2006 Seat Ibiza FR 5d review from UK and Ireland

There are a few squeaks and rattles in the cabin.

The paintwork appears to scratch quite easily.

Also, the cabin/dashboard plastics mark quite easily.

First to second gear change is not always that smooth.

The car offers lively acceleration, cruises well on the motorway, and appears to handle well with little body-roll.

I have achieved an average of 50 mpg over about 7,000 miles in 9 months of motoring. The furthest I have travelled between fill-ups is 502 miles (driving like Gordon McIver).

Its looks are quite appealing, with the face-lifted front-end bumper and surround.

The cabin is quite comfortable and I find the seat and steering wheel controls adjust to my requirements well.

I waited for about a year to get my hands on this exact model, and I'm quite pleased, but I do have some criticisms...

- The ride is harsh and 'crashy' due I suppose to the 17" 40% low-profile tyres, although I've read that the entry-level Ibizas ride the bumps none too well either.

- The car appears to enjoy steering itself along depressions in the road/motorway caused by HGVs, poor road repairs, and apparently whenever there is a heavy camber in the road. Tyres to blame again I think.

- Road noise can be intrusive on certain surfaces.

- First gear is too low - maximum revs in first gear reached at about 20 mph! Second gear is too low as well.

- The engine appears to operate in two modes: 'SDI' mode at low revs (lethargic) and 'TDI' mode above say 1800/2000 revs. This can be a problem for standing starts.

- This model has the 'BLT' engine, and suffers from a certain stuttering of performance when lifting the throttle and then reapplying it.

- The trip computer often records fuel consumption at around 70+ mpg, but I contend this is inaccurate.