SEAT Altea FR, just bought one!

The mrs is after a new car (well, not new). Just been around the local garages and spotted a SEAT Altea FR. 170bhp 2.0 16v TDI. she likes them because they've got a big deep boot as she wants a dog. They also have an SE in, with full cream leather. both have 17" wheels but obviously the FR looks better and goes better. Surprisingly the FR isn't a lot to insure, only 400, as opposed to 320 for the SE. I thought that would be the deciding factor but that's not a bad price. Just didn't think it was worth paying the extra when she'd probably never use the extra performance (and a remapped 140 SE would go to 170bhp anyway)

Going to test drive them both to see if the "sports" suspesion is that bad as I know SEAT's can be a bit choppy. just wondered if anyone had any experience of either?

Daily driver of course, so head is saying the SE is the better choice. But the FR has nice sporty seats and looks loads better....hmm...

 

Let us know how you get on Phatty, I'm in a similar boat with the missus wanting to change from a Polo to an Altea, which I don't mind but it'll need a bit of ooomph as the Polo has got about as much 'get up and go' as a glacier.

 

yeah, will do. if she's still keen on them later in the week we might go back and test them both out. she was dead keen earlier, but not i think the idea of spending 10k has put her off...

 

one of the guys got a ibiza fr and he was looking at the lower spec but ithe FR was nicer

 

yeah FR is top of the range, but the SE is also a good spec, just more of a grown up luxury model rather than sporty.

 

well, drove them back to back. we liked the SE, it had a few more toys, like auto dimming mirror and parking sensors, but the actual car was in really poor condition for it's age. 18 month old, 41k on the clock, one owner, but ever single panel had a scratch on it and it was stone chipped to death. metallic black didn't help matters.

the FR is 7mm lower and had stiffer suspension and uprated ARBS, and bigger brakes (and 30bhp more). wierdly the 140SE felt pokier, the 170FR did feel like a diesel at all. didn't have that huge slug of low down torque surge, felt more linear, not like a TDI at all. doesn't sound like one either.

we went for the FR in the end. he gave us a cracking deal on trading in the old lupo (saves me having to put a new tyre on it and putting it thought the mot) and i squeezed a free 60k service out of them too. If the SE had been in better condition we'd have gone for that, but the FR was still like brand new so too good to leave really. Both rare models and couldn't find any more of either within 100 miles. Great seats in it, bigger brakes, looks better with the different front bumper, and Emocion red too. bit of a weird car, like a hot hatch but it's an mpv. strange one really, but it had 4 brand new bridgestone potenzas, got the next sevice for free, full mot, full tax ticket. it'll be 4 years of trouble free motoring I hope.

Comparison wise the SE was only marginally smoother ride wise, you could still feel the bumps and stuff in both cars (both on 17"s), but you could feel the texture of the road in the steering wheel more in the FR, but the steering was so much sharper and responsive it was worth it.

should be picking it up next week :-)

the knob salesman tried to fob us off saying he'll throw in a full sevice, free mot and free valet. i said, er, so you're giving us nothing! it doesn't need a valet, it was serviced 2 weeks ago and you've just said you'll give it a full mot! I can't believe people fall for that sales pitch...

 

nice one get some pics up

 

not the actual one as it's not on the net anymore, but it's identical to this



butt ugly from the back but i like the big boot, she wants a dog so we can get a nice big cage in there. privacy glass as standard should keep it nice and cool in there too (not that we plan to leave it locked in the car anyway)

 

I would go for a Tauran if you want a nice big boot and 7 seats when you need them, plus they go well with the PD 's

 

nice, from lupo to people carrier, any one preggers

 

The Rabbit after my Rabbit gave a good seeing to

 

haha, nah no kids, no plans to have kids. just too used to the extra space of the van so finding the lupo frustratingly small, can't even go and get a trolley full of shopping in that without folding the back seats down.

oh, here's the actual one.

 

is it the same engine as my Tauran PD140 ?

if so get it Chipped to 195BHP will be good for shopping trip via track day @ Cadwell

 

170bhp as standard. i've already sent and enquiry to the guy who chipped the lupo

 

Is that after a top Quality EGR plate is fitted

My old Black Tauran was a PD170 pulled like a Train

 

i'm thinking gloss black for the chrome on the grille, and possibly the mirrors too

 

Black Alloys too

 

yeah gloss black will make it seems a bit more expensive. The silver painted stuff looks a bit cheap to me. Looks like a nice runaround, thats a definate family wagon though, you sure she isn't using the 'dog' as an excuse to buy the car then the next minute 'wooops' im preggers how did that happen?

 

see post 12

 

ok buddy, good for you