USED Seat Toledo Saloon (99 - 05)

My car

This vevicle is such great value for money. All too often car snobs avoid even looking at the less well known manufacturers. It is their loss. This car has so much to offer. Low running costs. The reliability of VW without the premium that is usually associated with that. All the "mod cons" such as stability control, traction control, climate contol, computer, multi cd changer etc.....I could go on. Servicing costs are low and so much better than other dealers....and the staff are friendly. Low insurance for such a good car.....only £250 for myself and my wife with fully comprehensive cover. There is an air of quality in the cabin for a car that is not expensive to buy in the first place. Solid on the road and nice to drive....it will cover mile after mile with ease....no back ache. It really is worth a look. I compared it with its rivals such as Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and the like, and it was an easy choice. Try one...you may surprise yourself.

My car

The car I own was first registered by Seat UK in March 1999, so maybe it's something special. I don't know but I bought it in June 2000 and it has given me 73,000 miles of effortless motoring.

Apart from normal servicing costs, which were never overly expensive, the car has been very inexpensive to run, annual maintenance costs being around £150.

The car's main deficiency is traction control. Taking it fast off the line, the tyres cannot control the power delivered from the V5, and excessive wheelspin results. General handling is in keeping with what the car is intended to be.

It can get twitchy when pushed hard but I have always found the handling predictable.

Compared with the V6 2.5 Mondeo that I have recently driven, the Toledo is far more sophisticated and nowhere near as harsh.

This car is not a sports saloon, let's leave that to the Cupra Leon, this is a rapid, comfortable executive saloon.

My car

This is a very enjoyable car to drive. It is smooth and the engine is fantastic. The overall performance is superb as is the fuel economy for such a fast car.

The equipment levels are fine although I would prefer a CD autochanger to climate control, which in itself is a little on the complicated side. I have tried the Leon Cupra TDI150 and found the Toledo a much better proposition (mainly the ride being better).

The boot space is vast and I've yet to fill it. Reliability and build quality are first class and the service from my local Seat dealer has been excellent.