Tough choice: ST FR 1.4 ACT TSI or 1.8 TSI

MadCow

Active Member
Jan 6, 2017
21
0
Hi!

I read everything I could find about differences between 1.4 and 1.8 Leon but I'm still unable to make up my mind... One thing is certain - it's gonna be an ST FR :)

I live close to the Alps and love mountainbiking so I go to the mountains every 2 weeks (average for the whole year, biking in autumn is not that pleasant). And that means that I get to drive on nice, well maintined (Germany/Austria) motorways and then twisty roads once in the mountains. Cupra would be too much for that imho (and too expensive on the motorway part and on longer trips) and it's not very likely I'm ever gonna take my daily driver to a track.
So to sum up - bikes & holidays = ST, twisty roads = FR.

Both enginers have the same torque and everybody (?) says that the difference can be felt higher in the revs - 1.4 just stops pulling at some point but 1.8 goes on but it's not that important for me. What's tempting about the 1.8 is multilink suspension in the back and bigger brakes. I'm just not sure if the difference in handling is worth a higher purchase price, taxes and insurance.

The second thing is DCC - how does it influence the handling? From what I read it's mostly used to make the car more comfortable as it's possible to soften the suspension? That's not a problem for me - I drove the 1.4 ACT without DCC and it was comfortable enough for me and my GF. I'm more interested in its effect on handling, can anyone help with that? Variable steering ratio also sounds nice, how is it in real life?

Cheers,
Maciej
 

ajg74

Active Member
Dec 9, 2016
121
4
Manchester
I test drove both the 1.4 and 1.8 before deciding on the 1.8 (with DSG). I found the 1.8 to have much more low down pull, from almost tick over and much longer legs when stretching it in to the higher reaches of the rev range, it also feels much quicker, the suspension really didn't feel much different but the brakes do!
 

MadCow

Active Member
Jan 6, 2017
21
0
Thanks! Not much difference in suspension but a lot in brakes is exactly what I was expecting :) Did you have a chance to test the DCC?
 

ajg74

Active Member
Dec 9, 2016
121
4
Manchester
I've driven a Cupra 290 which has DCC and found a marked difference between the modes, was surprisingly compliant in normal\comfort mode and stiffened up nicely in Cupra mode.
TBH I find the normal FR suspension to be fine.
 

DANFR180

Active Member
Feb 8, 2016
273
3
i can assure you in there is a big difference in the suspension, you might not notice it popping to the shops but pushing on you will expose the fixed beam for what it is (I have both types sat on the drive) the problem with the fixed beam is there is always a sacrifice, in the case of the fiesta ST it handles great but it is the comfort that suffers(not really a problem in one of those)and in the leon it is the handling that suffers most, the multilink offers the best of both,
 

Omen

Active Member
Dec 29, 2016
17
0
London
Hi Maciej,

Not sure how much this helps you but I recently drove the ST when me & a couple of mates went rock climbing to El Chorro. Picked up the car from Malaga airport, 4 blokes, 4 heavy bags with all the gear & very little idea.... I must say I was very impressed with how the car performed & handled over the four days we had it. It had plenty of poke, cornered well in the twisties & had really good fuel economy too. Only issue for us was that we experienced a little grounding out on some of the dirt tracks we took to get to the crags we were climbing on. All in all, I enjoyed the car so much i had to double check which engine was in the car & confirmed it was indeed the 1.4

I now have a new 1.4 ECO tsi on order for March. Was going to get the ST but my partner was worried about parking it around where we live so 5 door hatch it is for me.

Good luck in making your decision.
 

MadCow

Active Member
Jan 6, 2017
21
0
Thanks for the answers guys!

1.8 it is then, still not sold on DCC though... On the other hand taking the DCC will increase the price by ~3% so I might as well give it a try. Do you know about any long term problems with this system? I plan to keep the car for at least 6-7 years.

From what I read the fuel economy is similar (I won't be using it in the city at all), the tax here is almost two times higher (CO2 emissions) but still it's just 120Euro/year.
 

Stagsfell

Active Member
Feb 16, 2015
143
3
After 2 years with my 1.8tsi I am still a bit lukewarm over the engine but the competence of the chassis and excellence of the brakes has never been in doubt and I would still opt for the1.8 to get these. Mpg wise mine has settled around 42-43 in normal use, up to 46 on a long run (I rarely get stuck in traffic or use motorways, bulk of my driving is poor quality A & B roads seldom using 6th).
 

