Skoda Fabia Endangered species engenders praise

SKODA FABIA

Youhavetoappreciategoodthingswhiletheylast

MILEAGE 3898

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To discover whether you can still get a great all-rounder for less than £25k

L

LOV E IT

SIMPLE LIFE Trying our Mazda CX-60 recently only enhanced the impression that I already had of the Fabia: its size and simplicity are its strong suits. LOATHE IT

SOD’S LAW The one time I’ve run a car without cruise control has coincided with me pulling my right hamstring. My 90-minute commute ends in agony. We doubt you could do this with old Fabia

KRIS CULMER

TEST DATA

SKODA FABIA 1.5 TSI MONTE CARLO DSG Price £23,925 Price as tested £23,925 Faults Wipers failed once Expenses None Economy 39.4mpg Last seen 21/28.12.22

Cupra Born

MILEAGE 7623 LAST SEEN 21/28.11.22

Twice in the past few weeks I’ve taken the Cupra to a public charger, left it for a while and returned to find an error message saying ‘charging unexpectedly stopped’ , meaning another lengthy wait. Yet the car is charging happily on my EVIOS unit at home. I realise I’m at risk of sounding like a stuck record, but the UK really needs to get its public EV charging network sorted, and fast. AC

Dacia Jogger

MILEAGE 21,300 LAST SEEN 30.11.22

The Jogger has keyless entry, which is surprising but very welcome in a budget car. But as with Renaults, the system is a bit backwards. It unlocks the car as you approach but doesn’t automatically lock it when you leave. A few times I’ve locked it and then walked past it, making it unlock itself again, so then had to dig out the key and lock it manually. Again. LL

Alpine A110

MILEAGE 3457 LAST SEEN 21/28.12.22

It’s very rare to see an A110, let alone two parked side by side anywhere other than an owners’ meeting. But should I really have been surprised when I rolled up at Gordon Murray’s place to discover he too runs one? I recall him naming it as his show star at Geneva 2017 without a moment’s thought. Clearly, he decided to put his money where his mouth was. AF