Buying a first Leon - lowered question

[Mr.JA]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking at buying my first Seat Leon, and thought this was the right place to ask.

Basically, I need to drive to work every day and back, 120km total. This probably means 30,000km/year. Winters here (Southern-Germany) can be strong, and fitting of winter tires is compulsory. The place where I'll work is at 500m above sea level, so can be significantly snowy during winter.

Tax/insurance/gas price wise a diesel makes all the sense in the world. I've always driven diesels, and don't mind them. The car will be parked in a communal garage, under the flat. At work, it would be standing outside, exposed to whatever.

Now my question: I saw a Leon for sale, 2008, 150k, 2.0 TDI DPF FR that looks very good. Price is under 10k EU.

It is also lowered, but on the advertisement it says that the height of the suspension can be altered. It has (black) alloy 18" wheels, with skinny tires.

So now a couple of questions, I'm sorry if these are completely stupid, this'll be my first-owned car and I know relatively little.

I like the look of these thin tires, but do they hold as long as normal ones, or should I look at replacing these more often? What do people normally do with winter tires, do you put the suspension up, or do you get 16" ones and be done with it? I'm a little worried of driving through ~10cm of fresh snow that the front of my car will be a de-facto snowplow, which I'm certainly not interested in. I have no clue what height-adjustable suspension is fitted (and what to look for), and if you know a way to find out I'd love to hear!

Generally, I like the 170bhp that the thing has, I like the look and the price they ask seems (in comparison) reasonable. It is from some dodgy 2nd-hand car dealer, but they did offer a 1yr guarantee - on what I don't know, I'll go there for details and a test ride this afternoon.
I'd post pictures of the advertisements so you guys can see, but a) I can't post pictures, and b) I'm not sure that is allowed (even though it is a car in a non-English country). This afternoon I'll take some pics myself and maybe I can put them on imgur or so.

If anyone has any pointers or things I should look at, please tell. I'm new with cars (let alone Seat), but my wife and I decided pretty quickly it had to be a Leon

Cheers!

 

[FlameRevenge]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking at buying my first Seat Leon, and thought this was the right place to ask.

Basically, I need to drive to work every day and back, 120km total. This probably means 30,000km/year. Winters here (Southern-Germany) can be strong, and fitting of winter tires is compulsory. The place where I'll work is at 500m above sea level, so can be significantly snowy during winter.

Tax/insurance/gas price wise a diesel makes all the sense in the world. I've always driven diesels, and don't mind them. The car will be parked in a communal garage, under the flat. At work, it would be standing outside, exposed to whatever.

Now my question: I saw a Leon for sale, 2008, 150k, 2.0 TDI DPF FR that looks very good. Price is under 10k EU.

It is also lowered, but on the advertisement it says that the height of the suspension can be altered. It has (black) alloy 18" wheels, with skinny tires.

So now a couple of questions, I'm sorry if these are completely stupid, this'll be my first-owned car and I know relatively little.

I like the look of these thin tires, but do they hold as long as normal ones, or should I look at replacing these more often? What do people normally do with winter tires, do you put the suspension up, or do you get 16" ones and be done with it? I'm a little worried of driving through ~10cm of fresh snow that the front of my car will be a de-facto snowplow, which I'm certainly not interested in. I have no clue what height-adjustable suspension is fitted (and what to look for), and if you know a way to find out I'd love to hear!

Generally, I like the 170bhp that the thing has, I like the look and the price they ask seems (in comparison) reasonable. It is from some dodgy 2nd-hand car dealer, but they did offer a 1yr guarantee - on what I don't know, I'll go there for details and a test ride this afternoon.
I'd post pictures of the advertisements so you guys can see, but a) I can't post pictures, and b) I'm not sure that is allowed (even though it is a car in a non-English country). This afternoon I'll take some pics myself and maybe I can put them on imgur or so.

If anyone has any pointers or things I should look at, please tell. I'm new with cars (let alone Seat), but my wife and I decided pretty quickly it had to be a Leon

Cheers!

