Item: Used Seat Ateca 2016-present
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

As previously mentioned, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/review/n17357">Volkswagen Tiguan</a> has more flexible seating and a nicer interior, but then it is more money.

If you want value, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sportage/4x4/review/n17352">Kia Sportage</a> is well equipped for the money. But it doesn’t drive as nicely and its 1.7-litre diesel engine is rather noisy.

If you want to blow the budget on something with a premium badge, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q2/estate/review/n120">Audi Q2</a> has an excellent interior and it holds onto its value well, so it should be worth more when you come to sell it.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Driver's airbag</h3>

The driver's airbag on Atecas&nbsp;made from 1-17 December 2017 might not inflate fast enough to offer the correct level of protection. Speak to your local Seat dealer for further information;&nbsp;affected cars will need to have the airbag unit replaced with a revised part.

<h3 dir="ltr">Rear seat frame</h3>

Poor welds attaching the rear headrest to the rear backrest of some Atecas manufactured between 1&nbsp;May 2018 and 31 August 2018 pose&nbsp;a safety issue. Check with your Seat&nbsp;dealer to make sure&nbsp;this has been sorted because the whole backrest will need to be replaced on affected cars.

<h3>Faulty indicators/turn signals</h3>

The driver may not be warned if there is an issue with the indicators/turn signals of Atecas built between 1 November 2016 and 5 July 2018. Find out if your example needs remedial work carried out at a dealer because revised software will need to be uploaded to fix this.

<h3>Too little engine torque at low speed</h3>

A software update is&nbsp;required on examples made between 26 September&nbsp;2018 and 7 June&nbsp;2019 in order to increase&nbsp;the amount of torque the engine provides at low speeds to improve drivability.&nbsp;

<h3>Cracks in the&nbsp;front left seat frame</h3>

The front left (front passenger)&nbsp;seat frame&nbsp;could be cracked and affects a small number of Atecas manufactured&nbsp;between 1&nbsp;and 9&nbsp;February 2019, so contact your dealer for further information. Your car will need a new frame if it is affected.

<h3>Electronic parking brake</h3>

There's a possibility that the electronic parking brake on examples constructed from 1 April 2016 to 5 August 2018 could release as soon as the clutch is depressed and catch drivers out. Contact a Seat dealer to find out if yours need to have this recall carried out, and have updated programming uploaded.

<h3>Rear wheel bearing housing</h3>

A small number of Atecas built between 24-29 August 2017 have a problem with cracks forming in&nbsp;the housing surrounding the rear wheel bearing. Check with a Seat dealer to find out if your car is affected by this since it'll need to have a new housing fitted to prevent future issues.&nbsp;

<h3>Incorrect headlight angle</h3>

The angle of the headlights could be wrong on examples made between 1 July 2018 and 14 October 2018 and could dazzle other road users. You local Seat dealer will be able to let you know if your car needs to have the programming for the headlights updated.

<h3>Internal safety pins for central rear headrest</h3>

The internal safety pins in the central rear headrest could be missing on cars made from 10 April 2018 to 22 June 2018. If your car is affected then it'll need to have the headrest replaced at a Seat dealer, but if you contact them with the registration number, they'll be able to let you know if it is.

In our latest 2019 What Car? Reliability survey the Seat Ateca finished mid-table in the family SUV class. In previous years it has scored higher, and in 2018 scored an impressive 98% overall, finishing high up in the same class.

Seat as a brand finished in 15th place out of 31&nbsp;car brands.

If you would like to see the full reliability list for small SUVs, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2017-what-car-reliability-survey/n16181">What Car? Reliability </a>Survey pages&nbsp;for more information.

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Estate

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

ATECA

The Seat Ateca is one of the very best used SUVs. Good to drive, handsome and practical, it ticks all the boxes.

Used Seat Ateca 2016-present

The Seat Ateca has a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines to suit all budgets.

<h3>MPG and CO2 Emissions</h3>

On the petrol front, there's the 1.0 TSI that has an official combined figure of 54.3mpg under the older NEDC tests,&nbsp;and £30 road tax, if registered before the tax changes of April 2017 came into force. Under the later WLTP tests this car achieves a claimed official average of 41.5mpg. The larger and more powerful 1.4 TSI is almost as economical at 53.3mpg under the NEDC tests, and as the newer 1.5 version 42.8mpg under the latest WLTP tests, and costs a similar £115 per year in road tax.

