New car buying help - possibly seat leon fr 2.0 diesel?

xdcx · 14 Oct 2019 at 15:57

I have a 2.0 184 Excellence estate and also a 2.0 184 FR hatch.
Both 67 plate.

I got the FR hatch with 13k on clock, SEAT sound system, spare wheel, LED inside, adaptive cruise and 18" wheels for £13k.

Our Excellence estate has slightly different styling front end.
Other differences are full leather front seats which are heated.
Keyless entry and start/stop button.
Pull up blind things in the rear doors for the windows.
Steering wheel is round rather than flat bottom like the FR.
Suspension is more comfort orientated. It's slightly less harsh than the FR is.
Excellence has front parking sensors and also the radar sensor things come up on screen when parking. The FR only has rear bleeping sensors.
Excellence also has the winter pack items, heated washers/headlight washers.

I have to say, I love my FR. It's an incredible amount of car for the money.
My colleague has a Golf GTD which is same year as my FR and same mileage nearly. She says she wishes she had the Leon 184. Her husband has a petrol FR estate in 18 plate. They prefer the Seat! but could be for varying reasons of course.

Shop around at the 13k mark. You should find a lovely spec'd FR 184 2 years old at that price range.
SEAT sound is 100% worth it if you can get it as is adaptive cruise. Anything else I could live without in all honesty.

Oh and our Excellence is the 6 speed DSG and my FR is 6 speed manual. I wouldn't pick one or the other, I am neutral on them to be honest. I like a manual box in the smaller sportier feeling car but love the DSG in the bigger estate.

Let me know if need any more info that could help you

Buffman · 14 Oct 2019 at 22:37

xdcx said:

Thanks youre the right man to ask!

What mileage do you get from each of them? Is there a discernable/significant difference due to the auto box do you think?
Do you notice much difference from road noise between models??
Are the speakers fairly audible vs engine noise ? My current diesel is very loud!
Do you have any concerns re: theft with the excellence keyless option?

Edit: im going to test drive the white 67 plate FR linked above today

To top of the faults with my previous car... Someone (unknown) has hit the front left pillar between recoveries and prob caused £1k plus damage :eek:

. Deffo a write off now.

kinetic747 · 15 Oct 2019 at 08:57

xdcx said:
I have a 2.0 184 Excellence estate and also a 2.0 184 FR hatch.
Both 67 plate.

I got the FR hatch with 13k on clock, SEAT sound system, spare wheel, LED inside, adaptive cruise and 18" wheels for £13k.

Our Excellence estate has slightly different styling front end.
Other differences are full leather front seats which are heated.
Keyless entry and start/stop button.
Pull up blind things in the rear doors for the windows.
Steering wheel is round rather than flat bottom like the FR.
Suspension is more comfort orientated. It's slightly less harsh than the FR is.
Excellence has front parking sensors and also the radar sensor things come up on screen when parking. The FR only has rear bleeping sensors.
Excellence also has the winter pack items, heated washers/headlight washers.

I have to say, I love my FR. It's an incredible amount of car for the money.
My colleague has a Golf GTD which is same year as my FR and same mileage nearly. She says she wishes she had the Leon 184. Her husband has a petrol FR estate in 18 plate. They prefer the Seat! but could be for varying reasons of course.

Shop around at the 13k mark. You should find a lovely spec'd FR 184 2 years old at that price range.
SEAT sound is 100% worth it if you can get it as is adaptive cruise. Anything else I could live without in all honesty.

Oh and our Excellence is the 6 speed DSG and my FR is 6 speed manual. I wouldn't pick one or the other, I am neutral on them to be honest. I like a manual box in the smaller sportier feeling car but love the DSG in the bigger estate.

Let me know if need any more info that could help you

You can add park pilot to the display when reversing quite easily with the likes of Carista.

xdcx · 15 Oct 2019 at 09:07

The Craig said:
Thanks youre the right man to ask!

What mileage do you get from each of them? Is there a discernable/significant difference due to the auto box do you think?
Do you notice much difference from road noise between models??
Are the speakers fairly audible vs engine noise ? My current diesel is very loud!
Do you have any concerns re: theft with the excellence keyless option?

