Living with the Leon FR TDI - a week of ownership

S8N

I posed thred yarp?
Apr 8, 2007
322
0
Manchester
Well I collected my Leon last week and so I thought it was time to report in on how it is to live with :)

A quick recap for you. I owned a Ford Focus Titanium 1.6TDCi for 4 months. In that time it spent more time in the garage than on the road. Horrible experience. Horrible driving position, heavy steering, prone to roll on cornering, horrible oversteer. Considering this it is supposed to be "best in class", it more like the problem child. Changed it for a Leon FR TDI. Bought an ex-demo 56 plate with convenience pack, IPOD connection and bluetooth.

I had a good two hours test drive before buying it and loved it when driving it away. Do I still love it?

Yes. Yes. Yes!! I cannot wait to get into the car. Suddenly my dull drive to work is too short. I need to move 10-15 miles away from work so I can have a proper drive in the morning! (I live 10 minutes away at the moment). Hell I will drive to my local Tesco for the sake of getting a 20 minute round trip.

I love how easy everything is with this car. I get in, it's perfect driving position & seats makes me comfy. A turn of the key and I hear a gentle purr once the oil pressure is up. 3 seconds later, my mobile is hooked into the bluetooth. It all just works. Ready to roll. No fuss, no effort.

Once you get used to the ride (which can seem a bit tough at first), you realise that the springier ride actually helps keep you feel connected to the road. You learn to love it and that sportier, meatier "on rails" feeling. You know where you are when you corner. The awesome exhaust note when you do push hard roars. Clear road ahead? Rev off the lights, drop into 2nd.. floor it and leave everyone wondering where the hell you just went.

The Leon is so understated. It looks serious when it appears looming in your rear view mirror. Drive it gently, it's smooth and refined. Hit it hard and it gives you all the thrills you need.

My friend drives a BMW 3-Series M Sport 320d. He scoffed at me when I told him I had bought a Seat. "Won't touch my BMW, cheap Golf knockoff". Had two goes in mine, seen the bluetooth in action, the IPOD connection and has a test drive booked on Saturday. Funny how peoples opinions change? He is astounded to just how good the car is. He is a picky one (shopped an Alfa GT in for the BMW!) and he is raving about the Leon.

So a week in, I am absolutely stoked with this car. I can't help but look outside the house every now and then just to admire it. Once you get used to the car and in tune with it, it just keeps getting better. I can't wait to do a proper long drive in it. Cruise control .. forgot that as well, just makes it even sweeter.

The Leon shows the Focus to be a thrown together, bland dull example of safe engineering. The Leon? A different class and utterly addictive.
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
and just think 15 years ago they were still building kit car fiats ;)

glad you got one then i guess ? :) lol
 

harveee

Active Member
Jan 18, 2007
52
0
glad your happy, even though Im getting rid of mine I agree it is a real drivers car and if thats what your after then it deffo ticks all the boxes !!!!!

one slight question mark about your review..... '' gentle purr from the engine once the oil pressure is up'' !!!!!! most people comment on how loud the engine sounds
 

r30lac

Active Member
Jan 12, 2007
195
0
West Yorkshire
Nice to hear you like it. I have had my FR about 2 months and love it. Great fun to drive and no issues with it yet (Touch wood)
 

CupraDaft

Active Member
Jun 8, 2002
458
0
Scotland
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Had mine since the March 1st but up until yesterday, I had only driven 800 miles, mainly short journeys, due to th recentd death of my Dad and the associated upheaval.

Yesterday though I drove from Glasgow down to the Lake District and back and loved it!

Got 44mpg on the way down and 42mpg on the way back.

I so love cruise control, will never have a car without it now!

Just wished I didn't have the wet interior front windows issue though.
 

markfranklin

Active Member
Mar 24, 2007
61
0
S8N, that makes a terrific read, thanks for posting your thoughts - keep them coming! I have one on order so you can imagine I was thrilled to read the excellent comments you made. I am delighted you like the car, as just from the test drive I can imagine how it feels now to own one.
 

S8N

I posed thred yarp?
Apr 8, 2007
322
0
Manchester
glad your happy, even though Im getting rid of mine I agree it is a real drivers car and if thats what your after then it deffo ticks all the boxes !!!!!

one slight question mark about your review..... '' gentle purr from the engine once the oil pressure is up'' !!!!!! most people comment on how loud the engine sounds

It is totally a drivers car. But I find it refined in comparison to the Focus I had :)

I don't find even half as noisy as my Focus was. That was a clattering monster even when warmed up. In comparison, the idle on the FR (once warmed up mind you) is just like a purr.

It's horses for courses I guess. The Focus became a horrible stone around my neck both reliability wise and also comfort wise. The Leon is the absolute opposite [B)]
 

UncleFester

Grumpier by the day!
Apr 30, 2006
4,764
1
Milton Keynes
www.facebook.com
I've been in Simons a few times now and the engine is very free revving, way quicker than my 1.9Tdi, the engine sound is pleasantly sporting and very very quiet once you're on the move. Can't comment on the drive as i've not driven it, however as a passenger i've no complaints. The ride is lovely, handling feels pin sharp, it doesn't creak and twist over bumps in the road.
 

simon34

smoooooooth
May 2, 2006
535
0
northampton
I think pat meant the way it revs its much more like a petrol than the 1.9 is
though i think he would have trouble loosing me
 

Stuart83

Active Member
Jan 2, 2007
290
0
Tamworth, Midlands
I've had mine since March 3rd, done about 1700 miles in it, and loving it!!! Had one slight problem with it (that damned exhaust sensor!!!), but now everything's fine (touch wood).

I keep seeing the new Civic Type R on the road and thinking I should have got one of those, but when I think of the £2500 i saved on the price of the car, the £400 in my pocket from the insurance, and the 40+mpg i'm getting instead of 30mpg, it kinda makes me smile :)
 

S8N

I posed thred yarp?
Apr 8, 2007
322
0
Manchester
... and the lack of chiropractic appointments after a long drive :lol:

Finally got a chance to take her on a run today. Manchester to Slough round trip.

Love cruise control. Nice to get home and not have an aching right foot! The ride is definitely on par with my Focus, bit more road noise but nothing terrible. It's still quiet.... except I when I pulled away from the toll booth with the drivers window still open. I never actually realised that it sounded like that. Fan-bloody-tastic roar. I did it on the slip road as well, just floored it and wowzeee! :-o

I am such a damn child but I loved it!

One problem. Speakers utterly suck. They have to go!
 

FReddytdi

Active Member
Jun 6, 2007
56
0
It has taken me ages to like the car, I prefered my MK 1, but now it's done 5,000 miles its starting to loosen up a bit and the shape is also growing on me. The stereo is a real let down though, I just can't get a good sound out of it. Its either too tinny, too bassy or as flat as a pancake.

Does anyone agree only Luna Grey and White suit the car. Sorry if you have any other colour but it just doesn't work for me, especially black. Its like the Focus ST it only looks good in orange.

Thats enough moaning, bye