Of the diesels, the 1.6 is the most frugal, with 62.8mpg under the NEDC tests, and 54.4mpg under the later WLTP tests, and £30 tax for early versions. The 148bhp 2.0 2WD isn’t much thirstier at 64.2mpg NEDC, 50.4mpg under the WLTP tests, and £30 road tax. Four-wheel drive is available as an option on this engine (knocking economy to 55.4mpg NEDC and raises tax to £135) and standard on the 187bhp version, which also gets the DSG automatic transmission. Specifying four-wheel drive means you have to pay a penalty for it terms of running costs, with the 187bhp model having the highest running costs at 51.4mpg NEDC and £150 per year in road tax.

<h3>Road tax</h3>

Any Ateca registered after 1st April 2017 will be charged under the flat rate of £150&nbsp;per year due to the change in how vehicles are charged for annual road tax.

<h3>Servicing</h3>

Seat does offer fixed prices for servicing and certain maintenance procedures, which will help to save you money on maintenance if you wish to take your car to a franchised dealership. This applies to all Seat cars up to 15 years of age.

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The Seat Ateca is one of the very best used SUVs. Good to drive, handsome and practical, it ticks all the boxes.

Prices for the earliest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Seat</a>&nbsp;Atecas start at £10,000 for a late 2016 or 2017 model with a full history and an average mileage for the year. If you up the budget a bit more to between £12,000 and £14,000 you'll&nbsp;find a good selection of better equipped SE and SE Technology Atecas, mostly 2017 models, with some 2018s creeping in there too. Spend between £15,000 and £17,000 on a 2018 car, and around £18,000 on a 2019, possibly even some 2020, models.

Check the value of a used Seat Ateca with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

&nbsp;

<h3>Engines</h3>

If you don’t do very many miles, the 1.0 or 1.4 TSI engines, or even more the later 1.5 TSI engine,&nbsp;are more than up to the job. They don’t manage to achieve the same fuel economy as the diesels, but they’re not a million miles away. They're wonderfully smooth, too, and punchy enough for all purposes.&nbsp;

The 148bhp 2.0 diesel is the one that offers the best blend of performance and economy, especially if you need a car to haul family and luggage on longer trips. You can have it in front-wheel-drive form, which makes it almost as economical as the smaller, less powerful 1.6 diesel. However, we prefer the petrol options for their added refinement.&nbsp;

<h3>Trim levels</h3>

S trim is a little on the basic side, and while it does get&nbsp;air conditioning, automatic emergency braking, 16in alloy wheels and a multifunction steering wheel, its 5.0in touchscreen infotainment system isn’t the easiest to operate on the move.

You are better off finding an SE model, which adds all you really need to the SUV: cruise control, rear parking sensors, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth, climate control and a rear centre armrest. SE Technology adds LED headlights and sat-nav. FR versions look sportier with body colour exterior trim, gloss-black grille and sports seats inside the car. Top-of-the-line Xcellence brings additional creature comforts such as heated leather seats, reversing camera and automatic lights and wipers.

As far as we’re concerned, SE offers great&nbsp;value for money on the used market, but if you were to find an SE Tech&nbsp;version for a reasonable price it'd be even better.

Our favourite Seat Ateca:&nbsp;1.4 TSI 150 SE &nbsp;

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Comfortable ride </li> <li>Feature-filled infotainment </li> <li>Space for child seats </li> <li>Robust build quality </li> <li>Practical storage spaces </li> <li>A boot fit for a family holiday </li> <li>Fuel-efficient engines</li></ul>

While we define a small SUV&nbsp;as something&nbsp;less than 4.3 metres long and a large SUV as measuring more than 4.5 metres, family SUVs tread the middle ground.

As the name suggests, the vast majority are&nbsp;designed for family duties rather than serious off-roading, so practicality is paramount. However, that&nbsp;shouldn't come at the expense of a decent drive; the best examples combine tidy handling with smooth engines&nbsp;and a ride that's comfortable&nbsp;enough to ensure the kids aren't left feeling queasy.

The Seat Ateca and&nbsp;Skoda Karoq should definitely be on your shortlist. But if you have a bit more to spend,&nbsp;the Range Rover Evoque is another strong option. If money is a concern, then the Dacia Duster provides comfortable, spacious and well-equipped transportation for an affordable price.

