It's here - I'm now in the Leon club!

[EdwardNR]

Hi guys

Just wanted to say a big thanks to all that helped in my choice of car, and now I finally have it. The Black Magic Leon 2.0TDI Stylance with Sport pack arrived yesterday from the dealer and apart from the dirt (90 miles in the winter rain) it's looking and feeling great.

Really happy with the looks, seats, bluetooth, steering, grip (on 17's) and value but just two small gripes - the radio and the ride.

I have read quite a few bits on the Altea forum about the speakers being shite so I was expecting this but you are all right, the sound leaves a tad to be desired and no amount of adjustment makes any real difference!

Looks like is a new set for me! Apologies if this has come up but can anyone advise of the sizes I need to buy for the Leon, I assume it is the same as the Altea but I couldn't find much on speakers in this forum. I don't want anything flashy, just 4 decent speakers will do me fine!

As for the ride, has anyone had any luck with making it smoother on 17's without spending a ton?

I really wanted the standard Stylance but wasn't prepared to pay over a grand more for a car without a £400 option - and the sports seats are great anyway! The ride seems better than the old 120d on some surfaces but doesn't seem to settle well on some roads (A45 around rushden is awful) and as I'm keeping this one for a while I don't mind spending a little to calm the misses!

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Cheers

Edd

 

[CT Aviation]

Edd,
I presume you brought from Motorvague, I brought a new FR TDI from them two weeks ago and am delighted with it apart from the seat design giving me back ache (Seat UK are looking into it for me)
I do a 100 mile round trip every day from irthlingborough to Southam and have gotten used to the firm ride. just filled up and have done 42 mpg with lots of spirited driving which ain't bad for a 170 horse engine. next week I am going to drive like for max economy and see what I get, or maybe i'll just not.
Just got to do something about the seat comfort and then I'll be very pleased.

Chris

 

[INSIDER]

you made the right choice just sorry i couldnt help further

 

[CT Aviation]

No question about wrong choice, car is great having a lot of fun driving it. I presume you (insider) are who I think you are ?
That is of course if the reply was aimed at me ?

chris

 

[guss]

Hi Edd,
Welcome to the Leon Club if you think the ride is hard with the 17s you want to feel it with the 18s on, shes a wee bit to hard a ride but she looks great Hmmmmm its my car I am on about. happy driving.
Regards Guss

 

[EdwardNR]

Edd,
I presume you brought from Motorvague, I brought a new FR TDI from them two weeks ago and am delighted with it apart from the seat design giving me back ache (Seat UK are looking into it for me)
I do a 100 mile round trip every day from irthlingborough to Southam and have gotten used to the firm ride. just filled up and have done 42 mpg with lots of spirited driving which ain't bad for a 170 horse engine. next week I am going to drive like for max economy and see what I get, or maybe i'll just not.
Just got to do something about the seat comfort and then I'll be very pleased.

Chris

Hi Chris

Didn't actually buy from Motorvogue (not sure if that typo was deliberate!!), they didn't want to play ball with doing a deal and to be honest they didn't have the right car anyway. Found it from New Southgate Seat in London who were up for a deal and pleasant enough but most importantly they had the right car!

Bummer about the Seat design, you might find your back gets used to it (or not) and blimey you have along journey. I'd looked at a job in Southam (Codemasters) but wasn't sure I could handle the commute from Thrapston as 16 miles of the A605 does my tree in as it is!

Insider, thanks for all your help and I'll be calling your way for a quote on an Armrest and maybe some softer suspension bits! Don't forget the SeatCupra.net discount!!

Guss, thanks!

Cheers all

Edd

 

[yell_oh]

I have the petrol FR and as has been posted on other threads, I have fitted the Koni FSDs to improve the ride - it has made approx 20% (subjective) improvement in the ride quality.

The roads around here are so bad that before the upgrade anyone in the passenger seat couldn't even speak (like trying to talk while being pummeled in the ribs!) and I got bad headaches and blurred vision from having my noodle shook up and down inside my skull!!

