SEAT Toledo (1999 - 2005) 1.9 TDi SE (130ps) 4d (2004/53) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Erm, tempted to say "tight wad" for the diesel part. That's offset somewhat by having a model of car you don't often see on the road.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

For the first time, I've had people stopping outside to say "nice car mate".

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes. Well, to be honest, I'd like to buy a revamped version with better handling. However, Seat seem to have replaced this wonderful-looking design with an MPV for some reason!

What are you likely to buy next?

Too early to say.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£7,500

When did you buy the car?

January 2007

Did you get a good deal and why?

About average. I probably would've haggled harder for a model in more plentiful supply.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

What was the dealer like?

The sales staff were always pleasant and professional. Quality of preperation was another matter, however, with promised paint touchups not done, dog hairs under the back seats and a number of minor electrical problems left uncorrected. I really didn't expect this from a "Seat approved used" vehicle, particularly since my car used to be driven by the managing director of the garage I bought it from. It's one thing to miss faults during a one-off check, but the owner must have known about them! To their credit, the dealership fixed most of the problems very quickly; it's just a shame they let the car go out without sorting them earlier.

What's it like to drive?

Lovely engine, with a satisfying "wall" of torque available. I used to own a 2 litre petrol and, for real world driving, this thing leaves it standing. Handling isn't quite as sharp as I'd like, with a fair bit of understeer. I'm not usually one to notice these things, but I have found myself caught out on roads which my old Mondeo used to tackle with ease.

What's it like to park?

Easy. Turns in very tightly and has good visibility.

Have you had any problems with the car?

As noted above, there were several, annoying minor faults: Cd changer failed to recognise any commercial CDs; no front-left speaker output from radio; interior light flashing on and off when driving; cruise control set/reduce speed button not working until pushed so hard it split the 2 halves of the indicator stalk apart. All fixed except the cruise control which "doesn't generate a fault code" according to my local dealer. Well it doesn't work! I'm classing these as part of the buying experience, hence the high rating in this section.

What's most practical about your car?

Unlike most modern "small" cars, the Toledo is genuinely petite, whilst not feeling at all cramped inside. There's also an array of gadgets that have proven to be genuinely useful, rather than just gimickey, including rain sensing wipers, trip computer and electric sun roof.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The CD changer. It's great to just load it up at the start of a long journey and not have to mess about swapping discs.