Skoda Fabia vRS hatchback review - CarBuyer

Skoda Fabia vRS hatchback 2014 review: bit.ly/1ehKW66
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The Skoda Fabia vRS is the performance version of the Fabia. It's powered by a 178bhp 1.4 TSI engine that combines a supercharger and a turbocharger to generate ample acceleration at any speed. Only a seven-speed double-clutch automatic gearbox is offered, which helps to make seamless quick gear changes. Drivers can change gears using paddles on the steering wheel, too. Skoda does also offer a more practical estate version of the vRS, giving the Fabia range the edge over rivals like the Volkswagen Polo GTI, Ford Fiesta ST and Renaultsport Clio.

[@theoharrison1]

I'd actually rather have this than a vw polo GTI

[@DjTerrorstyle]

***** Virging used "growl". Ha ha ha :-).

[@SwPiotrek]

2:34 1.4 TSI 170 PS is one of highest reliable engines ever made. Even pistons break in this engine.

[@mrbazed]

So she's 5ft 4 and a half in all the other reviews but 5ft 5 in this one! She must have grown!

[@StudenRS]

Same as the the fabia review of two years ago, but with alot more HP. Personally I like the car, really practical and a bit unusual. Kind of my thing

[@HowkeyLL]

You can select if you want Automatic or Manual control of selecting gears. If you choose automatic it does what you write, it kicks in to change for you but you can shift too. In Manual mode it works like Manual gearbox. If you dont select you go all the way to limiter and still no change. The revs where it changes gears is done to take the best from engine, if you dont like that you can always go to garage and want them to change the revs where it shifts however you like I like manual more also

[@ashnasher]

Love these quality little cars

[@leeeeeeeeeee012]

I think these day almost every car's brands can compete at the same level. Skoda, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, etc. Every single of them already did a great job in the motoring. Cannot believe that in the seventies Japanese car was called "rubbish" in British. Same thing happened to the Czech in the eighties and Korean in the nineties. And now Chinese brand already started their expansion to the Europe, hopefully 10 years from now on, they can compete in this level too ;)

[@HowkeyLL]

Yes i explained that in my previous post, its more racing style than normal manual. It improves the acceleration due to not loosing power. Ofc someone likes clutch pedal but in terms of whats faster, the DSG cant be beaten. Ofcourse unless you brake it =)

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Very very practical car, but it's no 208GTI. Always enjoy these reviews. Thanks, Rebecca.

[@goatmonkey2112]

I clicked on a Carbuyer video for a car review and stayed for Rebecca. I could watch her review any crappy car out there and enjoy it.

[@hammy434]

the whatcar reliability survey ses skoda is 12/36, seat/volkswagen/porsche is 20/36, and audi is 26/36. not that bad really. also my mum had a 1996 (bought in 2002) audi a3 with a 1.6 petrol engine, and we didnt have any problems with it. my dads sister is using it now, and its working fine! ive never seen a vw group car broken down.

[@pedrof830]

Not according to JD Power, Consumer's Report or my buddy who works as a tech at a VW dealer, lots of overtime and big checks, he loves VW for sure!

[@fikes73]

Becca always puts a smile on my face

[@Loesje625]

I own one of these not the VRS but the greenline businessline. And i love it. My ride is manual and i like it more than an automatic i've tried both at the garage and preferred the manual

[@Asalent]

The new ATS very well rivals the German competitors in my opinion. It ak\lso offers new inovative technology rather then a modified version of old technology. But on that topic interior also isnt the only thing to consider when reviewing a car. Performance and how well it suits its target niche IE gas mileage, performance, ride quality and exterior styling come into play. For example the new 2014 corvette its going to offer unmatched power to gas milage at an affordable price, it looks stunning

[@00kirbyd]

Well at least we know now why Skoda's aren't carrying those stickers saying 'It's a Skoda, honest!' or 'Oh look it's another great Skoda.'

[@TheIceMurder2]

Damn the black headlights look freakin' menacing.

