Faults:

Brakes front disks replaced at 110.000km cost 300 €.

The thermo water-trap replaced at 110.000km (bought it in a car-store; cost 1.5 €),

The passenger door was stuck and couldn't be opened when I got the car. Didn't cost me anything to fix it.

Front shock-absorbers replaced at 110.000km.

Interior is crap, but it is good crap.

General Comments:

This is my first car, I bought it in 2003 because I wanted to learn how to fix the car myself, got it for 300 € and had to get the brakes fixed for same sum.

The previous owner parked the car in such a way that the right side of the car body was very rusty and I couldn't wind down the window, so I've had a lot of fun fixing this, and I brushed up and painted the body, and it looks very good.

I've never had any problems since 2003, and the car starts always, steering it can be heavy at low speed, but very stable at high speed. This car is outstanding on the highway, and the gear ratio is unique the 5th gear is for +125 kmh.

I also noticed that some parts in the car, like the air-filter box, are from VW.

The Skoda Favorit has few things that can go wrong, no electric stuff and comfort. My friend has a Renault Megane Coupe, and he had tow the car to the repair because a computer chip failed.

Body has to be taken care of, because the rust is marching in, and it dents easily.

This is a perfect first car. Cheap all-around (parts, consumption), and it's very easy to learn to fix it.

Engine is reliable, but interior and are body not.

Has more power than I thought when I bought it, but the gear shifting is awful.

Cheap and good engine.

Faults:

The only fault I have had with the Skoda is the rear wiper arm came loose. A simple tightening of the nut and it was trouble free!

A switch cover for the front fog-lights has come loose, but was easily repaired with a drop of glue. The switch itself works fine.

General Comments:

I received a serious ribbing from friends and relatives after buying the GLXi Silverline Estate, but I am now a serious Skoda fanatic, and it is only those who need to drive an "image", not a car, that would slate post 1993 Skodas, as VW's involvement really paid off. The later Favorits are damn fine cars!

If you're looking to buy a '93-onward model, check the Air-filter cover for the Volkswagen Audi Group symbol. If it's there, it was built under VW's early involvement. And trust me the changes are clearly visible!

The car drives superbly, and handles surprisingly well considering the skinny tyre and 13" wheel combination (although they are 5-spoke alloys, possibly to bring out the boy-racer in me!) and being a Silverline model, it gets a sunroof, a boot spoiler and front splitter, and little black flairs on the rear wheel arches.

Rear space is phenomenal; the Estate's boot is cavernous and has incorporated a fortnightly shop for my wife, our 3 children and myself, and a fortnightly shop for my parents also, with still enough room to house our toddler's pushchair.

The performance is what I would describe as "quite ample". It isn't blisteringly quick, but then anyone looking for reliable, cheerful and above all cheap family transport, are ultimately not seeking a 150mph, £30,000 "image" to impress the other shoppers at the supermarket, or get stared at on the school-run. I'll leave that to people who enjoy being in debt.

It will cruise merrily at 70mph, and it will keep up with much flashier machinery easily around town, much to their aggravation. And the Favorit's ability to blast off at the lights has amazed many a hot-hatch driver!

The stopping power is equally as ample as the going power, and brings the car to halt quickly if need be, but a lack of ABS can be scary in bad weather conditions at times, as it is quite easy to lock the front wheels up on this car if you are even slightly heavy with the brake pedal.

OK, so the "image" that the Skoda Favorit wears, is it's usually found being driven by elderly gents and ladies that buy them for one reason - loyalty. They need a dependable, reliable and comfortable friend, a car they can trust to get them to the local shops or the bridge club in any weather. And a Favorit is the car for the job! Mine has been supremely reliable, starts in any weather, first time (which annoys a lot of people, when their expensive, flashy, often financed cars fail to start on that frosty morning).

The cabin is a little dreary, lots of black, slab-faced plastic, but the instrument panel is great. It reads clearly, does its job and everything operated by a switch in the car has a designated light on the dash, so no fiddling around with cluttered switches wondering whats on and what isn't; it even beeps at you for leaving the lights on after you have turned the engine off and opened the door! No electronic windows, cruise control, air conditioning or climate control, which to me means less to go wrong, so I'm happy about that! It is much more amusing to other motorists to watch you having your electronic window stick halfway down in the pouring rain than it is to watch Mr. Anonymous’ shoulders gyrate as he winds his window up or down manually in a traffic jam.

I absolutely love the Favorit, and I have owned quite a few cars in my driving years, and the Favorit has been one of my best so far, if not THE best with regard to reliability and plain, no-frills practicality and usability! I intend to keep this car for a long long time. No one is getting their hands on this gem!