Hi all,
I collected my new FR on Friday and all I can say is WOW. I am ultra impressed overall.
I have been toying with either a GTi, Focus ST or Leon FR for quite some time now. GTi was my first choice but in South Africa we have a 8-12 month waiting list and demos are selling for 15% more than new ones. I did like the Focus a lot but have heard some 'issues' arising in warmer climates with overheating when pushed hard. The Seat brand was only launched about 5 months ago in the country and there are basically no Seat's anywhere on the road... if you see one every two weeks you are doing well. I went for a test drive in the FR and was really impressed with it, it 'seemed' faster than the GTi but the ST initially felt the fastest of the three but on a re-test drive I think it was the 5 cylinder sound that gave the bigger impression of FAST. Anyway, last Tuesday I decided on the Leon and it was delivered in my spec on Friday (The 2/3 day waiting period vs.. 8 Months + for a GTi seemed a no-brainer!)
The FR's in South Africa come with every bell and whistle except a sunroof or the leather option, neither of which were of any importance to me. The dealer setup my Bluetooth and uploaded my phone book etc while I signed for the Beast. I traded in my 2001 Golf 4 1.6 and was happy to see it driven off into a warehouse forever! After the standard checks and how everything works explanations were done I drove off and even though it was late afternoon traffic with little chance of getting the revs anywhere much higher than just above idling I felt instantly at home... it just felt right.
On Friday evening I went and did a reconnaissance drive on a stretch of a nearby highway to check if there were any new traffic cameras and to my delight there were none... Went for a bit of a 'drive' when the traffic had died down and the power was amazing. Even in 6th the drive blows my mind. I guess I am far too used to a 1.6!
The ride on the 18"s is firm but not as harsh as I had expected / remembered from my test drive. The cabin is well laid out and everything falls to hand easily. The fit and finish inside is on par with the Golf 4 interior and although it isn't up there with the GTi it certainly feels up-market enough for me! I do think the aluminum door kit would make a huge difference to the feel as well as the GTi pedal set. The only thing I am missing from the Golf is the armrest and think it is crazy that fitting the one I have seen on here obstructs the aux jack... surely their design team aren't that shortsighted or is there a version two armrest coming sometime soon. I am completely in love with the Bluetooth car kit and the auto lights and windscreen wipers. The sound system is okay but I can tell that the speakers will need to be upgraded in time. I had the misfortune of having my ipod pick-pocketed from me a few weeks ago so I haven't had a chance to use the aux jack yet. The seats are amazing with the perfect balance of grip and support although the lumbar support seems a bit weird and when adjusted does very little. One little touch that really makes me
is the red glow on the gear lever while driving at night... awesome idea!
All in all I am very happy with my choice and cannot wait to get my mileage up a bit so I can really take her for a blast! Because there are basically no Leons on the road I even have guys in Porsches eyeing my car. I have already had a Megane RS and a Porsche boxter keen to have a robot to robot race... and it took quite a bit of restraint to keep my revs below 5,000. The Megan driver beat me by a little bit and asked how hard I was pushing when we stopped at the next robot, when I told him I was keeping the revs below 5 he said I would have killed him as he was red-lining his car (or maybe he is just a nancy boy!)
I clocked up 666km over the weekend so thought it only appropriate to call her "The Beast"
(What's the best way to post a few pics?)
I collected my new FR on Friday and all I can say is WOW. I am ultra impressed overall.
I have been toying with either a GTi, Focus ST or Leon FR for quite some time now. GTi was my first choice but in South Africa we have a 8-12 month waiting list and demos are selling for 15% more than new ones. I did like the Focus a lot but have heard some 'issues' arising in warmer climates with overheating when pushed hard. The Seat brand was only launched about 5 months ago in the country and there are basically no Seat's anywhere on the road... if you see one every two weeks you are doing well. I went for a test drive in the FR and was really impressed with it, it 'seemed' faster than the GTi but the ST initially felt the fastest of the three but on a re-test drive I think it was the 5 cylinder sound that gave the bigger impression of FAST. Anyway, last Tuesday I decided on the Leon and it was delivered in my spec on Friday (The 2/3 day waiting period vs.. 8 Months + for a GTi seemed a no-brainer!)
The FR's in South Africa come with every bell and whistle except a sunroof or the leather option, neither of which were of any importance to me. The dealer setup my Bluetooth and uploaded my phone book etc while I signed for the Beast. I traded in my 2001 Golf 4 1.6 and was happy to see it driven off into a warehouse forever! After the standard checks and how everything works explanations were done I drove off and even though it was late afternoon traffic with little chance of getting the revs anywhere much higher than just above idling I felt instantly at home... it just felt right.
On Friday evening I went and did a reconnaissance drive on a stretch of a nearby highway to check if there were any new traffic cameras and to my delight there were none... Went for a bit of a 'drive' when the traffic had died down and the power was amazing. Even in 6th the drive blows my mind. I guess I am far too used to a 1.6!
The ride on the 18"s is firm but not as harsh as I had expected / remembered from my test drive. The cabin is well laid out and everything falls to hand easily. The fit and finish inside is on par with the Golf 4 interior and although it isn't up there with the GTi it certainly feels up-market enough for me! I do think the aluminum door kit would make a huge difference to the feel as well as the GTi pedal set. The only thing I am missing from the Golf is the armrest and think it is crazy that fitting the one I have seen on here obstructs the aux jack... surely their design team aren't that shortsighted or is there a version two armrest coming sometime soon. I am completely in love with the Bluetooth car kit and the auto lights and windscreen wipers. The sound system is okay but I can tell that the speakers will need to be upgraded in time. I had the misfortune of having my ipod pick-pocketed from me a few weeks ago so I haven't had a chance to use the aux jack yet. The seats are amazing with the perfect balance of grip and support although the lumbar support seems a bit weird and when adjusted does very little. One little touch that really makes me
is the red glow on the gear lever while driving at night... awesome idea!All in all I am very happy with my choice and cannot wait to get my mileage up a bit so I can really take her for a blast! Because there are basically no Leons on the road I even have guys in Porsches eyeing my car. I have already had a Megane RS and a Porsche boxter keen to have a robot to robot race... and it took quite a bit of restraint to keep my revs below 5,000. The Megan driver beat me by a little bit and asked how hard I was pushing when we stopped at the next robot, when I told him I was keeping the revs below 5 he said I would have killed him as he was red-lining his car (or maybe he is just a nancy boy!)
I clocked up 666km over the weekend so thought it only appropriate to call her "The Beast"
(What's the best way to post a few pics?)
