looking to purchase new altea

[nebbers]

Phil, you've obviously convinced yourself that the GTi is the one to get. To be honest, if you don't want a big car, then you are probably right.

Give these a try first though, if just to reassure you about the Golf:

Golf + (The VW Altea)
Golf GT Deisel (Same Engine as Deisel FR)
Leon FR TDi (As above)
Leon Cupra. (Seat Golf GTi)

If nothing else, the test drives are always fun!

 

[PhilOfCas]

I'll throw this one into the hat - keep the Golf GTi and do a LPG conversion ?

 

[phil mcavity]

good call philofcas, will look into it

 

[newbi]

ok my turn!!

we have had a Mkv Golf in our family since it came out! my wife has a 1.6 SE which has a good spec 6 gears et all.

as for interior plastics i have to say that apart from the feel i think Seat and VW are exactly the same.

I don't know how you can compare a Car with an MPV but when my wife's golf went for a service last month she was given a Golf + for the day and i just had to take it out.

Well!!! the golf + isn't a Sporty MPV like the Altea and the interior fit and finnish is terrible, theirs more gapping holes and ( oddment space ) for crap its a complete mess.
you don't get half the equipment as in the Altea and as i said its just like a big Golf with no character.

Anyway as for my wife's golf well after the first month it broke down and things like the rear cup holders are broken ( springs have gone ) the drivers seat is fraying and as for the petrol engine six gears yes but does it take time to wind up and as for comparing petrol against diesel don't bother if you want to compare just make sure each car has an identical engine then you can make a proper comparison.


that's my two pence worth ( feel better now )


N

 

[phil mcavity]

agree with your view on build quailty on the 1.6 models as known as an issue with lots of owners, the gti has different interia to be fair, the GTi doesnt have half as many problems as the standard golfs have, view whatcars owners comments, build quality poor, what i found with the altea was, the dashboard plastics were too plain, and too much of it, total of about 8 buttons for a MASSIVE DASHBOARD and too anyone thats not a good actractive design,when i set in the GTI u feel a great anticipation, it has a great feel and look to it. the plastic door panels in the altea look poor and in short time will start to become loose and rattle imo.Im sorry to go on, but the gti and standard golf are of totally different build.If you pass or go into vw dealer and have a look then u will see.The CD player took the biscuit for me, doing 75 to 80 mph on the m271,was jumping more then an olympic high jumper.couldnt listen to a cd of jamiraqui at all untill i hit the roundabout and it stopped. ok the FR has stiffer suspention, but so does the GTi and has NEVER ever done it.
Seat in my opinion has got the external and mechanical things sorted well and truely, but i really think thats why the model range is so much lower then audi and VW'S when afterall they share parts with them.
If the car was of a good quality inside then i would of put down the cash straight away, but i couldnt do it, its like looking at your lounge at home, if u dont like the decor, you change it, wheras a car you cant!. just my opinion guys

 

[nickfrog]

I find the build quality and the materials used in the Golf5, inc. GTI, quite poor compared to MK4. That's why I bought an Altea, which is, I agree, yet another level down but the cars cost 25% less on average, if you equalise the equipment levels. Given that the engines/drivetrains/suspensions are the same, I am delighted that Seat have saved money on the dashboard, soundproofing etc and that I paid £11,000 2 years ago for an almost new Altea Stylance 1.6 when the smaller, equivalent Golf would have been £15,000+ with the same spec.
It's a second car for town use and school runs so I don't really care. I guess I would have the same reservations as you Phil if I had to use the car on more miles though. TBH, yes the dash creaks a bit and the car in noisy (also because it's not very slippery), but I don't think my particular example is THAT bad.

 

[phil mcavity]

i agree, but like i said from the outset, driving side, external looks, engine, gearbox, suspention, is without fault in my view, they have just made too many savings on quality on the inside, mainly the dashboard is VERY VERY bland, stereo appauling(ok aftermarket to sort that), but its not got the feel of being well built, the firm sound of closing the doors, the front recaro seats hug in the front, the visability is very good, whereas the alteas windscreen piller and door quarterlight window really do block your view especially at a roundabout or junction. Ok i know the GTi i have is and has the full bells and whistles, and yes in a SEAT you get some of the frills thrown in for alot less, but and what this boils back too ,is how this car will feel and look like in a few years time, like same as most old SEATS is it will look tired very quickly, and especially as im buying the car with my own money and not hp or company, it really didnt cut the mustard, which is a real shame cus like you say , the mechanics of the car are great.
just my opinion

 

[Tell]

dear, dear, old Seats look tired because there was little design in them, bit like Skoda of now. Walter De Silva brought some desig Alfa with him when he came from so they will look as tired as an old Alfa. I don't think you can equate the Germanic looks of a Golf with a modern Seat.

As for the Golf V Altea, two different types of car so it's pointless. One is a MPV type and the other isn't.

 

[nickfrog]

I think the Altea will look much fresher in 2 years time than a Golf 5 GTI with its unpainted lower bumpers and unpainted side skirts, especially that there will have been a Golf 6 by then.

 

[phil mcavity]

i was referring to the interior not the exterior !!!!!

 

[PhilOfCas]

My (54 plate Sport) interior is as good as I remember it from new, and that's with two kids doing their worst. It's certainly better than the Civic's we had last and i'd say the Polo's before that too.

