Which car,Leon 1.6 S or Impreza1.6 ?

Dcully

Hi all,im thinking of going for one of these two cars and wondering which i should opt for?
Im looking at the S model of the New Seat leon which i think is a beauty to look at,also looking at the Subaru Impreza 1.6 model,[if i want blistering pace i just borrow my brothers wrx sti 300 bhp machine ]
Im not fussed aboyt performance guys,just want a nice looking car with decent reliability.
For obvious reasons ie boot spoiler the good wife doesnt want to Subaru but says she would drive it if i buy.
Here the Subaru im loking at
http://cars.carrollrochesubaru.com/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=441432
and the Leon ,almost identical to this except im going for 1.6 model,has all same gear except not quite as mush of an obvious body kit
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=364589
Bearing in mind i have children ,4 year old and an 8month old.

I drove the Leon Saturday and was very impressed with the handling,ride and build quality which seemed better than my 03 VW Passat TDI.
Im heading out the door now to test drive the Subaru.
Ive a week off and am sorta keen to sign a deal this week.

Thoughts appreciated folks.

Anan1

If you're concerned about looks then keep the Passat, you'll need a Burberry baseball cap for either of those two. Why are you changing car in the first place? I'd imagine the Passat you have is better than the others in pretty much every area.

flanzer

By ths time you'll have read this, you'll have realised that the interior of the Subaru is very plastic looking. The new Leon is a beaut of a car, I'm kinda raging as I bought a Golf MK5 last year and wasn't expecting the new Leon to look so good especially with the kit on!

WhatsGoingOn

I have a Leon (1.9TDi) and am very happy with it. It is very roomy and handles well. Mine was a demo model, so I got a nice few extras thrown in like mp3 player, steering wheel controls, bluetooth handsfree, alloys etc.

gstonesmx5

bearing in mind you have kids i would go for the scooby doo. the boot is much more user friendly but thats only one of the differences. otherwise
its a tough call.
good luck

ambro25

The Scoob gets my vote.

Not on looks (real shame to do all that to a 1.6) but because you have two youngun's and with the Scoob you get 4WD + better brakes/road manners/reliability.

Re. the 'modding': I'd be concerned about its past, however.

Henry Ford III

ambro25 wrote:

The Scoob gets my vote.

Not on looks (real shame to do all that to a 1.6) but because you have two youngun's and with the Scoob you get 4WD + better brakes/road manners/reliability...

The 1.6 Subaru Impreza is fwd isn't it? it's also quite heavy on fuel and spartan inside.

ambro25

Henry Ford III wrote:

The 1.6 Subaru Impreza is fwd isn't it? it's also quite heavy on fuel and spartan inside.

Don't tell me they've scuppered 2 of the 4WD just for the Irish market :eek:
Another victim of VRT-induced lo-specc'ing?

Admittedly, petrol is heavier on 4WD variants. But I get 38-40mpg on a '97 2.0L 4WD, so...

Dcully

Just back from Subaru drive,disappointed tbh,very very very plasticy inside.
Drove average ,not as spacious inside as the Leon to my surprise,then again the Leon isnt far behind the Passat in terms of space again to my surprise.
As for the boot size,here again the Leon seems bigger,in terms of build quality and how well it handled bumpy roads,again the Leon was light years ahead.
I realize the Subaru has bomb proof reliability but im guessing the Leon will be as good as the VW which is also bomb proof.

If you're concerned about looks then keep the Passat

In my opinion the Passats look very dated,i guess im just tired of the look,parked up beside the Leon on Saurday this was very evident.
Ive a few more to see,ill keep yas up to date,really appreciate the advice guys.

Henry Ford III

VW's are far from bomb proof, and servicing them can be hideously expensive.

Are Seats the same or better?

ambro25

Henry Ford III wrote:

servicing them can be hideously expensive.

Though possibly not quite as hideously expensive as servicing Scoobs. I still take mine back to the UK every year for servicing. And I still have loadsa change left from service + parts + road + petrol + ferry compared to quotes from local (Dublin) main dealers. :eek:

Anan1

I'm still not clear on why the owner of an 03 Passat TDI would be paying money to change to either of those cars.

