What Leon to buy?!

[AintGotNoCar]

Due to the amount of miles I'm driving I'm already leaning towards the diesel... however would like opinions from y'all whether or not I should go for hatchback or estate and pre face or facelift.

16/66 Pre-face has only £30 road tax on (looking at 2L / 185)
Conventional handbrake (some don't like the new one)

17 onwards facelift has andoid auto
LED headlights are meant to be quite good

I've not test driven any of these, but both the ST (2013 onwards) and the hatchback (2017 onwards) made it into the WhatCar used car awards (both finalists) so hoping they're a good buy!!

 

[AintGotNoCar]

Also... if anyone has any pointers for things to look out for in my search for a second hand Leon I'd appreciate any advice!

 

[Mr Pig]

If you do a lot of miles and don't care if the car isn't that fast the 1.6 TDi ST (estate) is pretty hard to beat. Minimum of 50mpg, up to 60 on a run, with zero road tax prior to 2017. Massive boot, roof rails for racks, sits on the motorway all day long but still handles tidily on B-roads.

On the move the extra weight of the estate just isn't noticeable, it's not actually that much heavier, so getting a hatch is pointless unless you are hooked on the looks.

Best spec is SE Technology. The LED lights are not that great but you get a better infotainment system too with the tech pack. SE gets you quite a few little things over the base spec that are nice to have while the FR doesn't add that much and the sports suspension is harsh in town. You don't get the magic mpg in FR cars anyway.

The 2017 facelift ads virtually nothing important, there are no fundamental changes to the way the car drives and the tax is higher.

The Leon SE is a brilliant all round workhorse or family car. It doesn't excel at anything but it's such a good allrounder it always seems perfect for the job. Ours has been the best car we've had, we're going to change it soon and I intend just buying another one.

 

[AintGotNoCar]

Thanks for the info.

I need to go to the garage and compare the estate and the hatchback, however I think I'd like something a bit more sporty as I hire vans regularly for work (I doubt I'll need lots of boot space)

I think I might also opt for a 2016 model, which would offer a saving on vehicle tax.

Didn't realise the mpg wasn't as good with FR, is that down to how sensibly you drive or it's tuned slightly differently? I do quite a bit of motorway miles and although I'd like something a bit sporty I like to watch my mpg.

 

[Mr Pig]

Didn't realise the mpg wasn't as good with FR, is that down to how sensibly you drive or it's tuned slightly differently?

Just bigger engines. If you got the 150hp 2L diesel FR that should give you half sensible economy but have a bit of shove when you want it. Lots of torque between just under 2K and 4K revs but nothing above that so you need to keep on the ball with the gear changes but not a slow car.

The ST (estate) just offers so much more for little extra money. For example it's the only car in the range that can carry a full sized spare wheel, which is great. You also get better tie-down straps, a power outlet in the boot, side buckets in the boot, it all works well. We have both the ST and hatch and no way I'd buy a hatch as our main car. No merit in doing so when the ST exists.

The only real downside of the FR is the ride. The suspension is harsh and unfortunately it doesn't settle at speed. I remains jittery. They also don't put the fully independent rear suspension on the 150hp cars, unlike VW, and without it the firmer back end and bigger wheels make for a somewhat agricultural ride. Bit more fun to drive but not a proper sports car and not as comfortable on longer runs. Again, we have an SE and an FR. Would I want the FR as our main car? Tricky. I know my wife wouldn't.

 

[BigJase88]

FR is very mild ride, it is by no means a sports suspension.

i would say in the real world the 2.0 tdi will give better mpg than the 1.6 tdi. Small engines have to work harder so most of the time a smaller engine is a false economy.

just get a 2.0 tdi fr in hatch or estate whichever you decide.

 

[Rooster]

You're going to have to try Petrol/Diesel and non FR/FR as they all feel very different, before you buy a model that doesn't suit you, if you know what i mean?

 

[Mr Pig]

I would say in the real world the 2.0 tdi will give better mpg than the 1.6 tdi.

Never seen anyone report that the 2.0 gives better economy than the 1.6. No one.

As for the suspension, all I would say is that you need to drive both and see for yourself. Make sure you drive around town on a few bad roads.

 

[BigJase88]

Never seen anyone report that the 2.0 gives better economy than the 1.6. No one.

As for the suspension, all I would say is that you need to drive both and see for yourself. Make sure you drive around town on a few bad roads.

Small engined diesels are a false economy, yes maybe better sitting at 50mph tootling along but when you get on the motorway and sit at 80mph the 2.0 will achiever better mpg than the 1.6tdi. The 1.6 has to work harder to maintain speed.

i notice similar with my work van, 1.6 tdi and i have it 80 on the motorway and its puffing its heart out getting 38mpg, if it was a 2.0l wouldn’t have to work as hard

is the 1.6 in the leon 5 speed or 6 speed? If 5 speed then it will be even worse at motorway speeds, be alright for grandad jim on the b roads though

 

[Mr Pig]

Small engined diesels are a false economy...

Yes, so you said, but I've yet to see any actual evidence that the 2.0 Leon gets better economy than the 1.6. Seat say otherwise and so do the owners who've reported their numbers. I had a 2.0 TDi Mk7 Golf myself and it did not get better mpg than our 1.6 TDi Leon. Maybe about ten mpg worse I think and the Leon is a bigger car.

