MK3 Leon FR 150 vs MK4 Leon FR 150

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
We've recently switched from a MK3 LEON 1.5 FR 150 to a like for like new MK4 LEON 1.5 FR 150. Having had the new car a few days, some initial comparative thoughts are as follows:

Positives:

- Despite being on paper the same engine, the FR150 seems smoother in the MK4 than the MK3.
- Early signs are that the fuel consumption is also better on the MK4 (52mpg on a 30 mile mixed road trip)
- The Sat Nav is a considerable step up from the old.
- The media player and radio are also a step up in terms of functionality and ease of use.

Things that don't seem as good (at this point):

- Our largest "gripe" is the the Lane Assist function that was not present on the MK3. On country roads or on roads where a cycle lane is present it is a real pain if not a dangerous distraction. It kicks in too soon or misinterprets the lines in the road. On a number of occasions, I was driving around a bend and it twitched the steering wheel to indicate we were too close to the centre line when, in fact, we were a considerable margin away from it. Switching off the Lane Assist function brings a permanent warning sign onto the dashboard. I would like it configurable so you can specify a higher minimum speed that it commences working (e.g. 50mph) so that it mostly kicks in on dual carriageways etc.
- The seats in the MK4 FR do not seem as supportive as the seats in the MK3 (notwithstanding the presence of lumbar control)
- The front parking sensors do not seem anywhere near as sensitive than on the MK3. Getting someone to walk a foot away from the front of the car (with it engaged in first gear) does activate it so we know the sensors are operating. However, slowly driving towards objects when we're parking does not activate it. We'll likely get this checked out by our garage when lockdown finishes.
- When using the sat nav in auto day/night mode, it switched to night mode when we went through some shaded woods but did not switch back to day mode when sunlight returned. We had to resort to manually forcing it back to day mode. This feels like a software issue.
- Driving the car in twilight, the dipped beam did not seem as strong as on the MK3. At one point, we wondered if we simply had the running lights on. However, the Auto mode on the headlamps was showing we had dipped beam on. We'll do a test in full night mode at some point to see if things are better.
- We do miss the rotary climate controls from the MK3. Also, at night time, the hot/cold sensor controls below the infotainment screen do not light up.
- I have not found a way of manually adding icons to radio stations (e.g. Capital or Heart) that do not have them. Again, in the MK3, you could load icons manually.

Would welcome any thoughts/feedback on the above from other forum members.
 

C_ED_99

Active Member
Jan 27, 2010
257
19
Nice review.
The software does seem a bit rushed - it seems to throw up errors a lot
Possibly the parking sensors aren't aligned or set up properly? Flag it now and get it fixed later.
 

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
Re the Parking Sensors, having tracked down the respective sections in the handbooks, it looks like SEAT have reduced the sensitivity of the front corner sensors from the Mark III LEON to the Mark IV LEON (see screenshots attached).
 

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C_ED_99

Active Member
Jan 27, 2010
257
19
Re the Parking Sensors, having tracked down the respective sections in the handbooks, it looks like SEAT have reduced the sensitivity of the front corner sensors from the Mark III LEON to the Mark IV LEON (see screenshots attached).

Mk3 p234
The approximate measurement range of the
sensors is:
A 1.20 m
B 0.60 m
C 1.60 m
D 0.60 m
As you approach the obstacle, the time interval
between the audible warnings will be reduced.
When you reach around 0.30 m the
warning will be constant: do not continue to
move forward (or backward)!

Mk4 p285
The approximate measurement range of the
sensors is:
A 1.20 m
B 0.60 m
C 1.60 m
D 0.60 m
As you approach the obstacle, the frequency
of the audible signals will increase. The signal
will sound continuously at around 0.30 m:
Stop!

Looks the same to me?
 

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
Looks the same to me?

That's interesting and definitely not our experience having just moved from the MK3 FR 150 to the MK4 FR 150. Doing the same parking manoeuvres in front of our house with the new car generates virtually no alerts whereas that was not the case with our last car. Out of interest, what date was the MK3 manual you were looking at? The diagram I took the screenshot of was on page 303.
 

C_ED_99

Active Member
Jan 27, 2010
257
19
That's interesting and definitely not our experience having just moved from the MK3 FR 150 to the MK4 FR 150. Doing the same parking manoeuvres in front of our house with the new car generates virtually no alerts whereas that was not the case with our last car. Out of interest, what date was the MK3 manual you were looking at? The diagram I took the screenshot of was on page 303.

May 2017
 

C_ED_99

Active Member
Jan 27, 2010
257
19
Hmmm... Googling the 11/18 Mk3 manual shows -
The distance of separation from the obstacle can be estimated using the segments around the vehicle.
The optical indication of the segments works as follows:
White segments: they are displayed when the obstacle 30 cm away from the vehicle or further if it is not within the vehicle's trajectory or the direction of travel is in the opposite direction to its location, and also when the electronic parking brake is activated.
Yellow segments: obstacles located in the vehicle's trajectory and which are more than 30 cm away from the vehicle are displayed in yellow.
Red segments: obstacles that are less than 30 cm away from the vehicle are displayed in red.
That's super helpful and specific :mad:
Edit: approx ranges found -
The approximate measurement range of the
sensors is:
1.20 m
0.60 m
1.60 m
0.60 m
As you approach the obstacle, the time interval
between the audible warnings will be reduced.
When you reach around 0.30 m the
warning will be constant: do not continue to
move forward (or backward)!
The 11/19 manual has the same ranges - so "officially" the Mk3 and Mk4 sensors should be comparable. Won't be able to check until the GF picks her Mk4 up, so others might be able to help.
 

