I've just got back from dropping my Touran off at the garage for a cambelt change and thanks to their choice of courtesy car, today I got to sample the "other end" of the small VAG range in the early 2000's - a Skoda Fabia 1.2 petrol estate in classic (bog standard / lowest level) trim.
Driving it along the M5 / A30 back to Honiton from Exeter, it left me feeling distinctly unimpressed: Yes it's roomy, but then it isn't actually a small car in estate format, being 4.2m long (the same length as our Touran, a vastly more spacious car and also a whole 40 cm longer than the A2!). It didn't really have the same quality feel as the Golf of a similar vintage I had as courtesy car last time -which incidentally had done twice the mileage but still felt as tight as new. The Fabia was also incredibly noisy: Even allowing for being spoilt by the luxuriously silent Touran, the road roar in particular was simply deafening and I gave up trying to listen to the radio very quickly at 70 mph. I really hope Merlin proves to be the opposite end of the refinement spectrum compared to this thing as otherwise we are not going to get along! Luckily I've never seen a post from any of you saying the A2 is particularly noisy at speed; so with the six speed conversion so it should be pretty good I hope, even by modern standards.
That said, I noticed the Fabia had Audi alloys with (almost worn out mid-range rear, half-worn Chinese front) 205/45/16 tyres on, too wide and low-profile in my opinion and also Skoda's, who specified 165/70/14 or 185/55/15 depending on whether it came with steelies or alloys. This will have undoubtedly added to the roar, they also look to have aged badly as they are perishing in the sidewalls.
Coupled with a quick glance at its MOT history and perhaps I'm being too harsh in judging the marque based on this example - In fact perhaps I should seek an alternative garage!
Am I expecting too much from a VAG specialist independent garage, or is it fair to think that if their courtesy car standards are this low then what else do they scrimp on? Their workshop is always spotless and the work they've done for me so far has been good, also I'm sure the vast majority of their customers wouldn't care or even think to look this stuff up!! But let's just say that with the tyres in particular being in the state that they are, I won't be encouraging my wife to use this car while the Touran is away.
Take a look and let me know your thoughts people: