it as I was getting oil range anxiety! The Abarth 124 that replaced it was a much better car.

[@TeepsandNatties]

Had mine for over a year, currently at 40k. No oil consumption issues, had the recall work done and gearbox change to synthetic, runs like a dream. Most are perfectly good and reliable, but they are problematic if you are unlucky with the engine.

[@timelwell7002]

Thanks for a good review. Food for thought...

[@joemalone9380]

thanks for the heads up on the reliability . was going to get one

[@kiteless1]

Had one of these for a couple of years when they were fairly new - bought an ex-demo, didn't have any problems, worked great as a city car plus a load of long trips. Even did a trackday at Bedford in it (good until you hit the unswitchable ESC). Did 90% of what a Golf GTI with DSG did but for half the price.

[@steveberridge4648]

Another great review James - so do you prefer this to the MK1 Fabia VRS which you really liked a few weeks ago ?

[@Scala598]

I had a 2014 ibiza cupra with the updated version of the twin charged 1.4 and it was totally reliable. I never even needed to crack open my top up oil bottle as it didn't use anything between servicing. Bought new and did 40k miles of trouble free motoring. Putting an exhaust and intercooler on it really helped the engine as it suffers from heat soak and a the factory intercooler is pathetic.

[@josefgordon7712]

Love it! Do mucho wanto. The vibrant green, kooky engine, and perfect design for me.to get old in. 😅

[@ashliehiggins]

While it's a neat car, still probably better off getting a more recent Polo or Ibiza with the 1.8T, which is also more modable thanks to it being a EA888 lump.

[@ApurtureSci]

Absolutely. Back when I knew a lot less about cars I came close to buying a 1.4 Twincharged Polo to replace my first car (an older Polo with a horrendous 1.2L 3Cyl). Luckily I did some research and even back then (8 years ago?) the 1.4 already had a horrible reputation. After a few more years saving I ended up with a 1.8TSI Leon SC and I absolutely love it, although I haven't modified it yet - might benefit from a remap.

[@danbradley4513]

As a BMW n/a snob who's owned a TT before, the 1.8T is a fucking chad powerplant

[@GadgetMart]

Loved the 1.8 20vt - superb engine

[@fletch6572]

I had one a few years ago and owned it for 5 years, did 60k miles in that time and it had 4 engines all covered under warranty. Its a cracking car, just ashame about the engine. I know the CTHE engine is stronger but I had that fail twice! Mine had a stage 1 map on it aswell after the 3rd engine with the CTHE code, which put power up to around 205-210 bhp. I know you take the risk on mapping a car, but even the main dealer knew that it wasn't my map that I had on the car that caused the failure. It was just a poor design on VAG point. Even the the 122bhp, 140bhp & 160bhp versions failed so it wasn't down to the power.

[@willsbrewery3518]

I'm amazed that engine got to the end of the review without breaking 🤣

[@thedetailingdoctor5746]

DSG issues was the early dry clutch box dq500 I believe pretty much all of them after circa 2008 were pretty solid unless they were tuned beyond the tourqe capacity of the box

[@graemedavison7309]

I’ve the estate version of this (cthe engine). Think it’s something you have to get used to and then you can work with some of the things that Jay is that enamoured with. It has an electric lsd (tweakable in vcds) and you can really chuck it into corners and feel it bite. “S” mode is designed to change down at the slightest input and instead of shuffling you up the gears at 2k revs like “D” it will hold all the way to the red line if you have your foot down hard. Keep an eye on the oil and there’s plenty of advice around about pressure testing cylinders and the very precocious spark plug requirements to make sure good ones can be well kept. Certainly the estate version is a bit of practical masterpiece considering its near 500 litre boot while still being shorter than a golf.

[@r_91.]

I loved my 2013 Estate. My favourite car I've owned, truly miss it.

[@rjhandley556]

Picking up my brand new T Roc R next week Jay, welcome to test it if you want to

[@Dreamspade1]

Yay - A rare shout out for the V5!

[@Adeyspec]

Great cars, despite the initial issues once fixed they are great. We were lucky enough to buy one that had all the revisions and a rebuild from VW when still in warrantee, 7 years on as out family car/daily it uses no oil between services and the only failure has been an alternator.

