ManOpener's SEAT Leon (Blobby Euro-Blandness inside!)
Discussion
Given that it's been such a nice day today, and given that my car was due its bi-monthly wash (that's the occasional kind of bi-monthly, not the frequent kind) I thought I'd finally get it up in the Reader's Cars section even though it is probably so dull as to send anyone whose had a particularly heavy Sunday lunch or a pint of ale too many, off to sleep.
It's aboring blob of euro-blandness SEAT Leon 1P TFSI Sport, in a fetching shade of dog-cock Emocion Red. Basically a Golf GTI in a frumpy dress:
I hope if I keep putting bits of text between all the pictures it will encourage people to read on!
Amazingly the ride height doesn't look to enormous in this picture, and nor does how much the rear wheels in particular tuck under the arches. I've been looking at the option of some smallish spacers (maybe around 10-15mm) to rectify this as it drives me a bit mad.
Not visible in this picture- the huge number of stone-chips on the front bumper, due to a life of ~55,000 miles of going two junctions up and down the M4 every day before I bought it.
A large backside and huge rear screen. I've mentioned this on several threads- the visibility out of the rear screen is vastly better than that out of the front, and the rather squat behind makes parking on my residential street full of incompetent idiots who like to leave their diesel repmobiles a full four feet from the kerb a doddle.
Accidental moody shot caused by leaving the HDR+ function on my phone. Probably the most flattering angle. Hated the boring 5-spoke 17" wheels when I bought the car, hate them just as much now.
Where the magic happens. BWA-code 2.0 TFSI engine, exactly the same in theory as those that went into the 06-MY Golf GTI and the slightly later FR. These were supposed to have a slightly different map from the GTI/FR (182 bhp and 199 lb-ft instead of 197bhp and 207 lb-ft) but the rumour mill has it that most were actually flashed with the same engine map as the FR by SEAT. Hoping to get it rolling roaded (is "roaded" a word?) at some point to confirm or deny this.
The most despised interior on PH? I don't think it's that bad; I actually prefer it to the boring shelf of dull greyness which is the equivalent Focus interior. My car appears to be one of the few built which doesn't squeak or rattle too badly. Nice to know they didn't skimp too much when they put the interior together on mine, although whoever built the original A/C compressor and diverter valve was probably hungover at the time.
The Parrot kit pleases and frustrates in equal measures. It works perfectly for calls with my Nexus 5 and the qualify of the microphone is outstanding, but it won't play ball with any of our selection of iPods through either the aux or proper dock-type cables. Will have to see how it is at streaming music via Bluetooth at some point.
Obligatory PH smiley.
If you've got down to hear without dozing off, then I applaud you. Just a few more minutes of your time...
Done ~6k miles in 6 months, a combination of town, nice winding country lanes and motorway slogging. Has been fairly mechanically reliable- the only failures so far being the A/C compressor (knew about when I bought it), diverter valve (suspected when I bought it) and nearside CV boot (my own fault for crawling to the tyre place with a flat). As well as these maintenance parts, an occasional polish and an alternating diet ofunicorn tears and tiger semen Shell V-Power and Tesco Momentum 99 it's been treated to two new tyres (Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2s) with another two in a couple of weeks. Future plans include replacing the PCV which I suspect is buggered, and I reckon the clutch is probably on its way out.
0-60 in 7.3 seconds, a kerb weight of about 1330kg and a top speed of 140 in something relatively discrete looking is quite entertaining- certainly enough to keep the diesel A4s and 3-series at bay. Much more discrete looking than the FR and Cupra models, as well as being significantly cheaper to buy, with the added bonus that I feel (somewhat) more comfortable parking it on the street in my slightly iffy neighbourhood.
