SEAT Ibiza 1.6TDI CR Sport

Performance

I have just bought the above over the fiesta as it is better priced, better equipped, more economical and much faster.

I think three stars is an unfair grading for this car when the fiesta keeps getting five stars. Please explain to us readers why Fords are so much preffered to all the other manufactures.

Do you work on commission?

The below is from an article about a similar fiesta which is two seconds slower to 60, i don't read anything about holding on to gears longer to make the same progress?

At the track, the Ford covered 0-60mph in 12.5 seconds, which makes it two-tenths of a second faster than its rival here. The message is rammed home with the in-gear figures, because the run from 30-70mph took 1.7 seconds longer in the Corsa.

By gaffer1986 on 11 December, 2009, 9:15am

I reached the same conclusion as Gaffer - on paper the Seat beats the Fiesta hands down and I couldn't quite work out why the Fiesta was so much more expensive than its opposition and yet selling by the bucket load.On taking the Seat for a test drive we did question whether we could live with the road and wind noise but in reality it is not an issue.What is an issue is the fuel consumption - frugal it is not! The mpg is a fraction - and I mean a fraction - of the promised figures. I have yet to find out whether it is just my car or whether there is a wider problem with this new CR Diesel engine? The dealer is remaining very tight lipped about it which raises my suspicions.....
Great little car but if i had known about the mpg I would not have bought it - where is that Ford catalogue...... I know it is about here somewhere..............

By Hermann on 13 December, 2009, 4:36pm

MPG fo the Seat Ibiza 1.6 TDI CR Sport

Herman

I notice your comments about the pathetic MPG that your car gets. I bought one last month on the understanding that it would double my wifes current MPG on her BMW 330d Sport which we were getting 31mpg. We are currently getting about 42mpg on the Ibiza which is ridiculous compared to the book figures. I currently drive a 5 series 2.0d and get 48mpg with that. Surely there is something we can do with SEAT. We've been sold this under false advertising???

By Craig_Walker on 25 May, 2010, 2:09pm

MPG for the Ibiza

You have to drive it correctly to get higher figures, and you're never going to get high figures round town. I've had 3 of these so far, and I've had one of them up to 61mpg, but that was under super-light throttle-load on a continuous A-road. I think a more realistic average is about 47mpg. What concerned me more was the DPF filter, which the warning light WILL come on if you use the gearshift indicator. This is a £1500 non-warranty part, if you wreck it! SEAT doesn't recommend you buy this car it you do a lot of City/Town driving and short journeys, and I put this to our local dealer, who said "why would we make this car if it couldn't be used in town, it's usual enviroment?" "Well, why is it written in your official DPF Leaflet, then?" I said. No Answer.

By 32col on 8 August, 2010, 11:21am

MPG for Ibiza 1.6 Sport CR TD

I complained about the fuel consumption after the second week of having the car. I was told by the Seat customer services that the car needed to have done 3000 miles before I could see the fuel consumption figures rise. They didn't!! I was achieving around 45mpg. I complained about this and spoke to trading standards who felt, that as the car was sold to me based on the fuel consumption figures, I had grounds to reject the car. I did this and then it seemed as if people started to take me seriously. The dealer took the car back in and they remapped the ECU which took the fuel consumption up to around 54mpg but still no where near the advertised figures of 67mpg. I am still not happy and waiting for the next fix. I just want to say I love the car, it drives well but I purchased it for the fuel consumption. This is false advertising and Seat need to take some responsibility for there part. Next stop legal advice and Watchdog!!!!

By wtd2102 on 26 October, 2010, 11:07am

Poor Economy

I too am suffering poor fuel economy on my Ibiza Sport 1.6 TDi. Got the car 2nd September and found out almost immediately economy was poor, reported it to the dealer, the car went in to be looked at 20th October. I advised them economy was only 3 mpg better than I was getting on my 2.0 TDi Passat. At less than 54 mpg it was nearly 20% away from where it should be. I provided spreadsheet evidence that over the last 8 year 200,000 mile I could achieve combined figures in my cars due to the journeys i make and my style of driving.

