By EWAN KENNEDY
4 December 2006

Speculation that Spanish car maker Seat may return to Australia has some canny buyers looking with increasing interest at the Seat models imported to Australia during the mid to late1990s.

That earlier ill-fated attempt to bring Seats to Australia has tainted the brand and this has led to low resale values, so there are some real bargains out there. But they will only be bargains if you can get spare parts and expert servicing of the cars as a result of the marque making its comeback. When do you move to take advantage of current low prices on Seats? That’s your decision, but keep a close eye on our news pages…

For many years, Seat has been owned and controlled by the giant Volkswagen group and most models are heavily based on VW products that are already familiar to Australians. The subject of this week’s used-car checkout, the Seat Ibiza, is an older-model Volkswagen Polo with a different body and some mechanical changes.

VW uses the Spanish products as lower-cost variants that don’t dilute the image of the VW marque. Seats are successful in Europe and are rapidly becoming the car of choice for those that see them as more stylish in appearance than the somewhat staid German Volkswagen designs.

Ibiza is a tough little car with decent interior space for its compact external dimensions. Boot space is far larger than you would expect for a car with the external dimensions of the Ibiza.

Seat Ibiza has chunky styling that hasn’t dated as much as you might have expected. It may not look as slick and modern as new cars in this class, but many are happy with the way it looks, seeing it as a throwback to an earlier era.

Many Ibiza owners swear by them saying that with proper care and maintenance they seem to be almost as trouble free as Japanese cars. And are much more interesting to drive, with excellent handling that’s partly due to a simple form of passive rear-wheel steering.

Ride comfort is good, if rather firm at times and the whole car has a substantial feel which you don't normally get in a vehicle in this class.

Seat Ibiza was initially offered in Australia as a CLX hatch with a three-door or five-door hatchback body and a 1.4-litre engine; or as a hot performing three-door Ibiza GTi 2.0-litre hatch.

The latter was renamed, and slightly re-engineered, to become the Ibiza Cupra Sport in September 1998. Cupra Sport is arguably the pick of the bunch if you are a keen driver, but there aren’t a lot on the market.

The only transmission on all models is five-speed manual. This was possibly another reason for Ibiza's Australian downfall, European buyers prefer manuals, but many Aussies, even those in the small-car market, like the driving ease of an automatic.

This Seat is fairly easy for the good home mechanic to work on, with decent underbody space and conventional mechanical components.

Some spare parts are still available in Australia but outlets are limited so make sure there’s one reasonably close to your area and that they have a good range of stock. Try contacting your local VW dealer in the first instance. Parts prices are generally reasonable.

Insurance isn’t likely to be expensive on the cheaper models, but some companies will slug you for the Ibiza GTi, particularly if you are young and/or have a below average driving record. It might be worth a call to your favourite insurance company before becoming too committed to a car.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Try to start the engine when it’s completely cold, preferably after it has been standing overnight. If it’s reluctant to start or is rough when it first kicks over, there could be troubles.

Look for fumes from the exhaust tailpipe if the engine is worked hard after having been idling for a while.

The manual gearbox should feel smooth and light in its actions and even the fastest of changes should be quiet and easy. Any crunching is likely to mean excessive wear and the need for repairs.

An automatic transmission that’s slow at going into gear could also be about to damage someone’s bank account.

Body finish is generally good and rust is seldom a problem, but it’s always wise to look at the lower areas of the body to be on the safe side. Rust there may indicate poor quality repairs after a crash.

Have a professional inspection of the Ibiza after doing these initial checks yourself. Get a written quote for any repairs and make sure your mechanic has sourced spare parts before you agree to buy the car.

CAR BUYING TIP

Don’t just look at the low purchase price of a car that has become an orphans, also beware of the difficulty of reselling it.

© Copyright Marque Publishing Company