If you’re in the market for a new car our Tried And Tested column should help you decide.
With so many brands and types to choose from, it can often be quite hard to know which car is the right car for you.
From testing them out on the motorways to driving around the back roads of Ireland, we give you the highs and lows of many of the market’s leading brands.
So sit back, relax and get ready to go cruising…
This week, we’re off to Westmeath for a very special first birthday party.
________________________________________________________
Cruising
From nipping around Dublin city centre to heading down the motorway to the metropolis of the midlands, we put the new Škoda Fabia to the test as we hit the road to Westmeath for parties, fun and laughter.
City driving
The main reason to love, love, love this car is that it is absolutely perfect for city driving. Small and compact, the Fabia is ideal for nipping in and around busy city streets and makes life that bit easier.
In fact…
It’s nearly too easy! Although the Fabia might be a 1.2 litre car on paper, in reality, it feels like a much more powerful car. Easy to manoeuvre and with smooth gear changes, it really is a car that keeps on surprising.
Music makes the world go round
As with most new cars, the Fabia has all the latest mod cons to make sure you can listen to your favourite tunes on the way. There’s nothing complicated about their system and the dash and controls in general are extremely user-friendly.
All packed up
Despite its size, the Fabia has a decent sized boot, perfect for throwing a suitcase in the back and heading off on a weekend away. Bliss.
Home comforts
The Fabia is a lovely car to drive mainly thanks to its comfy seats and various seat adjustments to ensure that you can sit back and enjoy the drive.
Keyless start
A random one to include as a favourite, but if you are anything like us and have an absolutely enormous bunch of keys, the keyless start to the Fabia is ideal and saves you being annoyed by a heavy pile of keys jangling on your leg.
What about the money?
Overall, the Fabia is quite economical on petrol and there certainly isn’t anything to complain about when it comes to filling up at the tank. A round-trip from Dublin to Mullingar along with a number of side trips down the M50 (don’t ask!) saw it still boasting well over a half a tank.
Our star rating?
A fabialous 3.5/5
Why?
We loved the ease of city driving and the economy on fuel but…
As much as we love the armrest, it’s not practical for city driving where you are moving up and down through gears and sometimes relying on the handbrake. Yes, yes, we know just put the armrest up, and we did, and we were happy as Larry once more.
Although for the size of the car the boot is a pretty good size, a little bit bigger for all the presents we were lugging home would have been perfect, but it’s certainly not a deal breaker.
As usual, we will leave you with our favourite…
Video via YouTube/ChamillionaireVEVO