[@allseeing357]

Wife had an estate one new in 2011 for about 18 months. Really liked it, what it did represent at the time was an awful lot of car for not alot of money (on finance - Skoda still doing great finance packages based on not so silly list prices). Super practical and respectably fast. The engines tended to suffer alot from bore glaze/ring scoring often caused by being driven too gently when new which is what causes alot of the oil consumption issues. They did use a bit but were really bad if you had bore/ring issues. My memories of it were went like a hot hatch, didnt handle and stop like one. That said if you leave the engine alone, put decent 215 section tyres on, better suspension, sensible spacers and 312mm front brakes it changes the car. Would I have another now.....no.....think they are honestly too much of a minefield being far too compicated and having a dry clutch DSG but i'll always be fond of it as a car and probably one of the better VAG cars Ive had over the years for bang per buck

[@Steve-fn8hs]

I bought the bright green version. I think it was 18 months old at the time. I guess I was fortunate that it was under warranty and bought from an official Skoda dealer. I had several 'issues' during the year I owned it. The main issue was that I needed a new DSG clutch plate 'thingy'. It was under warranty but would have cost me £1600. I also had it in twice for random engine management issues (not a new engine). I just gave up in the end. That said it was nippy and a good looker that turned heads (it was bright green) I did have the 1.9 diesel varient before that. Now that was a car👏. I was gutted when they went petrol only.

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

I had the Mk1 diesel vRS Se in blue with leather seats etc. Quantum tuned eprom and uprated chassis, replacement upgraded Garrard turbo. It was epic. Great economy at 55 to 60 mpg on a long run and huge fun as well as tough as old boots and practical. Very reliable too. Considered this newer one but the reputation for the mk2 and later petrols is that their engines are made of chocolate and haven't been sorted at all. That's why they're cheap on the used market. They may be fun to drive but not worth taking the chance on as if they go wrong that's a very expensive engine to replace. When it giescit completely lunches itself. Better off with a mini cooper, yaris gt or hyundai veloster for reliability. Only the hyundai is as affordable but at least its reliable with a proven 1.6 turbo and better looking.

[@S3l3ct1ve]

I wanted one of these because of fuel economy and reasonable performance. Sadly the reliability scared me off of it...

[@BurritoSenor]

Twincharged so I'm not sure if they're all that good on juice

[@gordonmccartney5648]

I miss my mk1 Fabia VRS, having the PD130 engine was a great idea. Always wondered why the MK2 never got the TDI 170 unit, thatst would have been great

[@woody555kl]

Couple of mods the pd130 was way above 170 tho

[@Muzzaa]

I had a mk4 gt tdi golf with the same engine I loved that car

[@Steve-fn8hs]

I fully agree. I had a 56 plate Diesel VRS (remapped to 170bhp) and it was an absolute beast. I was gutted when they went petrol only.

[@psions555]

You can't offer an Octavia vRS with a CR170 AND the Fabia with the same engine, it would be faster than the next model up for one due to the weight saving. Maybe the 140PS but then there's no point having all that weight up front for that

[@speedypaul2314]

Should have just kept pd130, 6 speed box all would have been wonderful. Skoda were dumb as shit here and they pissed off a lot of fabia fans with the petrol dsg.

[@MrOvershoot]

It's infuriating the gearbox kicking down when in manual mode, I've driven big torquey diesels that do it when you were using the torque to smoothly accelerate only for it start revving its nuts off for 2 seconds then go back to the gear you were in!!

[@psions555]

I haven't driven the DSG only the tiptronic but you could use wide open throttle in manual mode WITHOUT the gearbox kicking down provided you did not depress the switch at the end of the pedal. Ill be honest I think that's a fair solution, you could be in manual mode in a tall gear and an emergency situation could happen where you might need as much power as possible as QUICKLY as possible. A kickdown switch being depressed should override everything in my opinion for that reason

[@ethanbailey7247]

My father has a passat W8 with the rare factory votex body kit. Awesome car

[@Boric78]

Only been through Castle Hedingham in the middle of the night. Looks nice, reckon after subscribing to this channel for a while I could find my way around fine. Is the Wheatsheaf as good as it looks from outside?

[@SpeedfreakTr700]

I owned mine for over a year now, currently has 96k and drives brilliant considering reading so many forums about the faults. I’m 22 and insurance isn’t that expensive at all for this particular model. I still own my 98 Civic Hatchback and Toyota Mr2 TF300 as back up! But I wouldn’t even sell any of my cars :)

[@joshuadoliveiro]

haha in Malaysia Volkswagen isn't a huge market share brand. Here we're used to ultra-reliable and old tech, low maintenance Hondas and Toyotas. Volkswagen group products (VW and Audi) are perceived as complex, high maintenance and riddled with timebombs like the dry-clutch 7-speed DSG box and the TSI engines as shown here. they've improved over time as the cars have many fans but it's engrained into the psychy of consumers.