Be very careful with it, always check for the ac make sure it's ice cold, when driving make sure the engine is warm enough so you can check if it's just the fan it ac on, also check for any smoke it should not be smoking, personally I won't bother buying from dealers the price seems pricey for it if you have cash with you, your better buying from private you would save allot of money. If there is any engine warning like walk away. Also check for signs of wear and tear in the gear nub and steering wheel, good luck

 

[FlameRevenge]

Oh ya also have a look on the suspension to make sure that it's not a stock one that the person pre tensioned to lower it, make sure it's after stock one, and check the back suspension if there is any leak it wet marks on the suspension it's leaking get then to change it if your going to buying it or work away good luck

 

[Mr.JA]

Be very careful with it, always check for the ac make sure it's ice cold, when driving make sure the engine is warm enough so you can check if it's just the fan it ac on, also check for any smoke it should not be smoking, personally I won't bother buying from dealers the price seems pricey for it if you have cash with you, your better buying from private you would save allot of money. If there is any engine warning like walk away. Also check for signs of wear and tear in the gear nub and steering wheel, good luck

Cheers! In this weather (25-30 degrees C) it'll be easy to see if the ac is working... I'll definately check wear in the steering wheel, but (forgive me) how do you check wear in the gear nub? Is it a matter of how 'tight' the thing shifts, if it snaps into place? Don't know how 'sloppy' a Leon gearbox is allowed to be...

Oh ya also have a look on the suspension to make sure that it's not a stock one that the person pre tensioned to lower it, make sure it's after stock one, and check the back suspension if there is any leak it wet marks on the suspension it's leaking get then to change it if your going to buying it or work away good luck

I'm pretty sure it is aftermarket, as it can be adjusted (apparently) - I'll definately check for wet spots on the rear suspensions, thanks a lot!

 

[FlameRevenge]

Cheers! In this weather (25-30 degrees C) it'll be easy to see if the ac is working... I'll definately check wear in the steering wheel, but (forgive me) how do you check wear in the gear nub? Is it a matter of how 'tight' the thing shifts, if it snaps into place? Don't know how 'sloppy' a Leon gearbox is allowed to be...



I'm pretty sure it is aftermarket, as it can be adjusted (apparently) - I'll definately check for wet spots on the rear suspensions, thanks a lot!

Hmm if it's adjustable have a look to make sure it's not pretensioned cuz that would affect your driving, the hear nub can be checked by looking for fading on the leather for that milage there should be allot. Also the breaks should be firm and should stop instant and not slowly stopping as if it's damp or sponge lol. I have Mk2 and when I change my breaks I use good ones and it's always firm from install.

Also before I forget you should not have to travel all the way to the floor with the clutch, I'll say about 1-1.5 inches should be enough, if you have to travel further then I would advise you to ask them to show you when the clutch was last changed or get it replaced

 

[Mr.JA]

Hmm if it's adjustable have a look to make sure it's not pretensioned cuz that would affect your driving, the hear nub can be checked by looking for fading on the leather for that milage there should be allot. Also the breaks should be firm and should stop instant and not slowly stopping as if it's damp or sponge lol. I have Mk2 and when I change my breaks I use good ones and it's always firm from install.

I'll go in a minute for a test drive - the brakes should be new (rear) and in 'good condition' (front) on this car.

Also before I forget you should not have to travel all the way to the floor with the clutch, I'll say about 1-1.5 inches should be enough, if you have to travel further then I would advise you to ask them to show you when the clutch was last changed or get it replaced

Good point, thanks.

 

[Mr.JA]

Right, so I just went for a test-drive (yesterday it was really bad weather, so that was a no-go).

They had the booklet with all the papers in the car, and I had a good 20 minutes to look at everything:

The car has had its regular checks and thus oil replacements every 15k, but from 122k till 155k it didn't get serviced at all. Amount of km seemed ok for the wear. The last entry also mentioned that 'repairs are recommended', but doesn't provide details. I took a picture of the booklet, and might call the folks who did the last check, see if they remember something.

