Skoda Fabia Hatchback (2007 - 2014) 1.6 TDI CR (105bhp) Monte Carlo 5d (2011/61) Owner Review
Want to know everything there is to know about this car?
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Summary
What does this car say about you?
To me this is a stupid question, it's just a car.
What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
They like the look of the Monte Carlo and often compare it to a mini. The wife loves it.
Would you buy this car again and why?
No i wouldn't don't get me wrong things like the £20 road tax and 50mpg are great but i don't want to have to change over the suspension on a car purely because it's terrible.
What are you likely to buy next?
My next car is likely to be a larger more powerful diesel, not sure which though.
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Buying experience
Type of dealer you bought from?
Franchised
Did you buy this car new?
No
What price did you pay?
£13,000
When did you buy the car?
April 2012
Did you get a good deal and why?
I got an ok deal as my brother in law is the nephew of the owner. The car had very few miles on it around 2000 at the time of purchase.
Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
I bought this car to make some savings, My 2009 Honda Civic Type R was becoming too expensive to run.
What was the dealer like?
The dealer was good.
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Driving it
What's it like to drive?
As i mentioned previously i have had the suspension changed because the original is not very good. Since having this done the handling has improved and so has the ride quality. It does tend to want to slightly under-steer in the wet going around corners at speed.
What's it like to park?
Fairly easy it is a small car.
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Living with it
Have you had any problems with the car?
Nothing has gone wrong with it per say. However the suspension that comes standard with the car is very very poor, slight bumps and shallow pot holes on the road make a horrendous bang where any other car i've ever owned would roll over the same area without incident. I went as far as having the whole suspension changed to a Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit Suspension Kit, the outlay was expensive but worth it.
What's most practical about your car?
The most practical thing is the engine i average about 50mpg.
Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
Heated seats, i've never had them before because i never saw the need but getting them with the car made me change my mind they are fantastic on a cold morning.
