Hi all. New to the forum, but have been browsing in the background for a good few months now after ordering my Ibiza back in March. I just wanted to share my experiences and review of the new Ibiza now I have hit the 1000 mile mark to try help others.
As a little background, I am new to Seat coming over from owning a BMW 120 M Sport for the last 5 years. As such, a lot of my comparisons are (somewhat wrongly) back to this. However, that said, you would be surprised about just how much the Ibiza offers for a fraction of the cost. I wanted something more economical and cheaper to maintain, and found myself at a Seat dealer in March looking at the new Ibiza. I personally think it looks great and these days I see an awful lot of 1Series BMs out and about but had not seen many new shape Ibiza on the new platforms which had some added appeal for me. The review turned out a little lengthy - so apologies in advance. TL;DR, its a cracking little car.
I settled on the FR 115, Desire Red and with the 18" Performance Rims. Added the spare tyre and the car was ordered. Now - had I been a bit smarter I would also have added the full LED lights (will explain in a bit) and would highly recommend anyone ordering to consider them. Placing my order in March, there was no option for the alcantara leather which I would have loved and seeing the new MY19 guide, the FR Sport line looks quite good in my opinion.
Driving... car arrived early July, collection was swift and away I went. It drives superbly and considering I was so used to my 1Series I found it quite delightful. Its light, easy through the gears and doesn't mind being worked to get the most out of the engine. The little three pot is terrific and honestly I have no issues with its power, having seen some reviews claim it a little underpowered. Yes its not quite the 2litre out the BM but pulling up the motorway slip, 40-70 was brisk and it was almost like the little 1litre wanted to be pushed up further. It does want to get in to high gears quite quickly but I am not really one for using the gear change indicator the cars are fitted with - I live in the countryside and the roads are hilly, tight and twisty and often prefer to listen and feel the car to work out the right gear.
I have a 6 speed manual similar to my old car and power was readily available through the lower gears, pulling out seems to prove no problem and getting up to road speed is a breeze. Overtaking is also easy thanks to its spritely engine and I must say I am very impressed with the capabilities of the little three pot. Its easy in the corners, thanks to its lightness, and seems to absorbs the bumps and lumps of the UKs finest roads. Now - I am comparing here to a sport suspension, run flat 18" set up on the 1Series so for me, the Ibiza seems a rather comfortable set up. My dad has been in though, and finds that its still a bit hard. I guess here it depends what you are used to; and I have not noticed any firmness in the 18" rims on the Ibiza. Even in sport mode it seems OK to me. I am also 26 so maybe my age isn't feeling the knocks just yet... that will change one day.
MPG for the first tank was 38.1, second tank was 44.2 and nearly at the end of my third tank its at 49.0 dead. This has a range of c. 410 miles but obviously varies on how the individual drives. As a comparison the 1Series had an average of 28.9 on the same drives. As the engine has worn in its improved, I haven't driven any different but noticing the throttle getting a bit more responsive, the brakes a bit sharper and the gear changes smoother. I expected this somewhat but thought it would be useful info for others who may be surprised at low MPG early on. I am driving solely in sport mode because I am still a big kid at heart but in Eco am sure you could get this in to the 50s. I drive daily a mix of A and B roads with weekends on A and motorways.
Negatives: 1st gear was a little notchy for the first 400-500 miles but its actually settled in as time has gone. I did read on here others stating similar but it never caused me any issues. Exhaust noise isn't quite the BMs growl (but come on, was I really expecting that)!?
Interior... now, I would have loved the alcantara but as stated at the time of ordering this was not an option. I even asked about getting it as the Excellence still had it as an option and was told firmly it wasn't possible. I've since seen that the new MY19 has it back as standard on the FR Sport (open to being corrected) and personally think this would really complete the interior. Its nothing flashy, but its all simplistic and easy. The touchscreen is one of the best I have used and eclipses that of the one fitted in my old 1Series. Its quick, easy to use, sharp colour. Just expect to wipe it down frequently along with the glossy black trim as it shows every finger mark. I should note, I did fit a centre armrest to mine a day after collecting and feel it should have come with one as an option but, £100 part and fitted in 10mins so cannot complain. I think it looks better inside with the armrest fitted but I do a lot of miles and appreciate the extra support. The interior ambient lighting is a nice touch, in the foot wells and under the door trim. The standard speakers seem fine to me but others have commented on the need to upgrade to the Beats system. For the money - I am not sure its worth it but each to their own and obviously depends on personal preferences. The 1Series had climate control and was perfect for this kind of weather, I opted against it in the Ibiza and honestly have no issues again with the standard A/C. I read a few posts about it not being too cooling but I find if you recirculate the air rather than bringing in more hot air from outside, you can keep the car a lovely cool temp quite easily. Finally, there is ample space in the car. For a supermini it easily sits 4 adults and the boot will take a couple of suitcase without a problem. As a 5 door, its easier to get in and out than my BM and the boot takes a bigger load. From moving from BMW I expected to feel a significant difference and the hard plastics on the dash aside, I think its pretty good. Yes, its not got that Audi level feel to it but I am also not feeling like I have jumped down drastically.