As for sitting at eighty on the motorway, you think that's a realistic benchmark? You consider that 'real world'?

 

[AintGotNoCar]

Just went and tested a 2.0 TDI 184 FR ST and it was a nice drive with a good bit of oomph.

Honest John real mpg for the ST
1.6 / 110 @ 62mpg (max 68)
2.0 / 150 @ 55 (max 63)
2.0 / 184 @ 52 (max 60)

I expect I might go for the 2L but maybe the 150 to keep my tax down... although I should probably test drive.

Boot space is nice on the estate, but still not sure I need a vehicle that size.

Saw some Cupras... they look nice!

 

[BigJase88]

Yes, so you said, but I've yet to see any actual evidence that the 2.0 Leon gets better economy than the 1.6. Seat say otherwise and so do the owners who've reported their numbers. I had a 2.0 TDi Mk7 Golf myself and it did not get better mpg than our 1.6 TDi Leon. Maybe about ten mpg worse I think and the Leon is a bigger car.

As for sitting at eighty on the motorway, you think that's a realistic benchmark? You consider that 'real world'?

I believe so yes, 80mph on an motorway is realistic real world driving. indicated 80mph on speedo is real world 73-75mph which is enough to get you by any speed camera and you will never get any issue from it, i drive long distances for work and i would fall asleep if i sat at 70mph

 

[Mr Pig]

Honest John real mpg for the ST
1.6 / 110 @ 62mpg (max 68)
2.0 / 150 @ 55 (max 63)
2.0 / 184 @ 52 (max 60)

Even those numbers look optimistic to me. Our 1.6 averages about 54mpg and only gets up to around 60 on a run. Never seen high sixties.

LIkewise the 2.0 Golf never got into the fifties let alone the sixties.

If the 184 FR is a good deal it sounds tempting. Quick car, the 184 gets the independent rear end plenty of space and toys. Depends on the miles you cover whether or not you can live with the economy. Our ST does about 15K miles a year.

 

[CalJames]

I had a 1.6 as a courtesy car whilst mine was in for repairs. On my normal drive I was averaging 64 MPG. I know someone with a 2.0 Golf who does nearly the same route and gets 48-50 MPG.

 

[AintGotNoCar]

Mileage will be in the range of 15k per year... While I like the particular ST it's bright red :/ (much prefer the funky lima green or the metallic blue / could settle for a metallic red!)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202001256553936?year-from=2016&make=SEAT&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=ng96gq&radius=1500&fuel-type=Diesel&model=LEON&sort=distance&year-to=2016&quantity-of-doors=5&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&page=1

 

[Mr Pig]

Mileage will be in the range of 15k per year... While I like the particular ST it's bright red...

I like red. Nice looking car. That's the standard 17'' FR wheels which won't be as harsh as the 18'' wheels a lot of FRs come with. And you can put one of them in the boot!

If it comes with a full history, clean HPI etc it's not a bad price too. The ST was about a grand more than the hatch new.

 

[Mr Pig]

By the way, check the sat nav has a card in it and actually works. A card costs about £130 from Seat.

 

[KXL]

Having driven both the 1.6TDI manual (6 speed) in an Audi A3 (same VW engine) as a weeklong rental in Portugal and having owned a Leon 2.0TDI 150 DSG for 2 years in UK, I would say the mpgs are a lot closer in the real world compared to what the 'on paper' mpg shows. Over 500 miles in Portugal doing 120-130kmh on the highways with some city, hills, rush hour traffic thrown in, it averaged 54mpg over the trip. Not bad indeed. With the 2.0TDI DSG (manual perhaps 2-3 more mpg like for like) I would do about 55-57mpg just highways going at 75mph. I would suspect in the same conditions as my Portugal trip with the A3, would have done 49-51mpg.
The most I have seen on a trip with the 2.0TDI mostly highways 100+ miles jouney each way with 2 long 50mph road works, was 64mpg. at the 50mph roadworks on cruise control, the instant mpg hovered around the 80mpg mark, at 70ish mph, it would hover around the 60mpg mark instaneous.

If i had a choice, I would still go 2.0TDI, for the extra £40-50 a year I might pay more for fuel + road tax, I would be smiling more...plus the 2.0TDI can shove u in the back when accelerating (like being in a plane for takeoff), the 1.6TDI can't quite do that...

 

[KXL]

i drive long distances for work and i would fall asleep if i sat at 70mph

And that's when the tiredness warning will chime and show you a nice coffee symbol. Had that happen to me before, I still wondered how the car knew I had a rough night before?

 

[Speedbird]

I have a 2.0 TDI 184 manual ST, FR Technology.
Its pre-facelift. I love the LED headlights, better than xenons on my previous cars.
It costs £30 a year to tax. On my 25 minute motorway/A road commute I get 50-52 mpg, and on a longer run sitting between 70-80 on the motorway, I get around 58 - 62 mpg.
The car has plenty of shove when you put your foot down. Big boot and loads of room with the rear seats down (which fold completely flat).
At the minute, I really don't know what I will replace it with. Probably an Octavia VRS 184 DSG estate.