[@paulcfyeung]

Do you guys have a new director/camera person? This video has a very different style to the past and the sound is much much better!

[@stuartball4639]

Just brought one 2 weeks ago & it's a nice little car with power when you need it. Ok I've heard the horror stories about they use about half a litre of oil every 700 miles. I remember the Renault 5 GT Turbo & a few other hot hatches that done the same years ago. So far i'am very impressed 👍😊

[@ArniexG]

Hows the car mate, looking to buy one

[@stuartball4639]

@@ArniexG The car is excellent & very quick with the DSG gearbox 👍 Go with the later model with the Cthe engine if you can as the Cave engines like a bit more oil. I've use about 4 litres since December last year, occasionally a bit of a puff of smoke from the exhaust but this is normal according to Skoda. DSG is a pleasure to drive & return's about 35 mpg around town & nearly 50 mpg on a run. 😊

[@sheepyclick]

I've also got one of these in the fancy wrap with skoda all over it. It's a very fun wee car, I find I get the best mileage on the motorway but yeah as above guy said it does eat the oil up. It did real good last winter too after getting all season tires put on.

I can't wait for the Renaultsport Clio review, hope we will get it soon. But - this is by far the best review Rebbecca's ever done, as far as I'm concerned ;]

[@HowkeyLL]

It has 7 speed DSG gearbox which means YOU change the gears as normal car, but without clutch. It has greater performance than normal gearbox because you are not as fast as electronic change of gears. Meaning this car would be slower with normal gearbox. WIth the DSG you are engaged in changing gears too but without the loss of power during declutching. Its NOT normal automatic gearbox.

[@Triumph336]

Love the red coat.

[@a8id_six360]

the crackles and pops are insane

[@pedrof830]

Yet, the U.S. Fiat 500 made in Mexico have had no quality issues when experts were expecting them to be crap, go figure. Ditto for the Chrysler PT cruiser, Dodge Caliber and now the Dodge Journey, no problems with those.

[@ColteeYT]

Ok, for once, please don't comment too much about her. It's the car we should discuss!

[@akie64]

I totally agree, just look at all the surveys, the independent UK news paper for one. Surely reliability should also be considered when rating the excellence of a car, thats why I'll stick to the Japanese followed closely by the Koreans.

[@777tractorboy]

Great review, my next car , hopefully in green

[@dunk8157]

Not sure the "vw audi group famed for reliability" comes from, their own marketing teams?

[@apalsenberg]

The US gets different, cheaper, more plastic (which you seem to love so much) and less quality models. Here in Europe, unlike the US, we demand quality; which is what we get.

[@MrGegere]

Dunno, on our ways ( I am from eastern Europe) really VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes/Volvo/Toyota are the most reliable cars. We have terrible road surface, and weather isn't that nice either, and those are cars who can stand up for the task.

[@Enriqueiro]

Muy bien este 'Review'. Me gusta como se expresa la presentadora, me gusta que le da un toque de emoción al vehículo. Da ganas de tenerlo en el garaje. Saludos!

[@StudenRS]

I think I made the same expression as you while watching this ;-) but of the entire group I prefer Skoda, more practical and hopefully more reliable

[@whoischxse]

sir vw's and audi's in the US are just fine on reliability

[@judahdaneshtaol]

I still don't get why the British think that VW / AUDI group is so reliable. My Audi A3 was full of problems before I got rid of it.

[@ig33ku]

Ok, am sold. I'll take a green with Rebecca to go.

[@Asalent]

Oh and I forgot to mention the available options and how much they cost ( BMW for example) are known to have extremely high costs for most of their options if you want to add them. not to mention the cost of maintenance it unbelievable. Everything is going to have their ups and down at a cost or lack there of but to just say that all American brand is just plain worse than European is to make a statement out of ignorance because much more comes into play.

[@AndyinOz75]

Bec's growing up, I swear in some of the other reviews I have seen her do she suggests she is 'five foot four and a half'. The Fabia is a half way decent hatch but it is not much to look at compared to its brother the Polo.

