Used Seat Leon SC 2013-2018 review

If you’re young (or young at heart) and are looking for a reasonably priced used car that looks good, you’ll probably be tempted to buy a coupé. However, coupés tend to be impractical for everyday life, because they can’t seat more than two people comfortably and have small boots. You could go for a BMW 2 Series coupé or a Volkswagen Scirocco, but these both seat just four people and - in the case of the BMW - can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there’s the Seat Leon SC, a more rakish three-door version of the regular five-door Leon but with more of the practicality provided by a regular hatchback.

The third-generation Leon is based on the same platform as the current Volkswagen Golf, which means that it’s a bit more modern than the Scirocco, which uses the underpinnings from an older-generation Golf. That means you get a more up-to-date infotainment system and more advanced engines. The fact that the SC is shorter than the five-door Leon and therefore a little bit lighter pays dividends in terms of performance, handling and fuel economy, too.

The Leon SC comes with a wide choice of petrol and diesel engines, starting out with an underpowered 1.2-litre petrol and rising up to a 296bhp 2.0-litre in the hot Cupra version. There are also diesels, including a highly economical 1.6 and 148bhp and 181bhp 2.0-litre units. Our favourite version is the sweet little 148bhp 1.4 EcoTSI model, which has cylinder deactivation technology for greater fuel economy.

All Leon SCs come with air conditioning as standard, but SE versions are much better equipped than the entry-level S, with cruise control, alloy wheels and manual lumbar support. FR versions are better still, because they add rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and sportier styling cues, along with our favoured EcoTSI engine. Make sure you look out for examples that have the optional Technology Pack, because this adds excellent LED headlights, a digital radio and satellite navigation. Cupra models have a limited-slip differential and adaptive sports suspension.

Compared with its immediate rivals, the Leon SC feels particularly sprightly (as long as you avoid the least powerful petrol and diesel options) to drive. FR versions, with their sports suspension, are particularly good at controlling body movements and the quick steering is well weighted and very precise, which means you can easily place the car in corners. The ride can be a little firm for some tastes, but it’s actually pretty well damped and a fair trade-off, given that the Leon SC is supposed to provide a sporty drive.

Because the Leon SC is slightly shorter than the regular Leon, it doesn't provide as much rear leg room. Because the roof is lower, head room is reduced, too. However, there’s loads of room for the driver and front seat passenger, plus the boot is just as accommodating as it is in the regular Leon, so there's a decent amount of luggage space.

The Leon SC received a light mid-life facelift in 2017 that altered the exterior styling ever so slightly, introduced a larger and more modern touchscreen system on the inside, along with some better-quality plastics and an electric handbrake in place of the manual one on older models.

Early examples of a 2013 Leon SC start at around £7500 at the time of writing. This will get you a 1.6-litre diesel or a 1.2-litre petrol SE with 70,000 miles on the clock.

Increase your budget to £9500 and you’ll find plenty of 2014 or newer 2.0 TDI FR examples with less than 50,000 miles.

Moving up further to around the £10,500 mark buys a 2015 model in excellent condition and low mileage from an independent dealer, while if it's a facelifted car you're after, you'll need to set aside at least £13,500.

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The 1.6-litre diesel is the cheapest Leon SC to run, with official (NEDC) combined fuel economy of 74.3mpg. It's also exempt from road tax. Both 2.0-litre diesels cost a mere £20 per year in road tax, while the 148bhp version averages 68.9mpg and the more powerful 181bhp one returns 64.2mpg.

The most economical petrol model is the 148bhp 1.4 EcoTSI, which has a combined figure of 60.1mpg and costs £20 to tax. The little 1.2 is nearly as efficient at 57.6mpg and £30 road tax, while the 123bhp 1.4 gets 54.3mpg and costs £30 to tax. The 1.8-litre petrol model promises 47.9mpg on average and will set you back £140 per year in road tax. As you might expect, the least economical version is the Cupra, with an official average consumption figure of 42.8mpg and £155 tax.

All Leon SCs registered after 1 April 2017 will cost you a flat tax rate of £140 a year.

Seat servicing costs are very reasonable – roughly on a par with those of Ford and Vauxhall. Franchised dealers offer a transparent fixed-price servicing scheme, with cars that are more than three years old eligible for slightly discounted prices. You can also opt for a pre-paid service plan on cars up to eight years old – worth taking out if you want to service your car at a Seat dealer.

The Leon SC is a very likeable car in all engine guises, but it’s the 148bhp 1.4 EcoTSI that gets the nod from us because of its responsiveness, broad mid-range power and surprising economy. The diesels are even more economical, not surprisingly, but there’s always a hint of gruffness to them. Unless you do enough miles to warrant going for a diesel-powered Leon SC, we’d stick with our favoured petrol engine.

The SE version will be fine if you're on a budget, but we'd go for the FR, because it gets more toys and a sportier suspension set-up that makes a noticeable difference to the way the Leon SC handles. Look out for a car with the Technology Pack fitted, too, because it's worth having.

Our favourite Seat Leon: 1.4 EcoTSI 150 FR (Technology Pack)

The Volkswagen Scirocco is perhaps the closest rival to the Leon SC, but the Seat has the advantage of being a newer design with more engine options and a much better infotainment system with full smartphone capabilities. True, the Scirocco is better finished inside and has a slightly more compliant ride, but there’s little in it in everyday motoring. Plus, the Leon SC is much more practical overall.

For those looking for rear-wheel drive thrills, try out the BMW 2 Series coupé. It has a separate boot rather than a hatchback, but the 2 Series feels like a classier car inside and you can even go for a powerful six-cylinder petrol engine with the BMW, provided you’re prepared to pay extra for the privilege, of course.

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