Potential Exeo ST SE Tech - Help reqd

[HarveyWoods]

Hello all. I am looking at an Exeo ST SE Tech to replace my current lease car. The car looks excellent and the lease deals at the moment for this model are very good. I will take one for a test drive but I would appreciate some answers from people who have been driving the EXEO ST for a while.

A/ Is the drive on 16" tyres more gentle than the 17". I am worried that I will feel every bump and pothole on the 17" wheels.
B/ What brand of tyres do SEAT send the car out on?
C/ Has anyone tried to get the SE Tech on 16" wheels instead of 17"? Are SEAT sympathetic to this?
D/ How good are the standard lights? I don't want to pay extra for Xenons but equally I don't want to drive around by candlelight. Are the standard lights good enough?

As you can probably gauge my one main worry is the ride of the Exeo. I don't like an overly firm ride and UK roads do not help there. I currently drive a Skoda Yeti and that is firm but absorbs the bumps well. It does so even better on 16" wheels rather than 17" and some people have persuaded Skoda to swap larger wheels for smaller ones at the order stage.

If anyone has suggestions for extras that I should ask for I am happy to listen. As the SE Tech comes with leather then heated seats are an essential, I have done a winter with leather before! I would like a heated windscreen but that does not seem to be on offer. Other than that this model seems pretty well specced.

All advice appreciated.

 

[julianat57]

Hi, I have an SE ST on 17 inch wheels and I find the ride firm but not too hard, 18 inch wheels would be the ones to avoid. 16 inch wheels are available on the S model, but I think that would be a step too far to spec them on an SE. My car came with Bridgestone Potenzas, but have heard of other makes fiited from new.You will be well impressed with the car, I had an Audi A4 before and this equals it on all counts. Can't help you with the lights I'm afraid, don't do much night driving, but I see no reason for them being anything but ok. Hope this helps....Julian

 

[Dave_]

The winter pack also includes heated washer jets too - not quite a heated screen but it may help.

The standard headlamps are fine - I had the SE Tech on demo a few months back.

The Adaptive Bi-Xenon option is quite pricey if you are buying, adding it to the car if you are leasing may not make as much difference as you might think. I've managed to source an ST SE Tech with Xenons and winter pack for £300+VAT a month.

If the standard headlights don't perform as well as you need, there are myriad bulb upgrades available at reasonable cost.

I found the ride a little firm on the 225/45/17s but it is not what I would call bone shaking. Both demo cars I have had were fitted with Bridgestones.

 

[HarveyWoods]

Thanks for the replies, both helpful. I have put Philips Extreme's in my current car and will do the same again in the Exeo if necessary but I thought I would ask first of all. I will ask the question about the Xenons as I can see how for re-sale people may expect this type of car to have them and so the lease cost is not a negative.

One of my other paranoia's regarding tyres is snow/winter. I had a bad winter in a Volvo a couple of years ago, partly down to the the tyres being big and fat. Thinner tyres work better in snow and a set of 16" winters is much cheaper, and the options greater, than a set of 17" winters. You may even get away with 16" All season tyres rather than running two sets.

 

[OLDOILER]

One of my other paranoia's regarding tyres is snow/winter. I had a bad winter in a Volvo a couple of years ago, partly down to the the tyres being big and fat. Thinner tyres work better in snow and a set of 16" winters is much cheaper, and the options greater, than a set of 17" winters. You may even get away with 16" All season tyres rather than running two sets.

Hi, I certainly curse the 18" on UK roads although the handling is great [not like early A4 builds!!] I note that you have a YETI, I was serousley considering changing over to a 4x4 Yeti, what are they like??

 

[Dark Andrew]

I too had the same worry about the 17" wheels on the SE, in fact when I bought my Avensis five or so years ago that came with 17" wheels and I changed them to 16" to improve the comfort, however the Exeo is much better. I would still describe the ride as firm but to me it's got the balance between comfort and handling just right. It's probably worth bearing in mind that because the tyre is wider (225mm as opposed to 215mm on the Avenisis this also equates to more sidewall depth with the same aspect ratio, ie 45% of 225=101.25mm vs 45% of 215=96.75mm). As for snow tyres, at the moment I'm looking into investing in a pair of snow socks.

 

[M Reid]

Hey harvey,
Found your post quite by accident after trying to find an answer online similar to yourself, I have an Exeo sport tech with 225x40x18s and I am absolutely dreading the winter as I have lost 3 tyres (at £150 a pop) in the last 6 months due to potholes up here in Scotland, something I just hadn't bargained for. The tyres have been absolutely shredded despite stopping within 100 yds of tyre pressure warning going off. I was considering the 17s but going by your post the 16s may be the answer although I am sure they will look ridiculous on the sport tech as it sits great on the 18s I have e-mailed SEAT to see if there is an option to put on larger profile tyres on the 18s without compromising handling or performance although i am not hopeful, will let you know what they say

 