I was advised no fault was found, they'd tested the car and got 60mpg. But that is still someway off the 65.7 it is supposed to be..
I have contacted SEAT, they suggested i should take the car to the dealer, I replied stating I'd already done that. I'm currently awaiting their response.

On the Briskoda Forum, I see there is a gent on there who has had poor economy and a software update has been written to his car which has improved the consumption.

My car now has 6500 miles on it so it has not been sitting around doing nothing, by now the engine should have loosened up, but economy has not yet improved!

By bradg2 on 14 November, 2010, 7:06pm

Update on MPG for Ibiza 1.6 Sport CR TD

After various discussions with Seat they are refusing to do anything about my car. Saying that the dealer had got 61MPG from the car. I have only managed 58mpg and that was going downhill! The average for the trip was 49.7MPG. I have spoken to the people who issue the fuel consumption figures (Seat said they are not produced by them they are independent figures) however the company told me that they are given the figures by Seat!!! I am not happy with the level of service and the transparency of this manufacturer it is clear that there is a problem with this car and they market it on the fuel consumption!!!!! I am waiting to hear from Trading Standards. If you are getting the same fuel consumption figures then make a complaint if enough people show they are not accepting this they may wake up and do something.

By wtd2102 on 16 November, 2010, 8:47am

I almost bought a Seat but instead, 2 years ago bought a Hyundai i30 1.6crdi due to 5 year warranty and 60+ mpg. The most I have ever got out of it is 50mpg and locally it only gets 44mpg (urban supposed to be 48). I have tried every which way of complaining including RAC legal Dept, the VCA, my solicitor, MP, Hyundai Head Office, Advertising Standards, Consumer Direct to name just a few and the conclusion was that we do not have a leg to stand on until they change the law in 2014! All one gets is excuses such as they are tested in laboratory conditions etc.
It is truly appalling as I also bought my car for its supposed economy - downgraded from a Renault Laguna 1.9dci but I now get less mpg than I did in that even though it was a bigger car.
An engineer came down from Head Office and test drove it and concluded that 'it was within the margins they would expect' or words to that effect.
So, if you have any other ideas that actually work I would be pleased to hear them!

By i30owner on 19 November, 2010, 12:40pm

A SEAT/VW blunder

I have had SEAT's for nearly 10 years, but will be ditching mine tomorrow out of disgust for the high running costs of the new 1.6 TDI I bought last year.

The polite indifference of the SEAT dealer and the lengthy but practically useless reply of SEAT HQ regarding the poor mpg of this supposedly frugal diesel car has made me more determined to move to another car.The dealer at Lancaster said the mpg would improve around 6,000 miles then the next time 10,000 miles, and then lengthened this to 16,000 miles the last time I spoke with them.

Basically, it would have been cheaper to buy a petrol SEAT than this as the mpg is worse than a petrol engine, with mine returning about 35mpg around town and only around 40mpg on straight roads. My last diesel 1.9 Ibiza was excellent on fuel, returning 50+ at the very least from the day I bought it. Either SEAT/VW know there is a problem with the mpg figures they are being supplied with about this 1.6 engine, or are in denial.

SEAT need to stop selling this car on the lure of diesel economy which most people buy diesel cars for and also withdraw the misleading mpg figures - such mpg returns simply do not exist with this engine. Most such mpg figures for cars have some use and are reflected in real life use; the ones for this 1.6 TDI are practically useless.

People will be patient with cars and companies in the hope of help and change, but like me when they see a pack of lies and fudging over a real issue like this one then it is time to ditch companies like SEAT or they will continue not to change when such problems like these crop up.

By Paul1689 on 6 December, 2010, 11:02am

gordy369

I have owned an Ibiza 1.6 sport for now over 8 months. I have never achieved over 43mpg and I am thinking of returning the car to VW/Seat finance as the vehicle has been sold under misrepresentation as the vehicle does nothing like the fuel figures in the literature. Any body else done the same thing yet. I believe Seat know about it but are just trying to get out of sorting/changing the vehicle.

