2004 Skoda Fabia vRS review from UK and Ireland

None.

Last November I decided it was time to say goodbye to my beautiful BMW. The effortless cruise on the motorway, sports car like handling, brilliant robust equipment, but poor fuel economy. I thought nothing would be able to replace the elegance, refinement and sheer drivability of my big BMW whilst providing stonkingly good fuel economy. I was wrong.

After reading many reviews of the fabia vrs on the net I decided to take one for a test drive. After owning numerous executive saloons I was truly astonished by its turn of speed. Not quick off the mark, but phenomenal pull between 30-70 mph. Not much can live with this car even in standard guise.

On buying my little fabia I decided to get a switchable remap from star performance taking it to 175 bhp and 383nm torque. To describe the little car as quick is unjust. Halfway up slip roads I have to back off the throttle as it would be a diet of bread and water if you gave it the beans and got caught.

Forget about the little boys in their corsas and barely legal saxos slagging this car off due to its image. This car is immense in every way.

I have noted that some reviewers have very little to compare this car to in their previous car history, but I have owned two 3 litre BMWs, SAAB 900 turbo, honda legend coupe with a beast of a 3.2 litre engine, all seriously quick and all would be destroyed by this amazing little car. That's impressive enough, but the fabia does it without drama, fuss and even effort. That is its brilliance.

One thing about the fabia its not a hot hatch, its not set up to be a bone jarring corner devouring beast, its far more subtle than that.

On a long journey on motorway, a road or b road its deceptively fast, eating up the road and incredible overtaking ability yet returns 50 mpg! Look on this car as a fast fun frugal GT that will make you smile time and time again either with economy or by blowing a couple of mercs into the weeds. It's a car for all moods and people.

As a person who does quite a lot of driving I wanted a car with good ride, equipment, safety and performance that when you put your foot down at 40 mph it would accelerate quickly without having to change gears from top. The fabia does all the above with an air of elegance and refinement which not only belies its price tag, but gives it a quality and performance that makes it the ultimate Q car.