COTY 2016 Best First Car: Skoda Fabia
There's no better first car than Skoda's giant-killing Fabia, which punched above its weight in carsales.com.au Car of the Year for 2016Skoda Fabia
Best First Car
Small cars have a lot to prove, but it was Skoda’s diminutive Fabia that emerged from the pack to become our Best First Car in 2016.
Placing the pint-sized hatch in good stead against much larger and more expensive competition, Skoda's smallest model delivers on the Czech-based Volkswagen brand's promise of latest German tech at an affordable price.
Once again this year, our judges were glowing in their praise of the Fabia’s clever and innovative packaging, generous accommodation, impressive fuel economy and sound dynamics. The inclusion of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard was also noted as commendable, as was its outstanding build quality and sophisticated infotainment and driver assistance systems.
The panel found little to criticise in the Fabia, citing only road noise levels on coarse-chip roads and expectedly limited space from the rear centre seat as negatives. It was felt Skoda could have offered stronger after-sales support, too, while poor resale value also hurt the model’s standing.
Otherwise the Fabia shone brightly and, with a price range ($15,990-$24,640) comparable to rivals including those from Japan and Korea, easily justified its title as our Best First Car again this year.
The carsales.com.au Car of the Year winners are:
2016 carsales.com.au Car of the Year category winners:
Best First Car: Skoda Fabia
Best City Car: Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Best Family Car Under $30K: Skoda Octavia
Best Family Car Over $30K: Mazda6
Best Green Car: BMW i3 ReX
Best Offroad 4x4: Ford Ranger
Best Performance Car Under $100K: Ford Focus RS
Best Performance Car Over $100K: Porsche 911 Carrera S
Best Prestige Car Under $100K: Audi A4
Best Prestige Car Over $100K: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Best SUV Under $50K: Mazda CX-9
Best SUV Over $50K: Audi Q7
Best Tradie vehicle: Ford Ranger
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