2005 Leon 1.9 TDi FR, Performance & MPG ?

[weemanz]

Hi Guys, Hope your all well ??

Been looking at buying a 2005 Seat Leon 1.9TDi 150 FR, and am wondering what other drivers have seen in regards to performance & MPG, can see online that some people are getting very high MPG from thiers but others saying that they only get around the 40ish mark.

Also whats your views on the car overall ??

Cheers

 

[tener]

Hi Guys, Hope your all well ??

Been looking at buying a 2005 Seat Leon 1.9TDi 150 FR, and am wondering what other drivers have seen in regards to performance & MPG, can see online that some people are getting very high MPG from thiers but others saying that they only get around the 40ish mark.

Also whats your views on the car overall ??

Cheers

love my fr,i get around 50 to 60 mpg goin to work.
all the way up the M23.stick it in 6th, cruse on and leave it sittin at 65 mph.
get around 6o mpg ish.all depends on how u drive it...
if you get one get it remaped,goes like stink it will.
there,s loads u can do to it, moddin ect.

 

[weemanz]

Cheers for that mate, any things to look out for when buying ??

 

[ChrisGTL]

MPG is very different on mine depending how I drive it.

I've found:

Very low MPG doing short journeys (38MPG, 430 miles full tank)
Very high MPG doing 60-70MPH on motorway (55-60MPG, 500+ miles full tank)
Round town once engine is warm (45-50MPG, 480 miles full tank)

Things to look out for:-

Stuttering on very partial throttle, could be blocked EGR.
Leaking door seals
Make sure service schedule is ok and they have used 505.01 spec oil.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Also, as standard I found the suspension rolls quite a bit. The brakes should be better for a punchy heavy lump like the 150.

Gearknob throw is too long for me as standard.

Headlights are very poor.

All these cane be easily modified to tranform the car.

-Massive range of suspension upgrades for the TDI
-312mm discs and carriers with some nice pads will sort the braking out.
-Short shift from Forge, Neuspeed or a DIY jobby.
-HID's from ebay for £40, very simple to install.

Remapping could result in a slipping clutch but you may not have any issues at all, very much a clutch lottery. Basic stage 1 mapping will give the 150 a return of approx 185BHP/300lb/ft.

 

[weemanz]

Cheers for that guys, gives me something to think about beofre Saturday, any hows !!

 

[S3 AKR]

Done a few bits to mine. Owned it from new and can't seem to let go of it. Used to commute 160 miles a day for a while and averaged about 48 mpg on a mix of 90mph motorway cruising and London traffic.

A remap will do the clutch fairly soon and does not affect mpg that you would notice.
Lights aint that bad at all.
Standard brakes can cope but are easily improved with the 312mm conversion.
Standard suspension is too soft for my tastes.

 

[jonjay]

Also, as standard I found the suspension rolls quite a bit. The brakes should be better for a punchy heavy lump like the 150.

Gearknob throw is too long for me as standard.

Headlights are very poor.

All these cane be easily modified to tranform the car.

-Massive range of suspension upgrades for the TDI
-312mm discs and carriers with some nice pads will sort the braking out.
-Short shift from Forge, Neuspeed or a DIY jobby.
-HID's from ebay for £40, very simple to install.

Remapping could result in a slipping clutch but you may not have any issues at all, very much a clutch lottery. Basic stage 1 mapping will give the 150 a return of approx 185BHP/300lb/ft.

My initial impressions when I first got the Leon were the opposite. I find you cant really compare modded vs standard as I find all standard cars not very good (well not all of them).

Headlights are quite good - seat gives you pretty good bulbs imo.
Brakes arn't very good however this is mainly due to the pad. Upgraded pads like DS2500s will improve things no end. As Chris rightly said 312mm upgrade gets you really good results.
The throw isnt long compared to many other hothatches however a short shifter makes a massive difference.
Handling wise is pretty good however the 150PD is a heavier car so ARBs or Suspension kit gives amazing results.

Leon in general are amazing cars especially when tweaked. I cant see myself letting the Leon go for a while.

 

[cuprabod]

Cheers for that mate, any things to look out for when buying ??

check it has f.s.h and that the cam belt/water pump has been replaced at 40k or 4 years,also check the clutch is not slipping and the aircon is working.When i bought my last cupra i saw lots of cars with crappy budget tyres,theres no way i would drive on those, so you are looking at a few quid to replace them with something decent.I've had 3 cupras and think they are very good value for the money the tdi's also really hold their value

 

[weemanz]

Thanks for this guys, really does help. Just out of interest. How much would you expect to pay fpr this ??

2005 Seat Leon 1.9 TDi FR - 28k - FSH, it's listed for just under £10k, but thought this was a bit much. Have seen some private deals out there listing a 2006 TDi FR, with 10K more miles but nearly £2k less ??

Cheers

 

[cuprabod]

You should be able to get a mint fr+ for £8-8500k iwould of thought.10k seems a bit strong for a 2005 fr,but there is one near me at a Seat dealer for£ 9,500 and thats a 54plate with crap tyres.One other thing to check is that the fans are working properly as its a common fault and pricey too

 

[ChrisGTL]

Handling wise is pretty good

You have to be joking!! The suspension on mine was awful (and for a car that has a 'FR' badge that's pretty bad IMO) - r.r.r.r.racing with the OE suspension? I think not!!

My 1.6 Focus Zetec had better original suspension than my Leon.

'Zetec' vs 'Formula Racing' hmmmm

 

[jonjay]

You have to be joking!! The suspension on mine was awful (and for a car that has a 'FR' badge that's pretty bad IMO) - r.r.r.r.racing with the OE suspension? I think not!!

My 1.6 Focus Zetec had better original suspension than my Leon.

'Zetec' vs 'Formula Racing' hmmmm

Yes but you are comparing one of the best if not the best hatch chassis at the time to the Leon. If thats the case then no it wasnt good however compared to other hatches at the time it is.

People say the new ST has great handling, i think it handles like a boat.

Remember I said good not great, amazing, stick like glue etc...

 

[ChrisUK]

THe best handling mod for me has to be the upper rear custom strut - it makes the car feel like my old MX5 !