Potential Leon FR TDI owner

[thebrasso]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum.

I test drove a Seat Leon 2.0 TDI FR from a Seat Dealership and was very impressed! I'm looking to change cars next year, currently drive a W reg 1.8 Ford Focus pushing 113k miles. I do about 20k miles per year and want something which I can afford to run, an improvement on the Focus, and which also has a bit more guts to drive.

I was looking to drive the Leon FR petrol but was told there is a facelift due later this year.

Am I right in thinking that this facelift will also mean a common rail diesel for the diesel FR? I notice Skoda Octavia VRS' have moved onto the common rail engine, I've driven one of those. But I prefer the Leon and will hang fire changing if this is the case.

 

[CupraSport]

I believe that the new diesel FR will have the CRD engine as apposed to the PD engine it currently has.

 

[Street]

I went from a Focus 1.8 TDCi to the FR TDI. I do about 25k miles a year in my car and the FR although slightly more expensive to run (40mpg compared to 45), it is a hell of a lot more fun to drive!

 

[thebrasso]

I'd be going from a 1.8 petrol Focus, the best I get in that is 35mpg they are not economical cars at all!

I'm just trying to read up on the Leon's a bit more having driven one and also on the various issues with DPF. I can't see it being a problem with the miles I'd do (18k per year just commuting to work!).

 

[sdownie1]

You might want to consider the 140ps diesel engine instead of the 170ps as the first has no DPF and can be remaped to 190ps i think.I have also heard it is better to drive ,saying that i love my FR TDI.

 

[Street]

But the 140 car doesn't look as cool as the FR!

 

[Chan_P1_TDi_FR]

Plus the 140 has a smaller turbo than 170 FR. DPF delete FR will muller a mapped 140.

 

[thebrasso]

In a way I'm half considering going for a petrol FR, no DPF issues and its still going to be cheaper to run than my Focus fuel wise anyway!

However I quite like the power delivery of diesel engines especially performance ones.

 

[CupraSport]

One thing you could look at is if I am right and the new engine in the facelift is a CRD (common rail diesel) it should be able to run on Bio fuel unlike the current PD's.. Might be worth looking at if you do big mileage.. Otherwsie to get your money back from a diesel will take a good few years.

 

[ChrisMansell]

One thing you could look at is if I am right and the new engine in the facelift is a CRD (common rail diesel) it should be able to run on Bio fuel unlike the current PD's.. Might be worth looking at if you do big mileage.. Otherwsie to get your money back from a diesel will take a good few years.

?? what about this thread which says the PDs run better on bio fuel???

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=147022

 

[Street]

In a way I'm half considering going for a petrol FR, no DPF issues and its still going to be cheaper to run than my Focus fuel wise anyway!

However I quite like the power delivery of diesel engines especially performance ones.

I've had my DPF light come on 3 times in total, thats on a remapped car and I've done around 9k miles. Each time, its gone off again in under 5 minutes.

Surely the petrol FR isn't going to be more economical than a 1.8 Focus?!

 

[CupraSport]

?? what about this thread which says the PDs run better on bio fuel???

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=147022

They may run better etc but it is not a officialy supported option (ie warrenty) if you run your PD on this and it breaks and Seat can prove bio diesel kiss good bye to your warrenty, which is what I was saying.

The CRD engine might be supported by the factory to run on Bio diesel as many other CRD engines run sucessfully on this fuel and are supported by other manufacturers. (hit and miss though)

 

[thebrasso]

I've had my DPF light come on 3 times in total, thats on a remapped car and I've done around 9k miles. Each time, its gone off again in under 5 minutes.

Surely the petrol FR isn't going to be more economical than a 1.8 Focus?!

With my Focus the best I get is 35mpg that is driving like a granny.

I normally get around 33mpg day to day. Thats not stop start driving thats 30 miles each way to work (7 miles A road's the rest motorway). Poor economy is fairly typical of these engines.

So I reckon with a petrol FR I could get better than 35mpg on a run. However giving it some beans would be a different story.

 

[leonfr170]

my leon has been on for repair as a bus decided to try and "squeeze" through a gap - but in the mean time i have had a golf GT which i think is an equivalent to the FR TDi. to me, the suspension is better and not as crashy and feels better built but overall its nowhere near as much fun as the Leon! i got the Leon back yesterday and took it for a drive this morning and had a grin on my face - the Golf is a bit too refined and laidback in comparison. someone might confirm this but the Golf GT is an 08 model - would this be the same engine as mine or the newer non dpf type?

 

[Chan_P1_TDi_FR]

was it a 140 or 170 GOLF GT? If it has exhausts sticking out the back it's a 170, if exhaust is hidden it's a 140.

 

[2zeroalpha]

Wouldn't be too sure on getting 35 mpg out of a TFSi FR. The best I ever got out of my one was around 33 and that was grannytastic driving.

 

[thebrasso]

Wouldn't be too sure on getting 35 mpg out of a TFSi FR. The best I ever got out of my one was around 33 and that was grannytastic driving.

Thanks for that, its hard to get some real world figures at times.

 

[leonfr170]

ahh, it must have been the 140 then!

 

[FAST AL]

FR against 1.8 FOCUS. No comparison there then.