By gordy369 on 30 December, 2010, 4:56pm

The real problem hear is that everyone is of the opinion that a car should be economical in all situations, and this is never going to be the case. I drive a Skoda Octavia VRS CR tdi and consistently achieve 49mpg overall and whilst in France last year I achieved 61mpg whilst my farther in a Kia Venga 1.4crdi ecodynamics only got 48mpg. This was over a 800mile journey and mostly on French autoroutes, yet when we arrived at our destination the tables were turned. The Kia was getting 58mpg and I was down to 42mpg. The simple fact is that a small engined high geared diesel car is never going to achieve the results obtained in a lab in the real world, as you will have to thrash it to keep up with the flow of traffic and this problem will increase whilst traveling at high speeds on motorways. I note peoples comments about older VW group cars with diesel engines being more economical, well my wifes car is a Seat Cordoba 130tdi se with a PD engine. This car is 7 years old and beats my common rail skoda hands down for both performance and economy, in my opinion the PD engines were the best VW ever made yet road testers constantly complain about their lack of refinement and diesel clatter. Well everyone you can't have it all roads. If you want ultimate economy buy a 7 year old PD engined VW group car, it will be supremely reliable and, by virtue of it's cheap purchase price, economical!

By geoff666 on 8 January, 2011, 9:52pm

lyndsay

hi
i bought the new seat ibiza 1.6tdi sport in october last year. i have had nothing but trouble with this car, this is my first new car and i tell you i will never buy another one let a lone recomend a seat to anyone.
i had the car 2weeks and it had to go in as the door handles were sticking which ment when i was driving my car just opend.
after 4weeks my car wouldnt go over 30mph and all my dash board lights were all on.. they then reset the brain, which should never have to be done till a new car!!
Then onwards ive had the car back and forward to seat several times as the car has been dyeing in gear when u are driving it and also when the car is in neutral..
this was happen like once a month now it is like 3 times a week. i have had it into 2 seat garages and as usaul they have told me that there is nothing wrong with the car, they cant find the fault, out of my 4 months of owning the car ive had it 2..
has anyone else had the same problem??

By lyndsay on 8 February, 2011, 8:05pm

gra777

we bought seat 1.6 sport tdi ibiza
sport thats a laugh theis more on standard leon
we had the air con smelled horrid from day one had to take back kept stalling and their was atingling noise when you changed gear and started to acc they had it for aweek while we where away still having same proplems plus the windscreen keeps steeming up and the front door windows doit at the same time this is while you are driving my wife was on dual carriage way and could not see had to put hazards on to stop in an emergeny as the demist would not clear them it done afew times now had it in cant find out wrong at servicing made new app now tech has said it stinks they are suposed to be also changing i presume ecc unit they said engine box to my wife they said it was on recall also not getting mileage as you all say
but that is better than the ibiza 1600 they lent us thats eating petrol weve had seat altea and 2 leons and this is the worse car weve had dont think well have another

manchester

By gra777 on 20 March, 2011, 11:58am

gerrydoune

I am puzzled by some of the comments above. I must admit, though, to haven taken possession of my Ibiza only today. I traded in my 8 year-old Golf TDI for it. i had owned the Golf from new. When i drove from home to the garage in the Golf today (35 miles), i got just under 60 mpg. On the way back in the SEAT, and driving in exactly the same fashion, i got just over 61 mpg. The thing is it took me about three years before i achieved 60 mpg with the Golf. It really is all down to how you drive and your expectations. Nobody is ever going to get 78.5 mpg unless, as the salesman said to me, you are driving down a very long hill with the engine turned off. From experience of other cars, i would suggest 75% of the published consumption is quite good. By the way, so far i love the Ibiza, it is a pleasure to drive.

By gerrydoune on 22 March, 2011, 11:42pm

Trouble

I have a 59 Plate and all was fine to begin with. 1 year in and the car had trouble when starting, it would turn over then cut out. This got worse until it it started to kangaroo and was un-drivable.
I took it back to the Seat dealer who replaced an electrical component that checks the air input (near the filter I assume) and then adjusts the fuel. So all ok.........for 2 weeks.

The car then felt like a miss-fire, rumbling at the lights, and the revs sat just above the 1,000rpm? I took it back to seat and complained. They put it on the computer and said the new part had to settle in? Ok, fine.......they adjusted some settings??........away I went.........

