Seat Ibiza long-term test review: report 3

The car Seat Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 FR Run by Chris Haining, digital reviews editor

Why it’s here To find out if a small, economical car can cut it as an all-rounder, for weekend pleasure and motorway commuting alike.

Needs to Sip petrol, absorb long journeys without stress, come alive on a country road.

Miles 2,620 List price £19,185 Target Price £16,722 Price as tested £19,980 Test economy 47.8mpg Official economy 51.4mpg

15 November 2020 – Man maths

I’ve just brimmed the tank of the Ibiza with £40 of petrol, the previous tankful having taken me 370 miles. Okay, my current average of 47.8mpg is a bit short of the official fuel consumption figure, but I'm still impressed, particularly given that I’ve not exactly been taking country roads with thriftiness in mind.

I’ve noticed, too, how easy it is to exceed 52mpg at motorway speeds. I'm delighted, then, that the Ibiza looks like fulfilling the "economical commuter" remit rather well.

Optimistically looking towards a lockdown-free future, a bit of hypothetical cost analysis makes my wallet smile even more. Allowing for the £200 of petrol that I’ll burn through in an average month, as well as the £202 that the Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 FR costs through our New Car Buying service, using it to commute to the What Car? office from deepest, darkest Essex actually costs a few hundred quid less every month than going by train. And I’ll wager that the car is much more fun through corners than a class 745 electric multiple unit.

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