Motoring Discussion > Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bromptonaut Replies: 16

 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Bromptonaut
Mr Moo asked about my new car.

Still only done about 200 miles and was going to wait a bit before posting a 'first impressions' thread but since it's been raised I'll give a report now.

So far well pleased with it. Only use has been work commute and domestic tasks. Nothing at NSL type speed apart from on A45 round Northampton and dodging onto M1 last night 'cos Ring Road looked slow. It's nippy enough in traffic and, with gears used sensibly, on m/way lane changes too. Not quite as torquey as the diesel Roomie but less noise under throttle. Ride is OK, 45 profile tyres c/p 55 on the Roomster are a little firmer and possibly noisier. Fronts are Rixen whereas I'd normally go for premium like Michelin or Pirelli, might change them sooner rather than later.

The Monte Carlo trim brings high back sports seats. Got comfortable driving position sorted after a day or two. Seems to lack under thigh support compared to the Roomie but may still be permutations to explore. Pedals slightly different too; feels like slightly less space for left foot around clutch.

Everything control wise falls to hand as it matched the Roomster. H&V controls are rotary switches with buttons for A/C and recirculate. Radio has push/rotary on off but with a touch screen for tuning. Came configured to ape push buttons and I'll probably leave it like that. Choice of channels on digital radio is mind boggling. Got it set up for those I'm most likely to want (BBC R2-5, Classic FM, BBC World and a couple of golden oldies channels). It pairs with my phone and can access my Amazon music playlists that way but annoyingly it can't offer full track control.

Touch screen also controls a lot of vehicle parameters like DRL on/off, trip display functions etc. Still getting to grips with this. Stop/start is still a bit of a mystery. More than once it's stopped but then re-started spontaneously, presumably because of temperature or electrical load.

Had a minor issue with de-mist and persistent front screen condensation. Mix I think of previous owner's failure to keep inside spotless and clogged cabin filter - sorted after I took it back to dealer.

Some wrinkles to sort out as it was previously on VAG extended servicing but was switched to fixed on transfer to me. Miss-communication between sales, workshop and myself meant this wasn't clear. That may account for why cabin air filter wasn't changed when it should have been.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - zippy
It's sounding good.

>>More than once it's stopped but then re-started spontaneously, presumably because of
>>temperature or electrical load.

I find that putting my car in engaging the handbrake if foot is on the brake can start the engine up again. In a previous car, just touching the clutch pedal would switch the engine on again.

Other features like air-con, heater coming on etc are also likely to impact it.

 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Netsur
We have two cars with stop start. Both have a mind of their own. You could be in permanent urban grind for days and stop start works regularly or you could have been on a long motprway trip and when you reach the first traffic light, the engine stays running. Never worked it out why and how.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Mr Moo
Sounds promising. Thanks Bromptonaut.

Will be interesting how you settle back to petrol after years of being a diesel devotee. I’m going to be making the same journey next year. At least the ‘lingo will still give you access to a diesel for now at least and the prodigious low down torque can’t be beaten for lugging a ‘van.

 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - R.P.
I loved my old Rommie Scout but had to sell it after my first wife died for something more practical due to changed circumstances (CRV was a fine motor). When I was waiting for my bus yesterday (see other thread) I spotted a very nice looking Octavia VRS...if it was an estate and petrol, I'd be tempted.
www.pentremotors.co.uk/used/skoda/octavia/20-tdi-cr-vrs-5dr/denbigh/denbighshire/18718268/
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Bromptonaut
First brim/brim fuel check is a somewhat disappointing 39.22mpg. The Roomster never dropped below 40 and was usually 45ish.

Exactly 300 miles and 34.77 litres. Pretty well all miles on commute except that Mrs B and I went down to Bletchley Park - 50 or so mile round trip mostly on A5. Trip computer, set to show consumption in current journey, suggests it might have been a little higher, More careful analysis leads me think it's being dragged down by mile or so in evening in crawling traffic - I'm supposed to finish at 16:15 but usually end up doing 30/40 minutes extra so bang slap in peak.

Also been driving into town and using commuter car park rather than using a free park/ride and biking last mile and half on the Brompton. Wet rather than cold that puts me off.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 22 Nov 19 at 08:54
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Bromptonaut
On a side note is it still a bad thing to start a petrol engine from cold and just move car a few yards before switching off. I know it used to be regarded as putting the cat at risk but that was when cats were new 30 or so years ago.

We were away in caravan last weekend and as is our practice my car was left right up against garage door. Under no illusion it would stop a determined thief but makes it more difficult.

Turned out that due to works at storage depot dropping 'van off on way back from M1 wasn't as easy as usual and we needed to leave it on drive at home until weekend. Doing so necessitated moving the Fabia 25 yards onto the road.

Relaxed in past about doing same with diesels, what's the panel think about modern petrols?
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - No FM2R
I don't know if it is a bad thing or not, but I do it often. The car I want is never unblocked so shuffling is frequent.

