SEAT Ibiza Hatchback FR 1.5 TSI Evo 150PS (07/2018 on) 5d Owner Review

I bought this Ibiza FR 150 EVO because VW had no intention of bringing a 6-speed manual Polo GTI to the UK and the Ibiza FR was a reasonable substitute. Obviously the steering is not as alert but is good enough and the engine is not as keen as the 2.0l VW unit but strikes a resonable balance between useable performance and economy. The real bonus was the very pliant urban ride over potholes and city scarred streets. The only down sides have been the over-servoed brakes, (easy to get used to), and the turbo lag, (not so clever on fast country lanes). The interior is not as plush as a new Polo but after a while you stop noticing all the hard plastics. Overall it's very close to a Goldilocks kind of car. It does so much very well, with few real drawbacks to give a very mature driving and ownership experience. The other bonus is its rarity as SEAT stopped making this 1.5litre version shortly after it's introduction. Also, judging by the ads in AutoTrader it is way more popular than 2nd hand Polo GTIs.