.....again the car still feels like a missfire at the lights, the revs have dropped, but sometimes it feels like its going to cut out, shuddering.

To be honest I'm fed up with the hassle. The golf I had and my sisters Lupo used to cut out in the petrol versions. VW said they had to put it on the machine and charge a fortune, however a mechanic friend said it was a common fault. Never again will I buy a VW brand.

Also the MPG is no where near as good as the figures given in the book, 42MPG on reasonable runs. 51MPG on a motorway journey with no traffic sitting at 55. Do 70-80 and the MPG drops to 45 ish.

Overall not happy with the car, at least its got parking sensors.

By BubbleJoey on 8 April, 2011, 11:49am

Interesting that all references to the Seat complain of poor MPG, but people praise Fabias with the same engine for their epic fuel economy. Could it have anything to do with the fact SEATs are driven by twenty-somethings and Skoda's by fifty-somethings? Ours does 55mpg when being sensible, and has only got 1k on it. If I give it the beans, it does 40mpg. Simple.

By northernmonkey on 10 April, 2011, 12:12am

It is a con?

We bought the Ibiza SC tdi because I have a Scirrocco 140tdi & the fuel consumption was excellent easily getting over 55mpg & thats driving it hard & around town. The advertised figures were easily achieved so we thought that another tdi from VW group would do exactly the same as advertised! How wrong we've been. 10k miles later & we still struggle to get beyond 46mpg. The only way seems to be if you drive like Miss Daisy & then you might if you've got a tail wind & downhill get over 50mpg. It's also deloped that same issue as bubblejoey when idling & now the radio signal is cutting in & out as is the bluetooth connection. By the way we're not either 21 but are the fifty-somethings so it's got to be more of a problem than that but seat dealers wont tell you the real problems.....however I'll wait

By vypergreen on 11 April, 2011, 5:02pm

The 1.6 CR Ibiza MPG is bad!

I chipped in with a previous comment back in December - 'VW/SEAT blunder', written admittedly with some heated comments but I still stand by every word and see now that others have had exactly the same petrol engine economy with this diesel car. But while I also see some comments that one's driving skills may affect the economy, I would reckon most folks are not hammering the Ibiza and therefore getting a rotten MPG; they are just genuinely shocked at how bad this car is on fuel. The real main issue and problem is that the MPG figures SEAT uses and yet hides behind and which people may well use to make a decision in buying such a car are not a little inaccurate but practically useless and downright misleading.

I forgot to mention the other duff aspect of this CR model while I had it. Unless you make regular trips on a motorway then you have a latest VW piece of kit threatening to conk out and cost you a few hundred quid: the diesel filter. After just a few trips around town a warning light comes up which basically means this filter will be useless and need replacing unless you give the car a zip on something like a motorway to unclog it.

Whatever the logic may be behind this filter, it is badly thought in terms of how folks may get caught out by it unless they do regular motorway runs. Most journeys are not like this, and the 1.6 CR Ibiza should come with a very prominent warning about the diesel filter.

Finally, the car I got to replace the Ibiza the day after my last comment does exactly what it says it would do MPG wise. It goes like stink, returns a regular 60 MPG, and is great fun to drive. Oh, and no diesel filter to worry about.

By Paul1689 on 11 April, 2011, 5:57pm

poor fuel consumption

I recently drove from London to Milan, Northern Italy , in one go,apart from the ferry journey. The distance is about 800 miles, and I managed to average, 50mpg, and that was being lightfooted! So I agree the consumption is poor. I am currently having issues with HQ, on intermittent poor/erratic idle, burning smells coming form the engine. The car varies from racing on idle, to hunting... A nightmare to drive. The car is going in to the garage on the 27th. Seat will foot the bill. I am pushing for the cost of a loan car too... Because of the issues, I have had to call "Seat Assistance" out twice in less than a month. The 2nd guy who came, this week, drove the car, and said it was awful to drive. He thought it might be the electonic accelerator. A friend of mine has an Audi tdi, and hers was doing the same thing.Her garage said it was the ECT, a temperature sensor. So far so good. If anyone has these issues on their TDi, can you let me know, especially if you have a great dealer who managed to sort the problem out. I look forward to any replies. Oh, I got the Sport Tourer. The mini estate. It's great.... apart from it's problems!

