Should I buy a Diesel Leon?

caledonian

Active Member
Jan 9, 2021
48
16
Yeah tbh there don't seem to be a huge number of ST 184's about - lots of ex motability 150 TDI's, but not much selection in the more powerful model. Guessing people that wanted more power than the 150 TDI or 1.8 TSI went full Cupra...

Mines only got the tech pack and convenience pack plus (auto wipers/lights and coming home lights). As above though lots of easy retrofits - I'm going to retrofit front sensors and rearview camera when money allows.

I'd hugely recommend picking up an obdeleven dongle or similar to allow you to tweak the enabled options on your car - for me at least enabling Park Pilot (graphical display on the nav unit for the rear parking sensors) made a huge difference to ease of parking... As you can actually see how close you are and on which sensor, rather than play 'guess what the beeps mean'. Coming home lights can be switched on without any extra hardware. Afaik the auto wipers etc are about £200 for the hardware
Which obd version did you go for?
 

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Oct 21, 2020
61
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Thank you
Just a tip, I have no idea if it is mentioned in the app, but go for the full year membership and your first month is totally free, so just make adjustments to anything you want and then just forget about it.

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caledonian

Active Member
Jan 9, 2021
48
16
Picked up the car yesterday, Its very nice my first experience with a VAG car having previously had mostly Hondas and a few Fords.

Initial impressions, you were spot on with the colour it can be anything from a muddy brown to a stunning purple in good sunlight.

Everything feels dampened compared to the hondas and fords gives a more quality feel, the Interior although a bit dull just works, everythings where it should be I had no problems jumping in and driving off, very intuitive.

The engine feels strong (2.0 tdi 184) although being a step up from the 1.6 dtec in the civic it doesn't feel like a 65 bhp increase. Might be more of a testament to the civic engine or I just need to get used to the tdi, the powerband is much wider in the Leon doesn't run out of puff like the civic.

Will be ordering the mk7 golf Auto light switch and sensor, carista or obd11, and maybe a rear camera, not sure on whether to get a rearview mirror camera or kne built into to the display. thinking of getting the alloys powder coated a gun metal or shadow chrome style colour but not sure if that would look weird against the roof rails 🤔
 

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mdaw1985

Active Member
Aug 3, 2008
227
27
St.Leonards, East Sussex
Hi Caledonian, a bit off topic but I test drove a civic 1.5 turbo CVT sport plus (gen 10) 18 plate a while back and found the road noise was quite loud compared to my 17 plate Leon and even my Mrs 63 plate Ibiza. Not sure if it was the primacy 3 tyres or just the car. I'm assuming you're civic was a gen 9 but do you notice much difference in road noise?
 

caledonian

Active Member
Jan 9, 2021
48
16
Hi Caledonian, a bit off topic but I test drove a civic 1.5 turbo CVT sport plus (gen 10) 18 plate a while back and found the road noise was quite loud compared to my 17 plate Leon and even my Mrs 63 plate Ibiza. Not sure if it was the primacy 3 tyres or just the car. I'm assuming you're civic was a gen 9 but do you notice much difference in road noise?

Yes I had a face-lift 9th gen, The civic is definitely less refined suspension was much harsher too. Tyre noise wasn't terrible but Id say the leons better 👌
 

caledonian

Active Member
Jan 9, 2021
48
16
Leon over japscrap anyday haha

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I suspect that Honda would run forever, however I don't need the Leon to last that long maybe 4 years max so Ill trade in longevity and better spec for the bigger engine and refinement
 

Cuprabenwytm

Active Member
Jun 17, 2020
323
110
I suspect that Honda would run forever, however I don't need the Leon to last that long maybe 4 years max so Ill trade in longevity and better spec for the bigger engine and refinement
If its owt like a cub 90 then yea it will lol them things was bombproof

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TripleBob

Active Member
May 3, 2021
310
199
Picked up the car yesterday, Its very nice my first experience with a VAG car having previously had mostly Hondas and a few Fords.

Initial impressions, you were spot on with the colour it can be anything from a muddy brown to a stunning purple in good sunlight.

Everything feels dampened compared to the hondas and fords gives a more quality feel, the Interior although a bit dull just works, everythings where it should be I had no problems jumping in and driving off, very intuitive.

The engine feels strong (2.0 tdi 184) although being a step up from the 1.6 dtec in the civic it doesn't feel like a 65 bhp increase. Might be more of a testament to the civic engine or I just need to get used to the tdi, the powerband is much wider in the Leon doesn't run out of puff like the civic.