[@apalsenberg]

It is like the rivalry between siblings... we still love you, even though you do stupid things at times.

[@Duron13]

Well since DSG will gave them lots of sales, I think they don't care, because that's what people want nowadays.

[@M9A5P]

I sort of like this Skoda, but I'd much rather have the Renaultsport Clio. It is much more appealing...

[@portoguisen2k]

It's a cheap Polo GTI, yes. In a good way cause the Polo is overpriced compared the Fabia. If you think the Fabia is shit, then you in fact are calling the Polo shit aswell ;). I own a Fabia and I don't regret that I bought it instead off the Polo especially when I could have it for 40000 sek less!

[@pedrof830]

Back to winter clothes, my goodness, these people have no summer!!!

[@nO_d3N1AL]

there are plenty hot hatches out there, maybe this is their USP

[@Anayatc]

last week she was 5'4.5" this week she's 5'5, congrats on gaining half an inch

[@loveitorscrapit6673]

Great little car & lots of fun to drive. Thumbs up.

[@FluffyMuppets]

I wish people would stop with these pre-conceived notion that all volkswagens are reliable. Recent studies have shown that volkswagen actually rank amongst the worst for reliability.

[@andreasmp412c]

ask vw. they did the same with polo gti and ibiza cupra. its not skoda's fault

[@felozai]

But is the 1.4 TSI in this car really reliable? If you google it, you'll find a lot of negatives about it (engine failure), even here in europe.

[@uniden999]

Why would she do that? You can't buy them in the UK so what would be the point?

[@ivonattofelix]

A apresentadora, falou bem do carro, tem tudo haver. Carro, tem seu publico.

[@cb7pwn]

i dont like how they cleaned up the audio when she was talking and driving and cut out the cars noises... makes it seem pre-recorded and fake

[@karlpeart1988]

great review as always but i wish they would get this beautiful classy lady to do the performance/ supercar reviews she is a racing driver afterall

[@MrAndersie91]

It was a good review, but Mat always does the reviews with Sporty Models better.. No offence Rebecca, you are a brilliant Car Reviewer, but Mat has always been the better one for Sportier Cars

[@dashmaya8355]

Had a brand new back in 2012 the car was a problem always low on engine oil.

[@judacomadc]

Problem with european cars here in Colombia is that spare parts are so damn expensive and those cars are not for their reliability either, so having a korean or a japanese car is better even if you loose performance or "street cred" because european cars here seem luxurious

[@miguelsaez340]

do they record the voice in a studio and then playback the voice while they record outside even in 0:08?

[@AdrianC12345]

That's only because the French/Italian cars skew the data in VW's favor.

[@Chogie14]

She's gained "hawlf" an inch. Nice to know she's reacting to feedback but I'm not sure this is the response we were looking for.

[@kamranval]

Why with such a rush?! We wanted to see Rebecca more! Rebecca get better soon :)

[@venom5809]

Well known for their reliability. Time to insert the "not sure if serious" meme here. lol

[@ScottPC]

Has a Golf chassis as well! :)

[@josefgordon7712]

This hits all the right point for this weirdo. Hear the engine is a bit dodgey but the color and design is my viiii8iibe.

[@CR0SSu]

U would to add extra and buy the octavia Vrs

[@mestido]

There is no a manual version of that car???

[@pingupangu1]

She has gone from 5'4 1/2" to 5'5" - impressive!

[@GlossaME]

:)))

[@kimdals]

My youtube is broken :( It stop´s the video 10 sec before it runs out.

[@unggalboomz]

She sounds like she's sick. But, still it is an excellent review.

[@drnh1111]

Got to admit it's not the best looking car but you just can't beat the value for money it offers. I'd have one. My TT is DSG and have to say its a very involved box to use

[@pedrof830]

the opposite is true in the US, I have to think it has to do with where they're assembled? Or maybe the US pollution control equipment that makes a difference?

