Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £13,345 to £20,485
Prices, equipment, styling, TDI diesels, comfort, solidity
Competent but dull handling, tightish rear space, lack of recognition
Accomplished car but not as sporty as it looks. No problem; check out the value it offers instead!
As easy to drive as a Golf. For starters, the interior is perfectly intuitive, which is to be expected as the mouldings are nicked from Audi's A3. The driving position is also good, with lots of space for the driver and plenty of adjustment of steering wheel and seat. The gearshift slots easily - more so on posher models - and handling is very secure. The steering is light, performance from most models is easy to summon, while press-on drivers won't find any nasty surprises should they get excited. Note, however, that the swoopy rear does limit visibility; the tailgate in particular is very 'high', making reversing interesting in multi-storey car parks. And the stereo and climate control system are both a bit fiddly. Surprisingly, this is where the supposedly sporty Seat is least impressive. Sure, the chassis is comfortable and refined, but never really offers the involvement keen drivers are seeking, and certainly doesn't handle as engagingly as a Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra. Steering is light but dull, roll is quite pronounced when driven hard and 'press-on' motoring is not rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment. It's very safe, even on the limit, but doesn't really involve, even SE models with their sports suspension; read the Cupra report if you want a more focussed Leon. However, for those seeking an effortless drive with plenty of effortless power to shoot past traffic, the TDI diesels do take some beating - and there's a certain pleasure to be had from sitting inside those stylish curves, looking at the sporty red illuminated dials.
Volkswagen engines ensure no Leon apart from the 1.4-litre 16v is languid. That 1.4, however, is overwhelmed in this big body, struggling on to 105mph after accelerating to 60mph in 14.6 seconds. Better is the smooth 1.6-litre 16v, which does 119mph and 10.9 seconds to 60mph, while the 1.8-litre 20v scores 124mph and 10.3 seconds to 60mph. It's the most effortless of all the petrol units. As for diesels, there's two of VW's excellent TDI units, in either 90bhp or 110bhp guise. The former does 60mph in 13.0 seconds, the latter beating it with 11.2 seconds. As for top speeds, 112mph and 120mph respectively. Both are a bit gruff but, ironically, slightly smoother than Volkswagen's newer, more powerful units - though they are slower. Want more power than what's offered here? Go for the Cupra turbo models, tested separately.
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