2010 Seat Altea SE 1.4 petrol

Summary:

Fine family vehicle

Faults:

ABS sensors, rear brake discs and pads, etc.

Rear wash/wipe jammed.

Luggage cover broke.

Spent a bit on preventative maintenance lately; belts and oil changes, plus new battery. Nothing really bad or serious has went wrong.

General Comments:

Surprisingly punchy MPV, the Altea has a nice turn of speed and a comfortable driving position.

The 1.4 TSi engine can also achieve in excess of 40 mpg. Very good for petrol.

Comfortable spacious car. Nice to be in. SE has all the electrics you would expect from mid range Seat.

Getting older now and higher mileage, but I want to hang on to this simple reliable car for as long as possible.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th February, 2023

2007 Seat Altea FR 170 TDI 2.0 turbo diesel

Summary:

Porsche chaser!

Faults:

Absolutely nothing has gone wrong!

General Comments:

Fantastic car - the 170bhp diesel is a dream to drive - can't fault this car much - other than maybe interior cabin noise on motorway - not of the quality of the Exeo - (my next car finances permitting) - and tyre wear - tho that may be my driving style!

The dials are easy to read with red illumination on white. seats are comfortable - I'm 6'5" with chronic neck and back pain and I have no trouble finding a comfortable driving position.

In UK vehicle road tax is £170 and running costs are very affordable - goodish economy with average mpg of 40-45.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd October, 2009

2004 Seat Altea Reference 1.9TDi

Summary:

Sporty and Practical!

Faults:

1. Flywheel went at 39000 miles.

2. Rear screen doesn't demist at 39000 miles

3. Interior light in-operational.

General Comments:

Car was purchased as a mid-way point between something sporty, with a "family-car" orientation. Ticks all the boxes for this as both sporty and practical. Engine from the Audi/Volkswagen departments so should be of good quality. I didn't go for the 2.0Tdi as insurance and costs to run were bit much.

I've had the car for 2 months now. I was disappointed initially as the quality wasn't as good as expected. Fortunately, I had a month on warranty left when I bought the car.

The reason for my disappointment? I was getting vibration through the clutch pedal and so I monitored it over a week or so and eventually it was so bad, I got SEAT to check. The diagnosis was a DMF or dual-mass flywheel replacement. After searching the web I found that this is quite common in VAG group! Fortunately, covered on warranty and therefore saved £500-700!

Performance of the car is good and I really like the "airyness" as the roof is a bit higher than a normal 5-door hatch. Lots of cubby boxes too which is very good, but not sure what to put in them all!

At the moment the economy is not as good as I expected problem getting between 40-45mpg. This is around town though!

The quality of the interior is good... nice dashboard with smart red background and Alfa Romeo looking dials - pretty smart!

Looks good in RED!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th November, 2007

5th May 2009, 15:26

As an update to the above, I am now on 55000 miles and have had a relatively small, but annoying issue. The tailgate boot would not lock down. I tried slamming it and everything, but no good. I realised that the problem lay with the locking mechanism rather than the Seat Badge/switch. This theory was based on the fact that the switch was less likely to break as it had no moving parts. The lock was £45 and I fitted myself in 5 minutes (Although you do have to pull the tailate trim off which is a bit tricky). Working fine now. Otherwise the car is still going strong and proving very practical, but the economy is not brilliant! Would still buy another one in the future.

5th Oct 2009, 15:45

At about 58000 miles the rear suspension snapped! I drove off my drive and half of it was just lying on the floor! Not a majorly expensive job, but still!!! I feel the vehicle is showing it isn't the best built. Surprising, since the vehicle is seen to be part of the VAG group. I still like the car to drive, but wonder what will break next.

In reply to 5th Oct 2009, 15:45

2nd Feb 2014, 14:27

Update at 102,000 miles. Since the initial problems, the car has performed really well. It still drives well and returns about 45 around town and 50 MPG on a run. The 1.9 TDI still pulls well.

Only issue over the last 50000 miles is a faulty coolant temp sensor, which cost £30 I believe.

If you are looking for a family sporty and nice looking car that drives - I would look no further. Just don't go for the fancy DSG gearboxes - stick with the manual... less to go wrong!

2005 Seat Altea FSi Sport 2.0 petrol

Summary:

Excellent all-rounder with style and performance

Faults:

2 plug coils failed at around 10,000 miles; repaired under warranty.

General Comments:

Handles well, under 10 seconds to 60 (sporty enough for my son to be impressed) and not too thirsty - about 28mpg for a 2.0L auto not too bad.

Gearbox excellent - especially in sport mode with very smooth changes.

Very comfortable with superb driving position and supportive seats for both driver and passenger.

Front pillar blind spot can be a nuisance at times. You need to take care at certain junctions. Rear view very tricky - sensors are an essential option.

Lots of room in the back and excellent luggage space with a double boot arrangement to give flat floor and lots of oddment spaces.

Good equipment levels (climate, cruise, folding mirrors, trip computer etc) but oddly mirrors not heated. CD player fine and good storage for CD's.

Paint and trim seems well put together - generally very happy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th December, 2006