Skoda Fabia vs Volkswagen Polo – which is best?

But that’s not enough words for an article, so we’ll go into more detail about how the Skoda Fabia compares to the Volkswagen Polo in different areas to help you choose the perfect car.

You’ll find lots of similarities with the Fabia and Polo, because these two cars share a lot of parts and engines. It’s not just a case of eeny meeny miney mo, though.

Overview

The Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Polo are both excellent cars with a lot to offer, but one may suit your needs better than the other.

• Intended use: both the Fabia and Polo are suited for city driving and long trips, although the Fabia’s 1.5 petrol engine is best for high-speed driving.
• Practicality: the Fabia is marginally more practical than the Polo.
• Cost: the Fabia is cheaper than the Polo, although the Polo has good monthly payments.
• Size: the Fabia is a little bigger than the Polo, although not so much to be noticeable while driving.
• Safety: the Fabia and Polo are both very safe, but the Polo gets slightly better Euro NCAP scores. 

Skoda Fabia vs Volkswagen Polo compared

Styling and design

Both the Fabia and the Polo have been designed to look smart but conservative – neither will upset the suburban apple cart. These are well-known models so the styling has been kept familiar.

The Polo could easily be mistaken for a Golf, even down to the colour palette. You’ll find most cars in off-white, grey or black, which helps the Polo look classy and grown-up. We’d like to see more Polos in VW’s Vibrant Violet shade. The Fabia is available in similarly monochrome colours, as well as a couple of blues, but there’s also a Phoenix Orange hue that’s like a beautiful sunset.

Interior

While the architecture is broadly the same in both cars, there are some noticeable differences. The Polo’s touchscreen is plumbed into the dashboard whereas the Fabia’s looks freestanding. Skoda has drawn the dashboard out in front of the screen to give you a ledge to rest your hand – making it easier to use.

Both cars have the ergonomics sorted. There are a lot of buttons in intuitive places, although higher-spec Polos swap a cheaper air con panel for a touch-sensitive climate control panel, which isn’t so good to use.

Additionally, the Fabia has a few touches that make it a tiny bit nicer to sit in than the Polo. There are more textures and interesting design flicks, while there’s even a pen holder and a ticket clip in the lower centre console of the Fabia.

Sizes and dimensions

There’s little in it for practicality, but the Fabia just edges it. The Skoda is a mere 3cm longer than the VW, and has a few extra millimetres in the wheelbase. It also has a slightly larger boot, but both are at the top of the class. Both will manage a weekly shop with ease, and both offer plenty of interior space for four adults.

Engines and performance

Topping the Polo range is the GTI version, with 207hp and the ability to get from 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds. A proper junior hot hatch, in other words.

The Fabia offers a 1.5 petrol with 150hp – which isn’t offered on the Polo. While 0-62mph in around eight seconds is still quick, in reality it doesn’t feel much quicker than the eager 1.0 TSI engine until you’re at motorway speeds – so we’d recommend choosing the latter because it’s cheaper and more widely available.

Two versions of the 1.0 engine are available: the entry-level 1.0 MPI engine offers the lowest possible insurance costs – both the Polo and Fabia can have group 1 insurance with this engine – while the 1.0 TSI engine is turbocharged for more power and easier progress.

Running costs

With the same engines and such similar dimensions, it’s no surprise that the Polo and Fabia are equally matched on running costs. Every engine manages between 50 and 55mpg in both cars (excluding the Polo GTI’s 43mpg estimate), despite the engines not benefiting from any hybrid tech.

It’s possible that servicing may be marginally more affordable at a Skoda garage than at a VW one, although both main dealers offer discounted servicing plans from time to time.

Driving

There’s little to separate them in this regard. The Polo is a touch more composed at motorway speeds, but even the Fabia is quiet and you don’t feel much vibration. The Fabia’s ride quality is just as good as the Polo’s, despite being the cheaper car. Both are satisfying to drive, with precise gearchanges, light steering and confident brakes.

Value and reliability

Usually, the Fabia is a little cheaper to buy than an equivalent Polo, so you’re likely to find Fabias that are better-specced or lower mileage than VW versions. However, the Polo’s desirable badge means it tends to hold its value better than the Fabia – you may find that there’s very little difference in monthly repayments, even if a Polo has a higher cash price.

You can expect both to be reliable – we’ve not heard any major problems with the available petrol engines. For total peace of mind, consider taking out an extended warranty when you buy the car.

VW Polo video review

Which is best?

These are two of our favourite superminis, with all the benefits of a small car and enough space to forgo a larger car. They’re just as solid-feeling on the motorway as a larger car, too. While the Fabia has the more interesting interior, the better residual values of a Polo are hard to resist for our sensible head.

For a more in-depth look at both these cars, read our Skoda Fabia review and Volkswagen Polo review here.