SEAT Exeo 170 TDI CR SE Lux

Got an Exeo on demo at the moment - hopefully this pic will work:

For a start it's the wrong colour

I wasn't sure what to expect when this one was delivered - the only Audi I've ever driven was an S4, 2000 vintage, and this is based on the previous model A4...

Safe to say it's a different beast to that. Interior is very german - no swoops or curves and the only shapes are circles, squares or rectangles. You can tell it's a VAG car though, which I guess is am good thing.

The seats are a bit hard but reasonably comfortable and heated, but no electric adjustment - keeps weight and cost down.

Steering is exactly as I've read about with recent Audis, a bit dull feeling especially either side of dead ahead but is weighted nicely. Brakes don't have much feel but are very effective.

Engine is a peach. Quiet at idle and really smooth. Once you're moving in 3rd/4th/5th and higher up the rev range the car gets down the road nicely

The ride feels really modern, not much road noise considering it's got 225/40/18s and only the worst ruts or holes in the road thump hard through the chassis. Handling is safe and trippy, but that steering holds you back, you never know whether the nose is with you until you're committed, once you learn to trust it it's fine and gives you confidence to chuck it in to bends.

The gearbox is quite light but the shift action is too long though, and has a vague action in my opinion.

Radio is terrible, not enough punch.

This one has adaptive bi-xenons too which are excellent and turn as you turn the steering wheel. Only gripe about them is on road surfaces that aren't billiard smooth you can see the lights actually vibrating -the patter on the road gives this away.

I've done 600 miles since last Tuesday in it, economy has been an indicated mid 40s which considering the grunt it has and the size of it is respectable. No idea what the official figures are though.

It's a nice car with good spec, not as big inside as I thought it would be either, but seems to be missing that final few points to make me love it.

Edited 23 February, 201115 yr by Dave_G