Should I buy it?

[PhilOfCas]

We'll call a truce !!

Emails (or forum posts in this case) come across as hard speak, little or no emotion is conveyed so you are left to your own thoughts on what the other person is actually saying or trying to say. I acknowledge i was guilty in not reading your first post thoroughly though i was a bit taken aback by your response, to which i then kicked into defence mode on behalf of the non-franchise dealers (and their warranties) i thought you were taking a pot shot at. Too right you can't please everyone and it sounds like you do your best, though my experience has been one of regret when dealing with main dealers.

Where this leaves us i don't know !

 

[PhilOfCas]

actually i do know here this leaves us, completely knacking up merlin mogs thread, sorry Merlin, we obviously had something to get off our chests

 

[ragga63]

Here's my take on things:

I've had three Seats over the past five years. The first was an Ibiza 20VT Cupra, which was a lovely drive but proved too low down for me to get in to or out of in comfort (I'm quite a big fella you see). After suffering for 6 months I changed the Ibiza for a 51 plate Leon 20VT cupra, which was a fantastic car - bags of pulling power, lots of space and a big boot. Four years later I felt the need for a replacement, but had to dismiss the latest Leon variant due to the shape of the boot being too awkward for the type of loads I carry. Anyway, I took a 1.9TDI Altea Stylance for a test drive on the streets around my local dealership in Portsmouth. It was big, spacey, pulled well at low revs and seemed the perfect car. I bought a £12.5k one which had all the latest gadgets on board. After two weeks I knew this had been a mistake; the car was fine around town, but did not have enough poke for motorway driving and I did not feel safe when overtaking. That lack of power has nagged away at me for the past six months, and I've now changed the car once more. Recently I drove a 2.0TDI Altea Stylance on sale at my local dealership, and found the experience overwhelmingly different. What an engine! Unfortunately, the model had the Sports pack fitted and the seats, although okay for me, were too uncomfortable for my Mum (who is the only passenger these days). 2.0TDI Stylances are rare in these parts, so I've spent a few weeks trying out other cars for size. Well, the 1.9TDI finally has a replacement, and it's a late 2006 VW Golf with the 140 BHP 1.4 TFSI engine. There's some turbo lag in evidence, but the car is roomy, quiet, nippy, and sports a big square boot. Time will only tell if I've made the correct choice, but if I were in Merlin Mog's shoes I'd leave the 1.9TDI well alone and go for a 2.0TDI instead; there's a World of difference between the two engines in terms of refinement and performance, but not in terms of fuel economy. As for my Golf, it has the same power output as a 2.0TDI but the power comes higher up the rev band. It's a compromise I'm happy to make at this time, and who knows in a year or two when 2.0TDI Stylances become more commonly available, I may return to the Seat fold once more.

One other thing; dealers considered my Altea, although only a year old with 10k on the clock, worth between £8k and £8.5k in part exchange - a drop of £4k to £4.5k in the 6 months since I bought it as an ex-demonstration car. Another reason why I went for the Golf, which I'm hoping will not depreciate quite so much.

 

[caffeineaddict]

I have just moved from a Vecta estate, the only reason I had an estate was the fact I had two dogs plus two kids. I am now down to one dog :0( and the kids are no longer kids and travel lighter and not very often in the same car as us.

I was always going to get a 2.0TDI, it just took me a while to decide which Chassis/Badge combination i was going to have wrapped around it.

I loved the look of the Altea, it was the right size and looked ahead of its years in shape as anything else out there.

Took a number of makes for test drives although my heart was firmly set on an Altea. Perhaps i was wearing rose tinted glasses, but the Altea for me was the best. A 2.0 TDI with the sports pack. Power is superb, ride position is great for me (over 6 foot tall), the brakes are vicious. Car looks practicaly new although a 05, it has 32000 on the clock and cost me 7700 from a Seat Dealer.

Only point against is the size of the boot, but i knew that when i bought it ............and i can live with it.

I am over joyed with the Altea, The Vecta has done 161000 miles and ulthough uncomparible feels like an absolute dog in comparison..............and i loved that car.