By joolscd on 15 April, 2011, 11:07pm

Fuel Consumption putting me off

I currently drive a Micra 1.5 86 dci. While it's not the fastest car in the world, it does have a pleasant amount of shove on the move, which brings a little smile too your face. The thing I like most about it is, you can achieve the stated mpg figures and on a long motorway run doing 60 exceed them (pushing 70 mpg).

Best of all you can thrash the little thing all day long (mixture of town and dual carriagway driving) and you'll still get 52 mpg. You also benefit from the cheap tax (30), and really cheap insurance.

I was thinking of getting one of these Ibiza's as my next car, as I thought I would benefit from the things I mention above with my Micra, but with a bit more power, but it sounds like I am wrong. It's hard to believe that the consumption is so bad, more so why it is so bad?

I know that you're unlikely to get what manufacturers advertise, but such a descrepancy is shocking.

I will have to look elsewhere now, trouble is, there are not that many other alternatives about, unless you go for less power.

Does anyone know if the poor fuel consumption affects all of the VW group 1.6 tdis with this power output or just the ones in the Seat?

Just a bit of a comparison, my Dad used to have a Kia Ceed 1.6 CRDi (113) LS. He could get nowhere near the stated mpg figures. The most he could get achieve were high 40's, about 15-20 mpg less than the manufacturer's stated figures. My Dad now also drives a Micra DCi and can achieve the stated manufacturer's mpg figures all day long. His driving style hasn't changed so there was something amiss with the Kia's stated mpg figures.

It looks like some manufacturers are being a little 'economical' with the truth.

By norfolk on 16 April, 2011, 11:49pm

Very bad mpg

The economy from the 1.6 TDI engine was supposed to excellent. But instead it has the worst mpg of any diesel car we have ever owned and that includes much bigger cars. The dealer and Seat insist there is no fault with the car. 45 mpg from a small diesel car is a disgrace and 20 mpg less than its claimed combined figure. Seat boast about their commitment to making cars with a reduced impact on the environment. This is an insult when they produce a small diesel car getting only 45 mpg. I am disgusted with this cars mpg and with the attitude of Seat towards complaints.

By Seat16TDI on 17 April, 2011, 9:02pm

Very bad mpg

The economy from the 1.6 TDI engine was supposed to excellent. But instead it has the worst mpg of any diesel car we have ever owned and that includes much bigger cars. The dealer and Seat insist there is no fault with the car. 45 mpg from a small diesel car is a disgrace and 20 mpg less than its claimed combined figure. Seat boast about their commitment to making cars with a reduced impact on the environment. This is an insult when they produce a small diesel car getting only 45 mpg. I am disgusted with this cars mpg and with the attitude of Seat towards complaints.

By Seat16TDI on 17 April, 2011, 9:30pm

Fed up of engine management warning lights!

I bought my Seat Ibiza in Jan 2010 it was ok for a while then approximately a year later a engine management warning light came on. I contacted Seat who stated it would be down to doing short journeys and there would be a build up of soot. To get the warning light off you had to drive the car over appox 6 miles doing a speed of at least 40mph. The following day another warning light came on the dash, a coil type shape. The engine then started to shut down only allowing me to do 30mph, i then had to drive the vehicle to my nearest Seat dealership (approx 40 miles away!). They tested it and said the sensor was faulty so fitted a new one. The car then was ok for a month,...then the warning light on average has come on approx every few weeks.....I have to do unecesssary journeys to get the light to go off then within a few weeks its back on again! This weekend (Easter) the warning light has returned and refuses to go off.....now i find myself having to make another unecessary trip to the garage 40 miles away to get it sorted out again. It may sound trivial but its so annoying. I live in a semi rural area, need a car and constantly worrying about if the car is going to shut down!Its ridiculous......I thought Seat was supposed to basically be a VW......I wont be buying another one.

