Build Quality

[deadeyejim]

We bought a Fabia VRs at the weekend to replace the G/F's Lupo. Now I've been toddling around in it and it's made me realise just how badly built and finished the Ibiza is.

Better trim, much better soundproofing. Better ride quality and better driving position.

I can honestly see me swapping my FR in for a VRs at this rate.


Now I would expect something like an Audi to make me find the low points of my car, but I wasn't expecting the Skoda to be so much better.

Anyone else become disillusioned with their MK4 after driving a Fabia ?

 

[sydoggkdy]

Similar, i have an ibiza and drive my brothers polo. inside its solid nothing moves of shakes, ride is smooth and its quite as hell. shame the same can't be said for the ibiza LOL and they get a gas strut inside the bonnet

i would be tempted for a VRS but i think theyre lacking something, maybe 3 doors lol

si

 

[djboast]

TBH I found the quality up there with some of the worst. I had my FR two months and can spend quite a bit of time in the car with the job. That was long enough to draw the conclusion that they are a pretty shocking all round and decided to sell it on. I have a LEON Cupra and it is worlds apart in every aspect. If I had the choice now it would chose a Fabia over the Ibiza every time.

 

[IainW]

Could be worse, could be a Renault?

I noticed the difference as well when I got my first Ibiza, comparing it to a friend's Fabia. Far too many creaks and rattles, but I've grown to live with them.

 

[mardon]

I swapped a Leather Seated Re-mapped VRS for my Cupra! The cupra is more powerful top end when the bigger turbo kicks in (specially now its 200bhp) and handles better (the ride quality is worse though).

The VRS was much much better made
Better on fuel (not really a fair comparison)
Attracted less attention
Quieter
Poo breaks! (Which did make me drive more economically)

I do prefer the Cupra though. Thinking of getting a leather re-trim inc the door cards and getting better sound proofing in the process. Larger side padding on the seats, black with red sticking inc the Cupra Flag on front and rear seats... Nice!

 

[djboast]

I can't get my head around the positive reviews. Read between the lines and check out the forums. Every other line of text will be 'this went wrong', 'I have a problem', 'but I still love it'. The car has some serious quirks. The one I had loved 'quirks'.

As a cheap hatch they seem to make sense. Good performance, VAG quality and cheap on paper to run. The reason I went for one.

Performance is OK. Let's not get carried away here like so many others. Being a diesel it has a short rev range and there is turbo lag. Every squirt of the throttle when the 130bhp is dumped through the 2000-4000 rev range is going to feel like fun. At a push the engine is the best thing about the package. I don't feel that is enough recommendation on its own. Its quite crashy compared to the 115bhp and 150bhp which are essentialy the same engine.

The interior is very dull and plasticky. The seats suffer from staining even with water - like a rain drop. It creaks and feels very cheap. Generally not a great place to be. I also found I developed a pain in the lower back from driving it. The petrol gauge goes the wrong way (quirk no #201).

The ride is worst thing by far. Shock absorbers are not included. I could understand if it was for the benefit of the handling, but handling is not on the Ibiza's agenda. It will crash, bang, jump, skip, rattle over every contour or bump in the road. You could run over a Rizla paper and feel your fillings drop out. Oh and don't forget the road noise from the wheels (another quirk die hard owners will tell you). Drone, crash, drone crash, creak, creak, my what fun.

Best of all, it will pull to the left... a lot. 'They all do it'. I did the 4 wheel alignment so recommended and still had the problem. From what I've read you can make it go away for a while, but it will come back. This and the ride quality whilst sat in a interior that doesn't stop creaking was the straw on the camel's back.

Go ahead and buy one, but be sure you can cope with.

Creaky interior

Pulling to the left

Front lights misting up

Rear lights misting up

Front bushes failure

Timing chain failure

Management light coming on

Random knocks from the suspension when going over Bumps

Harsh ride

Electric window failure

Seat handles snapping

Wheel drone, especially a low speed

If you have just these problems, consider it a good one.

So you can see I loved mine. I'm sure they have their audience and hence why you are all here. I love the SEAT Brand and still want to love the MK4 as I like what it stands for, but what a compromise.

 

[mardon]

Unfortunatly djboast is right

I came from a 106 Gti so the cabin is still an improvement.

Lets also add rattle from the engine bay on the diesels.

 

[Brummy]

Im now on my third Mk4!
1st one was really the best of the bunch in terms of 'non' issues. never had any of the usual squeeks/rattles or silly niggles
2nd one.. a few silly little things but were soon sorted, apart from the noisy wheel bearings.
3rd (present ) one.. have a squeek on the steering when you turn one way, yet not the other the tyres drone /cabin noise issue /window whistle issues seem pretty much across the board..
and thats about it, tbh.

the plastic trim is a generally poor quality, but lots of cars have the same sort of plastic in now, so its kinda generic that it'll squeek.

thankfully , I drove the Mk2 more often so can kinda turn up the choons and forget im in the Mk4 for the small amount of time im actualy in it

 

[RUM4MO]

Similar, i have an ibiza and drive my brothers polo. inside its solid nothing moves of shakes, ride is smooth and its quite as hell. shame the same can't be said for the ibiza LOL and they get a gas strut inside the bonnet

i would be tempted for a VRS but i think theyre lacking something, maybe 3 doors lol

si

I think that you will find that the gas strut has vanished from the later 9N Polo (face-lifted model) - progress eh? Eventually the dashboard will start making noises in your brother's Polo, it just takes time, by wife's 2003MY 52 reg 1.4SE Polo has only just started to make the horrible dashboard "touching something in lots of places" noises. I'd guess that the Polo is only differant to the Ibiza in as much as it will have better sound proofing, slightly softer suspension, some soft touch interior materials and "better" seat covering materials. That probably is what accounts for the price differance as it is positioned or focussed at a different market sector. (comform against price and younger image)

 

[Leigh15]

I have a Toyota Auris at the moment courtesy of the insurers whilst my car is being repaired and I'm hugely disappointed with it.

The interior materials are easily shamed by the Ibizas and it's SO SO SO bland - both aesthetically and to drive.

At the end of the day, it's a budget brand and you get more kit for less money than a Ford, but everybody seems surprised that there are some creaks and groans here and there?

Drive an Auris for a week - you'll soon be asking for the Ibiza back - trust me!

 

[Aimez]

Hey people just think of the crapper car you prob had before the ibiza! I had a fiesta mk5 wind nose was awful took ages to demist in the mornings no heated mirrors road noise was loud too and no climate control. Ibiza was luxury (only thing it didn't have the fiesta had was Fiesta car mats my ibiza came with none).

 

[RUM4MO]

Unfortunatly djboast is right

I came from a 106 Gti so the cabin is still an improvement.

Lets also add rattle from the engine bay on the diesels.

I'd say all of that (what djboast said) is true about all the variants of this platform ie Fabia, Polo and Ibiza - I keep getting on about its mainly down to this being a "designed for Skoda use" designed platform. Quality/durability in the underpinnings is really way below what this sector expected at Fabia launch time and 8 or 9 years later that makes it seem very worse. But we still buy them and they still got lots of industry awards - strange but true. I think my original statement that I made about these little cars on VAG forums was that they are "wallet emptiers" - not good enough, in fact VAG quality is really not good enough until you start buying Audi ! For me, as a 2000MY Passat B5 4X4 owner from new - I know where I'll go next - secondhand Audi - for the time being - current VW model range honks, but I'm sure that they will get a fright and waken up soon - or why should they while sales are strong - relative to their EU competion (Opel and Ford)