Leon FR tdi. No thanks

Wed 16 Mar 2005 13:40

Leon FR tdi. No thanks - midlifecrisis

Test drove a Leon FR tdi 150 today. Like the looks, the reality was somewhat different. It sounded like a tractor on startup, with clouds of blue smoke. Very noisy inside, although this improved slightly as it got warmer. Worst of all, the interior creaked and rattled all over the place. It had a very poor stereo and the seats were very uncomfortable (although I recognise that's a personal thing). Overall, it felt a class below my ZT. Didn't help that the demo I was given had no fuel and was absolutely filthy.
On the way home I called in at the Ford dealer and sat in a ST Tdci. It felt much better built and had a high standard spec. The dealer's trying to find me a demo ("very rare", dealer speak for the boss has gone to lunch in it?) and I'm keen to see if diesels have moved on from the older vw unit. He also promised 'a great deal', although his definition may differ to mine. I've also got those naughty men with hammers in my head shouting "Depreciation...."

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Wed 16 Mar 2005 13:52

Leon FR tdi. No thanks - Imagos

>>. It had a very

poor stereo

Hmm.. I think that the leon's radio sound quality was one of the best mass produced factory fit systems available having said that a tad on the fiddley side but no complaint on sound. You can't of cranked it up?

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Wed 16 Mar 2005 14:31

Leon FR tdi. No thanks - Nomag

Have to agree the leon/toledo radio sound quality is excellent by comparison with the best standard fit units out there (certainly comparable with ford units). However, it is fiddly oweing to the fact its almost a bog-standard DIN size unit.

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Wed 16 Mar 2005 16:52

Leon FR tdi. No thanks - cheddar

I understand that Brunel Ford in Bristol have a demo ST TDCI.

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Wed 16 Mar 2005 19:37

Leon FR tdi. No thanks - steveb

Worst of all, the interior

creaked and rattled all over the place.

I think this varies considerably on the Leon. Mine is 18 months old and not a squeak, others have the squeak from new as you've experienced. The dash is from the old Audi A3 which makes it surprising that it suffers so.

Standard radio on mine is excellent also, and easily hides the thrum of a warmed up (diesel) engine.

Steve

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Wed 16 Mar 2005 21:46

Leon FR tdi. No thanks - andymc {P}

MLC, it might be worth getting another one to test-drive from a different dealer - sounds as if the one you drove has been mistreated and is in much worse shape than my 3 year old Leon TDi 110. I've had a small amount of dash squeaking which was permanently cured by some silicone spray on the dash mounting points, but have never seen blue smoke in 53k miles - even when running on derv instead of biodiesel! As for engine noise, I drove a Passat PD 130 a while ago and thought the refinement was pretty good - very comparable to the (several) Rover 75 CDTs I've driven (I reckon when the time comes, one or other of my current cars will eventually be replaced by an MG ZT CDTi). I'd be surprised if there was a significant variance in terms of refinement between the 130 and 150 variants of the Leon.

By the way, I'm not being proud/defensive simply because I own a Leon -I also own a Passat, about which I've voiced plenty of complaints! I genuinely think the Leon is a decent motor, which is why I chose to keep mine long-term rather than carrying out my original plan of selling it after a year for around the price I paid to import it. I reckon it's worth further investigation before being discounted.
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...

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