[@stuartball4639]

I've had my 2012 Fabia Vrs for 6 months now & other than a bit of oil every few weeks she's spot on. 👍😊 Sometimes get 49 miles to the gallon if I drive like an angel 👼😂 The bit regarding the oil, I use to have years ago a Renault 5 GT turbo & that liked a bit of oil. I purchased from a main Skoda dealer with 33,000 miles now on 36,500. I done my homework before buying & if you don't mine giving it a bit of TLC it repays you time & time again. 😊

[@johnmitchell2269]

I always felt the main issue with these engines was a lack of displacement. A 1.4 with both a turbo and a supercharger never seemed like a wise idea. I know they also did a 1.6 TSI but ideally you want at least a 2.0 with all that torque to push the pistons up and down as at least that way you have semi decent bore and stroke to work with.

[@woody555kl]

1.6tsi in which county tho

[@TheTalentedTrout]

There is no issue with the lack of displacement due to the supercharger for low down instant torque. Sounds to me like you don’t understand how Twincharging works. The first car to do this was the March super turbo which was excellent, and despite being a 1.0 back in I believe the mid-late 80s would easily five early 2000s cars in the same class a run for their money.

[@eponymous7910]

These were ok in mk5 Golf guise when emissions regs were more lax but after 2008 the engine was redesigned and the rest is history. VW cheaped out on the pistons and ran a stupidly lean a/f ratio which saw many meet their maker inside 20,000 kms

[@johnmitchell2269]

@@TheTalentedTrout How many of these March Super Turbo's are still on the roads?

[@Gentleman...Driver]

No, in most cases it was timing chain issues that destroyed that motor. Wouldnt buy any German car with a timing chain by the way. They are notorious to cut cost at production, and thats why they fail frequently. But not as bad as in this case, with many customers had have engines replaced after only 10 - 30,000 miles. Also the piston rings shatter themselves after some time. Again, not really an issue of displacement vs. power, but quality.

[@ackbardomination1807]

My 2013 VRS estate is now on 104k and still going strong. Its a CTHE engine and did use lots of oil until Skoda agreed to upgrade the sprayers. I shudder to think what ill have to pay to replace this little beauties features in the current climate. Im sticking with it for now!

[@redyellowpink01]

I forgot this existed. I used to be in a seat ibiza group and people had a lot of issues with these engines

[@tommorides8086]

They're good cars. Maintenance is key with these engines, and it does pay in the long run. Yes they had issues on the older CAVE, but even then, there were good ones out there. People are too quick to slate them, but will run them on a shoestring, you see it more often than not.

[@ericpisch2732]

Utter rubbish, they were faulty / going bang from new like a plague, incl ours which was always main dealer serviced on time, still went bang

[@tommorides8086]

@@ericpisch2732 I wouldnt trust a main dealer as far as i could throw them. Although, its just an opinion, and personal experience i had with these cars.

[@richierich9761]

Agree, plenty of them are fine if it was a design issue they would all fail . Might have been a quality issue but equally may have been how they were used

[@tommorides8086]

@@richierich9761 Keep the oil changes regular, its key. But this doesnt take away there were bad ones.

[@richierich9761]

@@tommorides8086 absolutely and may well have stopped either my mums or mine having any issues. Plenty of other engines have worse issues without the stigma

[@Lollllllz]

I wonder how the engine compares to the one fitted to the hot micra that was also twincharged

[@dougle03]

I had a 2011 hatch a few years ago, had none of the engine problems mentioned, but it had undergone an engine replacement before I bought it; 2400mls I think... Mine was very well specced, Sat nav, Heated seats and automatic climate. It spent most of it's time parked up though because of a rough idle problem that Skoda could not resolve (I had a company car at the time as well, so this was more of a toy). I must have gone in 5 times, 1 Turbo and ECU later, it was still misbehaving. Eventually after it's tyres had gone flat on my driveway and an impending MOT becoming due, I took it back to Skoda and told them to 'sort' it ready for sale. They rang me a day later and said it was done. Turns out there was a sensor cable broken, once replaced it ran like a dream. Pity really as I'd already put a deposit down on a Merc CLA45 and the Skoda was part of the part chop deal.... Wish I'd kept it now as the Merc is long gone and they only gave me 5k for the Scud 4 years ago 🙄

[@kevinhayes7]

Hi JAY i have a w8 and live in the uk if you ever want to do a artical on it

[@sotirismp2883]

Buy an abarth punto or a clio rs which wont blow up and will be much more exciting than a skoda

[@NGKGMR]

I'd rather get the Skoda and idc

[@AdolfFistYa]

I'd have the skoda.

