Time to wave goodbye to the Leon

[dukebox9reg]

Well it has been a mixed bag of ownership having it for 1 1/2 year.

Bought it as an 06 plate Leon 2.0TDI DSG sport with only 23k on the clock. loved it form the outset and a couple of months later had it remapped by AMDEssex.

Good points

- Engine, mapped it geniunly turns the PD140 into a warm hatch and coupled with the DSG progress in very rapid and with me over this time and 30k have averaged 47-50 mpg without much effort.

- Handling, yes it understeers the derv engine is obviously a lot heavier than a petrol and the DSG is 100kg heavier than the manual but the understeer is a lot more controllable than my peugeot 306 HDI i used to have for example and wouldn't be embarassed to show it a track if that is your kind of thing.

- Interior, always get slagged off in reviews but i find it a very nice place and the uprated 8 speaker system has a lot of power if not a little crude. I have quite a large frame but find the sports seats very comfortable and doing mainly motorway driving, i have never suffered from back pain etc.

Bad points

- Engine, yes i know its mapped but im a engineer and very mechanically sympathetic(warm up/cool down etc) and have nver ragged it. The turbo and DMF let go at 46k. Previous owner lived in London and i can only assume it most have been driven without much sympathy.

- Paint, Im OCD to the condition to my car inside and out always claying and waxing etc and ive never known paintwork mark so easily, with the slightest brush with a bag etc leaving very noticable marks. The paint work has now also started to pit on the roof very much to my annoyance

I am disabled and have recently been medically discharged out of the Army due to my injuries so i have decided to use my mobility to get a worry free car for a few years.

I still want something with a bit of poke, economy and quirkeness.

Sooo feel free to slag me off, still waiting permission off the misses but im looking at a Nissan Juke 1.6 Dig-T CVT 4WD. 190BHP and 178LbFt, 48ish mpg extra and 38 combined. Really nice interior and gadgets and drives really nice (might be im just not used to half a ton of pig iron over the front wheels)

What we thinks? any other suggestions? On another point keep an eye out on the sales section, a very loved and cared for leon sport with 60k, newish turbo/DMF 10-11MOT, 5-6Tax for a very good price. It will be missed. Heres a few picces and a pic of my leg lol.

 

[marks_leon]

There alright cars they are, I had one for a few wks didn't want to give it back. They can look really nice with the right spec and colour.

 

[dukebox9reg]

want white but misses doesnt like white. So probs gona be black pearl and hopefully blag the black alloys. Red interior,leather etc i think. I think for such a cartoonish looking car it looks quite mean completly black

http://www.carpages.co.uk/nissan/nissan-juke-22-08-11.asp

 

[marks_leon]

I hear mixed reviews about them, most say they look ugly but that spec sounds nice, red leather should set it off nicely.

 

[EndlessNameless]

Hated the juke first time I saw it, but I really quite like them now. (was the same with the mk2 Leon, actually, and now I drive one. Clearly I'm a bit conservative when it comes to car styling!). Looks proper badass in that pic you linked, I'd quite like one of those myself (those main headlights could be improved, mind), though I've promised myself a Toyota GT86 next time round.

You ever driven a CVT before? By all accounts (and I've only been a passenger) they're decidedly odd. And if you want economy, poke and quirkiness I don't think you can do much better than a Juke (certainly not for the quirk factor). How about joining the anthill mob and getting a nice shiny black Chrysler 300C?

 

[dukebox9reg]

slush box in the 300C is rubbish in them and i think the diesel is even worse on fuel than the petrol juke. The 'step' CVT in them isnt too bad. It hold revs for a few seconds for max power/tq etc and then continues to the redline etc giving you pretend gears. Weird ill give you that but a lot better than the jazz's or prius. Alot more evolved than the CVT that used to be in the munaro. Still would have been nicer with a DSG. Noticed renault are looking a mating the 1.6 turbo to a dsg in the clio.

 

[pfitz]

They are pricy and theres a long waiting list but I'd suggest the new Merc B Class; great ride and superb space / access.

I needed an automatic so went for the Leon Sport DSG 2.0TDI as didnt want to pay Golf prices for the same car. I have a dodgy back though so will need to sort out the suspension on the Leon soon.

Good luck

 

[EndlessNameless]

I wouldn't seriously suggest the 300C, you'll do well to get 40mpg out of one on the motorway. Not bad for something so huge, but not really the answer to your requirements.

I know someone who has an Alfa 147, and if you like the view from the cab of an AA flatbed, then that's the car for you. Infinite mpg when it's being towed, pretty nice to look at, and on the 1 day in 4 when it starts it should go quite quickly...

 

[dukebox9reg]

It's new cars btw on motability.so would be the guiletta but the offers Alfa have got on are pretty poor. Just had a test drive in the juke 1.6 turbo manual fwd and to be honest not a bad little motor.hardly any lag and to be honest didnt sound to bad either.will miss the tq of my derv thou.had to work it a bit harder than im used to.

 

[Jarre]

how much are you allowed on mobility?

With injuries it may be better having something higher, like the juke. So in that case what about a BMW X1, Mini 4x4, Audi Q3 etc?

 

[dukebox9reg]

Government and manufacturers are clamping down on whats available because of people taking the piss,getting performance beemers etc for there 'nan' and using it as their own vehicle with insurance etc all paid for and the nan never seeing it again for the 3 years

 

[S.E.C.T.]

I think the Jukes look like a frog taking a sh*t. I went in one during a visit to Nissan in Sunderland earlier this year. I was gobsmacked by how small they were inside compared to the size of the car. Kit looked good though, liked the look of the dashboard but not my cup of tea

 

[dukebox9reg]

Well after the Juke was inspected by the boss in doors she decided that the interior was too plasticy(i agree but was willing to ignore) and she reckons is too impractical. Ive tried swinging her towards the idea of it but i dont think she'll budge. Sooooo been looking around and the best offers currently are from vauxhall(ergh). Think the best of the bunch is the Insignia Sri nav 160 CDTI Auto. A couple of nice optional extras like the next alloy wheel size up(18s) and the uprated amped Infinity sound system still totals to less than half the advance payment of the Juke.

Plus as an extra bonus being a derv theres plenty of tuning boxes to perk up the performance