Used Seat Toledo Saloon 1999 - 2005 review

What's the used SEAT Toledo like?

The attractive-looking Toledo arrived in 1999 using the floorpan of the Mk 4 Volkswagen Golf as its basis. It rides well, making it an easy car to live with. And, many reckon that it's a sharper-handling car than the Golf, although the faster versions, such as the 170bhp V5, don't feel as sporting as they could.

There's a wide range of engines, and all offer acceptable performance and refinement, but some suffer reliability problems.

Overview

It could be a shrewd, enjoyable and economical purchase, but beware of engine trouble

Pros

• It's a handsome-looking car which is reasonably pleasant to drive
• It's got a deep boot, too

Cons

• The cabin trim feels cheap, and high-mileage engines can give problems

Equipment is good across the range, and all but the entry-level car get steering which adjusts for both rake and reach as well as height-adjustable seats, so getting a good driving position is easy.

The cabin feels reasonably plush, although it's no match for a Golf. More than that, the four-door saloon body style restricts practicality, and the boot sits high with a narrow opening. However, the seats split and fold, and cargo space is generous.

Our recommendations

Which used SEAT Toledo should I buy?

We recommend the diesels. They are all 1.9 litres and come in different states of tune. The original 108bhp engine is okay, but the two sports versions, which arrived in 2003, have 138bhp and 150bhp and are much faster.

The 2002 110bhp TDI S is no performance car, but it's a good compromise between the other diesel engines, and comes with four airbags, air-conditioning, front electric windows, anti-lock brakes and traction control.

At the pinnacle of the range sits the 2.3-litre V5. It was introduced in March 1999, with 150bhp, but from October 2000 power was upped to 170bhp.

It's worth perusing the car supermarket lots for an even later June 2001 model, because that gets sat-nav on top of the CD player and electric leather seats of earlier models.

The 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol was discontinued in October '99. A 1.8-litre 20-valve petrol engine was introduced with 123bhp, which rose to 176bhp in turbocharged form from 2003.