SEAT Leon Estate review

The Seat Leon Estate is roomy and comfortable, but it doesn’t do anything particularly clever.

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wowscore
7/10
This score is awarded by our team of
expert reviewers
This score is awarded by our team of expert reviewers
after extensive testing of the car

What's good

  • Roomy for people and their luggage
  • Loads of standard equipment
  • Great value for money

What's not so good

  • Fiddly air-con controls
  • Nothing clever about boot area
  • No diesel for high-mileage drivers

Find out more about the SEAT Leon Estate

Is the SEAT Leon Estate a good car?

The new SEAT Leon Estate is a family car, along the same lines as a Ford Focus Estate or Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but with bodywork that looks decently sporty, and lots of equipment to make the kids go “ooh”, and you go “ahh”.

Under the skin, it’s much like a brother from another mother, because the Volkswagen Golf Estate is exactly the same underneath. It’s just that with the Leon Estate you’re driving the cool uncle.

The Leon might not have a VW badge, but it looks just as sharp as a Golf Estate, if not even better. The triangular daytime-running lights signify SEAT’s unified look, along with the angular grille that looks a bit like the Tarraco SUV’s.

FR trim adds even more sporty additions but all versions look good, as there are more creases in the bodywork than the VW Golf gets, and the Leon’s rear end comes with a Porsche-esque full-width brake light.

The SEAT Leon Estate’s interior has a minimalist feel, so it’s very modern. For example, automatic models have a tiny gear selector, but all cars have a stand-out touchscreen display with lots of great features and cool-looking air vents. It’s well-built and looks good, too.

The standard screen is good but the optional 10-inch display is worth paying for. It’s just a shame about the fiddly touchscreen-based air-con controls.

Just like the previous Leon Estate it’s easy to find a good driving position because there’s a good amount of adjustment in the seats, and plenty of space in the cabin. In fact, the new Leon Estate is a better car for families than ever because there’s loads of space in the back seats. Even adults will be comfy in the rear.

As for the boot, well it’s a good size at 620 litres, comfortably bigger than the 575 litres of a Ford Focus Estate.

There are also hooks and lashing points to make life easier.

The Leon Estate is certainly light and easy to drive. But fun? Afraid not.

Mat Watson
Mat Watson
carwow expert

SEAT has clearly decided that diesel has gone the way of the dodo, so isn’t even offering it. Instead there’s a 1.5-litre petrol engine offering either 130hp or 150hp, and a 150hp version linked to a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

There’s also a plug-in hybrid version that’s worth considering if you have somewhere to charge it and you do lots of driving in town, where it can use its electric motor more of the time.

All versions of the SEAT Leon Estate have light steering, which makes them easy to manoeuvre in tight city streets. A tight turning circle means it’s good for driving in the city, although visibility could be better and you need to rely on the parking sensors to stay safe.

The sporty looks might lead you to believe that it’s more fun than it actually is on country roads. A Ford Focus Estate is a whole lot better from a keen driver’s perspective.

At least it’s quiet and smooth on the motorway and even the sportier FR models with their slightly stiffer suspension are comfortable even over potholes.

The SEAT Leon Estate is a good all-rounder, with lots of space inside, a comfortable drive and plenty of kit included. We reckon a Golf is better, but then it’s also more expensive. If you think the Leon Estate is for you, check out the latest SEAT Leon deals.

How practical is it?

There’s plenty of space for passengers and the stuff they bring with them, but nothing clever about the boot area.

Boot (seats up)
470 - 620 litres
Boot (seats down)
-

The SEAT Leon is great if you’re planning on spending a lot of time in the car. The front seats have lots of adjustment – you can jack them up high if you’re short or right down low if you’re tall. There’s no issue with headroom and the steering wheel has plenty of adjustment, too.

The new version of the Leon is a lot bigger than it was before. There’s loads of kneeroom in the back for adults, even if there’s a tall driver sitting up-front. There’s loads of headroom, too, and while there is a hump in the floor, there’s enough foot room as well.

You could carry three adults in the back, and two would be more than happy. It’s more than good enough for family life. The rear doors open nice and wide so fitting a child seat is easy enough, though the Isofix points could be better-placed.

The Leon has a cubby under the central armrest with a 12v socket, plus two cupholders behind the gear lever with spaces for different-sized drinks. There’s also a spot for your mobile phone ahead of the gear lever with USB C sockets just above.

The glovebox is a decent size and you can fit a large bottle of water in there, along with the door bins in the front and back. The centre-rear armrest has cupholders too.

The Leon Estate offers 620 litres of boot space, which is comfortably more than the 575 litres offered by the Ford Focus Estate.

There are a few tie-down points, but the boot offers little that’s particularly clever, such as the adjustable-height floor you get in the VW Golf Estate.

What's it like to drive?

The petrol engines are perky and the plug-in hybrid efficient, but high-mileage drivers have no diesel option.

You can get the SEAT Leon with a range of petrol and hybrid engines, and with either a manual or automatic gearbox.

The best all-rounder is the 150hp 1.5-litre petrol, which has enough power to overtake slower traffic when you need to, yet is quiet and economical most of the time. If you choose this model with an automatic gearbox it is even assisted by mild-hybrid technology, which is supposed to help efficiency (but in reality you’ll see around 45mpg from any version if you’re careful). There’s a 130hp version of this engine too.

If you have somewhere to charge a hybrid car overnight, you’ll want to check out the plug-in hybrid, too. It uses less fuel than the standard petrol or diesel cars in town and can drive for up to 36 miles in electric mode before the 1.4-litre petrol engine starts up to recharge the batteries and help drive the wheels.

The seven-speed automatic gearbox is good, as it’s quite responsive. The good news is that the six-speed manual is easy to use, though it’s a little notchy. The clutch is nice and light, too.

The SEAT Leon is good to drive, especially when it comes to comfort. Even the FR models, which come with stiffer suspension, are really smooth and even potholes aren’t a problem for it. A tight turning circle means it’s great for driving down bumpy, tight streets in the city.

Large pillars at the rear of the car mean that visibility isn’t very good, though. It comes with parking sensors, so it’s not the biggest problem, but it’s still annoying.

It’s reasonably quiet at speed too, so it’s good on the motorway, though a VW Golf is slightly quieter. All of the engines are quick enough to make overtaking nice and easy, and are economical too.

The plug-in hybrid model produces more power than the standard petrol and diesel versions, so it feels nippier when you accelerate hard. The way it uses its motor as a brake to help slow you down can take a bit of getting used to, though – especially in slow-moving traffic.

On a twisty road it’s safe rather than fun. There’s a little body roll in corners and a good amount of grip, but it’s not especially agile. A Ford Focus Estate is much more fun to drive, as the SEAT isn’t exactly thrilling, despite its sporty looks.

What's it like inside?

It’s all very high-tech and classy, but some of the interior systems could be easier to use.

SEAT Leon Estate colours

Metallic - Asphalt blue
Free
Metallic - Desire Red
Free
Metallic - Magnetic grey
Free
Metallic - Midnight black
Free
Metallic - Nevada white
Free
Metallic - Urban silver
Free
Solid - Emocion red
Free
Solid - White
Free
Next Read full interior review
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carwow price from
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Monthly
£253*
Used
£11,250
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