Negatives: wind up windows in the back... I wont ever be in the back to use them so not fussed but for a new car in 2018 I was a bit surprised here. Would have liked some more storage but maybe my fault there for not ordering the extra storage compartments (mixed reviews on that though). No option for heated seats/steering wheel which seems a common option in VAG cars but omitted here.
Exterior... It looks stunning. I am yet to find someone that doesn't agree. A few have commented on the fake tailpipes but I think they are kind of cool. Sporty looking and goes with the look of the car. The gloss black mirrors go really well with the desire red paint and the black alloys. I have fitted wind deflectors front and rear as a personal choice and think they look good - but again mixed opinions as I know plenty that do not like these. The DLR are smart and I like the coming home function on the lights, helps for my driveway. But this does bring me to my biggest negative of the Ibiza and one born out of my own stupidity. I assumed a new car would be just as good on standard halogen lights as LED. Oh how wrong... I solved this by swapping the standard H7 bulbs for some Osram Nightbreaker Lasers, highly recommended if you are like me and didn't go LED. Some serious light power from those.
Negatives: LED lights would have really set the car out but this is my fault, really. Easily corrected but I cant help but think how much more the LEDs would have given the car. If you drive a lot, or even not a lot, you will notice that grime and muck builds up along the lines of the car where it has been styled. Notable on the roof right on the edges running along the top of the car and down the side under the curve. I clean the cars every Saturday morning so it hasn't been an issue but come winter it might become more visible.
Final thoughts... In all I love it. It gives me just as big a smile driving daily as my BMW did and I never thought I would have that conclusion. When it came to get something a bit better on the wallet I thought I would have to sacrifice the fun and luxury that the more expensive cars have to offer but the Ibiza has proved me wrong. Whilst not a table topper in automotive luxury its enough for everyday use and welcoming to get in to. Would have liked heated seats for winter, should have gone for the LED lights, but in all a cracking little car well built and fun to drive in town or out on the roads.
I hope the review helps others, any questions on owning/driving/deciding on an Ibiza I would be happy to help with and if you got this far - thanks for reading.
As a little background, I am new to Seat coming over from owning a BMW 120 M Sport for the last 5 years. As such, a lot of my comparisons are (somewhat wrongly) back to this. However, that said, you would be surprised about just how much the Ibiza offers for a fraction of the cost. I wanted something more economical and cheaper to maintain, and found myself at a Seat dealer in March looking at the new Ibiza. I personally think it looks great and these days I see an awful lot of 1Series BMs out and about but had not seen many new shape Ibiza on the new platforms which had some added appeal for me. The review turned out a little lengthy - so apologies in advance. TL;DR, its a cracking little car.
I settled on the FR 115, Desire Red and with the 18" Performance Rims. Added the spare tyre and the car was ordered. Now - had I been a bit smarter I would also have added the full LED lights (will explain in a bit) and would highly recommend anyone ordering to consider them. Placing my order in March, there was no option for the alcantara leather which I would have loved and seeing the new MY19 guide, the FR Sport line looks quite good in my opinion.
Driving... car arrived early July, collection was swift and away I went. It drives superbly and considering I was so used to my 1Series I found it quite delightful. Its light, easy through the gears and doesn't mind being worked to get the most out of the engine. The little three pot is terrific and honestly I have no issues with its power, having seen some reviews claim it a little underpowered. Yes its not quite the 2litre out the BM but pulling up the motorway slip, 40-70 was brisk and it was almost like the little 1litre wanted to be pushed up further. It does want to get in to high gears quite quickly but I am not really one for using the gear change indicator the cars are fitted with - I live in the countryside and the roads are hilly, tight and twisty and often prefer to listen and feel the car to work out the right gear.
I have a 6 speed manual similar to my old car and power was readily available through the lower gears, pulling out seems to prove no problem and getting up to road speed is a breeze. Overtaking is also easy thanks to its spritely engine and I must say I am very impressed with the capabilities of the little three pot. Its easy in the corners, thanks to its lightness, and seems to absorbs the bumps and lumps of the UKs finest roads. Now - I am comparing here to a sport suspension, run flat 18" set up on the 1Series so for me, the Ibiza seems a rather comfortable set up. My dad has been in though, and finds that its still a bit hard. I guess here it depends what you are used to; and I have not noticed any firmness in the 18" rims on the Ibiza. Even in sport mode it seems OK to me. I am also 26 so maybe my age isn't feeling the knocks just yet... that will change one day.
