2005 Skoda Fabia 1.9TDI Estate review from Serbia

Nothing went wrong with the car, but it shouldn't at 24000 should it?

The car was generally a disappointment. The good points are the engine which while a lot rougher than the 1.9 TDIs in VW and Audi had enough power for the car to feel quick in traffic and to instill confidence when overtaking. The handling was good for the power and was quite firm in corners, but the large rear end tended to drift out in tight turns. The driving position is great and the car is generally quite easy to drive.

The main problems are the horribly tought out interior and the poor level of comfort. The plastic is cheap and fits poorly. The Glove box can be opened only if there is nobody in the passenger seat otherwise their knees will get bruised. The seats are very uncomfortable and driving for over 1.5 hours induced neck and back pain. Getting 4 people into the car means you have to leave your good driving position moving the seat up to leave some leg room in the back. The dealer was horrible, with several attempts to cheat while negotiating the purchase. Finally he delivered the car with several options missing, claiming it is a fault with the general importer (tried to settle by giving a set of cheap rubber mats he claimed were worth 50 euro). Checking this I also found that skoda trim levels (what's included) vary from country to country, but the price does not. In other words in UK you get a lot more for the money than in Serbia.

Overall a car that could take some abuse, but it also dished it out (mostly on my back). Good for short trips with 2 adults (one with bruised knees) and 2 kids under 12. Anything else and you're asking for trouble. I would rather buy a used Volkswagen than a new Skoda again.