[M Reid]

hi harvey me again,
In realtion to the lights they are ample for use up here in Scotland where at the moment it gets dark around 6.30pm, i stay in the country so there is very little light pollution and have never felt the need for xenons. I love the car and would recommend if obviously you can get the tyre/wheel thing sorted out, if your worried about ride comfort, completely avoid the the sport tech and the temptation of the 18s, it also has stiffer suspension and although handling is brilliant it can be boneshakingly hard at times. Ideally a tech spec with 16s would be your ideal option and if truth be told if I had looked at these reviews it would probably have been mine as well. I only drove the car on decent roads and motorways before i purchased. In relation to your heated window, as far as I am aware Ford still currently hold the patent for heated windscreens, although as I understand it this is due to expire. Only other piece of advice is make sure you can get an exeo in tech spec as a colleague of mine has been waiting for 7 months for a delivery date on an SE tech, SEAT claim the japanese tsunami has affected production of parts required for the media system, believe that if you like!!

 

[cliveseat]

I've taken ownership of a two-year-old Exeo Tdi143CR Sport this week, which has the standard 18s, and my view is that, while the ride IS firm around town, it's also well-damped, quiet, improves with speed and has a premium feel to it. Plus, the Exeo seems pretty well screwed together, so the trim doesn't creak - and the big alloys give the car an aggressive stance (too aggressive for some) and help the roadholding. I suspect they also rob the steering of a bit of "feel", but this is the stuff best left to the motoring journos, who seem to exist in an alternative universe to the rest of us.
On a day-to-day level, it's a great all-rounder, and if it'll do the promised 50mpg as well, I'm hoping it could turn out to be one of my better decisions!
It's also a saloon, which probably doesn't answer many of your questions, but while doing my pre-purchase research I came across three editions of Fifth Gear on Youtube, where they'd used an Exeo ST as a long-term camera car, and were mightily impressed. And there's another really useful review there by a guy called Honest John, although I think that was for an SE saloon.
One other thing: my Exeo came with seven days' free insurance through SEAT - so I put my 23-year-old son on the policy. He loves it too - but after looking at mine, an older friend of his, who was considering a poverty-spec A4 estate, is now looking for an ST - not only because of the kit SEAT loads into it but also the noise the door makes when it shuts! The sad thing is, I know exactly what he means.

 

[OLDOILER]

hi harvey me again, In relation to your heated window, as far as I am aware Ford still currently hold the patent for heated windscreens, although as I understand it this is due to expire.

Yes I found out the same thing, but its strange that BMW Mini has this option [ my daughter had it fitted to her car]

 

[HarveyWoods]

Folks - Brilliant answers, exactly what I was looking for. I'll answer a few comments as follows:

Lights - If the standard lights are good enough for Scotland at night then that will be fine with me. My daily commute has a large section of country lane driving with no road lights so I need more than 2 candles, try a Volvo for that one. You have put my mind at rest there.

Heated Windscreen - Ford did indeed hold the patent but Skoda now offer this as an option on the Yeti so either the patent has expired or they have allowed others to use it, for a fee I presume. Normally Skoda get the toys last of all out of the VAG group so I am surprised they are ahead of the others on this one.

Lead time for the SE Tech - I don't need mine until July next year so a longish lead time actually suits me. I started looking now, I lease, as I originally planned to get another Yeti and for the 2.0TDi 4wd the lead time is 7-9 months.

Doors shutting - I went to look at a Megane estate on Wednesday. It looked quite smart, they drive nicely and are quite roomy. However I knew it was not for me when I shut the door and I saw it vibrate with a tinny noise. The Exeo, as with my Yeti makes a solid thud. Game over.

Yeti - The Yeti is a fantastic car and had the lease prices not shot up then I would have ordered another one without bothering to look around (SEAT have quoted me a price 20% cheaper for a SE Tech Exeo than another 20TDi 4wd Yeti) . The genius of the car is that drives like and is the size of a normal compact hatchback, eg a Golf, yet gives you a higher driving position, airier cabin, better boot space (think vertical and it does work), and in the winter, mine is 4wd, it laughs in the face of snow and ice. It hugs the road with no roll or sway making it great on country lanes but munches miles on a motorway easily, though no doubt the Exeo will beat it there for comfort. I have done 22,000 miles in mine so far and as a family car, wife, 2 kids and a dog, it has been brilliant. The looks are not to everyone's tastes but at least it is not another jelly mould crossover. If you live on a motorway then I would accept there are better options but if you do a normal mix of driving it is excellent.

 

[HarveyWoods]

Does anyone know if the Exeo is likely to get DAB as an option or even as standard in the near future? The Exeo SE Tech gives you a stereo upgrade to a fancy BOSE model but I don't think it has DAB on it.

 

[Dave_]

The BOSE upgrade sadly isn't DAB - bit of a shame.

