Seat Leon TDi (import?) Questions | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Sat 11 Sep 2004 19:08

Seat Leon TDi (import?) Questions - philomeena

Think I'm about to buy a nearly new Leon TDi 110 from Motorpoint.

The rep told me they're euro imports and thats why they dont have an Alarm fitted (the UK dealers fit these apparently)
What they do have is a superb titanium effect centre console which I don't think is available in the UK and the car's £2K cheaper than UK dealer price.

Are there any other spec differences I should know about / ask about?

AND..

I noticed that all the Leons at Motorpoint have white plastic (like carrier bag material) sticking out between the rear wing (under the light cluster) and bumper.
At first I thought this was accident repair stuff but they all have it.. even the new ones and I noticed the Leons I saw at another supermarket had it too.
What's that all about then?

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Sun 12 Sep 2004 16:46

Seat Leon TDi (import?) Questions - andymc {P}

Avoid. This could be a very costly mistake.
A non-UK spec car will be much more difficult to insure in terms of simply being able to get a quote. Plus when you do get a quote, it's likely to be significantly more expensive, especially without the alarm, which of course eats into those savings you were making. Do you think a UK dealer will fit the alarm for free? Sorry, knock another £300 or so off your savings. Also, how long do you plan to keep the car? If it's less than 5 years, the lack of UK spec will drive the valuation of your trade-in significantly downwards. If more than 5 years or so, it's not quite as significant since all cars slow down in terms of depreciation by this stage, but your car will still be worth less than a UK spec model.
With the import, the manufacturer warranty you get will be two years rather than three, and if it's non-EU (Cyprus for example) then the warranty will only be for one year. This means you meet the cost of anything that goes wrong after that first year is up (Motorpoint will NOT be interested), unless you buy an extended warranty - which again eats into the savings you were trying to make in the first place.
If you're after a nearly-new car, get one that's UK supplied at least. You'll still save a fair amount over the cost of the new car, but at least you're not creating hassle for yourself further down the line. In fact, I know that recently, SEAT had an offer where you pay the price of the Leon S (bottom of the range), but they upgrade you to the SX, which is the model you're looking at. Then you're the first owner of the car, but you've got it at less than list price, plus anything else you can haggle off.
I imported a Leon TDi from Holland in 2001, but that was when the exchange rate was more favourable and the saving to be made was well in excess of £3k. I insisted on getting a UK-spec car, and insurance hasn't been a problem. I took out an extended warranty anyway, but as I got two years' manufacturer warranty that means I'm covered until the car is four years old.
One last thing to consider is that the Leon is due for replacement next year - this will have a greater impact on the depreciation of what will then be an old model. It's a good car (I'm very happy with mine), and the TDi will hold it's value better than most of the petrol variants, but you might want to look at a few other options before making your final choice - Mazda 3, Ford Focus (new shape), Skoda Octavia (new shape) Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, etc.
Best of luck!
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...

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Sun 12 Sep 2004 22:19

Seat Leon TDi (import?) Questions - philomeena

Well..

Checked it out.
It's from the Netherlands. Checked with my insurance company and the premium would be no different from a UK spec one.
It is only a 2 year warranty.. but Motorpoint man said he'd increase my part-ex offer by £200 if I bought a years extended warranty at £249.

The price he offered was actually 200 more than I've been offered anywhere else and when you add the fact that the years extended warranty includes RAC Breakdown cover (which I pay £44 a year for now).. that means £5 for an extra years warranty.
Done!

The car is, apart from the lack of alarm, better specced than UK. Cruise control, 16" alloys instead of 15", superb silver dash fascia that means the dash doesn't look as dated as UK ones. And it does have remote central locking & immobiliser.

Apart from a small paint chip which'll cost £50 to get professionally fixed, it's mint. And it's £3K less than UK list price.. thats without adding the metallic paint, cruise control etc.

As for the Leon being replaced, I know that.. but I just love the look of the current one

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Mon 13 Sep 2004 10:35

Seat Leon TDi (import?) Questions - andymc {P}

If you're sure the spec list meets or exceeds the UK one apart from the alarm, it shouldn't be a problem insurance-wise, especially if you get a dealer to fit an OEM alarm (but still worth bearing in mind that other companies may be less accommodating that your current insurer). I would just double-check with the dealer that it's possible to do an after-market fit, but I can't see why not. Do you know what company the warranty will be with - is it Motorpoint themselves, or are they acting as an agent for the likes of Warranty Direct?

Otherwise, seems like a good price - somewhere under £10k, yes? Must agree that I prefer the look of the current Leon to the next one.
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...

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