Seat Ibiza review (2017-2023)
The Seat Ibiza is brilliant to drive, whether you’re driving around town or cruising on the motorway. The interior is stylish and comfortable with lots of room, despite its compact dimensions.
Pros
- A stylish design
- Good range of engines and trims
- Lots of space for the size
Cons
- Materials can feel cheap in places
- It's not as nimble to drive as competitors
- No three-door option in the newest line-up
Summary
“The Seat Ibiza is a great option if you’re looking for a spacious yet compact family car.”
The Seat Ibiza is a great option if you’re looking for a spacious yet compact family car. It’s comfortable and easy to drive and park, with a surprising amount of room and space for all your everyday essentials. There’s also a decent amount of legroom in the back, so passengers should feel pretty comfortable.
The interior is practical and sensibly laid out. Everything is easy to use for everyday driving, so if practicality is what you’re after then you shouldn’t have any complaints. There’s a good range of engines to choose from, depending on how much power or efficiency you’d like.
We're looking here at the fifth-generation Ibiza, introduced in 2017 with updates in design, tech, comfort and performance over its predecessor.
What's the interior like?
“All versions of the Seat Ibiza feature comfortable interiors with lots of adjustment for the driver and space for passengers.”
All versions of the Seat Ibiza feature comfortable interiors with lots of adjustment for the driver and space for passengers. Most of the materials around the cabin feel of a good quality – more premium than a Ford Fiesta, although it's not quite as plush as a Volkswagen Polo.
The infotainment system is packed with features. An update to the Ibiza range in 2021 brought an updated system with larger screens as well as a digital instrument panel instead of traditional dials. The rest of the controls are sensibly laid out and straightforward to use.
In terms of practicality, the newer version feels roomier than earlier incarnations of the Ibiza, especially in the rear seats. The latest version also has an impressively large boot.
What's it like to drive?
“The Ibiza is great to drive, with light and direct steering.”
The Ibiza is great to drive, with light and direct steering that makes it feel secure and stable on the road. It's not quite a nimble as a Ford Fiesta, but it still adds a level of zip to the driving experience that many rivals can't manage.
The range of engine options isn't as wide as on early versions of the Ibiza. There's a single 1.6-litre diesel option, which is decently powerful but not as nippy or as nice to drive as the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol, which is available with several different power outputs and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. We reckon the version with 94bhp is the sweet spot of punch and efficiency.
For extra fun, there's a 1.5-litre petrol with extra power, which you'll find in the sporty Ibiza FR model.
Is it cost-efficient to buy and run?
“The Seat Ibiza represents very good value against competitors.”
The Seat Ibiza represents very good value against competitors like the VW Polo – especially as it shares much of its engineering with the Volkswagen.
All Ibizas will be cheap to run. Insurance costs for the entry-level Ibiza are in insurance group 2 (of 50), which is almost as low as they could get, while even the sporty 1.5-litre Ibiza FR only makes it to group 19.
Service costs will be low, and with official economy figures up to 55mpg for petrol engines and 61.4mpg for diesel, you won’t be spending much at the pumps.
An easier way to find or sell a car
You’ll find lots of used cars for sale at Cazoo, all available to buy through our trusted dealers.
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Which one is best for you?
For great fuel economy, there’s no doubt the 1.6-litre diesel engine comes out on top but diesels really only suit high-mileage drivers because of the higher fuel cost. The smooth and economical 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine provides plenty of good performance and those would be the ones we'd recommend.
SE Technology spec come with most features you'll need a 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system including sat nav. However, it won’t be a huge problem if you have to navigate through your connected smartphone in the more affordable SE version.
