Picked up My Tdi FR - first thoughts

[richardh]

Picked up my new Leon FR Tdi on Friday (coming from an Altea Sport Tdi DSG).

So far mixed impressions.

Car looks good (Zenith, 18") and goes very well indeed (although clearly still tight). Handling (from what I can tell) is also great (like on rails etc..). Build seems ok although noticed the clanging passenger seatbelt buckle when driving one-up.

But ....

1) Ride is poor - thought it would feel similar to my Altea (and seemed that way on test drive) but it is considerably firmer - first thing the wife said. Must be the 18" wheels (plus the dire state of the rounds round where I live!)
2) Noisy - car clearly has a sport tuned exhaust but it but it sounds boomy to me. On the motorway at 70-80 it is noticeably noisier than the Altea (which wasn't the quietest but acceptable) - have to raise our voices over the road and engine/exhaust noise
3) Its a manual - OK as manuals go but missing the DSG already
4) Glovebox is tiny - can't even get the handbook wallet in there!
5) Noticed that when Stereo is in AUX mode there is a noticeable background humm/hiss (at normally listening volumes) - Not see this mentioned before on the forum before?

Hoping I get used to the ride/noise - we will see. I really do want to love the car. Am I being too picky?

 

[Rokerlad]

Seems like you didn't really want a hot hatch. Why did you buy the car coming from an Altea?

 

[richardh]

Perhaps you're right Rokerlad. I certainly like my cars to be fun to drive (which the FR is, as was the Altea) but it also has to double as an everyday/family car and it is in these areas that it lacks that bit of polish.

I'm sure I'll get used to it (and have some fun in the process) - these are first impressions after all and I am bound to compare it directly to the Altea (which was a good car).

It is very difficult though to find a motor that does the fun thing well, looks good, is reasonably priced but is also easy to live with day-day out. As I said perhaps I'm too picky - or need to spend a bit more money!

 

[20vt Tony]

Richard,

Seatbelt rattle might be due to it being too low down on the adjuster, try moving it up as mine stopped when I did it. No problems now, great choice of colour by the way, hope you grow to love the car like the rest of us,

Tony

 

[alx_chung]

Picked up my new Leon FR Tdi on Friday (coming from an Altea Sport Tdi DSG).

So far mixed impressions.

Car looks good (Zenith, 18") and goes very well indeed (although clearly still tight). Handling (from what I can tell) is also great (like on rails etc..). Build seems ok although noticed the clanging passenger seatbelt buckle when driving one-up.

But ....

1) Ride is poor - thought it would feel similar to my Altea (and seemed that way on test drive) but it is considerably firmer - first thing the wife said. Must be the 18" wheels (plus the dire state of the rounds round where I live!)
2) Noisy - car clearly has a sport tuned exhaust but it but it sounds boomy to me. On the motorway at 70-80 it is noticeably noisier than the Altea (which wasn't the quietest but acceptable) - have to raise our voices over the road and engine/exhaust noise
3) Its a manual - OK as manuals go but missing the DSG already
4) Glovebox is tiny - can't even get the handbook wallet in there!
5) Noticed that when Stereo is in AUX mode there is a noticeable background humm/hiss (at normally listening volumes) - Not see this mentioned before on the forum before?

Hoping I get used to the ride/noise - we will see. I really do want to love the car. Am I being too picky?

I am sure you will get used to the new car. Its always hard coming from another car, I came over to Seat from a Hyundai Coupe and there are things that I miss from that car but am really enjoying the Leon.
As for 5), I found that too but my fix was to turn up the volume on the iPod and left the volume on the car stereo about 6 or 7. Ths hiss disappeared then.
Alex

 

[L7 KVV]

I ave recently purchased the Altea fr. Im not really liking the very firm suspension and the excessive road noise.

But it is only to be expectes as it is the 'sports model' . The road noise I put down to the bridgestones, and I hope to add coilovers soon to soften the ride.

Also with the aux, when the device is turned on, (eg. between tracks) the noise virtually disapears.

 

[DSG-boy]

1) Ride is poor - thought it would feel similar to my Altea (and seemed that way on test drive) but it is considerably firmer - first thing the wife said. Must be the 18" wheels (plus the dire state of the rounds round where I live!)
2) Noisy - car clearly has a sport tuned exhaust but it but it sounds boomy to me. On the motorway at 70-80 it is noticeably noisier than the Altea (which wasn't the quietest but acceptable) - have to raise our voices over the road and engine/exhaust noise
3) Its a manual - OK as manuals go but missing the DSG already
4) Glovebox is tiny - can't even get the handbook wallet in there!
5) Noticed that when Stereo is in AUX mode there is a noticeable background humm/hiss (at normally listening volumes) - Not see this mentioned before on the forum before?

