Leon SC FR 1.8 petrol DSG

[bd90z]

Hi Guys,

I'm in the market for a smallish, fast, automatic car. After looking around for the last month or so, it seems that a Seat Leon SC FR might be the best choice. I want a petrol engine with automatic transmission. I'm liking the look of the 1.8 as it has a good balance between performance and economy. I want to spend around 11-13k and the ones I've seen in that range are 13-14 plates with 10-25k miles so pretty happy with that.

I've read the reviews online and watched the vids on youtube etc. but I figured those of you who actually own the car would be by far the best to ask. If you could answer a few questions it would be greatly appreciated.

What is the build quality like on the inside and outside? Does it feel sturdy and well put together?

Is the DSG gearbox good? One of the reviews I read said it stuttered a little bit at low speeds in traffic etc.

Are there any common faults that are likely to occur? The cars I'm looking at will be coming to the end of/just gone out of warranty.

And any general thoughts on the car positive/negative would be great.


Thanks very much

 

[IMC]

Hi there, first off I think the Leon is in general is a very good if not the best car for the money you pay. Looks are a thing of personal opinion but for me it is the best looking in the price range.

The build quality is good overall with soft plastic in the most places you will touch, it does fell well put together, although there might be some rattles here and there, mine still doesn't but I've read about them in the forum.

The DSG is good, it's a huge step forward from previous DSGs (had a Passat B6), I had no issues in traffic. What gets me in traffic is the start-stop system some times it does not wait for the car to fully stop which is very annoying.

As for the common fault, I've read around here about some cracked taillights and central console rattles but as far as I know they are repaired under warranty so most probably these will be dealt with.

All negatives though are really minor as opposed to the positives, the drive is very dynamic and you can have some real fun on a twisty road, at the same time it's very civilized in the city and does not rob you at the gas station. Mine has Seat sound which I will definitely recommend, also Convenience pack is a good addition as well as Full LED. Mine is a 5DR so will not comment on the space. Overall I am very happy with the car and would recommend it.

Hope this helps, good luck with choosing.
_______________
Seat Leon FR 1.8 TSI DSG, MY16, Alor Blue
Nissan Pulsar 1.2DiG-T CVT

 

[niggle]

An excellent car spoilt by annoying trim creaks and rattles in the doors and poor backup from SEAT UK and their franchised dealers.

The 1.8 TSI engine and DSG transmission are superb. Very smooth and responsive when required and extremely quiet and docile when you are not in a hurry. Fuel economy is not its strong point. We average just over 30mpg for mostly urban driving in the hilly Pennines.

I drove a Leon 1.2 TSI DSG for 3 days on holiday in Gran Canaria and the DSG does not work as well with this engine, IMHO.

I have just paid a deposit on a new Beemer today so sadly the Leon will be leaving us.

 

[bd90z]

Hi there, first off I think the Leon is in general is a very good if not the best car for the money you pay. Looks are a thing of personal opinion but for me it is the best looking in the price range.

The build quality is good overall with soft plastic in the most places you will touch, it does fell well put together, although there might be some rattles here and there, mine still doesn't but I've read about them in the forum.

The DSG is good, it's a huge step forward from previous DSGs (had a Passat B6), I had no issues in traffic. What gets me in traffic is the start-stop system some times it does not wait for the car to fully stop which is very annoying.

As for the common fault, I've read around here about some cracked taillights and central console rattles but as far as I know they are repaired under warranty so most probably these will be dealt with.

All negatives though are really minor as opposed to the positives, the drive is very dynamic and you can have some real fun on a twisty road, at the same time it's very civilized in the city and does not rob you at the gas station. Mine has Seat sound which I will definitely recommend, also Convenience pack is a good addition as well as Full LED. Mine is a 5DR so will not comment on the space. Overall I am very happy with the car and would recommend it.

Hope this helps, good luck with choosing.
_______________
Seat Leon FR 1.8 TSI DSG, MY16, Alor Blue
Nissan Pulsar 1.2DiG-T CVT

Thanks for the response

The stop-start turns the car off when you're still coming to a stop? That does sound a bit annoying. Has it caused you any issues?

An excellent car spoilt by annoying trim creaks and rattles in the doors and poor backup from SEAT UK and their franchised dealers.

The 1.8 TSI engine and DSG transmission are superb. Very smooth and responsive when required and extremely quiet and docile when you are not in a hurry. Fuel economy is not its strong point. We average just over 30mpg for mostly urban driving in the hilly Pennines.

I drove a Leon 1.2 TSI DSG for 3 days on holiday in Gran Canaria and the DSG does not work as well with this engine, IMHO.

