Leon FR - A family car??

[redwell]

Hello all

is the Leon FR (or any Leon for that matter) a family car? I thinking of purchasing one (test drive tomorrow) and although I have seated my two children in the car and they had room aplenty in the back (I have a 15 month old in a forward facing baby seat and a 3 year old in a booster seat) is the car practical as a family car?

During the week it will just be me driving it but at weekends and trips away it will be me, my wife and my 2 children and the buggy and bags

My wife has a Golf and it's no problem getting us all in and comfy and the Leon looks as big in back and the boot looks not too small (at least as big as a Golfs.

Any comments please

 

[OldDevonian]

Personally I would say it is.

I've just recently purchased a Leon Stylance after owning a MK2 Ford Focus, I have 2 kids 16 & 12, plenty of room in the back, boot space is slightly smaller than the Focus but not much smaller.

 

[JonoUK]

Take some empty or full o' quilts bags that you'd take on holiday with you, along with the buggy and try it all for size. I don't remember how big a golf's boot is, but the leons isn't tiny, but neither is it huge. And buggies take up a lot of space.

You *MUST* specify that you want a passenger airbag disconnect switch, otherwise you won't get one - they're not fitted as standard.

If you got the diesel flavoured one (I've not driven a petrol) then you still have plenty of power even with a fully loaded car with people and luggage.

I'm just single / unmarried with no kids, so I can't really comment further on the practicalities. The one thing I don't like much is the fact the rear bench doesn't fold forward so you can't get the backs of the back seat down flat.

If your mrs doesn't mind having a bag on her lap or next to her in the back, then you should get away with it

 

[Rob66]

Yes, but just to be aware of:

The back doors do not open as wide as say a Focus so could prove more difficult to load small children in. The ride is very firm and rear seat passengers may disapprove after a while and the rear windows are fairly small.

Rob

 

[redwell]

Thanks all.

My 159 isn't exactly the most family friendly car - my driving position is compromised when one of the children sits behind me. The doors don't open that wide.

As for the ride - all week it would jst be me in the car - no problem. Weekends fully loaded and on hols.

I used to have a Alfa 156 - the ride on that was hard and jiggly over broken surfaces. The ride on the 159 is much better but still pretty taught - not as much as the Seat however.

The buggy is only a small MacLaren not a huge big full size pram thing - those days are long gone thank goodness.

So the the question is:

Alfa 159 1.9 JTDm saloon vs. Alfa 147 1.9 JTDm Q2 Sport vs. Seat Leon FR....................

 

[DanGB]

If your looking at saloons, have you considered the skoda Octavia, same car as above, but with a massive boot (saloon style).

 

[Pummy]

I have a 3 month old girl and have had without issue the wife, me, the baby in her Recaro on one side, boot with a buggy, cot, travel cot and Bumbo seat and half a seat of shopping and the car has been fine. I was more worried about scratching up the backs of the seats. However if space is a premium which you do need, consider Dan's option above.

 

[redwell]

If your looking at saloons, have you considered the skoda Octavia, same car as above, but with a massive boot (saloon style).

No I haven't mate - thanks for the heads up. Could I cope with driving a Skoda (I know I know brand snobbery..........)

 

[sm_allen]

I have a FR TDI, and it is used as the family car. Went to a relatives in Kent, 2 adults, 2 kids plus presents and all the other stuff. All fitted in, and did 48.5mpg

 

[redwell]

I have a FR TDI, and it is used as the family car. Went to a relatives in Kent, 2 adults, 2 kids plus presents and all the other stuff. All fitted in, and did 48.5mpg

this is what I want to hear

I need to convince myself to leave Alfa (for now at least) and be a (bit) more practical

 

[thestonegate]

Defo a family car - I got 3 kids seated in the back of mine - A 7 year old (on a booster), a 4 year old (on a booster) and a 18 month old in a forward facing car seat!

A puschair in the back (a double buggie)!

We have more than enuff room.

 

[LeonGTI]

You can remove the rear bench on the leon so the back folds flat. I had to take mine out in order to fit a single bed in it! Its pretty roomy to be fair.

The petrol FR goes like stink and will give 35 mpg on a run if driven 'carefully'. Im 6'6" and people can easily get in behind me. Took my little cousin (2 yr old) and girlfriend out the other day with no problems at all.

Suspension and big wheels combo give a 'sporty' ride but would not go back to a barge with soft suspension ever again!

 

[redwell]

Defo a family car - I got 3 kids seated in the back of mine - A 7 year old (on a booster), a 4 year old (on a booster) and a 18 month old in a forward facing car seat!

A puschair in the back (a double buggie)!

We have more than enuff room.

once again music to my ears

 

[Ruddmeister]

Erm OK

I was looking at the Leon FR and took one for a test drive (and an Altea FR)

I found the Mk2 Leon Claustrophobic behind the wheel and couldn't fit the Chasis to the travel system in the boot without removing the parcel shelf. Also not much leg room behind me and my petite 6'3" 17stone slimline frame

The fact the car felt smaller than my Mk1 Leon's was a let down too.....infact the Mk2 Leon felt smaller than a Focus I also had around the same time

The Altea was the better family car but.......didnt do much for me.......perhaps my anti-MPV bias

.............So I went for the Passat 140 Sport.....ticked all box's smooth quiet and not much more money.....the 170 Passat would have been ideal but extra £££ prevented that

 

[JonoUK]

You can remove the bench? Cool... how, is it easy? I very rarely have more than 2 people in my car....Would help loads for transporting drum kits around

 

[Maximus2000uk]

I had 5 adults in the car over the weekend. The backseat passengers commented that they had plenty of leg-room, and the passenger in the middle seat was fine.

Only slight issue, which one of my passengers raised, was the fact that the rear seats have side bolsters which were a little uncomfortable.

 

[ckempo]

I took me + three others down to Devon and back up again last month, with all the luggage too, in my petrol Fr.

Plenty comfy enough for the passengers and plenty power enough for me still as the driver. No complaints there.

I'd also mention that in my eyes it's a suitable family car; I specifically looked at the FR over, say, the Astra VXR on the basis that it's got rear doors and as such is so much more practical - and the general consensus seems to say the same.

Let us all know how the test drive goes.

 

[bobmcgod]

No I haven't mate - thanks for the heads up. Could I cope with driving a Skoda (I know I know brand snobbery..........)

According to every mass car survey i read the skoda octavia seems to be the best car to own in the uk these days with both it and dealers being very highly rated.

 

[s3atl3onFR]

Seat Leon FR does work well as a family car, the TFSI version seems to be slightly softer suspension wise that the TDI version. I can fit a child seat in the back, have a Maclaran buggt in the boot with plenty of space left for the rest of the family luggage on weekend breaks... i.e. rucksack, two bags for the baby, wifes bag, tub of toys for the baby, baby food, cool box, camera, tripod and a few more other bags!!

 

[2ndleon]

picking mine up from irfan this week looked at altea cos i have three kids but centre seat was tiny so leon won due to more space in the middle!!!