Though I guess cars are rarely properly cold here given the climate.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - henry k
>> On a side note is it still a bad thing to start a petrol engine from cold
>> and just move car a few yards before switching off.
>>I know it used to be regarded as putting the cat at risk .....
>>
Just a few years ago I moved my daughter's old Yaris a few feet and then it would not start.
Eventually I had to call the AA to sort it.
AA guy said he had frequent call outs after similar happenings.
He likened it to flooding the engine. The electronics get confused and over fuel.
He was about to disable the fuel pump and then turn the engine over to vent it when it did start.
( he said that SAABs never have the problems)
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Duncan
>> Just a few years ago I moved my daughter's old Yaris a few feet and
>> then it would not start.
>> Eventually I had to call the AA to sort it.
>> AA guy said he had frequent call outs after similar happenings.
>> He likened it to flooding the engine. The electronics get confused and over fuel.

Our 2002 Yaris doesn't like to be started from cold and then turned off before the blue light on the dash has gone out.

It's now normal practice to sit in the car and make polite conversation until the blue light has gone out. It only take 3-4 minutes from cold.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - sooty123
Relaxed in past about doing same with diesels, what's the panel think about modern petrols?
>>
>>

Unless you're doing it ten times a day I wouldn't worry about it.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Bromptonaut
>> Unless you're doing it ten times a day I wouldn't worry about it.

That was my thought. We have a double width drive with an understanding that her car goes on right and mine on left. If caravan is on drive it goes to left as it's in right place for connecting electric supply etc. and manoeuvre on/off has a few more feet of turn radius to play with. Got back on Tuesday and Skoda was just fine for my commute Wednesday and Thursday.

Might have been a problem at or old house where an evening shuffle to get my car at front of tandem drive for early get away to station was a regular need.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 22 Nov 19 at 13:39
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Haywain
Rightly or wrongly, I have always held the notion that short journeys are not good for vehicles. When I have wanted to move a car a couple of feet from the front of the garage doors, I've pushed it back myself rather than start the engine. There's a Honda dealer 400yds away and every morning the motorcycles are ridden out of the showroom and onto the forecourt, then back again at the end of the day; I cringe.

At this time of year, it's very difficult to make any sort of useful mpg comparisons. Whilst on long journeys using m'way/dual carriageway, the Kroq will do approaching 50mpg; yesterday evening when I did the 4 mile ride to pick my daughter up from work, the indicated avg mpg rose from 18 at the start to 32 when we got back. It has the 1.5 petrol engine.

While the Kroq was lying at the dealers undergoing bouts of neurosurgery, I was loaned various Skoda courtesy cars - Fabias, Rapids and Octavias. These cars had conventional handbrakes that I found quite uncomfortable to operate because the partially-retractable cover for the centre console (at you left elbow) meant that your left wrist had to be crooked at a painful angle. Is your Fabia like that, Brompt?
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Bromptonaut
>> While the Kroq was lying at the dealers undergoing bouts of neurosurgery, I was loaned
>> various Skoda courtesy cars - Fabias, Rapids and Octavias. These cars had conventional handbrakes that
>> I found quite uncomfortable to operate because the partially-retractable cover for the centre console (at
>> you left elbow) meant that your left wrist had to be crooked at a painful
>> angle. Is your Fabia like that, Brompt?

No centre console/armrest on mine though I can see it on current build versions on Skoda website.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Haywain
"No centre console/armrest on mine though I can see it on current build versions on Skoda website."

From my experience, that console cover would be enough to put me off buying a car. It is hinged so, in theory, it can be folded up out of the way of your wrist ....... but then you hit it with your elbow - doh!

That cover also features on my Kroq where it is no problem because the car hasn't got a handbrake - in fact I quite like it, in that situation. I'm still undecided as to whether I prefer autohold to a conventional handbrake, though.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Zero
With the exception of the Seat*. I have found auto hold/EPB to be superb in operation.

*because matched to the DSG box, its the work of the devil. Add auto start /stop to the mix to drive you crazy.
 Skoda Fabia Monte-Carlo 2016 - First Impression - Kevin
>On a side note is it still a bad thing to start a petrol engine from cold and just move car a few yards before
>switching off.

When starting a petrol engine from cold the ECU enriches the mixture slightly. This can leave unburned fuel in the cylinders if the engine is sitched off quickly before it has warmed up and the mixture has reverted to normal. The problem with this is that the fuel can then run down the bores past the rings and wash away oil lubricating the bores and sealing the rings. This reduces compression and can stop the engine starting again. Some engines seem to be more affected than others.

Happened to me years ago with a 1998 XJ8 I had. AA man knew exactly what the problem was as soon as I told him what I'd done. He removed all the sparkplugs, put a small shot of engine oil into each cylinder, wound it over on the starter for a couple of seconds then put the plugs back and she fired up straight away with plumes of smoke. We waited until it had warmed up a bit and then he removed the plugs again and cleaned them. After that I always waited until the temp gauge started moving before switching off.
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