... I've recently owned a SEAT Leon Cupra, which was great fun. Although the car was very nice it did cost a fair bit to run and insure. With me wanting to buy a house and being 22 years old the Leon Cupra was not the ideal partner for me. This called for me to look to buy another car - one that ... Read review
Advantages: Great Engine, Masses of Torque, the Q factor....... Disadvantages: There is the odd squeak / rattle. Ride can be harsh at times
...car. I've recently owned a SEAT Leon Cupra, which was great fun. Although the car was very nice it did cost a fair bit to run and insure. With me wanting to buy a house and being 22 years old the Leon Cupra was not the ideal partner for me. This called for me to look to buy another car - one that is economical and hopefully fun too.
Seat Ibiza FR
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Since its launch in Mid 2002, the SEAT Ibiza Mark 4 ... ...It was only natural for SEAT to extend the range with some faster models. The FR range (Formula Racing) was introduced in 2004 with a choice of 2 engines. A purposeful 150Bhp 1.8 litre 20V Turbo and the grunty 130Bhp 1.9 TDi PD. Whilst the 1.8 Turbo is a very good car (I've tested both) it was the diesel that won me over. Not only did I appreciate the economy, I also preferred the higher torque level.
Performance Specifications more
Introduction _________
I'll start with an introduction to tell you why I've chosen this car. I've recently owned a SEAT Leon Cupra, which was great fun. Although the car was very nice it did cost a fair bit to run and insure. With me wanting to buy a house and being 22 years old the Leon Cupra was not the ideal partner for me. This called for me to look to buy another car - one that is economical and hopefully fun too.
Seat Ibiza FR ____________
Since its launch in Mid 2002, the SEAT Ibiza Mark 4 has been very successful having won several motoring awards (including WhatCar Car of the Year 2003). It was only natural for SEAT to extend the range with some faster models. The FR range (Formula Racing) was introduced in 2004 with a choice of 2 engines. A purposeful 150Bhp 1.8 litre 20V Turbo and the grunty 130Bhp 1.9 TDi PD. Whilst the 1.8 Turbo is a very good car (I've tested both) it was the diesel that won me over. Not only did I appreciate the economy, I also preferred the higher torque level.
** Figures are taken from the WhatCar road test for this vehicle
I always find figures pretty difficult to understand so I'm going to talk you through what all this means. The 0 to 60 time is more than adequate, this means that the car will feel very strong from a standing start (9.4 secs is similar to the Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 litre).
As you can see above, however, it is off the main drag where the car really moves. If you put the pedal to the metal in 3rd at around 30mph you will hear quite a grunt from the back of the car as it hurtles you into motorway speeds and beyond. To give you some idea of the acceleration here - the 30-50 times are actually faster than a Civic Type R in 3rd 4th and 5th gears. As you can imagine you will be able to leave many people rather red faced.
Putting the performance into perspective I would have to say that the Ibiza FR TDi feels more powerful than the 180BHP Leon Cupra that I just sold. The reason that the 0-60 figure doesn't look so impressive is that there is an extra gear change (into 3rd) before the 60mph mark.
Aside from the speed and figures it is worth noting that the 6 speed box performs well, enabling rapid acceleration and good fuel economy. The car is also very grippy* and precise when it comes to taking corners. The payoff for this is that the ride can be very harsh over some of our rough country roads.
Economy ______
The major plus of using the diesel engine is the fuel economy. The book combined figure is 55.4mpg although I wouldn't expect to get within 10 of that if I were to drive it hard. My average over 2000 miles is 46.1mpg, which is excellent considering that I like the odd race. Servicing is due every 10,000 miles at a cost of around £120, which I don't find too shocking. Where day to day running is concerned, even with the high cost of Diesel fuel, the positive impact my bank balance is very noticable.
Advantage number 2 is that the insurance is only group 9.
Noisy Noisy Diesel ______________
For those who have not driven a car with a diesel engine before I'll give a quick explanation of what to expect. The engine noise will be something that any Petrol Head won't appreciate. Not that it's a problem! It's just that when you start the car, for about a minute or two, it sounds a bit like a tractor when it's idling. The harsh sound calms down very quickly to a quiet, barely noticable, sound. When you put your foot on the accelerator the engine sound seems to transform, to a deep growl. This will please most including myself :o)
Space and Practicality ________________
The Ibiza is essentially in the supermini class, sharing the same platform as the VW Polo and the Skoda Fabia. You shouldn't expect estate like boot space or rear headroom. What you can expect is a modest boot and plenty of room in the front for the driver and passenger. The rear seats aren't so clever although children will be fine.
Security and Safety _____________
Safety in this car is rather good, front and side airbags come as standard in the FR for the driver and passenger as does ABS and Traction Control. Security is also very high on the agenda as the car has remote central locking that dead locks and the doors lock when you reach 10mph. There is also an alarm and immobiliser as standard.
Quality _______
The Ibiza FR is well built inside and out although I have noticed the odd rattle. The sports seats are excellent.
Choices Choices _____________
The FR comes with a choice of 2 engines as noted above. There is an option list but I found that a lot of the options were a bit of a rip-off. £240 for a multichanger? Grrrr
Cool stuff that comes as standard ____________________________
Stainless Steel Twin Exhaust Climate Control ASR ABS 16" alloy wheels Sports Seats CD Player Honeycomb Grills Smoked Back lights 4 Airbags Remote Central Locking
To conclude……… _________________
My opinion is that the SEAT Ibiza TDi FR is such a good car that it's a surprise not to see more of them on the road. The car doesn't look totally different from a normal Ibiza although it does have a few touches that give it away a little, such as the honeycomb grills and the stainless exhausts. This is why it is such a good Q car. It doesn't look particularly fast but it is, which I find rather appealing. The flexibility of the engine allows this car to suit a very wide range of people.