The drive was fine. Clutch seemed incredibly snappy - I stalled it twice just trying to get it of its place. I guess this is part of being an FR car. The ride was quite bumpy - admittedly I'm not used at all to cars in the 'sport' segment, and on a bumpy road it was an uncomfortable ride. The seller advised me anyway to put the suspension a little higher (pics are down), which will give is some flexibility back, I hope. No rust anywhere, looked in the trunk and everything looked fine. No leaking of oil or whatever under the car.

The guy was being vague about a check-up before buying, we wanted to forgo it and give me a 1yr guarantee - he also wanted the check to be done by someone he knows, but if I buy the car I want to decide where to do this check-up, even if it is a 20euros more expensive.

Here are a few pictures I took - the seams on the hood seem a wee bit asymmetrical, but I don't know if this is within tolerances, or due to the car being parked on an uneven underground. There are some scratches on the wheels. The oil seemed ok, it seemed free of particles when rubbed. AC worked fine, it got cold really quickly. No warning lights went on during the test drive.

Here's a picture album I took: imgur.com/a/IbzZZ

And here's a shitty audio recording of the car. I just tapped the gas while stationary. The clunking you hear is from me handling the phone, not the car. soundcloud.com/arie3000/seat-leon

 

[kazand]

The ride on pre facelift cars even on standard springs is/was pretty hard.

 

[FlameRevenge]

Right, so I just went for a test-drive (yesterday it was really bad weather, so that was a no-go).

They had the booklet with all the papers in the car, and I had a good 20 minutes to look at everything:

The car has had its regular checks and thus oil replacements every 15k, but from 122k till 155k it didn't get serviced at all. Amount of km seemed ok for the wear. The last entry also mentioned that 'repairs are recommended', but doesn't provide details. I took a picture of the booklet, and might call the folks who did the last check, see if they remember something.

The drive was fine. Clutch seemed incredibly snappy - I stalled it twice just trying to get it of its place. I guess this is part of being an FR car. The ride was quite bumpy - admittedly I'm not used at all to cars in the 'sport' segment, and on a bumpy road it was an uncomfortable ride. The seller advised me anyway to put the suspension a little higher (pics are down), which will give is some flexibility back, I hope. No rust anywhere, looked in the trunk and everything looked fine. No leaking of oil or whatever under the car.

The guy was being vague about a check-up before buying, we wanted to forgo it and give me a 1yr guarantee - he also wanted the check to be done by someone he knows, but if I buy the car I want to decide where to do this check-up, even if it is a 20euros more expensive.

Here are a few pictures I took - the seams on the hood seem a wee bit asymmetrical, but I don't know if this is within tolerances, or due to the car being parked on an uneven underground. There are some scratches on the wheels. The oil seemed ok, it seemed free of particles when rubbed. AC worked fine, it got cold really quickly. No warning lights went on during the test drive.

Here's a picture album I took: imgur.com/a/IbzZZ

And here's a shitty audio recording of the car. I just tapped the gas while stationary. The clunking you hear is from me handling the phone, not the car. soundcloud.com/arie3000/seat-leon

The car looks ok, looks like the PD engine, and that's really low too low if you ask me, your considering buying it I'll get them to put back the original suspensions because the car had a good anti roll on it that it's still stable around bends at speeds all you need is a good tyre with grip. Personally I won't not buy it, if your paying cash for it consider looking at privately owned ones you can get them cheaper and most of the time the are kept in good condition. Yes you should get someone you chose to check the car it is always advised, if he refuses then leave the car and go somewhere else cuz there must be something his hiding lol

 

[Mr.JA]

The car looks ok, looks like the PD engine, and that's really low too low if you ask me, your considering buying it I'll get them to put back the original suspensions because the car had a good anti roll on it that it's still stable around bends at speeds all you need is a good tyre with grip. Personally I won't not buy it, if your paying cash for it consider looking at privately owned ones you can get them cheaper and most of the time the are kept in good condition. Yes you should get someone you chose to check the car it is always advised, if he refuses then leave the car and go somewhere else cuz there must be something his hiding lol

I think the car can be put ~30-40mm higher, which would be ok (top of tires visible). Original suspension is not available, any idea what it'd cost (2nd hand)? Price negotiated to 8500 for a 2008 car w/ 158k km, or ~6700GBP and ~100k miles, for you Brits.

