Item: Used Seat Leon SC 2013-2018
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/scirocco/coupe/used-review/n724">Volkswagen Scirocco</a> is perhaps the closest rival to the Leon SC, but the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/seat">Seat</a> has the advantage of being a newer design with more engine options and a much better infotainment system with full smartphone capabilities. True, the Scirocco is better finished inside and has a slightly more compliant ride, but there’s little in it in everyday motoring. Plus, the Leon SC is much more practical overall.

For those looking for rear-wheel drive thrills,&nbsp;try out the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/coupe/used-review/n880">BMW 2 Series </a><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/coupe/used-review/n880">coupé</a>. It has a separate boot&nbsp;rather than a hatchback, but the 2 Series feels&nbsp;like a classier car inside and you can even go for a&nbsp;powerful six-cylinder petrol engine&nbsp;with the BMW, provided you’re prepared to pay extra for the privilege, of course. &nbsp;

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

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Water in rear light clusters

Some owners have complained of condensation in the rear light clusters. Try washing the car to find out of water can get in. If so, speak to your dealership if the car is still under warranty, or contact Seat customer services, because they might be able to provide some assistance. &nbsp;

Interior rattles

There have been a few cases of interior rattles emerging, particularly in the door cards. If the car is still under its manufacturer’s warranty, contact your Seat dealer, which&nbsp;should be able to sort out the issue for you.

Recall

There’s only been one recall for the Leon so far, involving&nbsp;the rear child locks, which might disengage on cars built between 25 November 2015 and 14 April 2016. Check with your Seat dealer if you think your car is affected.

According to the 2018&nbsp;What Car? Reliability Survey, the Leon has improved on its score since last year. Petrol versions finished in fourth place, with diesel models coming in 13th out of the 27 other family cars included. Seat&nbsp;as a brand&nbsp;ranked 10th out of the 31 manufacturers featured. Overall, it’s a pretty good showing. &nbsp;

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2018-what-car-reliability-survey/n17798">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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Coupe

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

LEON

The Seat Leon SC is not only stylish and good to drive but also offers buyers excellent value for money as a used buy. It’s more practical than its closest rivals, too

Used Seat Leon SC 2013-2018

The 1.6-litre diesel is the cheapest Leon SC to run, with&nbsp;official (NEDC) combined fuel economy of 74.3mpg. It's&nbsp;also exempt from&nbsp;road tax. Both 2.0-litre diesels cost a mere £20 per year in road tax, while the&nbsp;148bhp version averages 68.9mpg and the more&nbsp;powerful 181bhp one returns 64.2mpg. &nbsp;

The most economical petrol model is the 148bhp 1.4&nbsp;EcoTSI, which&nbsp;has a combined figure of 60.1mpg and costs £20 to tax. The little 1.2 is nearly as efficient at 57.6mpg and £30 road tax, while&nbsp;the 123bhp 1.4 gets 54.3mpg and costs £30 to tax. The&nbsp;1.8-litre petrol model promises 47.9mpg on average and will set you back £140 per year in road tax. As you might expect, the least economical version is the Cupra, with an official average consumption figure of 42.8mpg and £155 tax.

All Leon SCs registered after 1 April 2017 will cost you a flat tax rate of £140 a year.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/seat">Seat</a> servicing costs are very reasonable –&nbsp;roughly on a par with those of Ford and Vauxhall. Franchised dealers offer a transparent fixed-price servicing scheme, with cars that are more than three years old eligible for slightly discounted prices. You can also opt for a pre-paid service plan on cars up to eight years old –&nbsp;worth taking out if you want to service your car at a Seat dealer.

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A used Seat Leon SC is wonderfully stylish, good to drive and offers buyers excellent value for money. It’s more practical than its closest rivals, too

Early examples of a 2013 Leon SC start at around £7500 at the time of writing. This will get you a 1.6-litre diesel or a 1.2-litre petrol SE with 70,000 miles on the clock.

Increase your budget to £9500 and you’ll find plenty of 2014 or newer 2.0 TDI FR examples with less than 50,000 miles.

Moving up further to around the £10,500 mark buys a 2015 model in excellent condition and low mileage from an independent dealer, while if it's a facelifted car you're after, you'll need to set aside at least £13,500.

Check the value of a used Seat Leon with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

The Leon SC is a very likeable car in all engine guises, but it’s the 148bhp 1.4 EcoTSI that gets the nod from us because of its responsiveness, broad mid-range power and surprising economy. The diesels are even more economical, not surprisingly, but there’s always a hint of gruffness to them. Unless you do enough miles to warrant going for a diesel-powered Leon SC, we’d stick with our favoured petrol engine.

The SE version will be fine if you're on a budget, but&nbsp;we'd go for the FR, because it gets more toys and a sportier suspension set-up that makes a noticeable difference to the way the Leon SC handles. Look out for a car with the Technology Pack fitted, too, because it's worth having.

Our favourite Seat Leon: 1.4 EcoTSI 150 FR (Technology Pack)

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of practical space </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>A comfortable ride </li> <li>A healthy equipment list </li> <li>Quality materials and thoughtful touches inside </li> <li>Rock-solid reliability</li></ul>

Family cars arguably have the toughest brief of all: they have to be good at pretty much everything. They’re used as the daily drive, on the school run or work commute (often both), and have to be able to cope with a family’s clutter on weekends and holidays.

