Anyone ordered the Mk3 Leon

welshy67

Guest
I have now ordered the 1.8 tsi which I have been told I should get by June.

Hello all, first post here :)

My dealer told me that they cannot order the 1.8 petrol FR yet so I'm going to miss out on the LED/Techno pack offer. So I contacted Seat Customer Services who did confirm that this particular model is not on the main Seat Dealership system yet so unavailable to order.

Ashworth, can I ask which dealer you ordered the 1.8 FR from please? I will then speak with my local dealer again. I'm hoping it's just a computer glitch.

Thanks.
Jon.
 

Rob66

Full Member
Apr 25, 2004
1,620
93
UK
Hello all, first post here :)

My dealer told me that they cannot order the 1.8 petrol FR yet so I'm going to miss out on the LED/Techno pack offer. So I contacted Seat Customer Services who did confirm that this particular model is not on the main Seat Dealership system yet so unavailable to order.

Ashworth, can I ask which dealer you ordered the 1.8 FR from please? I will then speak with my local dealer again. I'm hoping it's just a computer glitch.

Thanks.
Jon.

Hi Jon

Try Robinsons SEAT they know their stuff, Pete Townend (01502) 516831, tell him you got his number from Rob, i am sure he will be able to confirm availability for you.

Rob
 

welshy67

Guest
Thanks Rob. The dealer phoned me earlier today telling me that they could now order the FR 1.8. It was a systems glitch. I'm going there at 4pm today to order one :)
 

Ashworth

Active Member
Feb 2, 2010
152
0
Nottinghamshire
Thanks Rob. The dealer phoned me earlier today telling me that they could now order the FR 1.8. It was a systems glitch. I'm going there at 4pm today to order one :)

Great news. I was just about to let you know which dealer had taken my order when I saw your posting.
I ordered mine 10 days ago and was told May/June for delivery. Previously I had decided upon ordering the 184 tdi but when I found out they weren't taking orders and it could be November at the earliest I decided to go for the 1.8 tsi.
 

Rob66

Full Member
Apr 25, 2004
1,620
93
UK
Good news Welshy, i haven't quite made my mind up yet, but off to dealer 'open evening' tomorrow night... Spanish dancers, Tapas the lot ;)
 

CyberGene

Active Member
Apr 26, 2008
306
1
Sofia, Bulgaria
Not sure how helpful I would be and I am sorry for my bad English, I am a Bulgarian. I own a Leon mk2 with 1.8TSI engine which I think was not available in UK before, so I can share some thoughts. Mine is the first version of the engine which is 160HP. This engine has been created with the idea of having max torque on a broad rev range and it's the first you'll notice when you drive it: it pulls like a rocket regardless of revs and gear and it seems like it is doing it without any effort at all. Furthermore, the engine block is made of grey cast iron which has been chosen for its acoustic properties and also employs twin balancer shafts which all makes it a very quiet engine with no vibrations felt at all. This is personal but I am in love with the fact I am able to effortlessly overtake some roaring cars with no engine roar on my side, as if I am not doing anything special at all. Well, with the new Leon there are some engine noises you can select to be heard from the audio so if you're after roaring engine sound, you can at least use it for your own pleasure inside the car despite it being just a gimmick. There is almost no turbo lag, especially after warm up. Fuel consumption is the same as in specs, not sure how it translates to mpg, I get 10l/100km in city driving and about 7-8 on highway.

However, Leon mk3 gets the newest version of the engine which has employed some advances over the first 1.8TSI, mainly it gets indirect injection in addition to the direct one, also some other clever improvements which make for lower consumption and more power like 180HP. I am absolutely convinced the new engine is even greater to drive and I am looking for eventually upgrading my Leon to the mk3 with this newer engine version sooner or later. Btw, the engine uses a timing chain so it doesn't need change and will save you some money.

As a downside, those type of engines are optimized for higher octane fuel and also require low sulfur gasoline, so you should make sure you use a good fuel. In the manual it's stated that it can be driven on 95 but there will be a slight decrease in power output.

I hope that helps and I am sure you've made the right choice with the 1.8TSI. I would chose it day and night over any Diesel engine.
 
Last edited:

Stegor

Active Member
Jul 17, 2011
332
0
Not sure how helpful I would be and I am sorry for my bad English, I am a Bulgarian. I own a Leon mk2 with 1.8TSI engine which I think was not available in UK before, so I can share some thoughts. Mine is the first version of the engine which is 160HP. This engine has been created with the idea of having max torque on a broad rev range and it's the first you'll notice when you drive it: it pulls like a rocket regardless of revs and gear and it seems like it is doing it without any effort at all. Furthermore, the engine block is made of grey cast iron which has been chosen for its acoustic properties and also employs twin balancer shafts which all makes it a very quiet engine with no vibrations felt at all. This is personal but I am in love with the fact I am able to effortlessly overtake some roaring cars with no engine roar on my side, as if I am not doing anything special at all. Well, with the new Leon there are some engine noises you can select to be heard from the audio so if you're after roaring engine sound, you can at least use it for your own pleasure inside the car despite it being just a gimmick. There is almost no turbo lag, especially after worm up. Fuel consumption is the same as in specs, not sure how it translates to mpg, I get 10l/100km in city driving and about 7-8 on highway.

However, Leon mk3 gets the newest version of the engine which has employed some advances on the first 1.8TSI, mainly it gets indirect injection in addition to the direct one, also some other clever improvements which make for lower consumption and more power like 180HP. I am absolutely convinced the new engine is even greater to drive and I am looking for eventually upgrading my Leon to the mk3 with this newer engine version sooner or later. Btw, the engine uses a timing chain so it doesn't need change and will save you some money.

