‘A LONGER LEON’

Added 21^st December, 2020

By Jonathan Crouch

SEAT's now fourth generation Leon is also offered as an Estate. It might be the best car you'd never heard of. Jonathan Crouch reports.

‘SPANISH TRY’

Added 22^nd June, 2020

By Jonathan Crouch

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, estate cars were purely for estate people - those with dogs, photocopiers to cart about and weekend leisure equipment. You wouldn't really consider one if you didn't actually need to. But station wagons like this Leon ST are rather different. Why wouldn't you choose one of these rather than a standard Leon five-door hatch? After all, the ST variant isn't much more expensive, looks just as good, drives just as well and offers a lot more everyday flexibility Like the best of its family hatchback-based competitors, it's also successful in offering nearly all the practicality in a larger estate car with the easy parking and deft manoeuvrability of a much smaller one. Is there really any point in considering a five-seater compact Scenic-shaped People Carrier when a car like this SEAT can be so versatile? What it all boils down to is that, with some great engines, a design that's bang up to date and a shape that doesn't instantly appear as if you've started down the slippery slope to pipe and slippersville, the SEAT Leon ST has a whole lot going for it. If you need an used medium-sized estate from the 2013-2020 period but wouldn't want to be seen dead in one, there is an alternative to a small SUV or MPV. If that's the kind of thing you have in mind, make sure this Spanish contender's also on your wish list. It might surprise you.

‘A LEON LIFE’

Added 21^st April, 2020

By Jonathan Crouch

So, plenty changed with this third generation Leon following the 2017 update. But much more remained exactly as it was. Which in many ways, was no bad thing. This has always been the most characterful of the Volkswagen Group family hatchback models, yet it comes with nearly all the same engineering and design integrity you'd probably end up paying a lot more for in a comparable Volkswagen Golf. True, this Leon could be more exciting in its more affordable forms - and it's no longer one of the cheapest options you could choose in this segment. Still, SEAT's argument in response is that this is these days one of the most technologically advanced cars of its kind. There's some truth in that. Overall, there's plenty to like here. SEAT did just enough with this 2017 model year package of changes to keep its key contender current. When new, these updates weren't quite enough to win over the unconverted, but if you're attracted to a used Leon, then this one might well satisfy you very much indeed.

‘A LESS COMPROMISED COUPE’

Added 16^th November, 2018

By Jonathan Crouch

You'll rarely get a better or more credible excuse to own a coupe than this. The Leon SC doesn't even claim to be one but spec it properly and there are all the feelings of fashionable indulgement that ownership of this kind of car can bring. Without the usual downsides of high pricing, cramped rear seating, restricted cargo capacity and a compromised day-to-day driving experience. This SEAT suffers from none of these issues - but of course you can't have everything. There are lower-slung, slinkier coupes. And there are more practical three-door hatches. Finding a reasonably priced car better able to combine these two attributes though, could take you a very long time. So this three-door Leon emerges as that most appealing of things: a sensible car that makes you feel special. Which in turn, makes it, in its own sensible, affordable way, a very special car indeed.

‘A LEON YOU'D LIKE’

Added 17^th June, 2016

By Jonathan Crouch

This MK3 model Leon marked a fresh chapter in SEAT history. Redesigned from the ground up, it proved to be more confident, more dynamic and filled with bright ideas. Buyers got a wider range of bodystyles, a more efficient range of engines and hi-tech that not only lay under the skin but also sat within the cabin where owners could appreciate it every day. It was all beautifully functional. Whether there really is 'latin spirit in every one' is another question of course. In the case of sportier versions like the FR models, we'd be tempted to say yes. Live with one of these, then check out what the same money will buy you and you might well agree. True, there are cheaper Focus class family hatchbacks but of these, we can't off hand think of any we'd rather have on our driveway. And that could make all the difference. On a pure value-versus-quality basis, this MK3 Leon sits amongst the pick of the Volkswagen Group offerings in the Focus-class sector in its era. And that also makes it one of the key segment benchmarks outside the Wolfsburg family of brands. Which in turn, makes it a very good car indeed.

‘LEON REVITALISED’

Added 9^th November, 2012 , updated 8^th November, 2012

By Andy Enright

The second generation SEAT Leon really did come good later in its life. Perhaps the biggest testament to that fact is that the third generation model didn't seek to distance itself - from a styling perspective at least - very much from its predecessor. UK buyers were a little slow to catch on to how good this facelifted MK2 model was back in its production 2009-2012 production period, which means that on the used market, there are plenty of bargains available. Unlike most other family hatchback designs, it's the really sporty cars where the best buys are to be had. The FR+, Cupra and Cupra R versions look really good purchases and if you can find one that hasn't been flogged to death, it should stand you in very good stead for years to come.

‘HOT PESETA’

Added 7^th April, 2008

By Andy Enright

A used Leon fits a strange niche, not through any inherent oddity in the car's design, more as regards its image and place in the marketplace. More individualistic and stylish than a Ford Focus, it's almost a sporty coupe for those who need five doors. With used examples now appearing on the market in reasonable numbers, a nearly new Leon makes a good case for itself as a way to get VW quality in a package that was a bargain from new. Well regarded by those who know, the Leon is one of the best used secrets around.

Independent Reviews of SEAT Leon New and Used Cars

‘A LONGER LEON’

‘SPANISH TRY’

‘A LEON LIFE’

‘LEON KING?’

‘A LESS COMPROMISED COUPE’

‘A LEON YOU'D LIKE’

‘THE LEON KING ’

‘LEON REVITALISED’

‘HOT PESETA’

‘THE LEON KING’

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