SEAT Ibiza Hatchback (2008 - 2017) 1.2 TSI (90bhp) SE Technology 5d Owner Review
Want to know everything there is to know about this car?
In their own words
I chose this car as a family run-around based on its specification and a decent one came up for sale privately in our area. We've driven it for about 9,000 miles and it's been OK. It's not particularly robust - built to a price and I expect more bits to break. Running costs day to day are good. The car doesn't eat tyres, brake pads or slurp oil either.
Driving the car around town is a breeze, with light controls and precise steering. In the dry, the factory fit Dunlops are adequate. They are utterly rubbish in the wet however. I'll be changing them before WInter, even though they aren't worn out. The engine has a good mix of low down torque and high rev power. With only 90 PS things get a bit hairy pulling out in fast moving traffic with 4 adults on board. I am considering chipping the car with a well known off-the-shelf mod to add more power and torque - only after fitting better tyres!
Over longer journeys, the fidgety ride can get annoyingly tiring, compounded by excessive noise from tyres, wind and brakes. My youngest is frequently car sick in it over longer journeys, which never happens in our Volvo. The seats aren't particularly supportive - no lumbar support & fixed angle headrests.
Infotainment is OK, but the sat-nav irritatingly tells you about slow traffic minutes after you've been sat in a jam. Bluetooth connectivity for music is patchy, and the SD card system is picky about file structure and card "quality". My old iPhone also sometimes crashes the system, which is weird.
The boot is a decent size. With seats folded an adult bicycle (front wheel removed) will fit. Interior cubby holes are lacking. Rear space is OK for adults on short journeys. Taller passengers may have to stoop. The rear windows are manual, which is annoying if children leave them ajar and it rains once parked.
In summary, for what it is, this car ticks the boxes. I'm hoping for a decent lifespan, but am concerned about the build quality. Time will tell.
How reliable do you find the car?
This car is built to a price. I broke the air intake pipework doing a normal service (fixed with Duck tape!). The paint is easily marked. The body panels are thin and bend easily. Interior plastics are poor and mark easily. The alloys, in spite of regular cleaning with mild car shampoo and soft brushes started to show the dreaded VAG "white worm" 2 months after the warranty expired. There's also surface rust appearing on the control arms and where the wing meets the bulkhead (hidden by the front doors unless open). I also experienced the (what my local garage tells me) is the almost ubiquitous caliper top mount threading on the stub axle after a routine brake job, making the car undriveable but fixed for £87. The problem is sufficiently common that third parties make a repair kit - yet VAG have not issued a recall for all the Ibizas, Fabias and Polos out there. How strange....Does the car do everything you expected it to do?
It's a small hatchback, with a decent sized boot, a frugal, enthusiastically revving yet slightly gutless engine and some reasonable infotainment. I bought it on spec, particularly due to the 5 star NCAP rating as it is primarily used by my wife to transport our children around over short to medium distances. The £15 car tax, cheap insurance and plentiful parts supply are also welcome. Don't buy one with black paint like we did or you'll be washing it all the time.About their car
- Fuel type Petrol
- When purchased March 2019
- Condition when bought Used
- Current Mileage 32,000 miles
- Average MPG 52 mpg