Curtly

Active Member
Jun 5, 2015
893
19
Essex
In a nutshell the 1.8 is faster and handles a bit better. The 1.4 is cheaper to run (fuel, tax, insurance).

So basically you pay for the extra performance.
 

Ashworth

Active Member
Feb 2, 2010
152
0
Nottinghamshire
After 2 years with my 1.8tsi I am still a bit lukewarm over the engine but the competence of the chassis and excellence of the brakes has never been in doubt and I would still opt for the1.8 to get these. Mpg wise mine has settled around 42-43 in normal use, up to 46 on a long run (I rarely get stuck in traffic or use motorways, bulk of my driving is poor quality A & B roads seldom using 6th).

I've had my 1.8tsi for over 3 years now and have also appreciated the excellence of the independent rear suspension etc which has, I think, been a real benefit for the type of winding and often unevenly surfaced country roads and narrow lanes that I mainly drive along. I've never been really sure whether the 1.8 engine has any advantage over the 1.4 for this type of driving.

I was planning on changing my car this spring and I have now ordered a VW Golf GT Edition which has the same 1.4tsi ACT engine as the SEAT Leon FR but unlike the 1.4 Leon FR it does have the better suspension etc and quite a lot of other features included like 18 inch wheels, sunroof, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors etc. Also this time I have decided to order a DSG model. I was intending having another 1.8 FR but these are no longer available in the U.K following the facelift so SEAT have lost a sale. There are currently big reductions in price of up to £3,000 on new Golfs as they too get ready for a facelift later this year. I was very impressed with the VW Golf GT Edition when I took a test drive and found the 1.4 ACT engine to be perfectly adequate and quite impressive.
 

p.eco

Active Member
Jun 24, 2014
227
16
Ireland
my brother has 1.4 petrol, i borrowed the car for few days, then i sit back to mine 1.8TSI with DCC and fu*k me there is some difference. Engine, suspension, altogether different car. there is nothing to think about, go for 1.8 best with DCC.
 

Ashworth

Active Member
Feb 2, 2010
152
0
Nottinghamshire
find the right road and the multi-link suspension is terrific when you're "pushing on". Really comes alive...

But unless you have the 184 diesel engine it's no longer going to be available in the Leon FR in the UK now that the 1.8tsi engine is no more. That's why I have ordered a VW Golf GT Edition as although it's only a 1.4 tsi, it does have the independent rear suspension. I will miss my 1.8 FR but I'm now really looking forward to getting my new Golf in March especially with DSG.
 

MadCow

Active Member
Jan 6, 2017
21
0
Still possible to get the 1.8 in the rest of Europe though :) Well, at least in Germany, Czech Republic and Poland.

What mpg are you getting with 1.8 TSI on motorways (cruising at around 130-140kph)? Most of the people here have 1.4TSI or 184 diesel and those have really grat fuel economy (42mpg is quite usual for 1.4 according to one thread).

The price difference between 1.4 and 1.8 is negligible (~1300 euro and 1.8 spec'd with DCC) so it boils down to how much more will I spend on petrol.
 

Ashworth

Active Member
Feb 2, 2010
152
0
Nottinghamshire
Still possible to get the 1.8 in the rest of Europe though :) Well, at least in Germany, Czech Republic and Poland.

What mpg are you getting with 1.8 TSI on motorways (cruising at around 130-140kph)? Most of the people here have 1.4TSI or 184 diesel and those have really grat fuel economy (42mpg is quite usual for 1.4 according to one thread).

The price difference between 1.4 and 1.8 is negligible (~1300 euro and 1.8 spec'd with DCC) so it boils down to how much more will I spend on petrol.

Unfortunately, as the UK speed limit, even on motorways is only 70mph (113 kph), I've never really driven over long distances at 130-140 kph to find this out. On long motorway journeys driving at or just above the UK speed limit my 1.8 averages at about 43 mpg which is quite good for an engine that size, but I would think that taking it up to the speed you are thinking about will bring that figure down quite a bit.