The Skoda Scala is a relative newcomer, but it's&nbsp;already carved out a name for itself in this segment.&nbsp;If you're looking for a moderately priced car that combines a supple ride, neat handling, a spacious interior and a capacious boot&nbsp;it's well worth a look.&nbsp;Alternatively, if you're looking for entertaining handling then the&nbsp;BMW 1 Series may well be for you. It's great to drive, rides well&nbsp;and also comes with a top-notch interior, featuring one of our very favourite infotainment systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Toyota Corolla&nbsp;is another great choice. This latest version of one of the world's best-selling cars of all time can be had with a choice of two different petrol-electric hybrid engines, both of which should mean&nbsp;potentially lower fuel bills. It's comfortable, well equipped and should be very reliable, too.&nbsp;

Family

Alloy wheels

Since the Leon is a family car, it might have done a few parallel parking manoeuvres as part of the school run. Pay close attention to the alloy wheels for kerb damage. Cupra versions have even larger wheels that are even more susceptible to being damaged if you’re not careful.

Brakes

There’s a strong possibility that Cupra versions will have been used on&nbsp;track days during their life, so check that the brakes haven’t been warped due to overheating. There shouldn’t be any judder through the pedal upon light brake applications. If there is, you’ll need to replace the discs.

Clutch

Check the condition of the clutch by putting the car in a high gear from rest and try to pull away. If it stalls, the clutch is good. If it slips and the car accelerates away, the clutch plate is worn out.

Cambelt change

All Leon engines of this generation require a cambelt change every five years. Mileage limits differ between engines, so check with your dealer. The water pump isn’t included as part of the service, and the five-year warranty on cambelt work doesn’t cover the pump&nbsp;if it fails. &nbsp;

If you’re young (or young at heart) and are looking for a reasonably priced used car that looks good, you’ll probably be tempted to buy a coupé. However, coupés&nbsp;tend to be impractical for everyday life, because they can’t seat more than two people comfortably and have small boots. You could go for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/coupe/used-review/n880">BMW 2 Series coupé</a> or a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/scirocco/coupe/used-review/n724">Volkswagen Scirocco</a>, but these both seat just four people and - in the case of the BMW - can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there’s the Seat Leon SC, a more rakish three-door version of the regular five-door Leon but with more of the practicality provided by a regular hatchback. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The third-generation Leon is based on the same platform as the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/used-review/n17399">Volkswagen Golf</a>, which means that it’s a bit more modern than the Scirocco, which uses the underpinnings from an older-generation <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/used-review/n776">Golf</a>. That means you get a more up-to-date infotainment system and more advanced engines. The fact that the SC is shorter than the five-door Leon and&nbsp;therefore&nbsp;a little bit lighter&nbsp;pays dividends in terms of performance, handling and fuel economy, too.

The Leon SC comes with a wide choice of petrol and diesel engines, starting out with an underpowered 1.2-litre petrol and rising up to a 296bhp 2.0-litre in the hot Cupra version.&nbsp;There are also&nbsp;diesels, including a highly economical 1.6 and&nbsp;148bhp and 181bhp 2.0-litre units. Our favourite version is the sweet little 148bhp 1.4&nbsp;EcoTSI model, which&nbsp;has cylinder deactivation technology for greater fuel economy.

All Leon SCs come with air conditioning as standard, but SE versions are much better equipped than the entry-level S,&nbsp;with cruise control, alloy wheels and manual lumbar support. FR versions are better still, because they add rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and sportier styling cues, along with our favoured EcoTSI engine. Make sure you look out for examples that have the optional Technology Pack, because this adds excellent LED headlights, a digital radio and satellite navigation. Cupra models have a limited-slip differential and adaptive sports suspension.

Compared with its immediate rivals, the Leon SC feels particularly sprightly (as long as you avoid the least powerful petrol and diesel options) to drive. FR versions, with their sports suspension, are particularly good at controlling body movements and the quick steering is well weighted and very precise, which means you can easily place the car in corners. The ride can be a little firm for some tastes, but it’s actually pretty well damped and a fair trade-off, given that the Leon SC is supposed to provide a sporty drive. &nbsp;

Because&nbsp;the Leon SC is slightly shorter than the regular Leon, it&nbsp;doesn't provide as much&nbsp;rear leg room.&nbsp;Because the roof&nbsp;is lower, head room is reduced, too. However, there’s loads of room for the driver and front seat passenger, plus the boot is just as accommodating as it is in the regular Leon, so there's a decent amount of luggage space.

The Leon SC received a light mid-life facelift in 2017 that&nbsp;altered the exterior styling ever so slightly, introduced a larger and more modern touchscreen system on the inside, along with some better-quality plastics and an electric handbrake in place of the manual one on older models.

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Used Seat Leon SC 2013-2018 review

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Wondering what the best used Seat Leon 2013 - 2018 is for your money? The expert What Car? review team can help you out.

The Leon SC is a very likeable car in all engine guises, but it’s the 148bhp 1.4 EcoTSI that gets the nod from us because of its responsiveness, broad mid-range power and surprising economy. The diesels are even more economical, not surprisingly, but there’s always a hint of gruffness to them. Unless you do enough miles to warrant going for a diesel-powered Leon SC, we’d stick with our favoured petrol engine.,The SE version will be fine if you're on a budget, but we'd go for the FR, because it gets more toys and a sportier suspension set-up that makes a noticeable difference to the way the Leon SC handles. Look out for a car with the Technology Pack fitted, too, because it's worth having.,Our favourite Seat Leon: 1.4 EcoTSI 150 FR (Technology Pack)Page 4 of 5   

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Used Seat Leon SC 2013-2018 review

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