As a downside, those type of engines are optimized for higher octane fuel and also require low sulfur gasoline, so you should make sure you use a good fuel. In the manual it's stated that it can be driven on 95 but there will be a slight decrease in power output.

I hope that helps and I am sure you've made the right choice with the 1.8TSI. I would chose it day and night over any Diesel engine.

Thanks CyberGene. Great info and great english! I'm considering the 1.8tsi as they aren't doing the 2.0 tdi 184 with the DSG box.
 

CyberGene

Active Member
Apr 26, 2008
306
1
Sofia, Bulgaria
There's another advantage that just came to my mind. The turbo is water cooled so you may shut down engine anytime, not having to wait for the turbo to spin down as in oil cooled turbos.

There's very inspiring description of the newest 1.8 TSI engine here:
www .motorauthority.com/news/1064438_audi-unveils-new-1-8-tfsi-170-hp-41-mpg
(Sorry, I cannot create this link clickable since I haven't done 15 posts in the forum)

This engine is entirely developed by Audi and from what I understand in Wikipedia, its design (EA888) will eventually replace the other VW branded design which is currently in use (EA113, with 1.4TSI, 2.0TSI, etc.)
 

CyberGene

Active Member
Apr 26, 2008
306
1
Sofia, Bulgaria
I've tried the google "liters per 100km in mpg" conversion and with my 1.8TSI I have:
23mpg in town
30mpg on highway with 130km/h, A/C, headlights and medium load
34mpg on country roads with 100km/h

Please note that the newer version of 1.8TSI which you will get on mk3 is specifically done for higher mpg, so you'll certainly get better than mine which is older version of the engine.

Since my mpg corresponds exactly to what manufacturers state, I believe you may expect the figures for the new leon being true:
31mpg in town
48mpg outside town
40mpg mixed (which usually corresponds to highway in my case)
 

welshy67

Guest
open evening' tomorrow night... Spanish dancers, Tapas the lot ;)

All I got yesterday was an offer of an instant coffee from a vending machine :blink:

I did order a 1.8 TSi in black though, with 18" performance wheels, the Techno pack offer, Seat Sound System and space saver wheel :D. The dealer did knock off £750 off the RRP too.

I'm still not sure whether to go down the Seat Solutions finance deal or a bank loan. The Finance guy was quite pushy on me taking their Finance deal. He said that Seat will donate £1000 so knocking the price down. He also said that I can cancel the finance deal after 3 months with no penalty for them and pay it off with a bank loan (lower interest rate). I would still be taking advantage of the £1000 donation.

I'm sure the Terms & Conditions states an early settlement fee but then again the Seat finance deal includes a £60 Option to Purchase Fee.

Can't seem to find anything on the web to read their Finance Terms & Conditions though.

Anybody got any thoughts on Seat Solutions rather than a bank loan?
 

Syphon

Site Owner
Staff member
Feb 28, 2002
9,226
2,033
South West
www.seatcupra.net
Dealers get a bonus for getting people onto PCP deals as it's in their interest to hook you into buying a new car every two to three years. It keeps the cycle moving.

It really depends on how long you want to keep the car. If you plan to run it into the ground then paying it off fully makes sense, if you want to keep in a new car every three years then PCP can be quite a good way to go.

Historically I've always gone down the bank loan route, however this time I'm probably going the PCP route as the cost to change has got so much higher. Also comes down to how much deposit you have to put down.

Also bear in mind with PCP you technically don't own the car so modifications tend to be frowned upon as well. Again, probably dealer specific but worth checking. At the very least they will expect it returned fully to stock come the end of the PCP period unless you are going to pay the balloon payment and buy the car.

Scott
 

welshy67

Guest
I just got off the phone with Seat Finance and it was quite interesting. I wanted some clarification on a few points so here they are:

1. Seat will donate £1000 if I signed up to their Finance package.

2. I can cancel the finance agreement within 14 days without any settlement fee.

3. If I cancel within 14 days I would have to pay interest only on the days between taking out the agreement and cancelling it, so only a few pounds.

4. If I cancel after 14 days, I would have to pay 1 month and 28 days interest.

5. If I cancel, I can keep the £1000 donation.

6. If I cancel, I can still get free servicing. The finance guy actually told me that some dealers will tell you that you will lose the free servicing and that this is incorrect.

7. After cancelling the agreement within 14 days, you get 30 days to pay for the car. During this 30 days you can still keep it.

Hope this helps some of you. I'm going to take out the finance and then cancel and pay off with a lower interest bank loan.
 

phsroberts

Guest
That's exactly what we're going to do. Take the £1000 contribution and the free servicing, then pay it off. That's about £1600 worth of stuff for a months worth of interest!
 

JK1

Full Member
May 15, 2002
531
2
Bedford
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I think one of the things putting me off PCP is the high monthly costs. I'd rather put down a bigger deposit and keep the monthly payments low. Currently hoping by the time the SC is out I'll have enough saved to have a smallish loan with repayments under £200pm and get it paid off quickly.
 

phsroberts

Guest
I think one of the things putting me off PCP is the high monthly costs. I'd rather put down a bigger deposit and keep the monthly payments low. Currently hoping by the time the SC is out I'll have enough saved to have a smallish loan with repayments under £200pm and get it paid off quickly.

Just take out the PCP, then pay it off with a loan.
 
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