SEAT Leon FR TDI

By Graeme Lambert

April 2010

Driving a Ferrari is an experience you’re never likely to forget, but while our SEAT Leon can’t match the Italian brand’s finest for performance or glamour, I’m always pleased to get back behind the wheel.

Last week, I took our long-term FR to the opening of Graypaul’s new Ferrari and Maserati showroom in Solihull, outside Birmingham, for a forthcoming feature. I was fortunate enough to get behind the wheel of an F430 that will be sold under the firm’s Approved used scheme.

The Italian machine was just as breathtaking as I had expected, with a spine-tingling howl from its 483bhp V8 engine and a beautifully hand-crafted interior. Jumping back into the Leon at the end of the day could have been a real letdown – but it wasn’t.

On paper, the 168bhp diesel engine should have felt underpowered and aurally impaired. The interior can’t hold a candle to the sparkling Ferrari cabin, either. But the sporty SEAT never leaves me wanting.

In fact, it has improved as the mileage has increased. The engine has loosened up and is now smoother and more progressive than before. I’ve taken it on some long trips, too, including a few drives to Scotland, where fuel economy of 40.9mpg has been a bonus.

The road noise from the car’s Pirelli tyres can become tiresome on certain surfaces, but the grip they offer more than makes up for this. On one memorable journey, even a snow-covered A9 couldn’t defeat them, as the Leon soldiered on through conditions that saw other vehicles spinning into barriers or failing to maintain forward momentum.

But don’t write the hot diesel off as a car so focused on the sporty side of life that it leaves other areas neglected, because the Leon has proven to be a superb all-rounder. It has been busily employed as a family car for other members of the Auto Express staff and has completed numerous runs to the tip. I can also testify that it takes big loads of flat-pack furniture in its stride and airport dashes are completed with a minimum of fuss.

So far our orange crusader has covered over 2,000 miles per month, which is impressive considering how much time I spend in other test cars. Unfortunately, it has picked up a few battle scars along the way. Like other vehicles on the fleet,it has been a victim of the UK’s terrible post-winter roads.

It has collected a stone chip on the windscreen to match the existing blemishes on its bonnet. And the rear bumper has picked up a scuff from another driver’s poor parking – a common problem in overcrowded London.

It seems the paint problems aren’t limited to my example, as a chance meeting with a fellow journalist and his identical Leon FR revealed. His car has experienced a similar fate, with stone chips on the A-pillars. And it’s not just the vibrant Lumina Orange colour that is affected – as a quick scan of the excellent seatcupra.net web forum shows.

As the weather picks up, I’ll be treating the car to a layer of wax in a bid to improve the paint’s durability.

Other annoyances are refreshingly few. The flat-bottomed steering wheel looks great, but the shiny plastic section can slip through your hands too easily when manoeuvring at low speeds. It’s also rare for the boot to close properly without slamming it hard, but
I think the wobbly sat-nav has fixed itself.   

In this job I often have no idea what I’ll be driving from one week to the next. But one thing’s for sure; no matter what it is, I’m always happy to return to the Leon.