good and bad points please

[shaun07]

hi im new to this site and im thinking about buying a leon. i dont know much about these cars so im hoping use guys will help me. im looking at a diesel one. could use please tell me the good and bad points if there are any about these cars and wat i would need to look for when buying one.

much appreciated

 

[-DT-]

Good points:

Mechanically very reliable
A3 for Skoda money
Looks ok if its post- facelift
Lots of toys for the money
Easy to modify due to turbo units
A3 interior is pretty nice
Not bad on long journeys
Interior wears quite well
Not as common as Focii, A3s, Mondeos, etc etc.

Bad points:

Seat's repair charges are pretty steep and IMO they don't do the best job (2 different dealerships)
Some cars are hit and miss in terms of things like wiring malfunctions, etc
Waterleaks are common and Seat bent me over nicely to get it repaired properly
Seat's Customer service in general is pretty poor

 

[shaun07]

sounds good so far. i bought a 2.0 td mg zr 3 weeks ago ant the head blew the other day. so i brought it back to the dealer and got my money back. so im looking something reliable and at a good price. my last car was yellow and i loved it so i would like another yellow car too

 

[-DT-]

Yellow ones tend to go for less than the silver/black/blue.... Personally I wouldn't buy Seat again due to all the bad points I listed, but they certainly are good cars- nice to drive and generally mechanically sound. It's a real shame the service lets Seat down.

Just make sure you check there is no evidence of dampness on carpets/ musty smell/ etc as it costs a bloody fortune to repair.
The other common problem these cars get is with the coil packs (The car will misfire) but this is a pretty cheap fix. Other than that, unless you're unlucky like me you should get some decent trouble-free motoring from it.

Are you going for a Cupra/ FR TDi? (same engine but just rebranded adn with a bigger bodykit) If so look for an FR rather than a Cupra if you can afford it.

 

[skullmunki]

im pretty sure ALL cars, whichever make or model you buy have inherent problems. My last motor was a 1.6 polo (same engine etc as golf), which kept cutting out for no apparent reason. This is apparently a common problem in vw's and could have been one of 5 things, turned out to be the rotor arm on the distributor.

Some seats leak more than a geriatrics underpants, others dont...

cant comment on the other stuff yet!

 

[RobM]

Every car has it's bad points. Unfortunately it's only these you hear about on forums like this as that's why we talk about things, to help solve problems! It's very rare for somebody to make a post to declare all the things that are perfectly working on their car!

The Leon is an excellent buy. In my mind, the good and bad points are....

Good:

Fuel economy if you're going diesel
Handling is good as standard but is easy to improve if you feel necessary
Easy access to spare parts if needed as items are shared with other VAG cars
Nice interior
Comfortable
Reasonably quiet
Good looking (personal opinion, of course)
Excellent network of independent garages that specialise in VAG cars
Good residuals
Well spec'd as standard
Very easy to get more power from the engine, if you're that way inclined

Bad:

Tendency to leak water in some instances (not all cars affected)
Certain sensors (MAF, Coolant) prone to failure (easy to DIY fix)
Interior will pick up a few squeaks and rattles (you owned a Rover though!!!)
Dealers are shoddy (excellent independent dealers make up for this)

That's just my opinion though, I'm sure others will agree / disagree with some parts of that list. Overall though they are excellent cars, great value, dependable and a pleasure to own

 

[oldman]

i bought one in august and wish i had before then

good points,
mechanically sound
fuel economy excellent, i have diesel 150 and always get over 45mpg and have seen 51 on odd occasions
space, especially boot
comfortable, do 90min trips every weekend to gf and always feel fresh at end
easy to read dials
lots of toys, especially if you buy second hand
my dealership has been really good (Barlows of Wolverhampton)

bad points
stereo, doesn't always read cd's and pops when turn on ignition for no reason
Front windscreen heater is poor in the icy weather, would really really like a Ford Quick ClearScreen, and it doesn't clear side windows at same time


have not experienced water leaks or wiring issues so no comment

 

[LiCkWiD]

I'm loving my recent purchase, 2003 Leon Cupra facelift in silver. Although it seems to be drinking fuel, I've no problems with it at all. Early days yet, but I've put an easy 500 miles on the clock since Saturday. So I've been working it like a dog. Although mine is petrol, not diesel.. So with regards to mpg.. you will see a lovely return, as expected.

Good cars. I did a lot of research before settling for the Leon Cupra, including the Focus ST170, Clio 172, Civic Type-R, Toyota Supra, Evo 5.. etc. etc. the list goes on. It has the most all-round package, imo.

 

[Andy3004]

bad points
stereo, doesn't always read cd's and pops when turn on ignition for no reason

Mine does that too (the pop I mean), anyone know what it is?

Sorry to thread hijack!

 

[LiCkWiD]

The pop is 100% the stereo giving a quick shot of juice to the speakers, they'll produce the same noise when the wires are connected to a low-volt battery. (You may need to do this to ensure you've got the correct speakers wired up as front left, front right etc. especially if the wire colours are making no sense. Or if you need to ensure the speakers are in phase.).

It's not a bad thing, just annoying I suppose. It'll never be a problem. Just the way it's all wired.

 

[lil3520]

MAIN THING TO LOOK FOR IS WATER LEAKS, FEEL THE CARPETS IN THE CAR.

I DID THIS AND HAVE HAD NO LEAKS [ touch wood ]

 

[LiCkWiD]

This just in: Carpet feeling prevents leakages! Have you felt you carpet today? AVOID WETNESS... TOUCH YOUR CARPET! You too, ladies!

 

[dan__smith]

I think the obvious would be to check out the cars previous history i.e. services reciepts for these and any repairs, hpi check etc...

Also depends on yourself...Are you going to be able to afford to take care of it?

 

[Nathanio]

I wouldn't bother with a dealer but find a good local independent or specialist

I have had my TDI Tolly for 22k (and 15mths) and love it, so well built and comfortable. Cruise is awesome and touch wood I have not had any issues.

 

[LiCkWiD]

Yeh, that's good advice actually. Avoid private unless the price is too good to turn-down. You get sod all, if any come-back on problems that arise soon after buying it and you've only their word for stuff they can't prove.

Generally speaking, an independant dealer isn't going to up-shop and flee over night just to avoid having to turn you down for a new water-pump under warranty, etc. Plus you've got the peace-of-mind that comes with buying from someone other than a local bloke with his Leon roadside.

SEAT dealerships will be the highest price, without a doubt but then you get a massive choice of cars through their national network.

Go buy the latest Parker's Car Guide. It's the best place to start when considering a new car purchase. It's got prices based on condition, model and age along with performance figures, mpg and insurance groups. The Leons are covered comprehensively in the copy I bought two months ago. Well worth the few dibber it'll cost.

 

[Nathanio]

I meant with the servicing and stuff to go independent.

I brought private but was very careful and looked over the car several times. If you buy private, get an RAC inspection. I got an aftermarket warranty for my car for piece of mind. Cost me £220 for a year; covers everything from turbo to abs to air con.

 

[LiCkWiD]

Sounds like something I've got, Nathanio. Who is the company providing the warranty, may I ask?