2001 Seat Toledo V5 review from UK and Ireland

Only had the car for 2 months. So far nothing at all, everything seems to work perfect.

This car just oozes quality as soon as you open the drivers door. Everything feels strong, well made and the seats are a delight of leather and alacantra.

Like other cars in the VAG group there are nice touches like the damped grab handles and cup holders, climate control, speed sensing stereo that increases the volume as the car goes faster, multi disc CD changer, Headphone sockets in the rear, electric folding mirrors, Electric seats with memory the list just goes on.

I have found the car to be very comfortable long journeys. Switch on the cruise control, pull the central armrest down and relax to the quiet purr of the delightful V5. Even the rain is no problem, switch on the rain sense wipers and they adjust to any necessary speed to keep the windscreen clear. Even driving at night is fun, the warm glow of the red lit dash is awesome and the auto dimming rear view mirror works a treat.

Performance wise this car is good, but no match for the big boys, but then you don't really need to drive it fast. It has plenty low down torque so 5th gear can take you from 30MPH to 140MPH (claimed) making it a real stylish cruiser. It certainly hits the UK national speed limit very quickly and with no fuss at all so you have to be wary of your speed. It also seem to get even quieter the faster you go and there is no evidence of wind noise. Only some noise from the budget tyre's currently fitted to mine are evident.

Handling is crisp and there is good feedback through the leather steering wheel. Gear-change is smooth, but the reach is a little long to be considered sporty. If pushed hard there is some noticeable body roll on the twisties so not quite as much fun as my previous ZS 180.

Fuel economy is fine as long as you don't expect much above 30MPG, the on board computer relates speed and mpg to a reasonably accurate degree.

The boot is huge and overall this is a very practical car for a family who can travel in comfort and reach their destination relaxed. This was what I looked for when I changed my car and the Toledo delivers big style.