SEAT Toledo

My plan was to get an SUV and was eyeing the SEAT Arona when we saw this car tucked in the corner of the showroom. Not as good looking like the Arona or Ateca but inside was actually spacious and pretty. One test drive later and it convinced us. And the price - cheaper than a comparable Korean and those are not coming with an TSI engine.

A year later still happy with this choice. Except for one incident that the battery died (less than 6 months), the rest is so far so good.

The drive is very sporty, superb handling, acceleration is very quick for this type of car, even more if it is on 'S'. No such thing like wheel spin - note that I upgraded to 16" As that is the default spec when sold in Europe. Instead what happen if floored is that all other cars are suddenly behind me.

The suspension is quite hard though, so need to go slow on speed bumps.

Super practical car with large boot and lot of small but useful details not expected (like the stowing net in the trunk).

Recommendation: go for 16" And upgrade to Full-link to support Android-Auto or Apple Car.

Was look at entry level cars at 70-80k range. Like shuttle and Cerato and avante, etc.

It's funny thou reading reviews of those cars during my quest to change car.. People who review them will almost always compare it with their "Previously owned" Conti cars like BMW and Merc.. Then say things like cannot compare to their W213.. Blah blah

Anyway.. My previous car was reaching 10 years so time to change..

Was about to settle for Cerato.. N stumbled upon the Toledo

Went to test drive the Toledo and Cerato. Both showrooms were like 300m away.

Was surprised by the driving performance of the Toledo and the boot space was very nice. First car was a humble Getz.. So not much boot space there.. 2nd car was an Impreza 2.0.. Also not much boot space..

After driving the Toledo for 5 months.. The only 2 things that I like about the car.. Performance and boot space..

Agreed with the other review.. Tends to wheel spin.. That's only when we stab the pedal like Need For Speed at the green light.. But don't deny that secretly you are smiling inside.. Like I was.. Maybe a change in tyres could solve that..

In terms of interior space.. Leg room is good.. Width is a tad bit smaller than the Impreza.. But not to the point of being squeezy..

Exterior shouts ah pek car.. Sleeper actually.. Don't know why I was still chased by a civic..

15" Rims and tires with not enough width..

Agreed that the suspension is super hard.. Gives u a bumpy ride.. N painful ears.. When ur wife nags about your driving skills

Overall.. If driving performance is your thing.. And u can overlook features and looks.. Then this is a good drive for the price..

Forgot to beg for Full link during nego at sales time.. Didn't know it was excluded.. WTH.. Asked for 600 bucks to activate it.. Might as well buy a better headset..

No solar film and in car camera.. Had to install it myself..

I must say it has a very big 550l trunk which is suitable for my working needs.

A decent 4 door car at a reasonable price.

Personally owned many different cars before this (Conti/Korean/Japanese).

Shopping for a second car as i have a Q7 at home but turns out it was so good it became my daily. Initially had a budget of 100k, looked at Cerato, Avante, Sylphy, Altis, Impreza, Insignia, Octavia and Golf. Bought this as it has the most value and best drivability paired with a practical package at such a low price is simply unbeatable.

Own this car close to 2 years now. Here's my take on the car:

1) Done high mileage around 40k km, so far no problems only servicing every 15k

2) Servicing cost lower than expected, much lower than my previous conti

3) Tires Vertex give is very bad, floaty and no grip at high speed especially when cornering( Switched to 215/40/17) for much better handling, seems like a much different car in handling although fuel consumption increased slightly to around 13km/l on mixed driving as I'm a heavy footer

4) Car comes standard with halogen headlamps with poor visibility in the dark, changed to white lamps

I drive the Toledo for about 5 months and this is one of the better cars that I own.

Driving performance

What I love most about this car is the driving performance. Gently step on the pedal and you can literally feel the burst of power kicking in. Good and smooth acceleration.

Handling characteristics

Steering feels a little light but is precise. The suspension is slightly on a harder side and hence ride tends to be slightly bumpy. When taking a corner at higher speed, the car feels very stable and confident with minimal body roll.

Design

Not the best in terms of look, what I like about this car is the big boot space. Interior design wise you can see many distinctive volkswagen and skoda styling. I also love the high headroom (compared to my previous Honda City) and leg space at the rear is good.