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
The 11/19 manual has the same ranges - so "officially" the Mk3 and Mk4 sensors should be comparable. Won't be able to check until the GF picks her Mk4 up, so others might be able to help.

That would be really helpful to know. As per my earlier post, it's only the front sensors that appear less responsive than the MK3.
 

Educated Scruff

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
48
10
That would be really helpful to know. As per my earlier post, it's only the front sensors that appear less responsive than the MK3.
I find the same problem with mine, I do not get a warning at all until I am on top of a obstruction and then it suddenly turns red and a continuous warning sound, it’s very unnerving but when I have a look to see how far away I am it seems sometimes it not that close.
 

Big Vinny

Active Member
Oct 14, 2012
213
43
I drive a MK3 FR and have only seen the YT reviews of the MK4. I think I am correct in saying that the "stop start" can only be switched off by working through several levels of the on screen menu. That is too say that there is no physical dash button like the MK3.

If correct this would drive me nuts as I regularly flick the stop start on and off to avoid it chattering on and off during stop start driving but use it during lengthy pauses. I would be very happy to see a stop start button on the steering wheel but to loose it altogether would be a big negative for me !

Oh and bring back the stunning "eclipse orange" !
 

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
As a quick update to some other matters.
I drive a MK3 FR and have only seen the YT reviews of the MK4. I think I am correct in saying that the "stop start" can only be switched off by working through several levels of the on screen menu. That is too say that there is no physical dash button like the MK3.

If correct this would drive me nuts as I regularly flick the stop start on and off to avoid it chattering on and off during stop start driving but use it during lengthy pauses. I would be very happy to see a stop start button on the steering wheel but to loose it altogether would be a big negative for me !

Whilst it's not as fast as a button, the screen is v easy to navigate to (not several layers down) and you can then leave it up on display to switch on and off as you wish.
 

dan555

Active Member
Sep 29, 2020
241
95
As a quick update to some other matters.


Whilst it's not as fast as a button, the screen is v easy to navigate to (not several layers down) and you can then leave it up on display to switch on and off as you wish.

If you have the infotainment system in standby then the button is directly on the screen
 

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
- Our largest "gripe" is the the Lane Assist function that was not present on the MK3. On country roads or on roads where a cycle lane is present it is a real pain if not a dangerous distraction. It kicks in too soon or misinterprets the lines in the road. On a number of occasions, I was driving around a bend and it twitched the steering wheel to indicate we were too close to the centre line when, in fact, we were a considerable margin away from it. Switching off the Lane Assist function brings a permanent warning sign onto the dashboard. I would like it configurable so you can specify a higher minimum speed that it commences working (e.g. 50mph) so that it mostly kicks in on dual carriageways etc.

It seems I'm not alone with this gripe. The attached is from this week's Autocar who are running a MK4 Leon on their long-term test fleet. Click on the thumbnail below to expand.

IMG_7800.jpg
 

jay-bob 25

Full Member
Jun 18, 2004
233
6
on the mk 3 tdi i had i got in the habit of switching the stop and start off but the etsi auto i have is not as bad as when the car thats in front of you when you stop pulls away it fires up as the front sensor triggers it but the lane assist is a pain especially going down country lanes
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
I appreciate that technology moves ahead in leaps and bounds and some of it is genuinely useful, but I just find a lot is 'tech for tech's sake'.
I've managed to reasonably successfully drive a number of vehicles from the very small to the very big for over 35 years without ever needing 'Lane Assist', especially as in this instance it seems more likely to hinder than help.
 

CupraGeezer

Active Member
May 11, 2018
357
163
You only have to look at where this technology is going. It's being introduced under the guise of 'assisting' the driver but, long-term, the aim is clearly to replace the driver. Everything that's being introduced is the stuff that's required for autonomous cars.
 

Philk

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
117
47
You only have to look at where this technology is going. It's being introduced under the guise of 'assisting' the driver but, long-term, the aim is clearly to replace the driver. Everything that's being introduced is the stuff that's required for autonomous cars.

Things like Lane Assist highlight how far that intent is from reality. The simple task of giving a wide berth to a cyclist without turning it into a full-on overtake manoeuvre in the opposing lane is something we take for granted but would be an impossibility at this current point if Lane Assist's deficiencies are anything to go by.
 

Educated Scruff

Active Member
Nov 19, 2020
48
10
I dont have to much of a problem overtaking bicycle etc, I just flick the indicator stalk slightly for a 6 sec automatic flash and it disables the lane assist automatically with it.
 

dan555

Active Member
Sep 29, 2020
241
95
I dont have to much of a problem overtaking bicycle etc, I just flick the indicator stalk slightly for a 6 sec automatic flash and it disables the lane assist automatically with it.

Do agree using the indicator makes overtaking much easier, and after a while it becomes second nature and you don't even need to think about it
 

vc-10

Active Member
Mar 29, 2016
330
112
I mean... it is part of the highway code! :ROFLMAO:

Is there a way to turn down the sensitivity? Lane assist isn't available on the Ibiza, but the front assist system can be dulled down a bit.
 
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