Seat Leon review

The Seat Leon is a perfect example of why the best things in life aren’t always the most popular. How so? Well, this Spanish hatchback is substantially outsold by its closest rivals but, when you weigh everything up, it’s actually a better car than all of them.

If you aren’t familiar with exactly where the Leon sits in the car world, it’s what we class as a family car. That means it’s about the same size as a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, and those are, indeed, two of the cars it competes with in the sales charts. Of course, you can’t rule out the slightly longer Skoda Octavia as a rival, either.

All versions of the Seat Leon come with five doors as standard, and there’s a choice of engines ranging from ‘does the job’ to smile-inducingly brisk. You can also pick between relatively modest SE (or SE Dynamic) trim, the more extrovert styling and sportier driving manners of the FR versions or a more luxury focused Xcellence trim.

So, we’ve already told you the Seat Leon is a class-leader – why wouldn’t you just go out and buy one? Well, just because the Leon is a better all-rounder than its rivals, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the perfect choice for you. In some areas, it trails other cars in the class, and if those areas are crucially important to you, you might be better off looking elsewhere.

Read on and we’ll tell you where the Seat Leon excels and also run you through its few weaknesses. Plus we’ll tell you which of the engines, trims and optional extras we think make the most sense.

And if ticks all your boxes, remember that our New Car Buying service is on hand with healthy discounts on the Seat Leon, as well as on its key rivals. Getting a great new set of wheels has never been easier.