SEAT Leon 1.4 16v

...should I say hate, with SEAT began about 10 long years ago. I needed a car urgently to get to Coventry and, as an impoverished student, it was the only hire company and car I could afford. Fast track forward 10 years, and I was not too impressed to discover the VW Golf I ordered from Europcar had miraculously transformed into a top of the range SEAT Leon. To say I was unimpressed and determined not to like it was an understatement. However, 500 miles ...
...port of call was the SEAT website, www.seat.co.uk, which is an informative and easy to navigate site, listing its products, finance options (new cars), the cars features and costs and SEAT approved dealers, new and used.

Therefore second port of call was my local SEAT dealership, www.frfmotors.com, who incidentally also have outlets alongside selling Mazda, Volvo and Vauxhalls, not to mention being a Network Q Dealer, but enough about ... more

My love affair, or should I say hate, with SEAT began about 10 long years ago. I needed a car urgently to get to Coventry and, as an impoverished student, it was the only hire company and car I could afford. Fast track forward 10 years, and I was not too impressed to discover the VW Golf I ordered from Europcar had miraculously transformed into a top of the range SEAT Leon. To say I was unimpressed and determined not to like it was an understatement. However, 500 miles on, I had to say I had been swayed and the hunt was on.

These days I track back and fore to Cardiff twice a week for work. This extra 200 miles a week in my trusty, economical but mind-blowingly slow Peugeot 306 was driving me bats. I needed something faster and sexier, but equally economical, well 2 out of 3 ain’t bad I suppose,.

My first port of call was the SEAT website, www.seat.co.uk, which is an informative and easy to navigate site, listing its products, finance options (new cars), the cars features and costs and SEAT approved dealers, new and used.

Therefore second port of call was my local SEAT dealership, www.frfmotors.com, who incidentally also have outlets alongside selling Mazda, Volvo and Vauxhalls, not to mention being a Network Q Dealer, but enough about them.

ABOUT SEAT
Finding information on their move from an independent company to VW is difficult. SEAT were Spanish and taken over by VW during the 1990’s. Their cars are still produced in Spain, but now benefit from the VW financial backing and expertise. Not to mention that VW is considering splitting the company and moving SEAT under the Audi Banner, but keeping the prices lower than their German originating siblings. SEAT currently offer 6 cars and a van in their portfolio, ranging from roughly £6000 up to a more refined £23,000, so something for every size and budget.

BUYING THE CAR
On arriving at the garage I had a budget of £7K. and was nearly conned into buying a new SEAT Ibiza for a £1,000 more. While it is a nice-looking little car, it didn’t have enough oomph or boot space for me, plus I found it a little tinny. I then fell in love with the Turbo-Diesel Injection New Cordoba for a cool £12,000 new, but with my mortgage, not presently an option. I then test-drove a nearly new flash red SEAT Leon and the love affair started.

WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY?
The car was not quite new, but an ex-demonstrator model used for customers test drives and as a replacement car. A 5 door hatchback, at 10 months old with a low 7,500 miles on the clock, it was a cool £8,000. They also gave me £2,500 part-ex on my Peugeot. This model new will set you back £10,215 on the road. It has a 1.4 16 Valve engine (I am led to believe the same one used in the VW Gold) and runs on petrol.

As part of the SEAT warranty, they give three years manufacturer’s warranty, plus 5 years full European AA cover, including hotel and replacement car provision, this in itself is worth over £200 a year.

While the price may not seem comparable with other new cars, it is the extras provided as standard which make it a good deal.

These extras include:

• Central locking – 2 keys are supplied, but only one has remote locking, a second computerised key will set you back c£35.
• Alloy Wheels
• Air-conditioning
• Electric windows (front only)
• Rear wiper
• A 6 rack CD player for an extra £250
• 4 air bags – the rear ones can be turned off
• Power Steering
• ABS Brakes

The whole system is computerised (always makes me a little nervous as computers break down) and has warning lights and sound for times when the windscreen washers and petrol run low, or if there is any problem with the car.

The windscreen wipers have 3 main different speeds, including intermittent, normal and fast for severe weather conditions. There is also a choice of 3 speeds for the intermittent version dependent on driving conditions.

The car, in common with many others, has a warning sound when leaving the vehicle, if the lights have been left on, or the indicator is left indicating either way (although this does also provide a parking light)

The fog lights are operated from the main light operating switch, by pulling the swtich out when the lights are on full; this is a particularly useful feature as it means you cannot accidentally leave your fog lights on when not required, something I see far too many idiots do.

The car has internal lights which activate when the car is stationery until the point of locking, and there is delay on the electric windows that allow them to be closed after the ignition has been turned off; this is particularly useful for a clown like me who should be banned from having electric windows as I always forget to shut them.