The ride with the FSDs feels a bit firmer when cornering, but the above problems are reduced. I'm now driving a 1.6SE Leon Mk2 courtesy car while the alarm on my FR is fixed and the ride is much worse than my FR is now.

 

[EdwardNR]

I have the petrol FR and as has been posted on other threads, I have fitted the Koni FSDs to improve the ride - it has made approx 20% (subjective) improvement in the ride quality.

The roads around here are so bad that before the upgrade anyone in the passenger seat couldn't even speak (like trying to talk while being pummeled in the ribs!) and I got bad headaches and blurred vision from having my noodle shook up and down inside my skull!!

The ride with the FSDs feels a bit firmer when cornering, but the above problems are reduced. I'm now driving a 1.6SE Leon Mk2 courtesy car while the alarm on my FR is fixed and the ride is much worse than my FR is now.

Cheers yell_oh

Out of interest (if you don't mind me asking) how much are we talking about for the Koni FSD's? - and, er what are FSD's? Suspension I know but which bit??!!

Sorry not very mechanical!

Thanks

Edd

 

[INSIDER]

No question about wrong choice, car is great having a lot of fun driving it. I presume you (insider) are who I think you are ?
That is of course if the reply was aimed at me ?

chris

depends on who you think i am

 

[CT Aviation]

I got a good deal from Motorvogue, including a reasonable price on my trade in and found them easy and pleasant to deal with. I am an ex VAG technician (Grose Eurocar) so have experience of how the trade works and pushed quite hard for the best deal. Keep me informed if you find a way to soften the suspension a little as I maybe interested in that myself.

Insider, I thought you may have been a certain salesman from Motorvogue.

Chris

 

[EdwardNR]

Chris

You're right on one aspect about Insider, he is a salesman but not from Northampton, just a little further north...

 

[yell_oh]

FSD Price

Cheers yell_oh

Out of interest (if you don't mind me asking) how much are we talking about for the Koni FSD's? - and, er what are FSD's? Suspension I know but which bit??!!

Sorry not very mechanical!

Thanks

Edd

I paid about £360 for the FSDs (from http://www.europerformance.co.uk) and another £150 to have them fitted by a local SEAT specialist (JKM, who did an excellent job).

OK, "not very mechanical" explanation: They are the "damper", often incorrectly called a "shock absorber" which is the part that stops the car bouncing on the springs (which are bearing the weight of your car) for ages after movement (think old big american cars for example of under-damping!).

The FSD means "Frequency Selective Damping" and it's a new technique invented by Koni that adjusts the damping force based on the type of up-and-down movement - at low frequencies (e.g. during a slow movement caused by cornering, they provide firm damping thus resisting the movement of the car relative to the wheels whereas during fast movement such as the wheels following bumps in the road they provide soft damping thus allowing the wheels to move up and down freely while the car body remains undisturbed). They also have a tuned response to the natural frequency of the cars axles to prevent oscillation.

The idea is they provide better handling *and* ride, usually mutually exclusive.

The ride could be further improved by fitting softer (e.g. from Golf or Octavia) or progressive rate springs - but then you will sacrifice handling on smooth roads, although it may be better over very poor roads.

Hope that helps!

 

[EdwardNR]

Cheers fir the info!

Sounds like the Koni FSD's might be the plan then and I could always add non-sport springs after if it wasn't good enough but I don't want to drive a blamonge!

Both my TT and Alfa 147 with 17's rode better, and that's all I'm after - not too soft and still good handling, but I do want to keep my teeth into my thirties!

So I am assuming the difference from the Stylance to Sport suspension is different dampers and springs? As I was happy with the formers ride comfort - might be worth asking a dealer...

Much thinking ahead...

Edd

 

[INSIDER]

Chris

You're right on one aspect about Insider, he is a salesman but not from Northampton, just a little further north...

you were supposed to put the best salesman ever

 

[k4ith]

I am getting Koni FSD & Eibach pro springs fitted to my FR on the 12th March.as i have had enough of the current set up.