Citigo, i10, Ibiza

Just been out shopping for a new car for SWMBO with a very limited budget needing 5 doors and aircon as must-haves. She anticipated a citycar for the money, so after an evening on the internet we had a shortlist of 2. The Hyundai i10 or one of the VAG triplets Mii,Citigo,UP! both 5* rated by Whatcar.

2 test drives were booked and off we went the next day.

First the Citigo SE at about £9500.  I had already had a Mii as a courtesy car so knew what to expect.  She liked the way it drove, and thought it was very solidly built for such a little car (we've previously had an AX and a Punto so she noticed the difference). However the inside is so sparsely furnished - bare painted panels like something from the '60s, and no extra trim or padding on anything - it was unlikely to win her over.

So off to Hyundai for the i10SE at £9770. The dealer proudly announces with posters etc "WhatCar 2015 small car of the year", so I'm hopeful she'll like this. As it happens, I don't like it but she does. I think it sounds tinny and the interior looks cheap (and strangely smells cheap and plasticky just like an i30 I tried) She likes the drive (though not as good as the Skoda), likes the amount of equipment and the brightly coloured interior and declares it the winner.

Or it would have been.

Just in case the city cars were too small for SWMBO, I had the night before researched bargains in the next size up, and had concluded that the SEAT Ibiza was ridiculously cheap right now.

And guess what was parked outside in the sunshine at Skoda/SEAT.  A blood red IBIZA TOCA 5 Door.  Whats that? she says and How much?

A quick test-drive followed before we moved on to Hyundai, and what do you know - we're now waiting on delivery of her Ibiza which to her "felt like a real car", has as much kit as the others, and came home at £9070 OTR.  Yes its going to cost more to run, but she saw it as "so much more car for the money" and believed that if she bought the i10, every day she'd wonder "should I have got the Ibiza".

Which strangely enough is exactly how I would feel if I'd bought an i30 instead of the Toledo.