Skoda Felicia (1995 - 2001)
BY JONATHAN CROUCH
You have to admire Skoda. As one of the world's oldest car companies, they've survived two World Wars, a communist dictatorship, an invasion or two and, worst of all, the darker side of the English sense of humour. Officially, the company is now over one hundred years old, though to be fair, the Czech founders, bookseller Vaclav Klement and mechanic Vaclav Laurin, who set up business in 1895 making bicycles, didn't actually make their first automobile until 1905. What isn't in doubt is that the company is now going through the brightest period in its history and it owes that to one car the Felicia, subsequently joined by the Octavia and now replaced by the fabialous Fabia supermini. The Felicia was on sale for six years, so there are a good few around on the used market at tempting prices.
Visually, the car looks like a kind of amalgamation between a VW Golf and a VW Polo which is no surprise given the German influence in its design. Certainly, inside, were it not for the curiously positioned steering wheel, you might think you were in a VW; much of the switchgear and many of the interior fitments are identical. Nor is there much difference in terms of space. In true Skoda tradition, the Felicia is as large as an Escort but, in basic form, cost less new than a Fiesta.
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The 1.3-litre 68bhp LXi meanwhile, adds a stereo, protective body mouldings and a centre console. At the top of the range, the GLXi and SLXi models come with features like tinted glass and central locking.
Prices start at around £500 for an M-registered 1.3LX. The earliest 1996 1.6-litre cars start at about £700.
A 97P-plate 1.6 GLXi will be around £1,200 or £1,250 as an estate and 98R models rage from about £1,250 to £1,350. Diesels, initially in GLi form, start on 97P plates at about £1,175. Facelift models from 98S start at about £1,300 for a 1.
3L, £1,350 with LXi trim and £1,400 as a 1.3LXi estate. The 1.6 versions are priced from £1,500 in GLXi form, with the GLXi estate £50 more and the SLXi hatch £100 extra.
Not much. In the words of one dealer, Felicias are bombproof. Certainly, theyre every bit as well put together as a VW Polo or a Golf a fact confirmed by VW Group in-house surveys. Still, check for rattly bits of trim and make sure that servicing has been properly carried out.
(Estimated prices, based on a 95 1.3 hatchback (ex VAT) A clutch assembly is around £82 and a full exhaust system around £100, excluding catalyst. Front brake pads are around £28 and a headlamp unit will set you back just over £80. An oil filter is about £3, while an air filter is about £6.
On the move, the Felicia feels as solid and safe as a Volkswagen, thanks to a slippery bodyshell (with a drag coefficient of just 0.34) which apparently is some 45% stiffer than that of its Favorit predecessor. Skoda is rightly proud of its staple model. Indeed, you could guess that from the way that Felicias proudly display the company's logo no fewer than 10 times. It's just as well then that every single finished car is driven over a test track under six different road conditions before it leaves the factory. This procedure, which underlines Skoda's commitment to quality, is normally only used for luxury cars.
It seems that the Felicia makes as much sense used as it does new. VW build quality has taken the risk out of buying a used Skoda. The market has now woken up to that fact, so values are firming.
