Vauxhall Astra K 1.4T SRI 150 v Seat Leon 1.4 TSI FR

[greenarrow]

Ok, mulling through potential car replacement vehicles as you do and wondered about these. Prices have dropped and they seem to give you a bit of a peppy driving experience whilst retaining decent running costs. The Seat definitely more expensive of the two. Now I know pre 2017 Astra 1.4 turbos need to be approached with caution but anyone own either or driven both to give a view? The Astra K 1.4T 150 interestingly (to me anyway) was the car owned and used by F1 driver training guru Rob Wilson which I always found amusing (I think Lance Stroll actually owned one as a daily), given the general hate Vauxhalls get from Pistonheads people! I've not driven a 2013 onwards Leon but always rated how the gen 2 Leon drove, having test driven two back in the day (FR 170 diesel) but not actually bought one.

[paul_c123]

Is the Seat 1.4 the turbo+supercharged, 160bhp engine?

[paul_c123]

PS I have a Vauxhall Astra 1.4 turbo (the 125bhp version though), but I've not done enough miles to say whether its good or not. First impressions are its a boring car (in general) though. The engine is easy to work on, once you have the injectors out the way (needs a special tool).

[greenarrow]

paul_c123 said:

Is the Seat 1.4 the turbo+supercharged, 160bhp engine?

No its a completely different engine with just turbo and the cylinder deactivation - supposed to be very fuel efficient in the real world.

[LeoSayer]

I've got the same engine in my Audi A3.

It's refined, quiet, torquey and good on fuel. My long term average is over 40mpg. It even managed 140mph on the autobahn.

It hardly uses any oil.

It's great for a normal driving but not sporty in any way.

Just beware that cambelt changes on this engine are expensive and require specialist equipment due to the cylinder shutdown feature.

[Terzo123]

I've had the 1.4 ACT engine in an A3, now got it in a Leon which I've had for nearly 8 years.

In both applications, the engine has been fantastic. Near 40 mpg on a daily basis in and around town. Over 50 mpg on a long motorway run. Decent performance.

The wings on the Leon (2015) have started to bubble. The SEAT dealer washed their hands of it claiming fold corrosion. Slightly disappointing considering the car is meant to still be under the anti corrosion warranty.

Apart from that, it's been great.

[jagot]

You might want to try out the slightly warmer 1.6T Astra of the same generation. I had one and had no issues with it, and it was good fun.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504020...

Someone had a thread on one: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Having said that, Autocar put the Astra behind both the Leon and the Mazda 3 in this review: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/seat-l...

[av185]

1.4T Astra suffers from crank float issues (as do the 1.0 and 1.2) which is terminal for the engine. Appears to be in part caused by lack of annual servicing and incorrect oil being used.

As someone else has posted the 1.6T 200 engine is far far better more powerful and smoother too without any loss of economy is trouble free and far more durable so much so it still used in the latest Astra. No problems with cam belts either it is chain driven.

[RichFN2]

The main concern with the Leon would be if you opt for dsg, to find out if it comes with the dry clutch 7 speed ( I suspect a 1.4 would)

The dry clutch 7 speed found on the smaller engine vag cars is known to be more problematic than the wet clutch version.

[ZX10R NIN]

The 1.4T can suffer from failure but this seems to be oil/service related.

I know someone doing (I told them to get the 1.6T) just under 2k a month, 5 years on & with 129k on the clock & the car's been faultless.

They're generally reliable, like any car if you service it every 10k/yearly it'll be fine, if you get an auto they need the fluids changed every 80k/5 years.

[greenarrow]

Feedback on the 1.6 turbo concurs with stuff I have found online indicating its about the best engine Vauxhall made in that era for overall reliability. Its a pity though that the 1.6T is so rare and only found in higher spec models. Tons of 1.4T 150s about by comparison. I should talk to a mate of mine who has been running a 1.4T SRI150 for at least 5 years now. I think its a late 2018 or early 2019 car. He must like it as he usually changes cars every 3-4 years. I'm not a Vauxhall fan usually but running my daughter's Astra H last year changed my mind and I think the K is a handsome looking thing. Ditto I like the simple styling of the Leon, plus the significant saving over a similar age and spec Golf.

[POIDH]

I had a Leon 1.4 tsi 150 act with dsg for 2.5 trouble free years. Took it from 60k miles to 120k miles.
Great engine - powerful when needed, cleverly efficient and really nice to drive.
Apparently my dry 7sp DSG should have exploded, but no one told the gearbox which was lovely to use.

I looked at Astra's but felt that they were a step down in interior quality and in comfort.

[LeoSayer]

I seem to remember that problems with the dry clutch dsg only happened in very hot countries like the middle east.

My A3 1.4 has that gearbox and it has been faultless for over 60k miles.

[Deerfoot]

POIDH said:

I had a Leon 1.4 tsi 150 act with dsg for 2.5 trouble free years. Took it from 60k miles to 120k miles.
Great engine - powerful when needed, cleverly efficient and really nice to drive.
Apparently my dry 7sp DSG should have exploded, but no one told the gearbox which was lovely to use.

Yup, same with my 12 year old Golf 1.4 TSI 150 DSG, absolutely no issues at all despite the internet telling me it'll explode at any moment.. It's a great combination, nippy enough, easy 50 mpg on a run and £20 tax. Can't fault it to be honest..