Skoda Fabia 130 vs Audi A1: is either of these £30k small cars worth buying? 

This is my Skoda Fabia 130, a sporty-looking hatch which I’ve been living with for just over two months. With options, this car costs £31,545, and that got me thinking about what else you could buy for that sort of cash.

In short, quite a lot. But the most obvious alternative to me was the Audi A1. In top-spec trim it costs about the same as the Skoda, but it’s got a more premium badge on the nose which makes it seem better value for money – in theory.

To find out which of these cars, if either, is more worthy of your cash, I’ve spent a week with the A1. Here’s my honest comparison of these two cars.

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Skoda Fabia 130 vs Audi A1: design and desirability

If you’re spending this sort of cash on a small car, you’ll want it to look good. I reckon both have their merits in this department.

The standard Skoda Fabia is a fairly dull-looking car, but this 130 version has enough sporty tidbits to really liven it up. I reckon it looks great in this blue paint with the black roof, and the deeper bodykit makes it look really mean.

The Audi is slightly more subdued, with a smaller rear spoiler and no visible exhausts at the rear, but it does look posher than the Skoda. The massive grille at the front is classic Audi, and the different creases and surfaces down the side make it look bigger than it actually is.

It’s a tough choice for sure, but I slightly prefer the way the Skoda looks. It’s more hot hatch-y to my eye, but ultimately styling is subjective and for some people just having four rings on the grille will be enough.

Skoda Fabia 130 vs Audi A1: price and standard equipment

My Skoda Fabia 130 starts from £29,995, but it does have a few options fitted. It has adaptive cruise control at £345, a Winter Pack which adds heated seats and a heated steering wheel, plus a few other bits bringing it to a total of £31,545.

Right now through Carwow, you can save up to £5,780 on a Fabia 130, which brings the cost of my car down to around £25,800.

This Audi A1 is the top-spec Black Edition with the 1.5-litre petrol engine and an automatic gearbox, so it costs from £30,745. It also has the £1,295 Technology Pack, which adds a reversing camera, heated seats and an upgraded Sonos sound system. In total, this car comes to £32,040.

You can save up to £3,100 on this car at the time of writing, which brings the price down to just under £29,000. It’s still more than the Skoda, and it’s not as well-equipped.

At this price, the A1 doesn’t have keyless start, climate control, the full virtual cockpit with maps on the driver’s display or even an armrest. These are all part of the Technology Pack Pro, a £1,500 upgrade over the standard Technology Pack, but you get them as standard on the Fabia 130.

In terms of value for money, the Fabia is a much better deal.

Skoda Fabia 130 vs Audi A1: interior and practicality

Once you step inside, you start to see why the Audi is more expensive. For a small hatchback, the interior is really posh.

All the knobs and switches have a pleasing heft, as well as a nice click when you twist or press them. The wraparound driver’s air vents are also a bit Lamborghini-esque, but I do wish Audi had used some nicer plastics on the doors and centre console. They’re all hard and quite shiny, which takes the edge off the premium feeling

I’m also not a huge fan of the A1’s infotainment system. It’s easy enough to navigate, but the graphics are a bit dark and the digital driver’s display isn’t really customisable at all unless you pay to upgrade it.

The Fabia’s digital instruments can display maps, as well as be configured in loads of different ways. That said, it just doesn’t feel as solid or posh inside as the Audi does. Build quality is decent, but there are no soft-touch materials anywhere and the switchgear isn’t as satisfying. It’s just not as special inside as the Audi.

Where Skoda always excels is practicality, but the Fabia gets off to a bad start on this front. It may be longer than the A1, but the bulkier front sports seats rob a bit of rear legroom. I’m 6’3” tall, so small cars like this are always tight for me, but I felt less claustrophobic in the back of the Audi.

Other than rear seat room, however, the Skoda is quite a lot more practical. The 380-litre boot not only dwarfs the A1’s 335 litres, it’s the same capacity as you get in the larger Volkswagen Golf. There are also loads of handy nets and storage cubbies throughout the car, as well as Skoda’s usual clever features. The umbrella in the driver’s door is really handy, as is the parking ticket clip on the windscreen.

I reckon the Skoda just about clinches the practicality prize. It’s still roomy enough in the rear for a car like this, but it has way more storage space than the A1, but overall I still think the Audi’s interior is nicer.

Skoda Fabia 130 vs Audi A1: engines and driving

Both of these cars use the same 1.5-litre petrol engine and an automatic gearbox, but the Skoda’s is tuned for more power. It has 177hp on tap, whereas the Audi has 150hp.

This means the Fabia will do 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds, whereas the Audi takes 9.8 seconds. However, from behind the wheel the Audi somehow feels quicker, and I reckon this is down to the gearbox tuning. The A1 feels more urgent and responsive when you put your foot down, whereas the Skoda can be a bit hesitant at times.

With its hot hatch styling, you might expect the Skoda to be more fun on a twisty road than the Audi. This, unfortunately, isn’t the case. It feels planted and secure through the bends, but it’s just lacking that fun factor I was after. The A1 isn’t a grin-inducing car either, but the steering does feel a tad more responsive.

I’ve noticed that the Audi is a bit more comfortable over bumps as well, and it’s slightly quieter on the motorway. The differences are small, but they add up to make the car feel more refined. The Skoda has still been a comfy car over the last few months, but the Audi is the better car to drive.

Fuel economy has also been pretty much exactly the same, which is no surprise. The Skoda has averaged 51mpg during my time with it, whereas the Audi is hovering around the 50mpg mark.

Skoda Fabia 130 vs Audi A1: my final verdict

So then, which of these two cars should you buy? Well if you’re looking to spend £30,000 on a small hatchback, I’d choose the Audi A1. However, I’d save myself around £1,700 by going for the S Line instead of the Black Edition. I’d then use that money to get the Technology Pack Pro, which adds all the kit from the Skoda which this A1 is missing. With a posher interior and more comfortable driving experience, it feels more worthy of its price tag.

However, I don’t honestly think either of these cars are worth the money they fetch. Right now through Carwow, £31,000 will get you an Audi A3 S-line or a BMW 1 Series M Sport – both of which are larger and even more premium-feeling than the A1.

You could also get the cavernous and quick Skoda Octavia vRS for just over £35,000 through Carwow at the time of writing. Having lived with that car for four months, I can safely say it’s worth spending the extra cash.

Looking at the used market, I also found a 2023 Volkswagen Golf R for £30,600 with just 25,500 miles on the clock. This is a ballistically fast hot hatch which is a riot to drive, and something I’d seriously consider.

If you’re after a small car, but don’t want to spend £30,000, I’d recommend going for a more basic version of the Skoda Fabia. The Monte Carlo has very similar styling to the 130, and it’s just as comfy and practical, but it costs almost £6,000 less. The Fabia is a cracking small car, but the premium you pay for the 130 is hard to justify.

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