Edit: im going to test drive the white 67 plate FR linked above today

I filled the tank in the FR and between 15 miles each way on NSL roads to work all week and then a trip down central belt at the weekend, again on 60/70mph roads I got 530 miles out the tank.
Had the Excellence with DSG a lot longer than the manual FR and I have never seen us get any less than 460 miles to the full tank. We reset the trip every time we fill it so I am dead certain of this. 500 miles to a tank would be a very safe guestimate on avg miles per tank of diesel. That's all based on us commuting in them 15 miles each way on NSL roads and then over weekends just doing wee trips about the place.

So I would say no, there is barely a difference in long term MPG from DSG/manual. Certainly no difference enough to specifically pick one gearbox over the other.

The FR is ever so slightly louder in terms of road noise. The pedals feel a bit more vibration and there is a little more diesel engine noise in the cabin but again nothing enough to class as considerable.

Speakers, oh yeah they are great even in the Excellence which doesn't have the SEAT sound upgrade. I love my music so even more so in the FR with SEAT sound upgrade I certainly here no engine noise and happy in my little world with my tunes on

Theft/keyless stuff.... I'm 15 miles north of Inverness. We barely lock the doors or secure anything. So it's honestly not even something that has crossed my mind!
The one thing I have worried about though... if I was to start the car at home with the key nearby and then drive off and get somewhere miles away without having the key.... we would happily get to said place and then not be able to restart the car! It's never happened, but it could very easily happen! So I am a fan of a good old physical key ignition to be honest.

That white FR looks OK. They could have cleaned inside before the pictures were taken eh!
Mines looks exact same as that. Same colour and wheels. I paid £200 more for mine than that one but mines only had 13k on the clock and has a few optional extras more than that one (sound, auto lights/wipers, adaptive cruise) so you can get a slightly more spec'd example for the money if you keep looking or use it as leverage to haggle that down £500 I would say.
Don't let those miles put you off. Our excellence has 28k on the clock and it's as solid and runs no different to FR with half the miles. Service history and a test drive will give peace of mind on those points

xdcx · 15 Oct 2019 at 09:11

kinetic747 said:
You can add park pilot to the display when reversing quite easily with the likes of Carista.

Wow. Thank you!
Never heard of that and just had a look.... I'll be having some of that!

kinetic747 · 15 Oct 2019 at 09:17

xdcx said:
Wow. Thank you!
Never heard of that and just had a look.... I'll be having some of that!

No problem. Head over here for more information on what's possible with Carista.
https://forums.seatcupra.net/index.php?threads/carista-app.444059/

That forum is a mine of info on anything Seat related.

xdcx · 15 Oct 2019 at 09:22

kinetic747 said:
No problem. Head over here for more information on what's possible with Carista.
https://forums.seatcupra.net/index.php?threads/carista-app.444059/

That forum is a mine of info on anything Seat related.

Thanks again man, that's brilliant.
Park pilot, needle sweep and auto fold mirrors without holding the button down. I've already got my list of stuff to change

kinetic747 · 15 Oct 2019 at 09:42

xdcx said:
Thanks again man, that's brilliant.
Park pilot, needle sweep and auto fold mirrors without holding the button down. I've already got my list of stuff to change

Those are the 3 I've changed lol.

lordrobs · 15 Oct 2019 at 11:39

Looking at the fuel economy of the 2.0 TDI, purchase prices, your annual mileage and commute etc. I can't help but wonder if its worth you looking into the petrol versions, just to rule them out if nothing else?

The standard 1.4 TSI I have might not be punchy enough for you at only 120 bhp (it is plenty for me) but the 150 bhp ACT version isn't meant to be any worse on fuel and for reference I've averaged 44.7 mpg in my one over 9200 miles.

Just a thought anyway.

jpaul · 15 Oct 2019 at 11:45

probably avoiding 18" wheels is going to help with economy (&ride) too
.... some of the Seats < 184ps don't/didn't? have the multilink rear suspension

IvanDobskey · 15 Oct 2019 at 17:47

Been really pleased with my 17 reg 1.4 ACT FR, with most of the extras, bought at the beginning of the year with 9800 miles on the clock for £11999. It's a very good car for the money.