HashSlinging

The Leon is a real stunner, esp in the flesh. reliable?, sure skoda is even more reliable then VW these days, I'd say its a very safe bet. I've never had an issue with mine (1600cc '01.85k). Also the new leon would be safer for your kids than the scooby, I think it has a five star safety rating.

Dcully

I'm still not clear on why the owner of an 03 Passat TDI would be paying money to change to either of those cars.

The tired old looks for a start and the fact Silver Metallic Passats are as common as muck.
Add to that the fact i need to shell out 1,000 euros on timing belt @ or before 60,000 miles,im @ 58,200 now.
Also it really needs a decent set of alloys,looks really drab without,again only my opinion.
Thats the guts of 2,000 euros to stick with this car and have it look anyway decent.

Im off for another look at the Leon,met one on the N7 coming back from Subaru drive ,looks even better in motion than on a forecourt ,i cant think of a better looking car on the road thats not a huge expense.

Rudolph Claus

The tired old looks for a start and the fact Silver Metallic Passats are as common as muck.

Spot on! Every dog has a silver tdi pasat these days.

Get an older 2.0L scooby. The 1.6 is not worth a fook. The old 1.6scooby was the worst, Its like an old toyota corolla with its tacky plastic and dead engine. Your tdi passat will out perform a 1.6scooby so even if you like its looks etc,,,,, you`ll be disappointed driving it.

fletch

Go for the Leon, that example in particular looks stunning. In my opinion the Subaru is just trying to be something its not.

Dcully

Decided not to go for either after all.
I put the Leon up beside my Passat and it looked like a micra beside it,not near as classy and a lot more boy racer-ish which im not.
Leon is a beautiful looking car and ill always think this but my head ruled that id be dropping down a class plus safety of my kids is a huge factor,id prefer them to be in the Passat then Leon god forbid if they were in an accident.
There were other factors too,performance being one,after having a good 30 minute drive in the Leon it felt dead compared to the TDI passat,it was noisier @ motorway speeds by a long way.
Ive stuck a set of Audi RS4 18" alloys onto the Passat this evening and it looks a million dollars,shocked at how much it improves the look tbh looks as if shes lowered suspension too,might get a set of those what some refer to as lexus tail lights not sure if this is right name?

At the end of the day paying to drop down a class was too much.
Having said that im a fan of the leon but @ 30 something with a wife and two loung kids my head ruled my heart,these sweet 18"RS4s more than make up for it
Thanks to all for input.

cantdecide

either of them would not have been a mistake, they're both "proper" cars (i can say this here, there's no micra drivers about:D ) but hanging onto the passat is exactly what i was going to advise. i had a set of RS4s on my last tdi A4 and i love them on the passat. when the missus turns her back again, find a set of nice coilovers and you have a car for life......

Anan1

Efioanaes wrote:

Decided not to go for either after all.
I put the Leon up beside my Passat and it looked like a micra beside it,not near as classy and a lot more boy racer-ish which im not.
Leon is a beautiful looking car and ill always think this but my head ruled that id be dropping down a class plus safety of my kids is a huge factor,id prefer them to be in the Passat then Leon god forbid if they were in an accident.
There were other factors too,performance being one,after having a good 30 minute drive in the Leon it felt dead compared to the TDI passat,it was noisier @ motorway speeds by a long way.
Ive stuck a set of Audi RS4 18" alloys onto the Passat this evening and it looks a million dollars,shocked at how much it improves the look tbh looks as if shes lowered suspension too,might get a set of those what some refer to as lexus tail lights not sure if this is right name?

At the end of the day paying to drop down a class was too much.
Having said that im a fan of the leon but @ 30 something with a wife and two loung kids my head ruled my heart,these sweet 18"RS4s more than make up for it
Thanks to all for input.

I think you did the right thing. Enjoy!

mloc123

Efioanaes wrote:

might get a set of those what some refer to as lexus tail lights not sure if this is right name?

One word on lexus lights... NO!

HashSlinging

Efioanaes wrote:

Decided not to go for either after all.
id prefer them to be in the Passat then Leon god forbid if they were in an accident.