MPG for the first tank was 38.1, second tank was 44.2 and nearly at the end of my third tank its at 49.0 dead. This has a range of c. 410 miles but obviously varies on how the individual drives. As a comparison the 1Series had an average of 28.9 on the same drives. As the engine has worn in its improved, I haven't driven any different but noticing the throttle getting a bit more responsive, the brakes a bit sharper and the gear changes smoother. I expected this somewhat but thought it would be useful info for others who may be surprised at low MPG early on. I am driving solely in sport mode because I am still a big kid at heart but in Eco am sure you could get this in to the 50s. I drive daily a mix of A and B roads with weekends on A and motorways.
Negatives: 1st gear was a little notchy for the first 400-500 miles but its actually settled in as time has gone. I did read on here others stating similar but it never caused me any issues. Exhaust noise isn't quite the BMs growl (but come on, was I really expecting that)!?
Interior... now, I would have loved the alcantara but as stated at the time of ordering this was not an option. I even asked about getting it as the Excellence still had it as an option and was told firmly it wasn't possible. I've since seen that the new MY19 has it back as standard on the FR Sport (open to being corrected) and personally think this would really complete the interior. Its nothing flashy, but its all simplistic and easy. The touchscreen is one of the best I have used and eclipses that of the one fitted in my old 1Series. Its quick, easy to use, sharp colour. Just expect to wipe it down frequently along with the glossy black trim as it shows every finger mark. I should note, I did fit a centre armrest to mine a day after collecting and feel it should have come with one as an option but, £100 part and fitted in 10mins so cannot complain. I think it looks better inside with the armrest fitted but I do a lot of miles and appreciate the extra support. The interior ambient lighting is a nice touch, in the foot wells and under the door trim. The standard speakers seem fine to me but others have commented on the need to upgrade to the Beats system. For the money - I am not sure its worth it but each to their own and obviously depends on personal preferences. The 1Series had climate control and was perfect for this kind of weather, I opted against it in the Ibiza and honestly have no issues again with the standard A/C. I read a few posts about it not being too cooling but I find if you recirculate the air rather than bringing in more hot air from outside, you can keep the car a lovely cool temp quite easily. Finally, there is ample space in the car. For a supermini it easily sits 4 adults and the boot will take a couple of suitcase without a problem. As a 5 door, its easier to get in and out than my BM and the boot takes a bigger load. From moving from BMW I expected to feel a significant difference and the hard plastics on the dash aside, I think its pretty good. Yes, its not got that Audi level feel to it but I am also not feeling like I have jumped down drastically.
Negatives: wind up windows in the back... I wont ever be in the back to use them so not fussed but for a new car in 2018 I was a bit surprised here. Would have liked some more storage but maybe my fault there for not ordering the extra storage compartments (mixed reviews on that though). No option for heated seats/steering wheel which seems a common option in VAG cars but omitted here.
Exterior... It looks stunning. I am yet to find someone that doesn't agree. A few have commented on the fake tailpipes but I think they are kind of cool. Sporty looking and goes with the look of the car. The gloss black mirrors go really well with the desire red paint and the black alloys. I have fitted wind deflectors front and rear as a personal choice and think they look good - but again mixed opinions as I know plenty that do not like these. The DLR are smart and I like the coming home function on the lights, helps for my driveway. But this does bring me to my biggest negative of the Ibiza and one born out of my own stupidity. I assumed a new car would be just as good on standard halogen lights as LED. Oh how wrong... I solved this by swapping the standard H7 bulbs for some Osram Nightbreaker Lasers, highly recommended if you are like me and didn't go LED. Some serious light power from those.
Negatives: LED lights would have really set the car out but this is my fault, really. Easily corrected but I cant help but think how much more the LEDs would have given the car. If you drive a lot, or even not a lot, you will notice that grime and muck builds up along the lines of the car where it has been styled. Notable on the roof right on the edges running along the top of the car and down the side under the curve. I clean the cars every Saturday morning so it hasn't been an issue but come winter it might become more visible.
Final thoughts... In all I love it. It gives me just as big a smile driving daily as my BMW did and I never thought I would have that conclusion. When it came to get something a bit better on the wallet I thought I would have to sacrifice the fun and luxury that the more expensive cars have to offer but the Ibiza has proved me wrong. Whilst not a table topper in automotive luxury its enough for everyday use and welcoming to get in to. Would have liked heated seats for winter, should have gone for the LED lights, but in all a cracking little car well built and fun to drive in town or out on the roads.
I hope the review helps others, any questions on owning/driving/deciding on an Ibiza I would be happy to help with and if you got this far - thanks for reading.
