Faults:

Few rattles in the cabin (including the drivers seat at times).

General Comments:

Lovely car to drive, has superb handling!

Turbo whistle very addictive. Very responsive with barely any turbo lag.

Twin exhaust gives a lovely deep burble when your waiting at traffic lights.

Plant your foot down and it feels like its going into warp speed!. This car puts a smile on my face on the way to work (even on a Monday morning!)

Extremely comfortable, seats have about the right amount of support. Seats also look v sporty.

Build quality not bad (can see some room for improvement in parts).

Faults:

Initial Issues:

Misting Up Headlights.

General Comments:

Given the low mileage so far this is more of an 'initial impression' than a full review, but I thought it might be useful and I'll add to it as the miles rack up (if that's possible!)

If you're considering the 130bhp diesel you'll probably know by now that the car is quite brisk. ;) The only downside is that the initial rush of grunt is not maintained for that long, but the engine makes the car rapid and very laid back, with more subtle suspension it would be an ideal olde school GT.

The suspension is *very* firm and to be honest a bit over the top on a road car, try before you buy!

Folk say the engine is noisy, but generally it is a lot quieter than my old tech ZX TD. That said cold starts are a little noisy and pulling away shows up still more of the diesel clatter. Above walking pace though the engine is pretty near silent with only a gentle 'chatter' as you ease on the power. Tyre roar is very noticeable at even quire low speeds and increases with speed - make sure your test drive includes a bit of dual carriageway!

The full on climate control seems overly complicated, either warming you or chilling the air, you can't seem to get just 'outside' air.

The fuel computer needs checking too. Optimistically suggesting that mpg figures of 65+ are being achieved where calculations reckons about 52 which is confusing, but still good on a tight engine with this much torque.

A final initial (?) thought, ignore the myth of VAG build quality, they have as many problems as anybody else these days, just have a nose through the Polo reviews...

Overall I'm more than happy getting a pre-reg 130 FR TDi (pre-2006 facelift) for £10750.

Faults:

Though the original remote-control locking works fine, the dealer-installed addition with automatic window-closing, though original Volkswagen-Audi equipment, is often out of kilter.

General Comments:

The car is well built inside and out, safe and stable, quite roomy for a supermoini, has excellent road-holding qualities and pinpoint steering. It rides quite smoothly and quietly at expressway speeds (I've done 130 kph with no effort). The electronic climate control is a blessing, and, as regards optional equipment, the car is quite well fitted out, with 4 electric windows, 2 front and 2 side airbags, 3 rear-seat headrests, a glove compartment light (but no luggage compartment light!), even a spring-loaded front cupholder.

On the down side, the 1400 cc, 75 bhp engine w/automatic and a/c is too weak for so heavy a car and a real gas guzzler.

The car weighs 1094 kg, as compared to 1125 kg for my old Renault Megane with a 1600 cc engine and 110 bhp. My Ibiza averages 9-10 km/l, as compared to 12 km/l for the 1600 cc Megane.

On the climb to Jerusalem or the Carmel Mts. the car struggles, and I have to downshift to 3rd and 2nd gear.

The dealer told me that the reason the Ibiza doesn't come with a 1600 cc automatic is so that it won't compete with the VW Golf. I can believe that, because the previous model Ibiza did offer a 1600 cc, 100 bhp engine.

Another fault of the Ibiza is the hard ride on city street bumps. This is the price you pay for a taut suspension and the excellent road-hugging qualities.

My wife finds the upholstery uncomfortable and very "unpampering", as compared to the soft Megane seats.

Faults:

The only minor fault I've had is condensation inside one of the front headlights. This is a known manufacturers fault, and is very common. It only happened for a short period during the winter, and has now completely dried out.

General Comments:

The car is seriously underrated as a performance car. It's supposed to have 160bhp, but every report I've seen of rolling-road tests show at least 180bhp. This equates to the petrol Cupra equivalent.

It's biggest trump card is the enormous low to mid-range torque (330Nm) which gives tremendous overtaking ability.

Furthermore there are countless tuning companies offering ECU chips or upgrades to dramatically increase power even more.

The braking ability is amazing, having huge front discs with 4-pot calipers, usually found only on motor sport cars.

On the downside, cabin interior is very dark and looks like a basic model (apart from the leather steering wheel and red stitching).

The other annoyance for true sports car fans is of course the diesel rattle when stationary.