Hoping I get used to the ride/noise - we will see. I really do want to love the car. Am I being too picky?

1) It´s no Caprice Classic, that´s for sure but i really dont think it´s firmer than the Golf GTI or the A3 Sportback.

2) IMO i would like it to be more boomy exhaustnoise

3) What did you think about?

 

[DanGB]

4) fits in there if you slam it.

 

[Haddock]

1) It´s no Caprice Classic, that´s for sure but i really dont think it´s firmer than the Golf GTI or the A3 Sportback.

FR is MUCH firmer than a Mk5 Gti.. and the handling isnt quite as good either..

Chris

 

[richardh]

Further impressions..

My first day in the car on the commute to work (20 odd miles, A-road, motorway).

Felt happier with it today - the ride didn't seem too bad if you avoid the potholes and it cruised well on the motorway and relatively quitely - clearly road noise is very dependant on the surface. Stereo is also better than the Altea (must be the extra 2 speakers , 8 vs 6).

Miss the DSG most when crawling in traffic though.

 

[richardh]

More thoughts after a week of commuting..

Ride is harsh but getting used to it. Good fun to drive. Driving position OK (but can't quite get as comfortable as in the Altea). Still miss DSG in traffic but manual is fine generally.

Biggest bugbear is still the noise - I've decided its not sporty but simply old school diesel rattle and grumble. OK at idle but as soon as a you squeeze the throttle sounds ...well Transit like. Better at speed but rumble never really goes away. Certainly noisier than the 2.0 Tdi 140 Altea.

Read today that a revised Focus is out soon with DSG style transmission and 2 litre TDCi - will watch with interest.

 

[MikeShaw100]

[Read today that a revised Focus is out soon with DSG style transmission and 2 litre TDCi - will watch with interest.[/QUOTE]

omg.... but the focus looks so yawwwnnnnn zzzzzzzzzzzz. lol.

mr fr is also my first oil burner and the change does take some getting used to - hang in there.
mike

 

[BanziBarn]

The new Focus does look a lot better though, more new mondeo like.

But it doesn't look as good as the Leon. TBH, I get more looks in the Leon than I do in my civic type-r. But appreciate theres a lot more to a car than it's looks. The Focus has always been a class leader for ride and handeling.

 

[Lewis_FR]

I have 18"s and dont notice excessive road noise. In fact compared to my GTi-6 on Eagle F1's its bloody quiet! Ride is firm as has been said so many times, but the stance on the road and the handling really make up for it. not alot can be faulted on it IMO.

 

[techno]

Had my FR TDI for 10 months now and still love it.
You get plenty of looks from passers by

 

[Graham123]

Got mine last Tuesday - initial impression... I love it. Very happy with car, very happy with options and diesel FR engine is mega. Really pleased I had skirts and spoiler added too, just finishes off nicely.

To be fair suspension is set firm, but it really pays off when you start to give it some welly.

 

[Lewis_FR]

I think ill be getting myself some side-skirts when i next get paid. They make the leon look so much more sporty. Just looked on the SEAT Accesories page and it appears they do not sell the Rear Spoiler on its own? Is this correct?

 

[pr0ton]

I think ill be getting myself some side-skirts when i next get paid. They make the leon look so much more sporty. Just looked on the SEAT Accesories page and it appears they do not sell the Rear Spoiler on its own? Is this correct?

They do sell the rear spoiler on it's own. Here's for example one German retailer who's selling only the rear spoiler. I'm going to get one from here. http://www.seat-leon.de/shop/seatleon/product_info.php?cPath=46&products_id=246

 

[Lewis_FR]

Thanks for the heads-up. Cant say i like the gap in the middle of the spoiler though

 

[mklock]

Further impressions..

My first day in the car on the commute to work (20 odd miles, A-road, motorway).

Felt happier with it today - the ride didn't seem too bad if you avoid the potholes and it cruised well on the motorway and relatively quitely - clearly road noise is very dependant on the surface. Stereo is also better than the Altea (must be the extra 2 speakers , 8 vs 6).

Miss the DSG most when crawling in traffic though.

Im in a similar boat my friend.

I test drove a few cars and felt at the time that the Leon offered better value for money and didn't comprimise on fun. Like you i wanted a car that did both. I went for the 18's my self because a few reviews id read had said that they actually improved the ride and made it less crashy. But since having the car you realise that the ride is awful and the glove box is just crap.

I will say this i do pretty much the same milage as you do and on A roads. First thing in the morning powering round the A roads does make you feel much better about the car but its when you have a passenger in the car and your driving style slows down a bit (i do anyway) that you realise just how much crashy the ride is. You only have to watch the passenger bounce around to see it. The ride does loosen a bit and Don't get me wrong the car looks great and has its moments but feel that Seat have let us all down in terms of quality and engineering.