Skoda Fabia long-term test

• The Car: Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI 95 SE L
• Run by: Kris Culmer, sub-editor
• Why it's here: To see if our 2015 Car of the Year is still a top choice after the arrival of several new rivals
• Needs to: Be smooth, sufficiently powerful, economical and enjoyable during the daily commute, as well as able to cope with the odd haulage job

Price £16,505 Price as tested £17,625 Mileage 8687 Official fuel economy 51.4mpg (WLTP) Test economy 49.2mpg Options Brilliant Silver metallic paint (£595), Winter Package (£250), keyless entry (£165), temporary steel spare wheel (£110)

18 March 2019 – Maddening mirror

Am I going crazy? It would appear that the Fabia's rear-view mirror just isn’t large enough to show the entirety of the rear window – from where I have the driver’s seat positioned, at least. No matter how I adjust it, the top or bottom slivers of screen are out of sight, as are both the right-hand and left-hand corners.

This is incredibly frustrating – kind of like that brain itch when the volume on your TV isn’t on an odd or even (depending on your personal neuroticism) number. So I end up tweaking it several times before I set off and do the same at red lights but, alas, it’s still never quite right.

Recent spells in a Peugeot 508 and a Kia Ceed were welcome relief, because both of those cars have almost the opposite problem (if you can call it that) of a pillbox-like rear window and a big, chunky rear-view mirror. Although I’d obviously much rather both components be on the large side, this way round is surely the lesser of two evils.

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