Only negative for me is the slightly rattly door cards.

Buffman · 15 Oct 2019 at 17:55

xdcx said:
....
That white FR looks OK. They could have cleaned inside before the pictures were taken eh!

Thanks for your input. Following a test drive of the below today I'm keen for a 184BHP automatic FR or Excellence model. Need to find one (nearish) to me ideally.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201909142212655?atmobcid=soc3

The one I went to test drive had different tyres, all of different brands (generally low spec/unkown brands) and quite a lot of scratches to the bodywork,damage to the rear seats and kerbed alloys. Serviced at 18k and 28k (now). It was also sold to Evans halshaw as the owner couldnt afford it so it concerned me its not been looked after properly thus I walked away..... I may consider it if they dropped circa £1k off the price but I'm concerned its been hooned around on a low budget and not maintained well which may lead to mechanical failure

I think A well specced Excellence model would be up my street as it's a bit of a "sleeper" in that it doesnt look sporty but also has the convenience of keyless entry.

Trouble is finding one on autotrader at 184bhp + DSG.

lordrobs said:
Looking at the fuel economy of the 2.0 TDI, purchase prices, your annual mileage and commute etc. I can't help but wonder if its worth you looking into the petrol versions, just to rule them out if nothing else?

The standard 1.4 TSI I have might not be punchy enough for you at only 120 bhp (it is plenty for me) but the 150 bhp ACT version isn't meant to be any worse on fuel and for reference I've averaged 44.7 mpg in my one over 9200 miles.

Just a thought anyway.

Due to doing 16 to 18k miles per year, and being my main vehicle I'd prefer the diesel. This may also go up if I increase my leisure driving (which I may with a nice car

). From what I've read generally diesels are good for 12-15k+ miles (as a rule of thumb).

jpaul said:
probably avoiding 18" wheels is going to help with economy (&ride) too
.... some of the Seats < 184ps don't/didn't? have the multilink rear suspension

Agreed, I'm not particularly after the 18" alloys but if everything else on the car was what I was after I'd consider it. Would 17" vs 18" really have much impact to economy?

Didnt have issue with it on test drive today.

IvanDobskey · 15 Oct 2019 at 18:31

18 inch wheels Vs 17 makes zero difference to the economy. The 18's will be a little firmer ride wise as more wheel and less tyre.

lordrobs · 15 Oct 2019 at 22:39

The Craig said:
Due to doing 16 to 18k miles per year, and being my main vehicle I'd prefer the diesel. This may also go up if I increase my leisure driving (which I may with a nice car ). From what I've read generally diesels are good for 12-15k+ miles (as a rule of thumb).

Fair enough. I'm on track to do 23k per year in my petrol but it is a company car so while a diesel would probably be better for me our stupid BIK rules forced my hand towards a petrol :rolleyes:

Funnily enough my one appears to be on fixed servicing so I'll be getting well acquainted with the local SEAT dealer

I didn't have long to look for my one but I saw plenty of potential FR's in budget but only one Excellence which looked a bit rough in the photos. Looking at the deals that were around on new FR's it wasn't surprising that most people went for them. The VFM was really good compared to the lower spec SE Technology and the higher spec Excellence models.

xdcx · 16 Oct 2019 at 09:05

@The Craig
I think you done the right thing walking away from that. All the alarm bells sound right regarding cheap tyres, rough body work. Sounds like that car is overpriced for condition/miles.

18" on my FR and 17" on the Excellence. Absolutely no difference to MPG what so ever.
The FR wheels are easy to clean, the Excellence standard wheels are a bloody nightmare!
Harsh ride wise there is a negligible difference. The FR has stiffer suspension than Excellence plus the bigger wheels and it's honestly a non issue. Even on disgustingly bad Highland roads. Maybe around very busy towns/city with proper craters everywhere it will be more of a noticeable difference but for covering miles on NSL/motorways there is absolutely no difference in ride..... The FR is MUCH more planted when it comes to twisty roads though and steering response is superior to the Excellence. When I put the FR into the eco mode, the steering then feels like the Excellence does.

