1994 Skoda Forman GLXi Plus 1.3 from Finland

Summary:

My Forman is the best value for money I have ever got from a car

Faults:

Central locking failed at 174,000 km. I haven't bothered to repair it yet.

Rev counter has not worked since I bought the car (March '04, then driven 150,000 km) ; dealer says it's not worth the cost to repair it. Mildly annoying as a non-working gauge in the dashboard is, I can do without it.

Part of the dashboard lights have burnt out, but all readings are still visible in the dark. Some of the switches, such as rear window heater and rear fog lights, have no light and need to be remembered in the dark.

Slight spots of surface rust have appeared on the lower part of both front doors. The car is white, so all rust is clearly visible. It helps to wash the car regularly and to use rust remover from time to time.

General Comments:

The car was ridiculously cheap to buy and so far worth every penny invested.

I have now driven 25,000 kms in 7 months without major problems.

Skoda's old-type 1.3-litre engine is a bit noisy and weak. It takes a long time to accelerate back to 120 km/h, the max. allowed speed on Finnish motorways, if you have to slow down for some reason.

Load affects the vehicle's performance a lot. When only 2 people and no luggage are on board, however, it easily maintains its cruising speed even on motorways.

Many great design features, such as recessed wiper blades that never cause water streaks across the windshield when stopped, and rear window design that deflects dirt from the centre of the glass so that rear visibility is retained in bad weather even without using the rear wiper.

Fuel economy is very good. It has remained steadily below 8 litres/100 km regardless of driving conditions (mostly city and motorway at top speed).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th October, 2004

8th Nov 2005, 17:42

Hi, me again.

So far, I have driven about 65,000 km with the '94 Skoda Forman I wrote about earlier. Total mileage (kilometrage?) is thus 215,000 km. I still think it's a great little thing.

No problems so far except front wheel bearings and rear shock absorbers changed, and presently expecting rear wheel bearings to go soon. Rust gradually increasing, but under control. Fuel consumption still some 7.5 litres/100 km on average. Passes inspection every time with flying colours.

1994 Skoda Forman LX 1.3 petrol from Malta

Summary:

Very good family car with a huge luggage space

Faults:

Rear end of silencer changed after six years.

General Comments:

Great buy. Cheap motoring, good build quality and good performance for an estate. Loads of space. Tended to understeer but a change to wider tyres solved the problem. One of the first models to benefit from the VW merger.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th March, 2000

14th Apr 2001, 00:28

My Skoda Forman has problems with rust after six years.

I have replace the Stoßdämper (I don't know the right word in English) now.

Clausdieterf@uboot.com.

12th Sep 2001, 12:26

This may depend on the build year. The first Formans were known for their tendency to rust. The best model to buy is the '93 or '94 Forman, with the 50 kW engine if available. Really good value for money, can transport a lot of stuff, great for families.

12th Feb 2003, 12:14

My 1993 Forman LSe (last original Czech Model) went 153'000 km yet. It is a great car for young families because it is very cheap in buying and maintenance. Some problems appeared only on the water-cooling. After 9 years some rust on left-side behind. No other problems. Runs 150 km p.h. on highway with four persons and plenty of luggage. We go to holiday in Italy every year (800 km).

1st Feb 2005, 23:42

Who can help me?I need SKODA Forman user manual! thanks.

x_virus@tom.com

17th Nov 2006, 04:48

I would like to buy a Skoda Forman. I am in the UK. Does anyone have one to sell?

Binhaddou at hotmail dot com.

14th Dec 2007, 08:58

My Skoda Forman is wonderful. It is really reliable, it performed well at Hal - Far drag strip. Only had to change the silencer after 14 years. Great Value for money.

2nd Jun 2010, 06:57

I have mine for many years now. It's a bit old fashioned, so I thought about seven years ago that I should buy a newer model if this old one gives me any trouble.

Guess, since that it gave me no trouble at all, it's a survivor.

1994 Skoda Forman GLXi 1.3 from Norway

Faults:

Replaced head gasket after 60k. Central locking unit failed at 40k. In every other way a very reliable car.

General Comments:

Fantastic value for money! Fairly comfy, a bit harsh engine though. Handles fairly on straight forward, understeers heavily when pushed in bends, but remains safe. I have traded it for a Ford Scorpio estate, it became a bit too small for a family of four and a big dog.

Buy one and discover the Skoda difference!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th November, 1999