Supermini superstars go head to head
Ford Fiesta and SEAT Ibiza have really impressed, so would the members of the team running them be convinced to swap before they leave our fleet?
IT’S usually a sad day when a model leaves our fleet, because we bond with our cars quite a lot over the extended periods we run them on test. It’s doubly painful when we’re forced to part with an excellent car, but we’ve had to endure a particularly traumatic time recently as both our Ford Fiesta and SEAT Ibiza left our custody.
The supermini sector is incredibly hard-fought at the moment, and both of these models are at the top of their game, fighting it out for class honours.
That’s why we brought the pair together before we had to say goodbye. Special contributor Lawrence Allan and I have raved about how great our respective hatchbacks are, but what would we think once we’d had a go in each other’s cars?
I began by having a nose around the Fiesta, starting with the exterior. The Bohai Bay Mint paint means our B&O Play Zetec three-door model certainly catches the eye, and I like the Ford’s more rounded design in comparison with my angular-looking Ibiza.
However, the three-door bodystyle is a sticking point for me; I’d definitely go for a five-door if I were to buy a supermini, because it makes access that much easier and only adds £650 to the price. The long doors on the Fiesta also mean that getting in and out is a pain even if it’s just you, because they reduce the room you have in a tight car park space to squeeze in. Access is definitely easier in my SEAT, both front and rear.
Once I got inside, I instantly found that the seats were excellent. I’ve praised the comfort in my Ibiza in a previous report, but once I’d settled into the Ford, I realised its seats were even