I've loved my 3 and a half years of driving the 1.8 and was certainly going to have another. Imagine my shock and disappointment after waiting for the facelift model to find that it is no longer available here. At first I was going to go for the 1.4, but then I discovered that VW in the UK have big price reductions of over £3,000 on the Golf bringing it down to less than the price of a Leon FR. With this price reduction the Golf GT Edition with the 1.4 ACT 150 engine plus independent rear suspension seemed too good a deal to miss. I haven't opted for DCC as I didn't have it on my 1.8 FR and even with the 18 inch wheels the Golf seemed a much quieter and softer ride.
 

Mandrake

Active Member
Oct 31, 2016
4
0
As the 1.8 TSI has been reportedly discontinued (sadly!), does anyone know why both Drive The Deal and CarWow are currently offering the 2017 Facelift Leon ST ("new model") with 1.8 TSI?

Is there a glimmer of hope that SEAT UK may have reversed their terrible decision? If not, I guess I'll have to pick up a used 1.8 ST TSI DSG.... (if only I could find one with ACC....SIDE RANT [:@] :absolutely mystifying why so few buyers spec this cheap yet game-changing safety option that's tailor-made for the UK’s overly congested roads :confused: )
 
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ajg74

Active Member
Dec 9, 2016
121
4
Manchester
As the 1.8 TSI has been reportedly discontinued (sadly!), does anyone know why both Drive The Deal and CarWow are currently offering the 2017 Facelift Leon ST ("new model") with 1.8 TSI?

Is there a glimmer of hope that SEAT UK may have reversed their terrible decision? If not, I guess I'll have to pick up a used 1.8 ST TSI DSG.... ( if only I could :censored: well find one with ACC....SIDE RANT [:@] : absolutely mystifying why so few buyers spec this cheap yet game-changing safety option that is so perfect for the UK’s overly congested roads :confused: )

Maybe they don't know yet! I was originally going to buy new (this was in December) and not only hadn't the dealers been told about SEAT UK dropping the 1.8, it was still on the configurator they use and accepted an order request for the 1.8tsi, even though the car would have been a factory order and all factory orders had been face lifts only for a while! It was a few days later we discovered it had been cancelled. That is why I bought a nearly new ex SEAT UK one.
 

IMC

Active Member
Feb 4, 2016
92
0
Sofia, Bulgaria
Hi Maciej,

I see a lot of the comments only mentioning the difference in suspension, which is a lot better on the 180FR and you will definitely notice on a twisty mountain road, but only if you push it. In the city - don't think it will make any noticeable difference. Brakes are better and that's evident even in city driving.

On the other hand the engine is different as well, it is much more potent (for lack of a better word), it has the same torque (which can easily be upgraded - DTUK), but the way it distributes it is way different - 1.4 - 250 Nm/1500-3500 rpm.; 1.8 - 250 Nm/1250-5000 rpm., you can clearly see the difference. The rev range is way better, and this is priceless on the roads you want to drive it on - this will translate to less (unnecessary) shifting, more constant power output ... etc. On the shifting part if you opt for the DSG, I can assure you it works great with the 180, while I noticed a bit of doubt with 1.4.

Source: Having driven both cars on the same, perfect mountain pass as well as in the city. After that driving the 180 on a daily basis for almost an year :)

_______________
Seat Leon FR 1.8 TSI DSG, MY16, Alor Blue
Nissan Pulsar 1.2DiG-T CVT
 
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chalky

Active Member
Jan 28, 2017
3
0
Scotland
Maybe they don't know yet! I was originally going to buy new (this was in December) and not only hadn't the dealers been told about SEAT UK dropping the 1.8, it was still on the configurator they use and accepted an order request for the 1.8tsi, even though the car would have been a factory order and all factory orders had been face lifts only for a while! It was a few days later we discovered it had been cancelled. That is why I bought a nearly new ex SEAT UK one.

Has the demise of the 1.8 TSI in the UK been officially confirmed anywhere? Cancelling an order is pretty much final but it's a bit of a shambles.

The 1.8 has reappeared in the online configuration tool (I'm fairly sure it was missing early in January). It's not listed in the downloadable PDF brochure on SEAT's website, but that still has "pre sales" in the filename which is suspicious.
 

duchess99

Active Member
Sep 25, 2016
8
0
Got DCC on the 184 ST. Its wonderful. £1000 well spent. Push mode, hit comfort when you're headed through a 20 zone with speed bumps and it glides over them. Knock it back into sport when you get back on a proper road and everything tightens up. Love it.
 
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