Used Seat Leon (2013-present) long-term test review

Does the Seat Leon – our 2018 Used Car of the Year winner – still make for a great used purchase? And how does the cylinder deactivation technology fitted to its 1.4 EcoTSI engine work in the rea...

Used Seat Leon (2013-present) long-term test review
  • The car 2017 Seat Leon 1.4 EcoTSI FR Technology
  • Run by Max Adams, used cars reporter
  • Why it’s here To find out if our 2018 Used Car of the Year still represents a stonking used purchase
  • Needs to Cope with the daily commute and occasional long-distance trips, as well as establish whether the fuel-saving tech makes financial sense against the cheaper 1.4 TSI 125 model

Price when new £25,245 (including £1885 worth of options) Value on arrival £15,194 Value now £14,883 (dealership price) Mileage on arrival 5583 Mileage now 11,725 Official economy 57.6mpg Test economy 48.3mpg


23 December 2018 - Driving home for Christmas...yeah

If you, like me, happen to live far away from the family home and have to travel by car to return there for the Christmas break, you really can’t set off without first sorting out a festive playlist. Yes, you’re reading a Christmas long-term update and no, I won’t apologise for using the dreaded ‘C’ word - Chris, as in Chris Rea.

Used Seat Leon (2013-present) long-term test review

Now, the stereo system in the Leon sounds rather good when left to its own devices, but I quite like to alter the treble and bass to make me feel like a professional. In most cars, this is a cinch. In the Leon, not so much. You see, all the adjustments are in hertz (Hz) - not the car rental place but a unit of sound frequency. Because I haven’t completed a music degree, I have so far been thwarted in my attempts to play with the settings. That was until I lent my Leon to our sub-editor, Kris Culmer. That’s Kris with a ‘K’, not a ‘C’.

Seat Leon infotainment

Anyway, he needed a bigger car because he was going to an event with friends. Aside from the surprise that he has more than one friend, a member of his entourage was able to work out that the first bar adjusts bass and that the rest should just be left well alone. So now I can enjoy listening to a great HIM track just as much as I can a Christmas classic.
 

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