Item: Used Seat Leon ST 2013-2020
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

If the Leon ST doesn’t quite offer enough space then it’s worth looking at the contemporary 2013-2020 version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/estate/review/n40">Skoda Octavia Estate</a> as an alternative. Not only does it have a roomier boot but passengers can also stretch out slightly more. Just be aware that while running costs will be similar to the Leon ST’s, the Skoda is not as enjoyable to drive.

For something that matches the Seat for driving enjoyment you could consider the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/estate/review/n8">Ford Focus Estate</a>, but be aware that its boot is significantly smaller than almost anything else in this class.

Others to mull over include the roomy and economical <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/astra/estate/review/n17161">Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer</a>, or if you’d prefer something with hybrid power the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/auris/estate/review/n17267">Toyota Auris Touring Sports</a>.

Then of course there’s arguably the best all-rounder of all in the shape of the Mk7&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/used-review/n783">Volkswagen Golf Estate</a>. You get slightly more boot space, a more comfortable drive and a classier interior than with the equivalent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Seat</a>, but be prepared to pay a sizeable premium for it.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/seat/leon">used Leon ST</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

<h3>Page 5 of 5</h3>

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

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The VW Group mechanicals are proving robust in the Leon ST, so as long as the car has been serviced to schedule you shouldn't have any problems with the engine, clutch or gearbox. If you're after an automatic it's worth bearing in mind that the VW Group did experience some issues with the seven-speed unit used on the smaller petrol engines at launch. While there aren't a significant number of reports of problems with Seat Leons, for peace of mind it might still be worth opting for the six-speed unit that featured on the larger engines instead (bear in mind this needs an oil change every three years).

There have also been some reports of trim rattling and minor electrical gremlins, so be sure to prod all the buttons to make sure everything works.

According to our latest What Car? Reliability survey, the diesel Leon is not quite as reliable as the petrol-engined versions. The petrol car came in 10th place out of 24 cars in the family car class and the diesel-engined car came 11th.

Seat as a brand managed to finish in 17th out of the 30&nbsp;manufacturers featured.&nbsp;

If you would like to see the full reliability list for family cars, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey&nbsp;</a>pages for more information.

<h3>Page 3 of 5</h3>

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

LEON

The Seat Leon ST might not be the biggest estate car, but for used car buyers it represents great value for money

Used Seat Leon ST 2013-present 

The Leon ST engine range from launch kicked off with a 1.2-litre petrol, which in real world driving conditions will return between 42-48mpg depending whether it's combined with a DSG automatic or a manual gearbox, the latter being more frugal. Our pick of the engines though is the 1.4-litre turbo petrol, which will return up to 50mpg regardless of whether it's in 123bhp or 148bhp guise.

For ultimate fuel economy you'll need the 1.6-litre diesel, from which you can expect a genuine 60mpg, or even slightly more on a long run. The punchy 2.0-litre diesel is good for 55mpg in normal driving.

If you're looking at a post-2016 facelift Leon the 1.0-litre petrol will return a genuine 50mpg and feels perkier to drive than you might expect.

Under the newer, more realistic WLTP figures the 1.6 diesel&nbsp;averages 57.6mpg. The mid-range 2.0-litre diesel, meanwhile, gets around 64mpg (56mpg under the WLTP), depending on which age and variant you go for. The most economical petrol model is the 1.0-litre, which, impressively, gets similar fuel economy to the 2.0-litre diesel at 52.3mpg under the WLTP. If you want to upgrade to the 1.4-litre petrol, expect fuel economy figures in the region of 54mpg, or 51.4mpg for the 1.5 130 and 47.9mpg for the 1.5 150 Evo.

Go for the sub-100g/km 1.6 TDI registered before April 2017 and you won’t pay anything in road tax. In fact, it's only if you opt for a 1.8-litre petrol or 2.0-litre diesel in FR trim, or the high performance Cupra, that you'll pay a three-figure tax bill.&nbsp;

After that date, all Leon STs will cost you a flat tax rate of £155&nbsp;a year, unless you choose a high-end version with enough options fitted to have lifted its price to over £40,000 when it was new. If that's the case, expect to pay a surcharge of £335&nbsp;a year.

All Leon STs require servicing every 12 months or 10,000 miles, with costs alternating between £160 and £270. You also need to factor in a new cambelt every five years or 80,000 miles, which costs in the region of £500 once you've factored in doing the water pump at the same time.

Page 2 of 5

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Used Seat Leon ST 2013-2020

The Seat Leon ST might not be the biggest estate car in its class, but for used car buyers it represents great value for money

Prices for the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Seat</a> Leon ST start at £7000, making it outstanding value not only versus a Golf Estate of the same age, but also compared with a Skoda Octavia. At this end of the market you’re most likely to find ex-company cars, which means the 1.6-litre diesel engine and around 80,000 miles or more on the clock.

Up the ante to between £8000 and £10,000 and you begin to get some real bargains. Again, take your pick of petrol or diesel models and you’ll find a 2015 car with a below-average mileage and a full history from an independent dealer, or a 2016&nbsp;car in the same condition from a private seller, maybe even a 2017 model. This is a price that substantially undercuts the amount you’d pay for the equivalent Golf or Focus, so for those on a tight budget, the Leon is well worth seeking out. Moving up further to around the £10,000 mark buys a 2017 or 2018 facelifted model in excellent condition and low mileage from an independent dealer. Spend around £11,000 to £15,000 on 2019 and run-out 2020 models.&nbsp;

If you’re not planning on covering more than 12,000 miles a year we’d advise opting for a petrol <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Seat</a> Leon ST rather than a diesel so as not to expose yourself to the potential of blocked DPF filters.

