They say that all good things must come to an end and so it is that my time living with the Seat Ibiza is over.
Giving back a much-loved car can often feel like the sudden end to a flourishing relationship but in this case, I was not entirely sure how I felt as I watched the Ibiza drive away. Casting my mind back six months, I initially struggled to get on with the Seat when it was first delivered, despite its obvious strengths, and it’s a feeling that lingered throughout my time with it.
Starting with the good points, the Ibiza is genuinely a really fun little car to drive. It grips the road brilliantly, its automatic gearbox is quick and crisp and, especially in sport mode, it’s no slouch off the line either. It’s a great vehicle for around town, where its petite size is perfect for weaving in and out of endless traffic jams and on the motorway it becomes a comfortable and easygoing eater of miles.
I like the interior too, the racing seats in my ‘Anniversary Edition’ car looked great and were as comfortable as driving along on a bed of marshmallows, while the squared-off steering wheel and subtle red touches here and there gave a cabin sporty feel to match the excellent drive.
The only aspect of the interior I didn’t like was the air vents, which were fitted with a surround of cheap, translucent plastic. I wrote in previous reports how the look of them reminded me of old milk cartons and the red light that shone from behind them – directly onto the wing mirrors – was incredibly annoying, to say the least.
That last point, unfortunately, sort of sums up living with the Ibiza. It is brilliant at times but ultimately it’s really annoying – like other people’s children or drunken pubgoers singing Mr Brightside on karaoke.
On the face of it, the red lights obscuring my view to the rear may sound trivial but they’re symbolic of wider issues with the Ibiza. With a bit more time spent on small details, it could be brilliant but sadly it just falls short. Another massive bugbear was the absolutely idiotic infotainment system. When selecting Car Play you have about as much chance of the car ordering you a kilogram of Spanish sausage as you do of hooking up your phone at the first time of asking. The system also developed a habit of completely cutting out mid-journey when trying to complete a simple task, such as changing the radio station.
Having said that, there is still a lot to like about the Ibiza. Aside from being excellent to drive it’s also good on fuel, fairly spacious for a car of this size and has a generous boot. It’s also a tough little cookie, as it proved when a Tesla very kindly decided to drive into the side of it at a junction back in the autumn. The collision hardly left a scratch on the Ibiza while the Tesla required fairly major facial surgery.
So, would I buy one? It’s a tough one to answer but overall: No, I don’t think I would. Yes, the Ibiza is great to drive but it’s still not as good as the discontinued Ford Fiesta, which is also far less annoying to live with every day. On the face of it, the Ibiza is better equipped than the Fiesta but in the real world, the tech just isn’t good enough. The infotainment system spends too much time doing its own thing – which often means nothing at all – leading to long motorway miles filled with nothing but your own thoughts and occasional bonging for company.
I would love to say that the Ibiza is the car to carry on the torch left by the Fiesta but unfortunately, it’s just not quite there. It’s a very good car but it lets itself down and isn’t as good as it could and probably should be. The Ford may have vacated the belts but it continues to cast a heavy shadow over the whole weight division. I’m just not sure whether the Ibiza quite has what it takes to claim the crown for itself.
- Price as tested: £25,470
- Engine: 1.0 TSI
- Power: 115bhp
- Torque: 200Nm
- 0-60mph: 9.9 seconds
- Top speed: 123mph
- Fuel economy: 48.7-51.4mpg
- Emissions: 128g/km CO2
- Mileage: 3,100 miles
