Fabia Estate vs Note
We take our pick from two practical small cars on the second-hand market
Is Skoda or Nissan a wiser buy on the second-hand market?
Skoda Fabia 1.4 TDI SE L Estate Years: 2014 to date Engine: 1.4-litre 3cyl, 89bhp Insurance grp: 11 Official econ/co2: 83.1mpg/88g/km Why? Huge boot, clever storage solutions and refined driving experience are all big selling points for Skoda. Prices from: £8,500
THE Skoda Fabia Estate is a stylish and classy supermini estate that’s good to drive, and it’s difficult to beat for drivers who need a small car with maximum carrying capacity.
It looks to have a decisive advantage against the Nissan Note on boot space: when the rear seats are in place there’s a 530-litre load bay; 119 litres more than in the Nissan, even with its sliding bench pushed far forward.
All Fabias get a slick infotainment system, although there’s no sat-nav. Instead you use Mirrorlink software to beam route instructions and maps from your Android smartphone.
The Fabia Estate is nippy and agile around town and drives much like the hatchback model, turning into corners sharply with plenty of grip. There’s some body roll, but the suspension does a good job to control it.
This latest Fabia continued Skoda’s proud Driver Power tradition, debuting in 22nd place in our 2016 satisfaction survey, with owners rating running costs and ease of driving highly.
Nissan Note 1.5 dci Tekna Years: 2013 to date Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 89bhp Insurance grp: 9 Official econ/co2: 80.7mpg/90g/km Why? Nissan offers a versatile interior for passengers and luggage, plus engine is more refined than Fabia’s. Prices from: £6,000
NISSAN’S Note is a modern-looking, well built small car that’s a little larger than a conventional supermini, but the benefits of this come in the exceptional space efficiency and flexibility of its well planned interior.
It’s a match for many larger family hatches in terms of passenger and luggage space, making it a front-runner for those seeking maximum practicality for the money.
The Note’s Nissanconnect screen is small and looks dated, but features satnav as standard. The dials are classy and the centre console is now finished in gloss black, although the dashboard is still made of a hard, scratchy plastic.
It’s not as much fun to drive as the Fabia, but it handles tidily with good body control for a small car that’s slightly taller than most rivals. Body lean through corners is kept under control and the steering is well weighted, though.
The Note didn’t chart in Driver Power, but Nissans traditionally score well for reliability.