Very much enjoyed it so far (stop snoring at the back), my main gripe being the firmness/crashiness of the suspension and the muted exhaust note. I've been toying with the idea of a remap and a cat-back exhaust for a while now but don't want to do anything about them until a) the clutch has eaten itself as the last thing I want to do is accelerate its demise and b) I go a few months without having to spend any substantive amount of money on it. I've also, as mentioned earlier, looked into the idea of spacers, particularity for the rear, to sort the rather unsightly tuck, and have had a cursory glance at some of the suspension options (I doubt replacing the springs, for instance, would make the ride any worse than it already is).
More seriously looking at options for the wheels. The 5-spoke SEAT ones bore me to tears, are badly kerbed in places and weight as much as a small moon. Ideally I'd want to keep the same-ish sizes (7.0x17 as current, or preferably 7.5x17) so I can reuse my decent tyres (225/45 R17), something OEM-looking-ish but the trinity of decently priced, attractive and light. Ideas on a postcard, no Ronal Teddy Bears.
Anyone still awake? Thought not.
It's a
I hope if I keep putting bits of text between all the pictures it will encourage people to read on!
Amazingly the ride height doesn't look to enormous in this picture, and nor does how much the rear wheels in particular tuck under the arches. I've been looking at the option of some smallish spacers (maybe around 10-15mm) to rectify this as it drives me a bit mad.
Not visible in this picture- the huge number of stone-chips on the front bumper, due to a life of ~55,000 miles of going two junctions up and down the M4 every day before I bought it.
A large backside and huge rear screen. I've mentioned this on several threads- the visibility out of the rear screen is vastly better than that out of the front, and the rather squat behind makes parking on my residential street full of incompetent idiots who like to leave their diesel repmobiles a full four feet from the kerb a doddle.
Accidental moody shot caused by leaving the HDR+ function on my phone. Probably the most flattering angle. Hated the boring 5-spoke 17" wheels when I bought the car, hate them just as much now.
Where the magic happens. BWA-code 2.0 TFSI engine, exactly the same in theory as those that went into the 06-MY Golf GTI and the slightly later FR. These were supposed to have a slightly different map from the GTI/FR (182 bhp and 199 lb-ft instead of 197bhp and 207 lb-ft) but the rumour mill has it that most were actually flashed with the same engine map as the FR by SEAT. Hoping to get it rolling roaded (is "roaded" a word?) at some point to confirm or deny this.
The most despised interior on PH? I don't think it's that bad; I actually prefer it to the boring shelf of dull greyness which is the equivalent Focus interior. My car appears to be one of the few built which doesn't squeak or rattle too badly. Nice to know they didn't skimp too much when they put the interior together on mine, although whoever built the original A/C compressor and diverter valve was probably hungover at the time.
The Parrot kit pleases and frustrates in equal measures. It works perfectly for calls with my Nexus 5 and the qualify of the microphone is outstanding, but it won't play ball with any of our selection of iPods through either the aux or proper dock-type cables. Will have to see how it is at streaming music via Bluetooth at some point.
Obligatory PH smiley.
If you've got down to hear without dozing off, then I applaud you. Just a few more minutes of your time...
Done ~6k miles in 6 months, a combination of town, nice winding country lanes and motorway slogging. Has been fairly mechanically reliable- the only failures so far being the A/C compressor (knew about when I bought it), diverter valve (suspected when I bought it) and nearside CV boot (my own fault for crawling to the tyre place with a flat). As well as these maintenance parts, an occasional polish and an alternating diet of
0-60 in 7.3 seconds, a kerb weight of about 1330kg and a top speed of 140 in something relatively discrete looking is quite entertaining- certainly enough to keep the diesel A4s and 3-series at bay. Much more discrete looking than the FR and Cupra models, as well as being significantly cheaper to buy, with the added bonus that I feel (somewhat) more comfortable parking it on the street in my slightly iffy neighbourhood.
Very much enjoyed it so far (stop snoring at the back), my main gripe being the firmness/crashiness of the suspension and the muted exhaust note. I've been toying with the idea of a remap and a cat-back exhaust for a while now but don't want to do anything about them until a) the clutch has eaten itself as the last thing I want to do is accelerate its demise and b) I go a few months without having to spend any substantive amount of money on it. I've also, as mentioned earlier, looked into the idea of spacers, particularity for the rear, to sort the rather unsightly tuck, and have had a cursory glance at some of the suspension options (I doubt replacing the springs, for instance, would make the ride any worse than it already is).
