2018 Seat Leon SE Dynamic 1.0 TSi petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Boring, generic car with no soul
Faults:
Not much other than the basic service and tyres.
A/C a bit weak.
General Comments:
Bought this Leon as I needed a modern run about. To be fair it has given me no problems the last couple of years, but the car is nothing special.
1.0 TSi petrol has boring performance, but it does do 45 - 47 mpg, not bad at all for petrol. Forget claims of 50 mpg plus, get a diesel if you want that. Still this is very economical for petrol. The car is a reasonable size as well.
Interior has decent space and is comfortable, Dynamic model has all the connectivity for your phone if you like that sort of thing. For me a car just needs electric windows and mirrors and a decent radio, which is all expected as standard nowadays.
Not fun to drive but handles OK. Not a car to drive for the hell of it. Sharp looking in black though, interior feels sporty as well.
I suppose it is a less common sight on the road than an Astra or Focus, but the Leon is as dull and boring as a modern car can get. Buy one if you just want basic transport and reliability.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 27th December, 2023
15th Jan 2024, 14:18
Agreed, economy wise the smaller petrol engines really are not far off the diesels. And they do still have their issues, but ultimately are more reliable than the diesels I would say.
27th Dec 2023, 21:29
People often buy the 1.0 litre version of a car for practical reasons, such as lower insurance or registration/road tax, or price, but an anemic engine can make for a lackluster experience in how the car feels. The Leon (correct me if I'm wrong) is the SEAT equivalent of a Golf, which is a fairly heavy car (for the engine). If you bought the 1.4T version it may feel far more balanced. I remember years ago driving Mk1 Mazda 6 cars (Atenza version, ex-Japan) with the 2.0 and the 2.3 engines. You'd think for a car like that, really the 0.3 litre difference shouldn't be substantial - you're in the 2-litre class, after all. But it was, not in downright speed but in torque and how the car gets going in urban situations, and was well matched to the automatic gearbox. Gave the Mazda that extra zing and confidence, and brought out the brilliance in the suspension design.