Item: Used Seat Leon Hatchback 2000 - 2005
Author: What Car? Team

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Hatchback

<p dir="ltr">Today, the resurgent Seat brand is selling better cars than at any time in its history.</p>

<p dir="ltr">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.</p>

<p dir="ltr">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.</p>

<p dir="ltr">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.</p>


SEAT

LEON

<p>Better than Golf it's based on, the Seat Leon is a fine alternative to mainstream small family cars</p>


Used Seat Leon Hatchback 2000 - 2005

<p>The Leon may be cheaper than the Golf it's based on, but compared to the real big-sellers in the class, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/astra/hatchback/review/n17347">Vauxhall Astra</a> and Focus, it's still expensive.</p>

<p>There's no great surprise the Leon is very similar to the Golf in fuel economy, because they share many engines. Likewise, against other mainstream rivals, there are only slight differences. Petrol Focuses are a little better than petrol Leons, but the opposite is true for the diesels.</p>

<p>Repair costs for the Leon match those for the Astra, Golf and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane/hatchback/review/n17219">Renault Megane</a>, but are some way behind those for the Focus.</p>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>


Better than Golf it's based on, the Seat Leon is a fine alternative to mainstream small family cars

<p>The Cupras make excellent hot hatches, but the best buys are lower down the range. In particular, the 1.4 and 1.6 S are absolute bargains, and neither suffers from any lack of power. However, given it's only a few hundred pounds more, we'd go for the stronger 1.6. This model also always had standard air-con, but the 1.4 only had it from August 2002.</p>

<p>There isn't a bad engine in the range. The various 1.9 diesels are punchy and frugal, while the turbocharged petrols in the Sport and Cupra models give very strong performance.</p>

<p>Choosing a trim is an easy job because, for the most part, each engine had just one choice. Again, there's no point venturing above the basic S. This has pretty much all you could need, although you could try SE for electric rear windows and climate control, while Sport has leather trim and a CD multichanger.</p>

<p><strong>For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a></strong></p>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>


<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>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

Family

<p>The biggest problem area is the electrics, and Warranty Direct's figures show they account for almost a third of all its claims on Leons. In particular, electronic control units on the 110 TDi diesels are prone to fail.</p>

<p>Otherwise, the most important things to check are that the cambelt has been changed according to schedule time, and that there are no water leaks into the footwell.</p>

<p>That said, the Leon is pretty dependable. In recent JD Power reports, the mechanical reliability and build quality have been consistently rated as average at worst, and Warranty Direct says the car's reliability is better than average.</p>

<p>The Leon has had just a couple of recalls, the largest affecting cars built between March and September 2001, when there was a risk of problems with the anti-lock brakes. A further recall in 2005 arose from problems that could result in a loss of braking power.</p>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>


<p>Think of everything that's good about the Volkswagen Golf, then imagine a car which has the same strengths, but looks better, drives more sharply and costs less. That's the Seat Leon.</p>

<p>Probably the first thing to strike you about the car is its styling, something delightfully different from the average mainstream small family car.</p>

<p>The drive, too, is a little sharper than its rivals', even on the most basic models. By the time you get to the hot Cupra models, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/review/n89">Leon</a> is a cracking hot hatch, with great handling, and lots of power and performance for the money.</p>

<p>Inside, it's not quite as smart as a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n17371">Golf</a>, but it's all well laid out and solidly built. Up front, it's spacious, too, but the rear is not so good, with head- and legroom more cramped than in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a>. The boot, likewise, is smaller than the Focus's.</p>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>


Used Seat Leon Hatchback 2000 - 2005 review

Every 2021 Electric and Hybrid Car Awards winner

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Seat Leon hatchback?