More seriously looking at options for the wheels. The 5-spoke SEAT ones bore me to tears, are badly kerbed in places and weight as much as a small moon. Ideally I'd want to keep the same-ish sizes (7.0x17 as current, or preferably 7.5x17) so I can reuse my decent tyres (225/45 R17), something OEM-looking-ish but the trinity of decently priced, attractive and light. Ideas on a postcard, no Ronal Teddy Bears.
Anyone still awake? Thought not.
0a said:
What a sober looker for the performance!
Indeed, that's one of the things that drew me to them.I think a Stage 2 one could be a right hoot. ~265bhp in something so boring looking is likely to surprise a fair few people! I know it's a sinful word on here, usually accompanied by seven pages of arguments about what it means, but almost...sleeper?
ManOpener said:
Indeed, that's one of the things that drew me to them.
I think a Stage 2 one could be a right hoot. ~265bhp in something so boring looking is likely to surprise a fair few people! I know it's a sinful word on here, usually accompanied by seven pages of arguments about what it means, but almost...sleeper?
I'd say so! Are you not tempted to chip it to get the power you mention? I think a Stage 2 one could be a right hoot. ~265bhp in something so boring looking is likely to surprise a fair few people! I know it's a sinful word on here, usually accompanied by seven pages of arguments about what it means, but almost...sleeper?
lewisf182 said:
Didn't even know these existed, thought the 2.0TFSI was reserved for the FR and Cupra models.
Looks like a proper sleeper as you said
don't think it looks too bad and some different alloys would cheer it up a lot!
HowManyLeft has only 628 in the UK. There are more Ferrari 360s than that! Only made for about a year before being replaced by the FR. Basically exactly the same besides the bodywork and wheels- even the same seats!Looks like a proper sleeper as you said
don't think it looks too bad and some different alloys would cheer it up a lot!Yes, very tempted by a map in the future. A nice 200bhp per tonne would suit it down to a T.
Edited by ManOpener on Sunday 19th January 19:28
lewisf182 said:
Just had a look on autotrader, didn't realise these were so cheap. A lot of car for £4kish!
I paid £4300 for mine from a trade seller with a very good history and in decent nick. When I bought they were generally floating around the £4500 mark so I felt like I got a good deal. Given that they're basically a Golf GTI they represent excellent value as long as you're willing to forgive the frumpy looks and questionable interior.These were the wheels I was considering:
Obligatory crap PhotoShop job:
Edited by ManOpener on Sunday 19th January 23:19
Brief update:
Tyres
Finally had my two borderline-legal Michelin Pilot Sport 3s at the front replaced with a pair of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2s. This is the first time in as long as I can remember I've had matching front-to-rear + side-to-side tyres on a car. The difference has been tremendous- the PS3s were quite old and had some uneven wear thanks to poor rear wheel alignment, so no more aquaplaning on barely-damp motorways. There also seems to be a bit more suppleness in the sidewalls, which means less crashing over bumps around town. All in all they've made a massive positive difference.
"Gearbox" whine
A couple of months ago I noticed a faint whine which I reasoned must be the gearbox, because in true everything-happens-to-me fashion I only ever buy utter money pits. The car had done only a couple of thousand miles since being serviced and as it didn't seem to be getting any worse I left it. Recently, however, it began getting worse and was accompanied by some properly tractorish rough start clatter when cold. I theorised the latter and the former were completely unrelated and started getting quotes for a replacement PCV and tumble flap motors.
For as long as I remember I've had issues reading the oil level on the car. Up until recently I had no idea why this was, however on meeting a friend who just so happened to have an Octavia vRS I noticed that (don't laugh) my dipstick was somewhat shorter than his. I therefore ordered a new dipstick from Ebay and set about swapping it. On checking my oil level with the correct one I noticed it was somewhat low. By "somewhat" I mean a good way off the minimum. Given the car was only serviced about 5,000 miles ago, I found this somewhat puzzling.