By deb1760 on 25 April, 2011, 4:18pm

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Nearly 18 months since my first post in Dec 09, I am interested to read all the posts that have now been added - there does seem to be a common theme!
I did not rush out and buy a Fiesta but instead stuck to my guns and eventually succeeded after 9 months in having my car replaced by my dealer.
I could easily have given up but was spurred on by the sheer arrogence and disinterest shown by Seat UK's customer (we don't!) care team - all graduates of the Basil Faulty school of customer care but lacking in Basil's tact and diplomacy! They continued to stonewall me but fortunately my excellent local dealer broke ranks and did the decent thing.
The replacement car is only marginally better in terms of consumption figures (I have to take the canoe off the roof of my Saab 95 2.2 TiD Estate for it to use less fuel than the replacement car) and also suffers from the same dpf problems - this despite my car doing only open A road motoring. I can only imagine it would be entirely unuseable around town?
However, when back in the garage during its latest dpf crisis the garage advised me the car was due an engine management software upgrade. This has made a noticeable difference to the fuel consumption which has risen by an average 10 mpg and will now return 60 mpg +on steady A road driving at 50 - 55 mpg. Still not what it says on the tin but much better, Also I have now done about 3000 miles since this upgrade and no dpf light!
I have my fingers crossed that i may finally have something approaching the car I thought I was buying 18 months ago.

By Hermann on 26 April, 2011, 11:39pm

Trying to contact HERMANN

I posted my comments about my 1.6 TDI Ibiza on 17th April 2011 and I have been trying to contact HERMANN who posted on 13 Dec 2009 and 26 Apr 2011.

HERMANN I would really appreciate it if you could contact me at Seat16TDI@hotmail.co.uk (temporary email address for this contact)

By Seat16TDI on 2 June, 2011, 10:54pm

poor fuel consumption Part 2

As I was saying back in April... 1.6TDi Ibiza St, poor fuel consumption, erratic idle etc etc... well the low down is, the car was in the garage for 2 weeks. Courtesy car dealt with by Seat HQ, the garage did 1 update, and were awaiting a 2nd update on a disc. Well, the disc arrived... finally... the car went to the garage today... hey... the disc didn't work so no update done... and the real lowdown... Seat HQ have authorised a new ECU to be fitted to the car. Expensive eh... but I am not paying. Will update next week when they have my car back to "fix" it. Maybe I will get 60+ mpg then.. Then I will be happy! In the meantime, it still idles at 1000 rpm every now and then. It did it today! and with that you get a horrible smell from the engine.. So, anyone else still dealing with "issues", would love to read more. Persist with the dealers, or just go direct to Head Office. That is what I did. Still love my car though!

By joolscd on 13 June, 2011, 11:21pm

No Improvement

On 13 June joolscd said he is going to get a replacement ECU to imrove the fuel consumption. We have already had the ECU replaced and it made no difference whatsoever. Our complaint continues.

By Seat16TDI on 27 June, 2011, 9:01am

No Improvement

On 13 June joolscd said he is going to get a replacement ECU to imrove the fuel consumption. We have already had the ECU replaced and it made no difference whatsoever. Our complaint continues.

By Seat16TDI on 27 June, 2011, 9:02am

Seat vs Ford?

who on earth would buy this over a Fiesta ? bonkers!

By Teifion2 on 30 July, 2011, 8:22am

Ibiza flop?

It may be a false observation, but nearly all the latest Ibizas I am seeing are the 1.4 petrol versions which are probably heavily discounted to sell them, along with the fancy 1.2 ones with extra kit. I can't remember the last time I saw a diesel version - hopefully folks are steering well clear of this duffer which does less mpg than than a petrol Ibiza.

I swapped my 1.6 diesel Ibiza for a car which used to be a bit of a joke. It lacks the bells and whistles of the SEAT range, but is surprisingly fun to drive in a basic sort of way. My first impression of it was how nippy it is, and on the motorway it is excellent. And best of all, unlike the SEAT Ibiza diesel, it actually delivers superb economy. Don't laugh, any of you Top Gear 'big car' types! It is the Fiat Panda multijet diesel. I always get at least 65mpg on the motorway at 70mph, and up to 70mpg on A roads. It is nimble, and a breeze to park. If anyone has had bad experiences of any Fiat in the past, you could be pleasantly surprised with the Panda, and the multijet engine is maybe one of Fiat's best bit of kit in recent years. I reckon I am saving around £10 a week (£500+ a year) over my running costs for the SEAT Ibiza 1.6 diesel with this Panda.