[@adams7405]

Had this engine in an Ibiza Cupra...started to use oil at 70k,bit of a letdown after 230k in a 330d.Lost quite a bit on it.Complex and they used the dry clutch 7 speed DSG for good measure........

[@edwardkarran4963]

Interesting comparison from the first generation!

[@pgr3290]

You're better off with a late year mark 1 Fabia vRS diesel. 2007 was the final year. Those bulletproof 1.9 engines. They hold their values extremely well, they tune up nicely to around 200 horsepower without spending much on modification. Quite like them even as a diesel.

[@richierich9761]

My mum replaced her PD VRS with one of these in 2011 and ran it until 2019. The ecu failed in the first few weeks but she had 50k trouble-free miles .

[@richierich9761]

I also bought one in 2012 and fitted eibach springs and a whiteline rarb and ran mine for almost 40k with NO issues, sadly I needed a car for family duties so had to jump back into a Octavia vrs . Biggest issue with the cave engine was oil usage, driving the car hard from time to time seemed to hold this at bay for ours

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

Wow, I had no idea this car existed!

[@groove4all]

Mine is a CTHE engine and the only problem I have right now, is the prices of the upgrades for it, mainly because I live in South America. I absolutely love the car. In my country are maybe 50 of them? Yes, the engine is awful to work with, but remap and it gives you smiles per gallon. Dsg, well that box is made of paper right from the factory, so had to learn to live with it. For me, it’s a keeper. Best mod?? Rear anti roll bar and michelin pilot sport 4 for everyday use.

[@tomcole020]

I really like the mk2 fabia VRS but i wouldn’t be able to trust the 1.4tsi. It’s a shame they didn’t make a MK3 VRS with better reliability or it’d be a great fun daily

[@nickthegun]

I really wanted one of these but was quoted six to eight months build time, so I got a second hand RS Clio instead which ended up being expensive in other ways.

[@markweller4913]

Bought one new 2010. Liked a drop of oil !

[@Th3oTh3o]

4:42 - You didn't describe weather that day, you just described Britain in general.

[@SebsTech1]

I own the VW equivalent of this, I have a 2010 VW Golf GT TSI with the 1.4 Twincharger engine. Praying that the timing chain doesn't go or the pistons crack as I have learned is an issue online, If I just did a bit more research I probably wouldn't have bought it, but I was a bit naive. Other than that I love it, drives great!

[@SebsTech1]

@@jackg140 Thanks, if it were to go it probably would have done by now being on 64k hoping I got lucky haha

[@eponymous7910]

Just make sure you flush the coolant and change the plugs every 3-4 years. I'd do 9 month oil changes too if I were you. These things run super hot and hammer the oil. Quality high octane fuel is a must also...

[@SebsTech1]

@@eponymous7910 100%, I just had the water pump changed so coolant was done, also servicing earlier, oil changes is quite a big part of keeping these engines going. Have always used momentum 99 since the day I got it being worried about it pinging. I think I might survive this car haha

[@vitaliyyavtukhovskyi5947]

Now could you test Ibiza Cupra of the same vintage, please? Keen to see which in your opinion is better. Maybe even more expensive Polo Gti would be good.

[@flowetti]

Loved mine had it 2 years but i will say they are plagued with engine and gearbox problems and interior finish isnt the best loads of squeeks, when the dsg box started going on mine it was time to get rid

[@matthewtaylor4130]

Interesting comment on the turbo and supercharger, another weak spot is water pump as it also has the elec/mech drive to supercharger in one unit,expensive to replace and a sod of a job,ps turbo runs normally up to about 3800 then blower comes in then you have all 1.8 bar boost

[@TheTalentedTrout]

Can these make the big honc sound that the March super turbo makes?

[@vincentpoole7588]

JayM. This donk was sold Downunder in the VAG Mk6 VW Golf GT versions only ? Great fuel consumption for such a highly strung engine with 175Bhp, except extra summer heat in Australia killed them ! V.

[@vincentschneuwly9783]

I bought one brand new in 2011, an estate, it lasted 9 years and 160'000 kms before a life ending engine failure. I loved it but it was drinking as much gas than oil... But it was fun to drive

[@cameronmcphee6827]

Gotta love my mk2 vrs

[@raymondhunt6109]

I had a Seat Ibiza Cupra with the same 1.4 twin turbo engine and that used oil like mad, got rid of quick.