Efioanaes,
The Leon has a higher safety rating than the passat, so not really gaining anything there, totally agree on the performance factor as that leon only has the 1.6 8v engine, but for a little more than 28k you can pick up a brand new 2.0T (200bhp) or a 2.0 TDi (140bhp) leon. I only noticed the price you were going to pay for a 1.6..crazy money.

ando

HashSlinging wrote:

pay for a 1.6..crazy money.

wow thats expensive

WhatsGoingOn

ando wrote:

wow thats expensive

You can get cheaper ones than that with the bodykit on e.g.

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_detail.asp?CBGID=482936&ID=754372&NumPics=2&Make=Seat&Model=Leon&frmFilter=All

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_detail.asp?CBGID=499328&ID=769737&NumPics=1&Make=Seat&Model=Leon&frmFilter=All

The_Magoo

Leon is 1.6 16v, I have a 01 model, which I really like, but it is quite noisey at motorway speeds.

HashSlinging

Nah mate, its an 8v, I had the same discussion not so long ago with the guys here. VAG marketing for you. They have stopped shipping cars with the 16v engine as they want to charge a premium for the "FSI" which isnt available to SEAT yet. kinda crazy putting all that kit on an 8v engine, then charging 29k for it.

jozi

The leon with the kit isnt the FR model then? And here's me thinking i seen one the other day, nice sound from it thou when he pulled of.

If i had a passat i dont think id go for a leon or impreza, maybe from a leon to passat but not the other way around. Good choise on keeping the passat

Rudolph Claus

Get the 2.0L scooby. Typical boring Volkswagen driver and their boring cars, realises they cant afford to run the decent sports car and goes back to good ould reliable vw. Get yourself the 2.0L scooby and stop toying around debating between 2 **** cars thinking you`ll be buying a sports car. :rolleyes:

The 1.6L scooby should never have being made!

fletch

Efioanaes wrote:

Ive stuck a set of Audi RS4 18" alloys onto the Passat this evening and it looks a million dollars,

Any pics for us?

ambro25

Nuttzy wrote:

Get the 2.0L scooby. Typical boring Volkswagen driver and their boring cars, realises they cant afford to run the decent sports car and goes back to good ould reliable vw. Get yourself the 2.0L scooby and stop toying around debating between 2 **** cars thinking you`ll be buying a sports car. :rolleyes:

As a 2.0L Scooby owner, I can categorically state that it is not a sports car. It's an above average saloon, performance wise - period. As an owner also of a 1.8i MX-5 and previous owner of a Delta Integrale (many moons ago) and CX 25 GTI Turbo, I feel somewhat qualified to compare what is/isn't a sportscar (the CX wasn't : it was a supercar). A 2.0L turbo scooby would IMHO qualifiy as a sportscar.

As a family man, I can also categorically state that buying the 2.0L Scooby (out of a choice including a 5 series, an A4 and entry level MPVs, e.g. Scenic) was the best choice, all pros and cons considered (the least of which was 'class' - not a dig at the OP, but still... 'dropping a class'... HAHAHAHAHA! ROFL!)

It may not have the interior refinements of European cars (though it's just as comfortable over any length of travel), but it is built like a brick sh1thouse, will tangle with glee on twisty bends when I'm alone to play, and cruise like a (safe) trooper in gales, blizzards and worse regardless, when most other saloons would give up.

Fuel might be heavier than similar-size saloons, but such comes with petrol 4WD instead of petrol or diesel 2WD (ask any SUV owner, even diesel-powered!).

The features which I wanted above all for our family car was reliability, ABS, 4WD and strong acceleration (that's one car characteristic most often not considered as a safety feature - wrongly so), but the one car type I didn't want was an SUV (because of size/mpg/behaviour). Can't for the life of me think of any alternative than a Scoob, aside from obscure X-series beemers, notoriously rife with problems. To think of it, I could go out to VW tomorrow and buy a Touareg if I felt so inclined - but the next one will be another Scoob saloon I'm glad to say.

Dcully

Yeah sure,just need to get a battery for digi camera and ill take some.
I must confess to a mistake,the wheels i got are RS6 17" as opposed to RS4 18".
No biggie but an error nonetheless

fletch

Efioanaes wrote:

Yeah sure,just need to get a battery for digi camera and ill take some.
I must confess to a mistake,the wheels i got are RS6 17" as opposed to RS4 18".
No biggie but an error nonetheless

Even nicer!