 

[M Reid]

Hi harvey,
Pleased you were happy with the advice, after a little research on tinternet last night, i don't know whether you are aware there is actually a new facelifted Exeo that recently debuted at Frankfurt motor show. So before you jump the gun check it out on the Auto express site, new alloys and upgraded materials inside, although the real good news for you is they come with bi-xenons as standard and there is not a price increse expected. This might explain why SEAT are currently offering my model with an extra 2 grand off at the moment, so make sure you don't get fleeced by the dealers offering you the old model. Other reviewer is right Bose system is not DAB however its adequate and the sat-nav and bluetooth as well as traffic update system is excellent. Hope this helps M

 

[gcott]

Yes M Reid you are correct about a new face lift Exeo. If I'm correct the face lift model will be available with a build week of 45 and later, whiich is 7th November.

Also you are correct about the bi-xenons being standard fit, but that is only to the Sport, they are still an option on the SE, as is the case with the current models.

There are some pictures and information on another thread about the new Exeo. Here is the link.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=327956

 

[Larfinboy]

Look at the previous posts on "model of sat naV2 that cover some of the issues in production from Japan. Also the new model spec is detailed on the forum including the audi style LED daytime running lights.
I have the 170 sport tech ST - and apart from a few inital issues its a great car to drive, bi-xenons give great illumination, BOSE system is spot on it she drives like a beauty

 

[cliveseat]

Interesting info, as ever. The 2012 update looks great and seems worth waiting for.
I'm finding the headlights fine, but if xenons are standard on the new model (is that right?) you might as well have them. If you care about these things, CAR magazine's just uprated the Exeo from three to four stars in its buyer's guide (except for the lower-powered diesel) although Top Gear and What Car are a bit more lukewarm about it.
Early days for my Exeo CR143 Sport at the moment, but I like the refinement and quality feel although, coming from a super-smooth V5 petrol Toledo, the power delivery seems a bit all-or-nothing. But I haven't owned a turbo diesel for a while, so I've forgotten what they're like to drive. I'll get used to it - and it does seem to go, handle and stop very well. It also feels quite big sometimes and - dare I say it - a bit German. Sports seats don't have the range of adjustment the Toledo's electric option had but it's easy to get comfy. Stereo's reasonable - but I'm told the BOSE option is miles better. Fuel's hovering around 40-45 mpg in mixed driving, which is OK, although I'd hope to improve on that. We'll see.
Just out of interest, anyone got an Exeo TSi211 they could share a few thoughts about? Saw a good one advertised the other day for just under £10k - yeah, I know - and it looked very tempting. What are they like compared with the diesels, apart from the obvious gap in running costs? Compared to what else you can get for that sort of money (stripped-out Mini, anyone?) is diesel necessarily the way to go?

 

[HarveyWoods]

I'm surprised the fuel economy is not better. I get similar with the same engine in my Yeti and that carries the weight of the 4wd system and weaker aerodynamics. Then again the Exeo will be sharper to drive and may encourage the right foot a little more.

 

[cliveseat]

Couldn't say for sure, not having much experience of newer VW group products, apart from Ibiza 1.4, which wasn't very exciting TBH, but felt like a step in the right direction on build quality. The Exeo's on a different planet to previous SEATs in that respect. As for the consumption, I'm hoping it's something to do with this "adaptive ECU" other contributors have mentioned elsewhere, which hasn't yet "learned" my driving style. Sounds bizarre and a bit scary to me, but that's what modern, efficient cars are like, I guess. Or should I say "my son's driving style" since he's put 400 miles on it in its first week. The 7 days free insurance expires tonight, but in that time the Exeo's basically been in his care and he's been my chauffeur to and from work. The view from the passenger seat has been pretty good - especially with regard to the much-discussed Sport ride quality/big alloy dilemma - and my son speaks very enthusiastically about the driving experience! I've a feeling it's going to get under my skin too.
Finished the Exeo off today with Autoglym wax and the paintwork came up like glass. Really impressed by the depth of finish. It scrubs up well, but so it should, I suppose, at only two years old next month.
In anticipation of another harsh winter, also gave the alloys a coating of Autoglym wheel finisher, which claims to repel salt and brake dust, wishing all the while that I could afford a set of 17s with winter tyres on them. Those 18s do look a bit vulnerable, and while travelling at a decent lick along the motorway the other day I did notice a bit of a tremor through the steering, which made me wonder if the balancing or tracking might be a bit out. Haven't had time to get it checked, although I'm wondering about the tyres too - Federals, not a brand I'm acquainted with. I don't believe in skimping on tyres, but there's still 7mm of tread left all round, so I'm stuck with them for a while yet.
Be interested to hear what you make of the Exeo, especially compared to the Yeti, which sounds like a cracking thing.

 

[cliveseat]

Just forgot to say, it might be worth getting the paintwork treated with whatever SEAT's equivalent of Supaguard is (X-something?Can't be a*sed to find the documents). Mine was treated from new and and I'm convinced that's why the Urano grey's come up so well again this time. It was treated again on the day of pick-up as part of the deal. Should be thrown in for free by any self-respecting dealer, I would have thought.