Apart from the last 30k w/o oil change this car was taken good care about, every single 15000 km it had a full check and an oil change, it has new rear brakes and a brand new timing belt. Privately owned cars here are even more expensive, saw a privately offered car here, 2008, 85k, 1.9TDI (105bhp) for 10k euro, or 8000GBP.

 

[FlameRevenge]

I think the car can be put ~30-40mm higher, which would be ok (top of tires visible). Original suspension is not available, any idea what it'd cost (2nd hand)? Price negotiated to 8500 for a 2008 car w/ 158k km, or ~6700GBP and ~100k miles, for you Brits.

Apart from the last 30k w/o oil change this car was taken good care about, every single 15000 km it had a full check and an oil change, it has new rear brakes and a brand new timing belt. Privately owned cars here are even more expensive, saw a privately offered car here, 2008, 85k, 1.9TDI (105bhp) for 10k euro, or 8000GBP.

In that case that price is good from a dealer, but it sounds too good, try and see if you can get it down another 1000, because at that milage you would need to change the turbo soon in most cases if your unlucky, and also when was the timing belt changed last? But due to it's age you can always get a second hand parts for it from the scrap yard, I can't really tell you what to do, but I can only give you advise on what to look at for, maybe try and see if the guy would make it 2 years warrantee if he won't reduce the price any further good luck

 

[Mr.JA]

In that case that price is good from a dealer, but it sounds too good, try and see if you can get it down another 1000, because at that milage you would need to change the turbo soon in most cases if your unlucky, and also when was the timing belt changed last? But due to it's age you can always get a second hand parts for it from the scrap yard, I can't really tell you what to do, but I can only give you advise on what to look at for, maybe try and see if the guy would make it 2 years warrantee if he won't reduce the price any further good luck

Thanks so much for your help, it is greatly appreciated.
Timing belt was replaced 3k km ago, so really new. Apparently some others are interested in the car too, so it might be gone quickly. Not really in a hurry to make decision, and if the car is really this bumpy I don't want to drive 120km per day in it, lol. Found some other TDIs with 140bhp that looked nice too, they're just not lowered. Those should have a more comfy ride and a bit more fuel efficient too...

 

[FlameRevenge]

Thanks so much for your help, it is greatly appreciated.
Timing belt was replaced 3k km ago, so really new. Apparently some others are interested in the car too, so it might be gone quickly. Not really in a hurry to make decision, and if the car is really this bumpy I don't want to drive 120km per day in it, lol. Found some other TDIs with 140bhp that looked nice too, they're just not lowered. Those should have a more comfy ride and a bit more fuel efficient too...

Anytime , if your going on such long journies each day then you really need a car that has better mpg to be honest, if your not bothered about power and things like that have a look at renult clio 1.5dci the give really good mpg you can get 70+ mpg in town imagine what you would get on motorway lol. But on the other hand if you like power and also want to keep good mpg try looking for the seat leon fr 170 cr TDI it's good for motorway and on just motor way you can get over 700 miles on a full tank which is about 52litters. Hope you find what your looking for .

 

[Mr.JA]

Anytime , if your going on such long journies each day then you really need a car that has better mpg to be honest, if your not bothered about power and things like that have a look at renult clio 1.5dci the give really good mpg you can get 70+ mpg in town imagine what you would get on motorway lol. But on the other hand if you like power and also want to keep good mpg try looking for the seat leon fr 170 cr TDI it's good for motorway and on just motor way you can get over 700 miles on a full tank which is about 52litters. Hope you find what your looking for .

Yeah the clio looks ok. Wife doesn't like Renault though. Anyway, looking at other Leon diesels too, the 105 and 140 bhp versions are nice cars too, and are a bit more fuel efficient.

Has a bit a setback work-wise, employer needs two more weeks in paperwork before I can sign the contract, so I want to wait until everything is secure job-wise before buying the car...