By Paul1689 on 6 August, 2011, 8:19am

My findings so far...

My wife has the Seat Ibiza 1.6 TDI and loves it, loads of torque and plenty of pace. On the issue of fuel consumption I agree to an extent, although she regularly gets mid 50’s to the gallon on her daily commute which is all town and B roads.

I have the 1.2 TDI Ibiza ST in E-Ecomotive form as I drive over 30,000 miles a year so fuel consumption was far more important to me. I average 70+ mpg and never get less than 60, but to get this I have had to sacrifice acceleration and speed when compared to the 1.6 TDI.

It all depends on your daily commute, because when I use my wife’s car (1.6 TDI) to do my daily commute I can get over 60 mpg which for the extra power I think is excellent. My commute is a mix of country lanes and motorway covering a 100 mile round trip; longer drives seem to be good for economy. If like my wife the drive is all sort distances and town driving, then economy takes a hammering which Seat should at least acknowledge I agree.

Both are great engines but the official figures can be drastically different to real life depending on your commute and driving style. I have achieved the official figures so I don’t think Seat are lying, however the cars should get the quoted figures no mater your route or driving style… Maybe it’s not Seat who need to improve but the tests carried out by these so called independent labs?

By eco_ibiza_st on 23 December, 2011, 12:29pm

Software update.

Hi guys. Is there any physical way to tell if the software update has been done? I know for recall work VW usually put a sticker in the boot. Mine is a 60 plate so I'm wondering if it would of been done at the factory prior to delivery. Where as mine hasn't been to bad on MPG and I have averaged over 63mpg on one tank I seem to get more around 54/55. This is confirmed by measuring the fuel not just by computer. I can't really fault the car apart from getting no where near the MPG figures. I had a Passat 140 DSG prior to the Ibiza and never could get it to average more than 50

By seat60 on 14 January, 2012, 8:15am

Sotware update

seat 60, there has been a new software release since your 60 plate was built. It will only be updated if your car is in for other work, servicing etc. The software update is not a recall so there is no sticker in the boot. The only way to check the software version is to connect it to the dealers computer. If you have had a service ask the dealer if they did it then.

By Seat16TDI on 15 January, 2012, 9:45am

Surging...

Has anyone else found the 1.6 TDI surges with no warning? I was driving my wifes car and I tend to use engine braking a lot (when no one is behind me) to slow down rather than braking. I was approaching a set of traffic lights and the engine sundenly increased the revs nearly sending me into the back of the car in front!

I spoke to the dealer and apprently this happens when the car neads to clear out the DPF filter... how dangerous is this!!! I asked if the software was up to date (11 plate car) and it was all fine, so this must be a known thing to the VW empire. Why let the engine rev without warning, surely put a light on or clear out the filter when your in say 5th gear... a time when surging woudn't matter so much!

Anyone else found this?

By eco_ibiza_st on 31 January, 2012, 8:46am

eco_ibiza_st - Surging

There is also an "anti-stall device". The engine idles at 750rpm when stationary and 900rpm when moving. If the rpm is forced below 900 by slowing down then the engine ECU will apply power and make the vehicle accelerate to maintain 900rpm even though you are trying to slow down. It often overshoots the 900rpm and the surge can be alarming.

As for the problems caused by DPF regeneration - welcome to the 1.6 TDI !

By Seat16TDI on 31 January, 2012, 10:34am

Surging...

Thank you Seat16TDI, I wasn't aware of this and neither was the dealer apperently as he never mentioned it. It makes sense but I'm not sure if I like that.

I have the 1.2 TDI and that has never surged on me (no real power too I suppose). I will have to drive my wifes car (1.6 TDI) differently then, strange but fair enough. Thanks again.

By eco_ibiza_st on 2 February, 2012, 1:28pm