Picked up a few litres of Mobil's finest OEM 5W30, topped the ol' girl up and...the difference is night and day.
Whether the garage who did my last service used the wrong quantity of oil or something (I did notice that it was down on the invoice as a 1.6) I don't know, but the whine has completely gone, as has the clatter and cold start hesitancy. Given I was half-expecting to pay out a small fortune in repairs chasing my tail to resolve these problems, I'm pretty damn pleased.
Nice to have a lengthy dipstick again too.
Tyres
Finally had my two borderline-legal Michelin Pilot Sport 3s at the front replaced with a pair of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2s. This is the first time in as long as I can remember I've had matching front-to-rear + side-to-side tyres on a car. The difference has been tremendous- the PS3s were quite old and had some uneven wear thanks to poor rear wheel alignment, so no more aquaplaning on barely-damp motorways. There also seems to be a bit more suppleness in the sidewalls, which means less crashing over bumps around town. All in all they've made a massive positive difference.
"Gearbox" whine
A couple of months ago I noticed a faint whine which I reasoned must be the gearbox, because in true everything-happens-to-me fashion I only ever buy utter money pits. The car had done only a couple of thousand miles since being serviced and as it didn't seem to be getting any worse I left it. Recently, however, it began getting worse and was accompanied by some properly tractorish rough start clatter when cold. I theorised the latter and the former were completely unrelated and started getting quotes for a replacement PCV and tumble flap motors.
For as long as I remember I've had issues reading the oil level on the car. Up until recently I had no idea why this was, however on meeting a friend who just so happened to have an Octavia vRS I noticed that (don't laugh) my dipstick was somewhat shorter than his. I therefore ordered a new dipstick from Ebay and set about swapping it. On checking my oil level with the correct one I noticed it was somewhat low. By "somewhat" I mean a good way off the minimum. Given the car was only serviced about 5,000 miles ago, I found this somewhat puzzling.
Picked up a few litres of Mobil's finest OEM 5W30, topped the ol' girl up and...the difference is night and day.
Whether the garage who did my last service used the wrong quantity of oil or something (I did notice that it was down on the invoice as a 1.6) I don't know, but the whine has completely gone, as has the clatter and cold start hesitancy. Given I was half-expecting to pay out a small fortune in repairs chasing my tail to resolve these problems, I'm pretty damn pleased.
Nice to have a lengthy dipstick again too.
Edited by ManOpener on Friday 7th February 15:11
Noticed I've not updated this in a while.
The last 10 months can be summarised as following:
Fine
Fine
Puncture
Fine
Parrot stops working
Fine
Fine
ABS sensor + ring failure that nearly puts me into oncoming traffic (fail safe my arse)
Fine
Fine
Full beam switch stops working, requires new stalk
Fine
Fine
Puncture
Parrot starts working again without rhyme or reason
Fine
Today, after a spirited drive, it's decided it only wants to engage second if I really persevere, and reverse is a bit of a struggle. Yay.
The last 10 months can be summarised as following:
Fine
Fine
Puncture
Fine
Parrot stops working
Fine
Fine
ABS sensor + ring failure that nearly puts me into oncoming traffic (fail safe my arse)
Fine
Fine
Full beam switch stops working, requires new stalk
Fine
Fine
Puncture
Parrot starts working again without rhyme or reason
Fine
Today, after a spirited drive, it's decided it only wants to engage second if I really persevere, and reverse is a bit of a struggle. Yay.
As replacement for this is now imminent, I gave it a quick clean, took it for a last spirited drive round some of the local B-roads, and stuck it up for sale.
Sadly the weather didn't oblige my desire to take some half decent sale pics.
Sadly the weather didn't oblige my desire to take some half decent sale pics.
Edited by ManOpener on Sunday 11th February 18:32
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