 

[bal]

Looking to purchase an FR TFSI w/DSG

Hi there everyone, this is my first post, so go easy on me please...

I have also been looking at the Altea FR to replace our crappy Scenic, oh how I loathe it so much. I've almost convinced the wife on the looks of Altea, but haven't really had any test drives as I live in Brussels, and none of the dealers in Brussels stock this car as a demonstrator.

As you can gather from the title of the message, I am looking for the FR w/DSG, and am getting 0 results! Does anyone out there have one of these?? Most of the posts are related to the FR TDI 170, but I want a DSG for 2 reasons.

1. We park our car in an underground car park and to get out requires driving up a ramp around a bend at speed. My wife has almost burnt out our clutch when trying to get out, not to mention clipped twice the bodywork when not squaring up enough on exit of the garage door because of the fear of stalling.

2. Most of our driving is stop/start in town, so an automatic would be perfect.

Therefore, my questions are as follows:

1. Does anyone know of anyone who has this car, or at least ordered it?
2. What's the best comparison, from the DSG standpoint, to form an opinion and can you stall a car fitted with the DSG?
3. What are the options to go for from a residual standpoint, and what is included in the covenience pack option.

Also, regarding Phil's comment regarding 'inertia' of the Altea, the Golf's plastic do look far superior from what I've seen and I myself would have gone for a Golf over the Altea as the residuals are a lot better, but at moment we need an MPV.

On a small side note, I was going to ask whether anyone out there owns a Bugaboo pushchair and whether it would fit in the boot, but I can find this out myself by visiting the dealership here in Brussels.

Cheers,
Bal

 

[Ruddmeister]

On the pushchair side of things our 'test' piece of equipment was a Mamas and papas pushchair which is huge. Seperate MPX chasis and seat. The chasis stood upright on it's side against the back seats of the Altea, the seat sitting just infront of it leaving plenty of room.

The sliding rear seats of the ALtea also release some handy extra room.

The only other vehicle to eat pushchairs for breakfast was the VW Passatt (saloon and estate have massive boots) there is a 170bhp diesel DSG version too and IMO it's a nicer drive.

I went for the VW after a test drive

 

[loadswine]

If I were to have another Altea, it would definitely have DSG and I wouldn't bother with the FR unless the mapping comanies had found a decent fix for the DPF, which restricts things too much. I'd hope that another Altea might give better consumption than mine, but I do drive it pretty hard all the time as its a hoot! I only get about 3mpg better than the Golf GTi's figures that were mentioned, but I think that although slower in initial acceleration would claw it back in midrange, hell I was catching a TT the other day from 50 to 70 ish! and that was a 225! Mine is a remapped 140, just to clarify.
The interior isn't the best out there, in fact my passenger seat is not very happy at all with broken threads on the cloth weave.
I do like the look of the Passat, but I have an idea its a bit heavier and wouldn't have quite the zip of the Altea.
Its one of those subjective choices and it has a lot to do with what you are used to. I came from a Fiat, so it was going to be a step up for me, but coming from a Golf GTi is different and I can see the drawbacks with that.
No amount of reasoned argument will change someone's mind if they sit in a cabin and it doesn't feel right, least I know it wouldn't for me.
For me though, as a package, I wouldn't swap mine for anything else at anywhere near sensible money!

 

[bal]

Hi there everyone, this is my first post, so go easy on me please...

I have also been looking at the Altea FR to replace our crappy Scenic, oh how I loathe it so much. I've almost convinced the wife on the looks of Altea, but haven't really had any test drives as I live in Brussels, and none of the dealers in Brussels stock this car as a demonstrator.

As you can gather from the title of the message, I am looking for the FR w/DSG, and am getting 0 results! Does anyone out there have one of these?? Most of the posts are related to the FR TDI 170, but I want a DSG for 2 reasons.

1. We park our car in an underground car park and to get out requires driving up a ramp around a bend at speed. My wife has almost burnt out our clutch when trying to get out, not to mention clipped twice the bodywork when not squaring up enough on exit of the garage door because of the fear of stalling.

2. Most of our driving is stop/start in town, so an automatic would be perfect.

Therefore, my questions are as follows:

1. Does anyone know of anyone who has this car, or at least ordered it?
2. What's the best comparison, from the DSG standpoint, to form an opinion and can you stall a car fitted with the DSG?
3. What are the options to go for from a residual standpoint, and what is included in the covenience pack option.

Also, regarding Phil's comment regarding 'inertia' of the Altea, the Golf's plastic do look far superior from what I've seen and I myself would have gone for a Golf over the Altea as the residuals are a lot better, but at moment we need an MPV.

On a small side note, I was going to ask whether anyone out there owns a Bugaboo pushchair and whether it would fit in the boot, but I can find this out myself by visiting the dealership here in Brussels.

Cheers,
Bal

Update 14/05/2007
I've had an e-mail back from SEAT customer services about the convenience pack option. The convenience pack consists of a rain sensor, heated wing mirrors and head lamp washers, but they confirm that its no longer available as an option on the Altea. Strange that, because I thought the head lamp washers were part of the winter pack and I thought that the heated wing mirrors were standard on the FR