SEAT Toledo (2012 – 2018) Review

SEAT Toledo (2012 – 2018) At A Glance

4/5

+Looks like a conventional saloon but is actually a hatchback. Huge boot space. Good quality and impressively spacious interior. Great value for money and an ideal family car.

-Not the most dynamic looking design.

Insurance Groups are between 8–20
On average it achieves 85% of the official MPG figure

After a few years absence, the SEAT Toledo is back. The model survived a midlife crisis when it turned into the ugly cousin of the Altea, but now it's slimmed down and once again is very much its own model. SEAT has gone back to a traditional saloon shape - like the popular second generation model - and the Toledo is all the better for it.

It's no secret that the Toledo is the sister car to the Skoda Rapid, but the two look considerably different with the SEAT getting its own front and rear styling. This is the new SEAT family look which we've seen on the revised Ibiza.

The Toledo is a neat looking car and while it's not the most exciting of designs, that probably says more about SEAT's recent design history. We've become used to distinctively different cars like the current Leon and Altea.

Sitting between the Ibiza and the Leon in the SEAT range, the Toledo is based on the same platform as the Ibiza, albeit a stretched one, but is a much bigger car.

In fact the photographs are quite deceptive because at a smidge under 4.5 metres it's almost as big as a Skoda Octavia and actually longer than a Ford C-MAX. Sounds good so far. So you'd think the one big fly in the tapas would be the fact it's a small saloon. Never a popular choice in the UK.

It may not look like a conventional hatchback but the Toledo offers everything you'd get from a family five-door plus a whole lot more. Okay, so the looks are far from exciting and it's fairly ordinary to drive but it still has plenty going for it.

It's impressively practical and surprisingly spacious given its modest size, while the cabin is well finished even if some of the plastics are a touch on the hard side. It's also well equipped, cheap to run and refined on the motorway.

SEAT Toledo Road Test

Real MPG average for a SEAT Toledo (2012 – 2018)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

85%

Real MPG

36–72 mpg

MPGs submitted

128

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

DPF light keeps coming on after the emissions fix - did they do a botch job?

"I'm having problems with my DPF light coming on after the emissions fix. Is this a typical occurrence with the SEAT Toledo 1.6 TDi? What do they do to the vehicle when it undergoes the update and do you get many complaints from other owners after the recall work?"
Tends to happen with badly maintained, high mileage or short distance driven cars. But you should have a letter from SEAT stating that any post-fix problems will be considered under a new 24-month warranty, up to 160,000 miles. A DPF tends to get full of ash from around 80,000 miles anyway.
Answered by Honest John

Oil pressure

"Seat Toledo 1.6 diesel. Engine oil pressure light coming in during dpf regeneration. Only comes on during regeneration. Never any other time, and not every regeneration. No dpf lights come on. Oil and filter recently changed, no difference."
That might indicate oil contamination during the regeneration from excess fuel being pumped into the engine. Needs to be checked. Could be that the sump oil strainer gets blocked.
Answered by Honest John

Buying a family car - Rapid Spaceback or Toledo?

"I need a practical, reliable family car. I have seen a 2014 Skoda Rapid Spaceback 1.2 TSI S 86ps for £8500 with 12,000 miles. I have also seen a 2014 SEAT Toledo 1.2 TSI S 105PS for £9400 ewith 2000 miles. Both are from main dealers with full history. Which one do you consider the better deal?"
The Rapid Spaceback has improved ride and handling over the original Rapid and Toledo, and the 86PS 1.2TSI is more economical than the 105. Boils down to whether you want the extra boot length of the Toledo or the greater rear seat legroom of the Spaceback.
Answered by Honest John

Need a small car that can carry my golf clubs

"I want to buy a new small car, which is large enough to accommodate my golf clubs. Ideally the car would be 1800mm in width including wing mirrors to fit into my garage. I'd like the car to have five doors and a small 1.2 litre engine. Not stressed by the cost (up to £17,000 to spend) but it must carry my clubs and fit into the garage. What do you recommend? "
Your problem is finding a car wide enough to accommodate your golf clubs lying sidways, yet narrow enough to fit your garage. Bur you might get the clubs into a Skoda Rapid or a SEAT Toledo.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a SEAT Toledo (2012 – 2018) cost?