Bug One · 16 Oct 2019 at 09:08

I had a Leon FR Diesel as a hire car a couple of times. Was very nice and would definitely of had one as a a full time car.

jpaul · 16 Oct 2019 at 10:26

xdcx said:
18" on my FR and 17" on the Excellence. Absolutely no difference to MPG what so ever.

Ecellence is dsg and fr manual though, and on mixed driving at least (discussion in bm thread) manual has the edge on mpg, so, potentially offset by bigger wheels.

- (from bm thread) Does their dsg cut fuel on overrun too

Buffman · 16 Oct 2019 at 20:19

xdcx said:
@The Craig
I think you done the right thing walking away from that. All the alarm bells sound right regarding cheap tyres, rough body work. Sounds like that car is overpriced for condition/miles.

18" on my FR and 17" on the Excellence. Absolutely no difference to MPG what so ever.
The FR wheels are easy to clean, the Excellence standard wheels are a bloody nightmare!
Harsh ride wise there is a negligible difference. The FR has stiffer suspension than Excellence plus the bigger wheels and it's honestly a non issue. Even on disgustingly bad Highland roads. Maybe around very busy towns/city with proper craters everywhere it will be more of a noticeable difference but for covering miles on NSL/motorways there is absolutely no difference in ride..... The FR is MUCH more planted when it comes to twisty roads though and steering response is superior to the Excellence. When I put the FR into the eco mode, the steering then feels like the Excellence does.

Thanks for your help. I think id prefer the "non sporty" look of the excellence plus extra parking sensors and leather.

Do you know if excellence ones have adaptive cruise control as a standard?

Considering going for this excellence model
https://www.arnoldclark.com/used-ca...nce-technology-5dr-dsg/2017/ref/arngj-u-21048

Its fully leather, ex motability vehicle
Dont think it has paddleshift (do all excellence?) ? But dont think id use paddleshift anyways.

As a family member works for Arnold clark this get me £500 off the list price
2 year mechanical / electrical warranty £250
2 services over 2 years £200.

So all in 14.3k plus 2 years mechanical warranty plus 2 services
Or 14k sans services

Seem fairly decent? Theyve sent a video and ive seperately asked for hi res photos

Only thing that puts me off is low mileage for a diesel (so potential diesel particulate filter issues) but mechanical warranty may offset that.

lordrobs · 17 Oct 2019 at 12:09

The Craig said:
Thanks for your help. I think id prefer the "non sporty" look of the excellence plus extra parking sensors and leather.

Do you know if excellence ones have adaptive cruise control as a standard?

That looks very smart. Only thing I'd want to check up on is the condition of that back seat. Passenger side looks a bit worn maybe?

Two big advantages of the Excellence over FR is a proper shaped steering wheel and they don't have that eye sore of a rear bumper!

As for cruise, no. You can see on the photos of the one you posted that one has standard cruise. Adaptive will have the cruise on a separate stalk and the big tell tale sign is that the top two way switch shows distance -/+ rather than on/off as shown on that one. I've already said it but I'll say it again anyway... within a week I'd decided that adaptive cruise wasn't a big deal for me. I certainly wouldn't pay extra to have it.

Buffman · 17 Oct 2019 at 16:02

lordrobs said:
That looks very smart. Only thing I'd want to check up on is the condition of that back seat. Passenger side looks a bit worn maybe?

Two big advantages of the Excellence over FR is a proper shaped steering wheel and they don't have that eye sore of a rear bumper!

As for cruise, no. You can see on the photos of the one you posted that one has standard cruise. Adaptive will have the cruise on a separate stalk and the big tell tale sign is that the top two way switch shows distance -/+ rather than on/off as shown on that one. I've already said it but I'll say it again anyway... within a week I'd decided that adaptive cruise wasn't a big deal for me. I certainly wouldn't pay extra to have it.

Thanks, yeah just seen photos and spotted the rear seat marks myself....

I quite like adaptive cruise but looks like few models have it.