EFFICIENCY
The petrol tanks fuel capacity is 55 litres and its fuel consumptions claim to be:

• 31.5 mpg around town
• 51.5 mpg on a distance run and
• 41.5 mpg with a combination of the two

While the salesman advised that this was only a guide, to be fair, the figures are fairly accurate. It is not as economical as my old Peugeot, but it was a trade off as this is definitely easier to drive. Maximum speed is 105 mph, which doesn’t sound particularly fast to the speed freaks among you, but with the ever growing spread of speed cameras, I guess I will never find out how it handles at its max. It does however sit very comfortably at between 70 – 80 mph on a run.

There is an automatic switch to open the petrol cap situated underneath the gear stick between the two front seats - this does not open when the car is moving.

There is a warning light on the dashboard if you don't close the boot properly, which is quite handy as I am in and out of mine like no-one's business because of the laptop.

Despite its low speed, it accelerates remarkably well from stationary and can leave most cars standing, or maybe that’s just the psychopathic driver, who knows? However, compared with the Cordoba TDI which I was fortunate enough to have as a loan car (more about that later), it is positively slow. The Cordoba takes on a life of its own.

COMFORT
This car is comfortable on a run, there is substantial legroom in the back and front, and boot space will comfortably handle 3 suitcases. The drivers seat moves back and forward and up and down, and suits even for a shorty like me and a giant like my other half. As I have already said, the car has 4 air bags, 2 in the front and 2 in the back. There are 5 headrests, although I am not convinced I would like to transport 5 fully grown adults any long distances, at that point I suspect it could become fairly cramped.

I drive long distances and therefore often ‘eat on the run’ so to speak. This has always been an inconvenience for me. If I choose a fast food takeaway I avoid the drinks because of the risk of spilling it. Not any more, in common with many new cars I’ve driven, the LEON has a retractable drinks holder, meaning I can now enjoy a full meal on the move. (Although not sure if enjoy is the right word for most fast food).

APPEARANCE
I think it is sexy; it has a large, yet sleek sporty look with a round back. The inside could let it down, having an all black mottled plastic feel to it. The main dashboard features such as speedo and rev monitor are have a red display which I found quite distracting at first, although I have now got used to it.

Mine is an outstanding Flash red colour. It does also come in yellow and a series of metallic combinations which will set you back an extra £300 if buying new. Obviously, if buying second-hand, you could be restricted by availability and price. Also, colours availability varys on the new cars dependent on model and engine capacity, which ranges up to the Cupra 1.9TDI at a large £18,000, oh for a small windfall.

INSURANCE & TAX
This particular model is a group D and has managed to knock around £5 a month of this year’s insurance, can’t fault it. It also falls in the B classification of the new VED limits, and therefore only costs £125 to tax for the year.

WHAT DO I THINK?
It probably wouldn’t have been my first choice of car, but I couldn’t afford the one I wanted. It handles well, is comfortable, is relatively economical. Thanks to its colour, it stands out in a crowd, and it has been kind to me in reducing my travelling time substantially. It is ridiculously easy to park thanks to its power steering, and is nippy and economical.

I have had a few glitches. After about a months ownership, I got into it one morning, only to discover my clutch pedal had disappeared, I was a little concerned as I was on my way to Cardiff, but managed to get it off the floor. I didn’t face any problems with it for the rest of the day. However, a visit to the garage established that this is a common fault with the LEON, and is attributable to failure of the Master Cylinder, which does not affect the driving. There was no issue with getting it into the garage for repair and a replacement car (although I did have to cover it with my own insurance), and have encountered no further problems.

I also started noticing that the brakes were intermittently noisy, and the car was sometimes lumpy while idling. The latter not good when sitting in rush hour traffic on the M6. The garage could not find anything wrong with either, but did clean out the wheels for me. They also cleared up a small amount of carbon build up in the hope of resolving the intermittent idling problem. All free of charge.

THE DOWNSIDES?
What apart from having to repay the loan? The Glove compartment – it was small to start with, but the inclusion of the 6 rack CD player has made it unusable, (my other half didn’t consider this too much of a problem as I only ever used it as a receptacle for rubbish). However, both front doors have sizeable ‘pockets’ for rubbish dumping.

Also, the dashboard is so well stacked, that even if I did manage to find a hands free kit for my 6100, I would have nowhere to put it.

Ah - also forgot to mention that there is no switch to automatically open the boot, therefore it has to be done manually, this is quite surprising in a car that has so many additional features.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
The SEAT staff were remarkably helpful and, I might add, tolerant. The car was ready within two days of ordering, and before driving it away, I had a full breakdown on every single feature of the car, can't fault them in anyway.

SUMMARY
I have managed to put 3,500 miles on the car in less than 2 months, it serves a purpose, is nice to drive, and is never to be missed thanks to its colour. And of course, there is no MOT to worry about for another two years, by which time, I hope I will be able to trade it in for a newer model. It has even convinced my father, a truly 'British' only car owner (is Vauxhall really British?), that there is life outside the Astra and the Corsa.

It has injected the word ‘Enjoy’ back into the distances I travel, although next time I will be investing in a diesel turbo injection, but this would apply to any car, not just the LEON.

All in all, very good value for money.

Sue
 

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