Will be ordering the mk7 golf Auto light switch and sensor, carista or obd11, and maybe a rear camera, not sure on whether to get a rearview mirror camera or kne built into to the display. thinking of getting the alloys powder coated a gun metal or shadow chrome style colour but not sure if that would look weird against the roof rails 🤔

Absolutely love that colour, unusual and such a variance in how it looks at different angles. Looks amazing mate!

I came from a remapped Toyota Avensis (124/300nm -> 162hp/380nm) TR D4D, and agree the Leon doesn't feel significantly quicker - but it's much much quieter, and the rolling refinement is a massive step up.
Build quality I'd say is on a par (my Toyota was on 150k miles, everything still worked perfectly, absolutely zero rattles from any trim), plastics are a similar quality etc - just 10 years more modern!

Very odd finding out that stuff that was factory standard on my old car is optional on the seat though...

I think shadow chrome on the wheels might not give the results you think, it only really works on thin spoke wheels - on the large face FR wheels it's going to look mainly chrome...
Gunmetal could look really nice though - had my old Toyota wheels done in Lexus Anthracite

Against the purple would look fantastic I reckon
 
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caledonian

Active Member
Jan 9, 2021
48
16
Absolutely love that colour, unusual and such a variance in how it looks at different angles. Looks amazing mate!

I came from a remapped Toyota Avensis (124/300nm -> 162hp/380nm) TR D4D, and agree the Leon doesn't feel significantly quicker - but it's much much quieter, and the rolling refinement is a massive step up.
Build quality I'd say is on a par (my Toyota was on 150k miles, everything still worked perfectly, absolutely zero rattles from any trim), plastics are a similar quality etc - just 10 years more modern!

Very odd finding out that stuff that was factory standard on my old car is optional on the seat though...

I think shadow chrome on the wheels might not give the results you think, it only really works on thin spoke wheels - on the large face FR wheels it's going to look mainly chrome...
Gunmetal could look really nice though - had my old Toyota wheels done in Lexus Anthracite

Against the purple would look fantastic I reckon

I may have been a bit harsh earlier, been driving it a few days now and its plenty quick, its just so much smoother. MPG had taken a hit 😬 but I can live with 44 mpg.

Great point on the alloys will need to have a proper look and see what suits the wheel type.

Aircon is warm at Low and max, will need to see if it needs regassed. its a 2017 so not sure it would need it so soon, hoping its not the compressor or something.
 
Jun 2, 2021
16
1
I came from a 220BHP Fiesta ST to the 184 TDi Leon FR and I have absolutely no regrets. I have the DSG gearbox, stick it in sport and foot down - still just as satisfying to me! To anyone on the fence I would say do it! My MPG has taken a hit though while playing with it but still okay at 38 around town in Sport!

@caledonian what have you done to yours with OBDEleven/Carista since getting it? First thing for me was needle sweep, cornering lights, and one click folding mirrors (with the beep!)
 
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TripleBob

Active Member
May 3, 2021
310
199
I came from a 220BHP Fiesta ST to the 184 TDi Leon FR and I have absolutely no regrets. I have the DSG gearbox, stick it in sport and foot down - still just as satisfying to me! To anyone on the fence I would say do it! My MPG has taken a hit though while playing with it but still okay at 38 around town in Sport!

@caledonian what have you done to yours with OBDEleven/Carista since getting it? First thing for me was needle sweep, cornering lights, and one click folding mirrors (with the beep!)
I did the "Audi throttle mod" on mine too, in obdeleven it's the app 'throttle pedal response', or can be coded:
Screenshot_20210519-175515__01.jpg
 
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caledonian

Active Member
Jan 9, 2021
48
16
I came from a 220BHP Fiesta ST to the 184 TDi Leon FR and I have absolutely no regrets. I have the DSG gearbox, stick it in sport and foot down - still just as satisfying to me! To anyone on the fence I would say do it! My MPG has taken a hit though while playing with it but still okay at 38 around town in Sport!

@caledonian what have you done to yours with OBDEleven/Carista since getting it? First thing for me was needle sweep, cornering lights, and one click folding mirrors (with the beep!)

I had the Focus with the fiesta ST engine (1.6 181) a few years back, great engine until I wrote it off 😭.

I have the manual and its always in sport, Im getting 36 mpg with spirited driving and 49 on my commute to work.

I havent got the obd yet what one did you go for?