Seat Leon Estate Review 2023
The Seat Leon Estate is a practical family car that's as reliable as it is popular. With good build quality and loads of space, the Leon Estate is perfect for families who need a motor to last.
Rivals to the Leon Estate include the Ford Focus Estate, Volkswagen Golf Estate, Skoda Octavia Estate, and BMW 3 Series Touring.
Our Seat Leon Estate review covers:
- Stylish front, roof racks, and an extended rear end
- Practical and sturdy interior with a few premium features
- 620-litre boot
- A range of petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid engines
- Four trim levels
Pros:
- Large boot and good rear space
- Affordable
- Good build quality
Cons:
- Technology is not as good as its rivals
- Interior could be a bit more luxurious
- Infotainment is tricky to use
The Leon Estate has the same exterior design as the Leon Hatchback, albeit with an extended rear end and roof rails. There's an oval-shaped front grille, large air intakes under the number plate, and a flowing body from front to back.
Inside the Leon Estate, there's plenty of room. Up front, there's loads of head and legroom for a pair of six-footers, while three adults can fit in the rear. You'd be wrong to think it's less practical than the Skoda Octavia Estate.
Boot space comes in at 620 litres, which is comfortably bigger than the 575 litres found in the Ford Focus Estate. It's also very practical, coming with a small load lip and handy pockets on either side to help store small items.
The Leon Estate doesn't feel cheap inside, but it's not as premium as the interior of the BMW 3 Series Touring. On the dashboard, there's a range of soft-touch plastics and the buttons feel nice, but move down, and cheaper plastics become all too common.
On the entry-level trim, you get an 8.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a DAB radio, smartphone mirroring, and a seven-speaker sound system. Upgrade to SE Dynamic trim, and you get a 10-inch touchscreen with a built-in sat-nav and natural voice recognition. The system looks good, but it lacks physical buttons, which can make it tricky to use.
From the SE Dynamic trim, you get a digital cockpit behind the steering wheel, which displays clear graphics and all the relevant information.
Four trim levels are available for the Leon Estate: SE, SE Dynamic, FR, and FR Sport.
SE has 16-inch urban alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail lights, full-link smartphone integration, and an 8.25-inch media display.
SE Dynamic has 17-inch tri-spoke alloy wheels, dark-tinted rear windows, a digital cockpit, and a 10-inch touchscreen media system.
FR has electric door mirrors, sports suspension, FR styling, and LED headlights.
FR Sport adds 18-inch machined alloy wheels, electrically adjustable, folding, heated and memory door mirrors, interior wraparound lighting, and microsuede upholstery.
Six engines make up the range, including three petrol units, a pair of plug-in hybrids, and a diesel. All are paired to a six-speed manual transmission, except the plug-in hybrids, which have a seven-speed DSG automatic.
For the petrol units, you can choose between a 1.0-litre or two 1.5-litre variants. The 1.0-litre unit is the entry-level engine and features mild-hybrid tech, coming with 110bhp and achieving 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds. This is on par with the entry-level units in the Ford Focus Estate and Volkswagen Golf Estate.
The two 1.5-litre units come with either 130 or 150bhp and can achieve 0-62mph in under 10 seconds. Combining a petrol engine with a 75kWh electric motor, you get an official fuel economy around 200mpg and an all-electric range of 40 miles.
The range-topper is a 2.0-litre diesel with 150bhp and achieves 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds. This is certainly the engine to go for if you want a bit more power and plan on travelling long distances. Compared to the three petrol units fuel economy, which is in the high 40s, the diesel comes with a combined 62mpg.
On the road, the Seat Leon Estate is well-refined and comfortable to drive both around town and on the motorway, but it's a safe option and not that much fun.
If ferrying your family around town or doing the school run, the Leon Estate handles well and deals with potholes and speed bumps very well. You'll find that the range of safety tech also helps, such as rear parking sensors and a park assist system.
Get up to motorway speeds, and the Leon Estate is well-refined. There's very little wind and road noise, and all engines deliver pretty good performance. Cruise control and lane keep assist also come as standard, which helps make a relaxing experience.
On a country road, the Seat Leon controls itself well, but it never feels at home when you're cornering quickly. If you want an engaging experience, go for the Ford Focus Estate.
Prices for the new Seat Leon Estate start from £26,040.00 OTR* or to lease from £202.25 per month.
Looking to get behind the wheel of the Seat Leon Estate? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.
