Used Seat Alhambra 2011-2020 review

It’s fair to say the Seat Alhambra has been one of the Spanish firm’s big success stories, consistently selling well over a long career that can be traced all the way back to 1996.

This is the second-generation version and, like the first, it shares a lot of its underpinnings with the near-identical but more expensive Volkswagen Sharan. The Alhambra was on sale from 2011 to 2020, and in that time it proved itself a large and capacious MPV that’s decent to drive with room for seven, as well as a wonderfully practical interior and boot.

Engines & Performance: Under the bonnet is a choice of petrol or diesel engines. The 1.4 TSI 150 petrol has been the mainstay of the range and it's supplemented by the 2.0 TDI 150 diesel, which also comes as a more powerful 184 version.

All engines come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, with the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

On the road, the Alhambra belies its size. Even the 1.4 petrol's performance is more than sufficient and is the smoothest and most refined option. The 2.0 TDI 150 has more low-down grunt and is reasonably refined, while the 2.0 TDI 184 is positively swift, easily able to haul around a fully loaded Alhambra.

Ride & Handling: Make no mistake, the Alhambra is an MPV, and a large one at that. But within that class, it’s one of the best to drive. The steering is eager, there’s plenty of grip and the handling is safe, secure and, if not downright fun, at least much better than you’d expect.

As far as ride quality goes, there’s an impressive blend of bump absorption and body control. It can suffer some jarring over bigger bumps, but it never threatens to become uncomfortable.

Interior & Practicality: Interior space where the Alhambra shines. There’s loads of space up front, with a clear and logically laid out dashboard. The driving position is excellent and visibility good.

There’s even more space in the rear, with plenty of room for three adults abreast in the second row, and even enough room for two adults in the rearmost row. In addition, the boot is huge with the rearmost seats folded down, and still sizeable with all seven seats up. Practicality is great, with plenty of cubby holes and foldable picnic tables. All three seats in the middle row can be slid backwards and forward individually.

Trims & Equipment: There were originally five trim levels to choose from: S, SE, Connect, SE Lux and FR Line, later whittled down to just SE, SE L and Xcellence. Entry-level Alhambras come with 16in alloy wheels, heated door mirrors, sliding rear doors and parking sensors, while inside there is three-zone climate control, electric windows all round and a 6.5in touchscreen infotainment system complete with Bluetooth streaming.

Upgrading to SE got you a few more luxuries, including 17in alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, front foglights, cruise control and automatic wipers and lights, while Connect models gained features such as sill plates, blue cloth upholstery, run-flat tyres and smartphone integration.

SE Lux trim adorns the seven-seater with electrically opening rear doors and tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front sports seats, sports suspension, sat-nav, a DAB radio and a reversing camera. FR Line gains sporty details including bigger alloy wheels, an aggressive bodykit, FR decals and Alcantara upholstery. On later models, the top-spec trims were replaced by Style Advanced and Xcellence.

The Alhambra scored the full five stars in its Euro NCAP crash tests and was awarded strong marks by Thatcham Research for its resistance to break-ins and being driven away. Seat includes tyre pressure monitoring, seven airbags, an alarm and engine immboliser with every car, while lane assist, road sign recognition and blindspot monitoring were available as options when the car was new.

Interested in buying a used Seat Alhambra? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of Alhambras will have been used as taxis, ideal as they are for airport runs. Mileages for some cars are likely to be very high – often around 200,000 miles. You can pick up one of these for around £5000, but you’ll need to look at spending between £8500 and £10,000 for a car with an average mileage for the year and a full service history, from 2012 or 2013.

Up the wedge to between £10,000 and £12,000 and you’ll find good 2014/15 cars from traders or independent dealers, while £13,000-£15,000 will net you a good 2016 car, possibly even a 2017 example, from a trader. Later models vary between £15,000 and £20,000 for a 2018/2019/2020 car.

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MPG: Unsurprisingly, the 2.0 TDI 150 is the sweet spot in the range for fuel economy. Its claimed average fuel consumption is, in most trims, 55.4mpg, according to the NEDC tests, or 44.1mpg under the later, more realistic WLTP tests, with corresponding CO2 emissions of 132g/km, while in S trim it manages a claimed 56.5mpg NEDC and 130g/km of CO2 output. The higher-powered 2.0 TDI 184 isn’t far behind with 53.3mpg, or 40.4mpg under the WLTP tests, while the 1.4 TSI 150 lags behind with a still respectable claimed 43.5mpg, or 36.2mpg under the WLTP tests.

Road tax: Tax for cars registered before the changes of April 2017 came into force vary according to CO2 emissions, so these Alhambras are fairly cheap to tax. Those registered afterwards will pay the flat road tax rate, which at (currently) £150 a year is slightly more due to those changes.

Insurance and servicing: Insurance groups waver around 20, which is reasonable.

Servicing costs for most Seat cars are reasonable, with a service plan that offers you a discount on your next two services or a fixed-cost maintenance plan that allows you to choose your annual mileage and how long you’re going to keep the car before computing a monthly payment for you.

For its balance of performance, fuel economy and refinement, we’d look for the 2.0 TDI 150. Those who prefer the petrol option won’t be disappointed, but will end up with higher fuel bills.

We’d seek out an Alhambra in SE trim, because this adds just the right level of kit to entry-level S spec without upping the used price as much as the top-spec models.

Our favourite Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI 150 SE

Perhaps the most obvious is its sibling, the Volkswagen Sharan. The two cars are almost identical but you’ll pay slightly more for the VW badge. The Sharan is a great MPV, though, being good to drive, huge inside and immensely practical.

The Ford Galaxy was, in its first generation, conjoined to the Sharan and Alhambra. This version is all Ford, and it’s good to drive and comes with all the space seven people could reasonably need. It’s a little pricier than the Alhambra, though.

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Interested in buying a used Seat Alhambra? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.