I have just paid a deposit on a new Beemer today so sadly the Leon will be leaving us.

Appreciate the reply.

I have a 2009 c-class at the moment and one of the main reasons for changing it is that the seats creak quite loudly with even smallish movements. It really does my head in. Are the creaks in the Leon something that you constantly notice or only when you do certain things?

Does it feel like a fast car? Mine is quite a big, heavy car and I want something a bit smaller and quicker.

 

[niggle]

Thanks for the response
Appreciate the reply.

I have a 2009 c-class at the moment and one of the main reasons for changing it is that the seats creak quite loudly with even smallish movements. It really does my head in. Are the creaks in the Leon something that you constantly notice or only when you do certain things?

Does it feel like a fast car? Mine is quite a big, heavy car and I want something a bit smaller and quicker.

The driveline is super quiet which makes the trim rattles only too obvious. If I had the diesel engine I probably wouldn't notice the doors rattling!

0 - 62 in 7.2s is not too shabby. Nudge the gearstick back to put the DSG into Sport mode and it really comes alive.

 

[bd90z]

The driveline is super quiet which makes the trim rattles only too obvious. If I had the diesel engine I probably wouldn't notice the doors rattling!

0 - 62 in 7.2s is not too shabby. Nudge the gearstick back to put the DSG into Sport mode and it really comes alive.

Is it a constant rattling noise? I think that would be a deal breaker for me. When I go to test drive one it's something that I'll definitely keep my ears open for.

 

[IMC]

Thanks for the response

The stop-start turns the car off when you're still coming to a stop? That does sound a bit annoying. Has it caused you any issues?

Does it feel like a fast car? Mine is quite a big, heavy car and I want something a bit smaller and quicker.

No issues, just annoyance, especially in sluggish traffic. The Nissan for example waits a couple of seconds after the car is fully stopped and then turns off the engine, but the Seat turns off the engine very early sometimes before the full stop, however this can be solved easy by a press of a button

It does feel like a fast car and is quite nimble, when in sport mode the steering gets heavier and the throttle response is momentary, although it is enough to just put the gears in S mode to have some fun.
_______________
Seat Leon FR 1.8 TSI DSG, MY16, Alor Blue
Nissan Pulsar 1.2DiG-T CVT

 

[mardon]

I have one rattle in my passenger door which I'll investigate other than that it's perfect. Mine is 2014 Cupra but the trim is the same.

Out of interest how much is tax on the 1.8?
I was looking at one but decided to go for the cupra because insurance costs were the same and a very low milage (5k) car came up for sale.

 

[oldbutnotwise]

I have one rattle in my passenger door which I'll investigate other than that it's perfect. Mine is 2014 Cupra but the trim is the same.

Out of interest how much is tax on the 1.8?
I was looking at one but decided to go for the cupra because insurance costs were the same and a very low milage (5k) car came up for sale.

Similarly, but in the opposite direction, I went for the 1.4 because it didn't feel slower on the road ( than 1.8 ), I wanted back to petrol instead of diesel, and it was only £30 per year for V.E.D.
I average 51 mpg ( though not when enjoying a twisty road )

Not sure if that comes as a 2 pedal option though.

 

[LeonST Wales]

I am waiting for delivery of a 1.8 DSG ST although I test drove the 3 door SC. I found it to be really responsive and it cornered like it was on rails although it was still very very comfortable. I only decided on the ST because I am disabled and the SC doors were too big to open wide in tightish spaces. The DSG box was a revelation in comparison to the 6 speed automatic in my last car which was a 15 plate Peugeot 308 ad I thought that was good. So in summary you would be on to a winner if you bought one

 

[neosl]

I have 1.8 tfsi 2016 and honestly I wouldn't buy it again. Clutch defect, lots of noises inside cabin on just a little bumpy road, very loud rear axel(when i drive on speed bumps is like an old truck), not to mention that cold engine starts are awful, car is first 3 minutes shaking like a vibrator. Car is nice to drive but bad quality in general. I noticed also wind noise in right front doors. Thats it.

 

[bd90z]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Seems like people have had different experiences with the same model of car. Maybe different batches were better put together? I'll go have a look at one and try and identify all the issues (and positives) you guys have outlined.

 

[niggle]

Is it a constant rattling noise? I think that would be a deal breaker for me. When I go to test drive one it's something that I'll definitely keep my ears open for.

No, in a straight line on a super smooth road in there is no noise. On anything but smooth tarmac and/or with some body roll in a corner the noises start to become evident.

Our car was noise-free for the first 18 months. The Leon hire car that I had on holiday was also noise-free, but it can't have been more than three months old.