It would be interesting to drive the next model up, which is the Ibiza Cupra TDi. If you are considering buying an FR I would always advise you to test as many cars in the same class as possible to ensure that you are getting what you need.
Thanks for reading my review. I hope it can help you to make a buying decision.
Advantages: Performance AND fuel economy, good build quality Disadvantages: More frequent servicing
...with other manufacturers, in particular Seat which shares the PD (pump-deuse) diesel engine platform with other names such as VW, Audi and Skoda. I took the Seat Ibiza FR TDi out for a test drive and it instantly gave me the wow-factor. With a 128 BHP (130PS) 1.9 litre engine, this diesel is no dawdler! Official Seat statistics rate the 0-62 time at 9.4 seconds, although this is widely seen as being on the conservative of what it does actually achieve ... ...My first experience of this car was a rush of exhiliration, feeling the full force of 229 lb ft of torque (310Nm). These specs make this car real fun to drive and it really comes into it's own in mid range driving. The in gear acceleration is one of this car's biggest assets, and with 6 gears to play with to take you up to 129MPH, that's a lot of assets!
Now comes the clincher - all this performance must hit your pocket surely? No. I have achieved ...
ahills 27.02.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of SEAT Ibiza 1.9 TDi
Advantages: Excellent performance and economy Disadvantages: Slightly less refined than its VW cousins
...were all fixed under warrenty, and the SEAT dealer was extremely helpful, with couertesy cars being made available for me.
However, due to only having 3 months left on the warrenty and much as it pains me as I think this is an excellent car, I have sold it. ...
mickcave 18.12.2005 (11.01.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of SEAT Ibiza 1.9 TDi
Advantages: Great engine, ride, price Disadvantages: none yet
...I use to own a Seat Ibiza before they were bought out and it was a rubbish car, a tin on wheels.
So I was quite surprise to see the new Ibiza, it had changed dramatically. When you look at the car first glance its a very attractive looking car, you look again to see who it's made by, this did prompt me to go to a show room and take a look and get some prices. I was surprised at the prices very cheap for a 1.9 TDI (just compare it to VW or Audi models).
... ...end the 1.9 TDI SE. And I have to say it's a great car, I do about 250 miles a week and costs me around £15 in deisel a lot less than my last car (I do both town and motorway roads).
I use to live in Wales where it was hilly and the roads windy. This car was great, it holds the road real well and overtaking at whatever gradient was effortless.
At around 2000rpm the car really kicks in and acceleration is great (around 10 seconds to do 0-60). At ...
hyc76 23.12.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of SEAT Ibiza 1.9 TDi
Advantages: Good torque, good economy Disadvantages: Size, Suspension, Handling
I do a fair amount a travelling in Spain. I recently had a 1.9 TDI Ibiza with 5700mls on clock. First impression was, it is nice. It was till I left the airport. For a mom run , it is great. For someone who wishes to get from a-b IN A HURRY , this car is just not it. One, turbo-lag is very frustrating and I am not sure if it is the engine management that controls/restricts the throttle body or the turbo, but there is a second delay from putting your ... ...sounds petty if you read it, wait till you have to live with it. You only get proper full power between 2400 and 4000 rpm and to keep a car within that range is not so easy, especially if it completely dies before or after that rev range once above 60 mph. The suspension is crap.(was on the one I drove) I twice went into bends way to quick and it was touch and go or I would have lost it. Had I been in a fiesta/ghia/st for example (Lotus engineerd ...
Wolf165 19.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of SEAT Ibiza 1.9 TDi
Advantages: Comfort, economy, engine performance Disadvantages: Lack of boot light in 2005 model
...alarm these are now all standard on the most recent model. The only criticism I have of the car is the 2005 model doesn't have a light in the boot. Recent models have but not the 2005 car. Would gladly buy Seat again when I come to replace the Ibiza. ...
Ripper666 22.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of SEAT Ibiza 1.9 TDi
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Advantages: Economical, quick, reliable, good looks Disadvantages: Interior doesn't have the quality of the other models
I bought the new style "facelift" SeatIbiza FR in October 2006 and I have not been able to stop driving it since. From owning a 1.1 Citron C2 the change was huge. The diesel engine produces plenty torque and gives this car impressive in gear acceleration while still maintaining excellent economy. On an 18 mile round trip to work, mainly on country roads with some in town driving I am returning an average of 54 MPG. Another good point with the 2007 spec model is that they have reduced the price of the diesel to match that of the 20 VT petrol version so it's excellent value for money.
If you've got worries about changing to diesel as said in the previous review take a test drive and see for yourself how much the engine has improved in recent years. Being part of the VW Audi group the engine is shared with many more expensive cars ...
Advantages: Looks great, Engine Purrs, Great Re Sale Disadvantages: None yet i havent picked it up!
I bought a SeatIbiza1.9tdi FR in Sept 04 from new and have had 2 and a half years of happy motoring until recently when it has started sounding like a 747 roaring down the runway a quick trip to my seat dealership and apparently just some valve cap or something needs changing.
So i booked it in but when a got there the wrong part had been ordered a month later and after starting a new job i just never got round to booking it back in. The noise was steadily getting worse sounding like the turbo to me and it lacked it prior umph! And even at 90mph (naughty) in sixth gear it sounded like it wanted to change gear still!
So i decided to take it back in but - no technition to take it for a test drive. I'd concidered changing it before i lost anymore money on it and before the dreaded MOT stages and what with the irritating noise ...
