Item: Used Seat Alhambra 2011-2020
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

Perhaps the most obvious is its sibling, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/sharan/mpv/used-review/n920">Volkswagen Sharan</a>. The two cars are almost identical but you’ll pay slightly more for the VW badge. The Sharan is a great MPV, though, being good to drive, huge inside and immensely practical.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/galaxy/mpv/used-review/n832">Ford Galaxy</a> was, in its first generation, conjoined to the Sharan and Alhambra. This version is all Ford, and it’s good to drive and comes with all the space seven people could reasonably need. It’s a little pricier than the Alhambra, though.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

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Most problems relate to non-engine electrical failure of the air-con or sat-nav systems. Some early cars had issues with the DSG automatic gearbox, so ask to look at the paperwork to see if any work has been carried out on the transmission and check that it operates well.

It seems to be. Previous surveys have shown good returns for the Alhambra and, in the&nbsp;most recent reliability survey it featured in, it finished fourth in the MPV class with an excellent overall score of 78%.

Seat as a brand finished in 15th&nbsp;place in the same survey, though, out of 31&nbsp;manufacturers.

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Today, the resurgent Seat brand is selling better cars than at any time in its history.

In large part, that’s because it is one of the brands owned by the VW Group. Underneath, all of the cars it sells are strongly related to similar models sold by Volkswagen itself, or the likes of Skoda and even Audi. If you are buying a Leon, for example, the hardware will be similar to that of the Golf, Octavia and A3.

But while Seat makes the most of this tie-up to offer everything from city, small and family cars, including estates, through to a full range of SUVs, it also adds in its own slice of character, both with its distinctive styling approach and because its engineers generally tune the cars to deliver sportier handling.

While all of its cars are decent, it is the SUVs that stand out. The Arona and Ateca are among the class leaders and have enjoyed triumphs at the What Car? Awards.

SEAT

ALHAMBRA

The Seat Alhambra is a spacious seven-seat MPV that's well equipped and good to drive, and makes a great&nbsp;used buy

Used Seat Alhambra 2011-present

Not surprisingly, the 2.0 TDI 150 is the sweet spot in the range for fuel economy. Its claimed average fuel consumption is, in most trims, 55.4mpg, according to the NEDC tests, or 44.1mpg under the later, more realistic WLTP tests, with corresponding CO2 emissions of 132g/km, while in S trim it manages a claimed 56.5mpg NEDC and 130g/km of CO2 output. The higher-powered 2.0 TDI 184 isn’t far behind with 53.3mpg, or 40.4mpg under the WLTP tests, while the 1.4 TSI 150 lags behind with a still respectable claimed 43.5mpg, or 36.2mpg under the WLTP tests.

Tax for cars registered before the changes of April 2017 came into force vary according to CO2 emissions, so these Alhambras are fairly cheap to tax. Those registered afterwards will pay the flat rate, which at (currently) £150 a year is slightly more due to those changes.

Servicing costs for most Seat cars are reasonable, with a service plan that offers you a discount on your next two services or a fixed-cost maintenance plan that allows you to choose your annual mileage and how long you’re going to keep the car before computing a monthly payment for you.

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Used Seat Alhambra 2011-2020

The Seat Alhambra is a spacious seven-seat MPV that's well equipped and good to drive, and makes a great used buy

It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of Alhambras will have been used as taxis, ideal as they are for airport runs. Mileages for some cars are likely to be very high – often around 200,000 miles. You can pick up one of these for around £5000, but you’ll need to look at spending between&nbsp;£8500 and £10,000 for a car with an average mileage for the year and a full service history, from 2012 or 2013. Up the wedge to between £10,000 and £12,000 and you’ll find good 2014/15&nbsp;cars from traders or independent dealers, while £13,000-£15,000 will net you a good 2016&nbsp;car, possibly even a 2017&nbsp;example, from a trader. Later models vary between £15,000 and £20,000 for a 2018/2019 car.&nbsp;

For its balance of performance, fuel economy and refinement, we’d look for the 2.0 TDI 150. Those who prefer the petrol option won’t be disappointed, but will end up with higher fuel bills.

We’d seek out an Alhambra in SE trim, because this adds just the right level of kit to entry-level S spec without upping the used price as much as the top-spec models.

Our favourite Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI 150 SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all the family and their paraphernalia</li> <li>Comfortable ride for everyone inside</li> <li>Seats with plenty of adjustment and versatility of layout</li> <li>Engine that can cope with a full load of people and luggage</li> <li>Excellent efficiency to avoid big fuel bills</li></ul>

Practicality is king in the MPV market, which has taken a hit as buyers have turned towards trendier SUVs. There are still plenty of decent offerings to suit most budgets, though, with Citroën fielding a particularly strong line-up. The French manufacturer’s Berlingo offers bags of space for not much money and you can easily haggle off thousands of extra pounds in discounts, too.

