SKODA FABIA 1.2 TSI SE 5dr (2010)

Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSi - Extremely economical and reliable

I've had the Fabia 1.2 TSi for three years now, having bought it at a year old with about 20k on the clock, and I can honestly say it hasn't caused me any unusual trouble. I've had a couple of tyres changed, and the wiper blades, but that's about it.

I mainly wanted a comfortable car as I'm now starting to drive my parents around more and more, and they wanted something nice and smooth. I also wanted a bit of power, and was concerned too about fuel usage, and the Fabia just ticked all the boxes. My folks love it - well they seldom get all that impressed with things these days but on a scale of things they were impressed! - and I like how easy it is to drive, as well as how confidently it takes on overtaking and other driving moves. I think maybe a bigger engine would be even more spritely, but the 1.2 suits my needs.

More important really is the amount of petrol the Skoda Fabia gets through, or doesn't get through. I'd say I average over 50 miles a gallon, which is immense compared to previous cars. Other long term costs are quite low too.

The seats are great, perfectly comfortable, although the middle one in the back looks a bit small. One of the things my parents didn't like about my last car was that the seats were a bit low, and they found it hard to get in and out of the car, and also had their knees too high up when they were inside. This car is quite a bit taller and both those problems are now gone for them, much comfier. They sometimes even stop telling me how to drive...

To drive, it's a very practical, no-nonsense car. There isn't any swish computer or anything inside, although the dash has a nice panel showing the radio station and that sort of thing. What I also like about that panel is that it shows what radio stations you've got programmed in to each button, right next to that button. So if you've got radio 4 next to the top left button, then the display shows radio 4 next to that button. It's much easier than having to remember what station is what button - which can be especially tricky if you share driving with someone else. The stereo unit doesn't look like a standard size though, so I'm unsure as to how I'd replace it, but I don't want to anyway so that's not a concern.

There's bags and bags of little spaces everywhere as well. Cup holders galore, there's even one in the door! Otherwise in terms of storage it's good. The boot is a nice size, I once had an odd collection of ten desktop PCs and it managed to squeeze those in ok. The wheel rims do jut out into the boot a bit though, that can be annoying.

Anyway I'm extremely impressed with my Fabia, and so are my parents. Not sure which is more important!