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Family SUV

As unlikely as damage may be, check underneath the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Seat</a> Ateca for any signs of off-road abuse - particularly on 4x4 vehicles – because some may have ventured down muddy tracks or towed things in and out of fields.

A number of Atecas will be used by families, so look out for any marks or rips on the seats or heavily scuffed plastics. It’s all well screwed together, but you ought to check anyway.

A number of owners have highlighted issues with the powered tailgate system. If you happen to be looking at an Ateca with this feature, make sure it works. If it doesn’t, mention it to the dealer because the Ateca is still quite new and will still fall within its manufacturer warranty.

It is not often that siblings get to outshine their older family members. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Seat,</a> the young one from Spain, has had to sit back and watch while <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen </a>spearheaded its way into the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family-suv">family&nbsp;SUV</a> market. That was until the launch in 2016 of Seat’s first SUV, the Ateca.

It’s fair to say that the Ateca has been a huge hit since then and has helped to forge the firm’s path into this hotly contested market sector, followed neatly by the smaller <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/arona/hatchback/used-review/n17875">Arona</a>&nbsp;and the larger seven-seat <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/tarraco/estate/used-review/n21073">Tarraco</a>.

Engine-wise, you can choose from a 113bhp 1.0-litre petrol, a 148bhp 1.4-litre petrol – which was updated to a 1.5-litre in 2018 – a 187bhp 2.0-litre petrol, a 113bhp 1.6-litre diesel, a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a 187bhp 2.0-litre diesel unit.&nbsp;

Even entry-level S models get 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning and a multi-function steering wheel. Upgrade to&nbsp;SE trim, and this adds 17in wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors, an 8.0in colour touchscreen, climate control and a rear armrest. SE Technology adds LED headlights and sat-nav to all the stuff you get with regular SE trim.

FR trim comes with 18in alloy wheels, a gloss-black grille, twin exhausts, body-coloured wheel arch surrounds and sports seats. You also get LED headlights and a rear-view camera. The more desirable styling means FR models should hold onto their value better than lesser versions. There's also an FR Black Edition version from 2020 with black and sporty detailing. Range-topping Xcellence trim gains heated seats, keyless entry and a wireless phone charger.

Thinking of it as a Leon-sized car on stilts is not a bad way of picturing the Ateca; it’s also cheaper than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/review/n17357">Volkswagen Tiguan</a>&nbsp;it’s related to. Overall boot space is near best in class, but there are subtle differences in spec to make sure the Ateca is cheaper, such as the rear-seat flexibility. It still folds 60/40, but the Tiguan gets a more useful 40/20/40 split, which is great if you need to carry passengers and long items at the same time. The rear seats in the Ateca don’t slide to liberate more boot space or recline for passenger comfort as they do in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sportage/4x4/review/n17352">Kia Sportage</a>. The rear footwells are quite large, though, so stretching out won’t be a problem.

The front has lots of space and all sorts of pockets and cubbyholes to lose items in. The roof pillars aren’t too thick, which means visibility is good so you shouldn’t have much trouble pulling out of junctions. You get rear parking sensors from SE-spec Atecas and above, with front sensors, a rear back-up camera and bird's-eye parking aids available as options or as part of a technology package - so keep your eyes peeled when looking for a used Ateca.

Interior quality is good too, with plenty of soft-touch plastic on the top half of the dashboard, although there is some harder, scratchier stuff underneath. It isn’t as good as the interiors of the Tiguan or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q2/estate/review/n120">Audi Q2</a>, but it's cheaper to buy in the first place. Despite this, and its rather sombre exterior design, it’s actually quite nice and doesn’t feel particularly cheap to look at.

But it’s the way it drives which sets the Ateca apart from its rivals. It is surprisingly good fun: the steering is precise and offers good&nbsp;feedback, body lean is kept in check and grip levels are high. Even the ride strikes a fine compromise between sport and comfort. The suspension deals with larger disturbances well, even if it can be a little fidgety at lower speeds - blame the requirement to limit body roll for that. The low-speed ride is slightly better on cars with wheels of 18in or less.

Overall, the Ateca is an excellent small SUV. It has a range of efficient, refined engines, excellent road manners and offers plenty of practicality for a reasonable price. If you need to get into a car like this, the Ateca deserves to be at the top of your shopping list. If you need an SUV that’s enjoyable to drive, nothing in the class comes close to matching it.

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Used Seat Ateca 2016-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Seat Ateca estate?