[@mattluxton]

Shame Skoda didn't do a VRS in the next shape. Seen so many Monte Carlos about and reckon if they'd put the newer polo gti 1.8 lump in it would've been brilliant

[@kobichief]

I was looking forward to driving it years ago, since it looked really familiar to the Suzuki Swift and i expected it to drive somewhat similar. I loved the power, but i hated almost everything else on that car, especially the brakes felt terrible.

[@paulmarshall8774]

I had this engine in my Polo GTI great car but as many have said it liked a drop of oil! Which was a shame as it was quite cheep to run, cruising at 70 on the M6 gave nearly 50mpg! and if you cough cough went abit faster it the drank oil faster than the petrol! Happy memories tho

[@backyardengineering816]

Jay is the type of guy to review a 800hp Ferrari, then the next day; a skoda fabia

[@RoadsOfOz]

When this car was released in Australia in 2012, I was very keen to buy one. Then when they finally arrived, I found the thing so underwhelming. No manual, interior was bland and having to use 98ron fuel was enough for me to give it a miss. I had a 95 Suzuki Swift GTI back in the 2000's and was hoping to get something similar.

[@woody555kl]

Swift gti was a great car👍

[@Barbarapape]

I owned the first Skoda Fabia VRS, the diesel engine grumbled a bit, and the interior was cramped and built with cheap plastics. But at least it was reliable, and fun to drive, you only had to turn a deaf ear to the Skoda jokes. It's sad to hear that they have fitted this one with the infamous troublesome 1.4 engine. You just can't win these days.

[@andymiller8877]

Get video. I looked at the Vrs but in estate. Then got worried and sensible and got a 1.6tdi Monte Carlo. Sometimes wish i took tge brave pill and got the Vrs tho.

[@francobanzini665]

Had the Audi A1 180 tfsi 3 door for a while - like many comments above a litre of oil every 1000 miles was an issue despite it “being within acceptable limits” - well, just! Fun though - it was good for a hoon down that very road

[@antj29]

Had one, caned it silly for 2years and 24000 miles never out a foot wrong, but it had main dealer warranty, I would never buy one without it. The later CTHE was a much peachier engine, quieter, smoother, quicker and supposedly bullet proof. My brother has run a CAVE engine vrs for 80000 miles , lives at and owns a garage at the Nurburgring , so it got used, but the engine nEver went wrong, the gearbox went pop

[@nleedsd4577]

Owned a bocanegra with the same engine was just a absolutely nightmare

[@123fourfive5]

Do you guys know if only the twin charged 1.4 unreliable? What about the single turbo 1.4 Tsi found in other vw and Skoda?

[@secularspectator]

Thoughts on polo gt blue??

[@skinnytinny9023]

The CAVE engine had the bad reputation, it was replaced by the slightly better CTHE version, you can tell which engine was installed from new by looking at the base of the driver's door pillar.

[@ericc.4292]

Finally someone with KNOWLEDGE! Bought 2014 CTHE version for the wife, has done 56k miles and the engine has been spot on. Infact it's been the air-con and front springs that have given up the ghost.

[@skinnytinny9023]

@@ericc.4292 Yep, no problem with mine either, I change the oil every 3,000 though.

[@tommorides8086]

@@skinnytinny9023 This is the key to these engines. They like good clean, regular oil. None of this main dealer nonsense.

[@klasseact6663]

What's louder...the green Skoda w/white wheels in the thumbnail or the shirt James is wearing here🤔

[@riccardomarinoni6733]

Please review the A 200 turbo w169

[@dt3963]

We’re the replacement engines VW gave customers actually any different/rectified?

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

Great shirt Jay! Unfortunately we didn't get this version here in Oz.

[@Gabrieltamdesign]

We did get the VRS in OZ. I looked at one before buying the Polo GTI.

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

@@Gabrieltamdesign Oh goodo! Thought we stopped at RS. Never seen a VRS here.

[@Gabrieltamdesign]

@@CathodeRayNipplez you didn't miss out cause these cars really does burn oil & let's just say VW Australia were in denial once they realise changing the whole engine didn't make economical sense. They couldn't fix my CAVE engine during entire time ownership.

[@NewtonInDaHouseYo]

That Skoda design, in general, is very depressing. Both in and outside.

[@davidsanderson2960]

Couldn't agree more.

[@NewtonInDaHouseYo]

@@davidsanderson2960 cheers brick top!