Citroën also scores with the larger Grand C4 Spacetourer, which offers seven seats, lots of oddment space and appealing running costs for something so large. A similarly priced and even better option is the Volkswagen Touran. Meanwhile, if you prefer a premium badge, there's always the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourers or Mercedes B-Class and V-Class.

But for something sizeable that's still decent to drive, we’d recommend you check out the Ford Galaxy, which can offer three rows of seats and decent luggage space at the same time. It’s not that much pricier than the smaller S-Max.

This is a large people-carrying MPV, so check the bodywork for car park scuffs and any damage to the alloy wheels. Ensure all the seats fold and slide as they should, as well as the rear doors, which electrically slide open in some versions. Make sure the electrical tailgate works, too.

It’s fair to say the Seat Alhambra has been one of the Spanish firm’s big success stories, consistently selling well over a long career that can be traced all the way back to 1996.

This is the second-generation version and, like the first, it shares a lot of its underpinnings with the near-identical but more expensive <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/sharan/mpv/used-review/n920">Volkswagen Sharan</a>. The Alhambra wason sale from 2011 to 2020, and in that time it proved itself&nbsp;a large and capacious MPV that’s decent to drive&nbsp;with room for seven, as well as a wonderfully practical interior and boot.&nbsp;

Added to that, the Alhambra comes with sliding rear doors – this is a boon in tight parking spaces and a way of making it easier to get into the third row, as well as leaving a wide aperture to help with strapping small children into the middle row. It’s a large car, of course, but its dimensions are well balanced by a shape that is both clean and functional, and with plenty of the design flair you’d associate with Seat.

Under the bonnet is a choice of petrol or diesel engines. The 1.4 TSI 150 petrol has been the mainstay of the range and it's supplemented by the 2.0 TDI 150 diesel, which also comes as a more powerful 184 version. All engines come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, with the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

On the equipment front, there were originally five trim levels to choose from: S, SE, Connect, SE Lux and FR Line, later whittled down to just SE, SE L and Xcellence. Entry-level Alhambras come with 16in alloy wheels, heated door mirrors, sliding rear doors and parking sensors, while inside there is three-zone climate control, electric windows all round and a 6.5in touchscreen infotainment system complete with Bluetooth streaming.

Upgrading to SE got you a few more luxuries, including 17in alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, front foglights, cruise control and automatic wipers and lights, while Connect models gained features such as sill plates, blue cloth upholstery, run-flat tyres and smartphone integration.

SE Lux trim adorns the seven-seater with electrically opening rear doors and tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front sports seats, sports suspension, sat-nav, a DAB radio and a reversing camera. FR Line gains sporty details including bigger alloy wheels, an aggressive bodykit, FR decals and Alcantara upholstery. On later models, the top-spec trims were replaced by Style Advanced and Xcellence.

On the road, the Alhambra belies its size. Even the 1.4 petrol's performance is more than sufficient and is the smoothest and most refined option. The 2.0 TDI 150 has more low-down grunt and is reasonably refined, while the 2.0 TDI 184 is positively swift, easily able to haul around a fully loaded Alhambra.

Make no mistake, the Alhambra is an MPV, and a large one at that. But within that class, it’s one of the best to drive. The steering is eager, there’s plenty of grip and the handling is safe, secure and, if not downright fun, at least much better than you’d expect.

As far as ride quality goes, there’s an impressive blend of bump absorption and body control. It can suffer some jarring over bigger bumps, but it never threatens to become uncomfortable.

But it’s interior space where the Alhambra shines. There’s loads of space up front, with a clear and logically laid out dashboard. The driving position is excellent and visibility good. There’s even more space in the rear, with plenty of room for three adults abreast in the second row, and even enough room for two adults in the rearmost row. In addition, the boot is huge with the rearmost seats folded down, and still sizeable with all seven seats up. Practicality is great, with plenty of cubby holes and foldable picnic tables. All three seats in the middle row can be slid backwards and forward individually.

The Alhambra scored the full five stars in its Euro NCAP crash tests and was awarded strong marks by Thatcham Research for its resistance to break-ins and being driven away. Seat includes tyre pressure monitoring, seven airbags, an alarm and engine immboliser with every car, while lane assist, road sign recognition and blindspot monitoring were available as options when the car was new.

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Used Seat Alhambra 2011-2020 review

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Alternatives

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