Why we ran it: To discover whether the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo could prove you can still get a great all-rounder for less than £25k
Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs
Life with a Skoda Fabia: Month 3
Was an affordable, sensible supermini dressed up for Monte Carlo a winner? - 25 January 2023
Which factors influence your decision most when buying a new car? For me, it would be an equally important combination of price, reliability and emotional appeal. Surprisingly, though, this isn’t the case for the general public. A 2018 survey by Statista found the average Brit cares most about fuel economy, safety, suitability for daily use and low price, high quality and driving comfort, in that order – only after which does design come up.
By those metrics, my Skoda Fabia made a lot of sense. I regret to say that I never formed an emotional bond with it in the way that I have with some long-termers in the past, but then I suppose it wasn’t really that kind of car. Actually, it was the kind of car that played exactly to those average Joe priorities. So let’s consider it in those terms, shall we?
Economy isn’t the easiest one to quantify, because our Fabia was in Monte Carlo trim, which is not only set up to be driven in a racier style but also gives you more power to do so, the frugal little 1.0-litre turbo petrol triple swapped for a 1.5-litre turbo petrol four (plus the manual ’box swapped for a dual-clutch auto). In my 3008 miles, it scored 39.4mpg, which sounds poor, but then my use was mostly motorway. If you’re not one to hurry or just a more typical supermini driver, you can expect up to 50mpg (or up to 55mpg if you pick the more sensible 1.0 TSI variant).
As for safety, I can’t argue with Euro NCAP’s five-star assessment, although I can with Skoda’s lane-keeping assistance technology, which would annoyingly cut in when it wasn’t wanted, but which could be turned off easily anyway.
‘Suitability for Daily Use’ could easily have become Skoda’s slogan had its marketing team not been commercially savvier than me and come up with ‘Simply Clever’. The Fabia’s belated move to the MQB platform that has underpinned its Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo siblings since 2017 unlocked real practicality upgrades. Every area of the cabin felt more spacious, not least in terms of width, and I could noticeably fit more stuff in the boot – my mountain bike, for example.
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There's three months of your life you're never getting back :-(
Mr Culmer, thank you for enduring a long term test in this car; it definitely sounds like one to avoid. Long term tests are fantastic - some of the most worthwhile for your readers.
Although it shows my age, I am amazed that this cost less than half the average price of a new car today... so that is £48k or over?!? That explains why more than 9 out 10 car sales in the UK are now on finance!
Given the all-round ability of many modern sub-£40k cars (e.g. Fiesta, Skoda Superb, Mazda MX-5), isn't it astonishing that so many people buy >£50k motors?
A rival weekly mag mentioned these nonsensical climate controls in their Fabia long term review. The tester said she found it much easier to ask her front seat passenger to do it for her, as its fidliness took her attention away from the road for too long. Thats progress for you.