[@KarlosTheMighty]

if you know how much fun we have of you in Europe :D

[@janrdoh]

Someone who enjoys driving a car for it's dynamic ability as oposed to a boring vehicle that takes you to work and back like lets say a Prius for example.

[@revampted]

Yeah, When Will Rebecca Review a Ford F-350 Pickup?

[@Craigness009]

What's the name of the song in the background at the beginning of the review?

[@purrability]

Could you review a Skoda Octavia VRS?

[@canto_v12]

Wow, it's not raining!

[@zooks3894]

The reviewer says 'the vw audi group is well known for their reliability'. The fabia vrs model had huge oil consumption problems. i owned one from new and it ran out of 4 litres of oil every 3 weeks (vw could not fix). Dont buy this vrs model you will be sorry! it also had lots of rattles from poor build quality. Sold for huge loss 1 year later and bought japanes car, runs perfectly 😁.

[@zooks3894]

Sakta hi, the 1.4 CAVE engine first came out in 2010 and the complaints were rolling in by 2011. its possible she didnt know but either way vw products are unreliable in my book.

[@havenblood]

Zooks didn’t they make the CTHE code after? I suppose by then it was too unreliable to consider carrying on production, all of the oil consumption horror stories are putting me off from buying a later model just in case :/

[@revampted]

REBECCA! YOUR BACK IT BEEN A WHILE xoxo

[@3XICS]

Well that's probably because the ones in the US are made in Mexico the ones in Europe are made in Germany so don't blame the whole company for that.

[@sheldonhall]

0:42 5'5"!?! She's grown 1/2 an inch!

[@MrNickolopolas]

I miss the other dude.. Now I cant judge what car I buy on the size of water bottle I can fit in the door trim.. :(

[@patriotbarrow]

Our Beloved Leader™ owns three of them.

[@TheOne42]

Faster lap times i can do in GT5, for real life enjoyment there is not replacement for a proper MANUAL gear box.

[@ejb_92]

She rounds up her height to 5ft 5 because she gets fed up of saying "5 foot 4 and a half."

[@kimdals]

Nice review btw

[@Blacktolite]

Nice I like the car very practical

[@joako2706]

I wasn't aware Skoda moved their design studios to China,I mean what a displeasing looking thing,oh and that twincharged engine is quite known for reliability issues. The roar of the naturally apirated F4R from the Clio is worth the price over this frog.

[@revampted]

Come on, just because you live in UK doesn't mean you shouldn't be allowed to review an American Truck. stop being close minded Uniden999, Hell Rebecca should review a Tata Nano too. From big to small, the Carbuyer.co.uk should review the anything in the automotive world.

[@seinsmeld13]

Rebecca you grew a 1/2" this week? What you don't think we don't pay attention?

[@mitsoulas93]

You are right, all VW Group cars are shit at reliability and are very expensive for their shitty quality, but 90% of VW Group car owners will never accept it! VW Group cars upkeep is a pain in the ass... I like some Audi cars though...

[@pedrof830]

VW/Audi known for their reliability?? Really?? not in the US, my dear lady.

[@fedexxxx3]

I like how she presentation

[@johnmagdy2093]

the car is great & the 1.4 engine is very powerful but the car is too noisy & chacking

[@sg76hr]

Škoda Fabia vRS!!!

[@Anayatc]

I don't know about you, but when I wear shoes that make me appear taller I don't go around telling people I'm half an inch taller than I actually am.

[@adidasaddict]

And the Audi A1 185ps

[@AsprarN]

Love the comments

[@uniden999]

Why are you watching a British review of a Czech car that isn't sold in the States and then complaining about it.

[@hammy434]

the video is in english...

[@jjrdias]

99 percent of all motorsports use at least semi-auto or sequential transmissions. Know why? Faster lap times. Fuck manual boxes.

[@MrHubb1]

No manual in a hot hatch??? Pathetic. How could Skoda not realise this will cost them allot of sales?