We would however give the 1.2-litre petrol engine a miss in favour of the more powerful 1.4-litre.

Trim levels range from the entry-level S to the sporty Cupra.

All come with air-con, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a touchscreen. However, the 5in unit on the S is a bit fiddly to use. Upgrading to SE Technology therefore is well worthwhile, for not only does it bring an 8-inch screen, but also DAB radio, 16-inch alloy wheels and seat height adjustment.

Go for FR Technology meanwhile and you’ll get LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, automatic wipers and power-folding door mirrors.

From here on up you're mainly paying for styling or upholstery upgrades, or in the case of the Cupra the extra performance that comes with its 2.0-litre engine.

Facelifted cars from 2016 onwards received minor styling updates, the option of the 1.0-litre engine, and a new touchscreen with a rather fiddly sat-nav system.

Our favourite Seat Leon ST: 1.4 TSI 150 FR Technology

<h3>Page 4 of 5</h3>

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

You’d expect anybody who buys an estate car to make extensive use of the boot space. As a used car buyer it’s therefore important to check for dog hair or muddy carpets, as well as the general condition of the boot and rear bumper.

That aside the Leon ST is so far proving to be perfectly durable, and scores above average for wear rates on components such as brakes and wiper blades.

If you're looking at an FR or Cupra make sure you check the big alloy wheels carefully for damage, as well as looking out for signs the car has been driven hard. The suspension, for example, should feel taut and the steering track perfectly straight. If there's any sign of blue smoke coming from the exhaust walk away.

The only recall for the Leon ST concerns potentially fault child locks on cars built between November 2015 and April 2016.

It might sound like some kind of action-packed hot hatch, but the Seat Leon ST is in fact an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/estate">estate</a> version of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/seat">Spanish brand’s</a> popular <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family">family car</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/used-review/n805">Seat Leon.</a>

This version ran parallel with the hatchback car, and was produced between 2013 and 2020, in which time it&nbsp;established itself as a popular and practical estate car.

There’s an excellent range of engines to choose from, kicking off with a 1.2-litre petrol engine. In the middle sits the 148bhp 1.4-litre EcoTSI, which is smooth, powerful and extremely economical thanks to cylinder deactivation technology. In 2017, this engine was replaced by a 1.5 TSI Evo unit in either 130 (128bhp) or 150 (148bhp) outputs. At the same time, a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine was introduced.

Diesel versions start with an astonishingly economical 1.6-litre engine, then go through the punchier 148bhp 2.0-litre and up to a noticeably swift 181bhp 2.0-litre unit.

Leon STs are well-equipped, too, with even the entry-level S getting a few neat toys, such as an infotainment touchscreen and air conditioning. The range moves up through SE and FR versions, adding cruise control and sportier styling respectively, both of which are also available with a popular Technology pack that includes LED headlights, a DAB radio and sat-nav. Later in the car's life, the luxurious Xcellence version was added to sit above the FR.

Perhaps not surprisingly, with Seat being part of the VW Group, under the skin the Leon ST is closely related to the admirable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/used-review/n783">Volkswagen Golf Estate</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/estate/review/n40">Skoda Octavia Estate</a>.

You don’t get quite as much boot space as with those two cars, admittedly, but there’s still plenty of room for a folded baby buggy, a travel cot and several bags. The optionally available dual-height boot floor is also worth seeking out because it means that with the rear seats folded you get an almost flat load bay - useful for those trips to the tip.

There’s enough room in the back seats for a tall passenger to travel behind a tall driver without cause for complaint. Similarly you can just about fit a rear facing baby seat on an Isofix base behind a six-foot tall driver without anybody feeling cramped, adding to the Leon ST’s credentials as a family car.

Growing up, mind you, doesn’t mean abandoning any hope of having fun because just like the Leon hatchback this ST model is an enjoyable car to drive. For that you can thank the direct steering and a relatively firm suspension setup that keeps body roll in check. This becomes progressively more noticeable as you move up through the range, with FR and Cupra models being particularly focused.

The downside is that it means the ride is firmer than in a lot of other family cars, although couldn’t ever be described uncomfortable. Good visibility and well-weighted controls meanwhile make the ST a doddle to drive at low speeds.

On the motorway there’s a fair bit of road noise and you aren’t as well insulated from engine noise as you would be in a VW Golf, which is particularly noticeable with diesel versions. The interior layout works well though, with a decent touchscreen and the controls for other functions all sensibly laid out.

In addition to the conventional Leon STs you can also buy an X-Perience model with raised ride height and plastic body cladding. The idea is to give it some of the appeal of an off-roader, which on the road results in a bit more body lean in corners but also a slightly softer ride.

A general facelift across the range in 2016 meanwhile included a new infotainment system and, as mentioned, the VW Group’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine joining the range.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/seat/leon">used Leon ST</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Seat Leon ST 2013-2020 review

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