Has anyone had any experience of the Seat Exeo

[dubdemand]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section but this is kind of B7 related!

I need a larger company car and have been pricing up the Audi and BMW estate options which unfortunately both come to approx 33K for what I'd want... My budget is around the 27K mark and the best solution I can find is the Seat Exeo ST Sport Tech - which basically gives me everything I could ask for.

Has anyone driven one or spent any time with one to hold an opinion on these? I want to know if it really is as good as the B7 for build quality and handling and if there are any other potential down falls that I should be aware of?

Any advice is greatly appreciated

 

[B5NUT]

It's the same car, with a cab interior and different body panels. Even the electrics are the same, Just think of it as a B7.5. Someone in our office has one felt like an audi but with the wrong badges.

 

[Wrath]

It does strike me odd that the Exeo, being a newer B7, looks as bland as a Volvo. No wonder there aren't many on the roads.

 

[SebRogers]

I need a larger company car ... and the best solution I can find is the Seat Exeo ST Sport Tech

Slightly confused. Your signature says you have an A4 Avant. You also say you need a larger car. The EXEO is an A4 Avant with a Seat badge... so it's the same size

I'm sure it's bolted together just as well as the Audis. Doesn't look as nice IMHO (the B6 is still the best iteration of the A4, I reckon... third time around is pushing Seat's luck) and I doubt it'll hold its value as well. There's a 33k 59 plate 170 ST on the forecourt of my local Seat dealer for £12.5k. A similarly specced A4 Avant with the same miles would be, what, £17k? More?

Just my ha'pennorth. Good luck working it all out!

 

[warren_S5]

Great second hand buy if you can tolerate it's front end looks!

Interior feels every bit the Audi, and with latest crop of engines it drives very well. I drove a 170 diesel variant at the SEAT press launch and I think the way the car has been set up, it rides slightly better than the B7 from memory (whether they have changed underpinnings as part of the refresh I don't know, but it just felt more taught).

Wouldnt buy a new one, and if I bought one would need to be black to offset / hide the hideous SEAT grill on the latest cars, but as a second hand buy it's a shedload of car for the £.

 

[dubdemand]

Thanks chaps, I'd spotted how good they were on the second hand market and knowing what we payed for our Avant a year ago I wonder if we'd have been better off going for the lower mileage Seat! The Audi version is much better looking but once your inside I'm guessing they feel pretty similar - I almost prefer the cab dash anyway! (would be a good interior swap for an unusual A4 project if no one has done it before!?!)

My wife uses the Avant as her daily and my company car is a BMW 120d Coupe (sorry for the blasphemy lol). If I changed to the Seat we could sell the Avant and pick up an A3 Sportback which would probably suit my wife a bit better. The main reason for this decision is that if we use my company car then we benefit from the cheeper fuel and fuel card that comes with it...

Might pop into a Seat showroom during the week for a poke about if I can find one!

 

[andyj]

Just spotted this thread, and thought I'd add my 2p's worth

I've owned my 2.0 (143CR) Exeo Sport Saloon for just under 2 years now. Bought it as a pre-registered car from the local Seat dealer, when they were looking to refresh the cars they had in the show-room. I picked it up, with 24miles on the clock, for £16k, £5.5k less than the list price. I also got a really good part-ex on my old Altea, which made the deal even more attractive.

In the last 2 years, I've covered nearly 34k, with no issues with the car at all. I regularly get 51mpg on the daily commute to work, and have been known to get 59mpg on a leisurely drive down to Devon and back.

Inside, it's basically a B7 A4, with the cab' dash etc, but with an 'S' badge on the steering wheel!

Outside it's a bit 'marmite' to be honest, you either like it, or you don't. Personnally I don't love the looks, but it's a small compromise I was willing to make, to get what is effectively an A4, for considerably less money.

I've got the sports model, which is lower and firmer than the SE or the SE Lux, so consequently has a slightly harsher ride. But I'm used to a LCR, so it's not a problem. The ride is rather good for a large saloon to be honest. With some relatively cheap/easy modifications, which are common-place on the B7 A4, it can be even better. RS4 rear-ARB is on my 'to do list'.

The only downside, is the brakes. My 143 only came with 288mm front brakes, which I feel are somewhat under-powered for the size of the car. I'm in the middle of investigating suitable upgrades, such as 312mm's from the S-line B7, or the 325mm B5 S4's.

When I bought mine, I had the option of going for a 170 version in the ST, but it was another £3k, which I just couldn't justify. It also had a leather interior, which I didn't like, as it felt like I was nearly sliding out of the seat everytime I went round a corner! The 'sports' seats in the Sport model, are very comfortable indeed, with nice sized side bolsters that hold you firmly in place. I can imagine if you a slighter larger build, that they could be a bit uncomfortable, as my Dad comments everytime he gets in it!

Overall, I would buy another Exeo tomorrow given the opportunity. In fact, I've already been looking at replacements for 12-months time......

It's just a shame that Seat haven't yet brought out an S4/RS4 equivalent...... althought the 3.2 V6 Superb engine looks rather tempting

 

[warren_S5]

Just spotted this thread, and thought I'd add my 2p's worth

It's just a shame that Seat haven't yet brought out an S4/RS4 equivalent...... althought the 3.2 V6 Superb engine looks rather tempting

Is that SCN andyj???

Is a very good car; a crying shame SEAT haven't chosen to extract more potential from it with passats R36 or even EA888 (Cupra variant).

Here's the ones we drove on SEAT press day - shame it was butchers forearm red.

 

[andyj]

that's me

Mine's the same as the saloon behind the red one.... same colour, shape, alloys etc

 

[ultramodz]

Just had a look on Auto Trader and you can pick up a 2009 Exeo 2.0 for around the £9k mark!

Bargain!

 

[doug.p]

agree with whats said here
the interior is an uprated one with the 'better' b7 cabrio dash.
outside it is very very bland, borderline ugly.
its only on the avant where you get that unmistakeable B7 profile which is good.
they depreciate exceptionally quick from new, but values bottom out after 2-3 years and remain relativly stable.
if you want an a4 on a budget, then go for it.
.................... then put an sline front and rear end on and bingo - a new b7 thats what i would do

 

[jdp1962]

I don't mind the look of the Exeo. It's nowhere near as good as the A4, but if the A4 had not existed and the Exeo has just appeared on its own, I'd probably like it. It just suffers by comparison with the original.

As far as the car itself is concerned, what's not to like? Buy one that's a couple of years old and you're gonna get a very good car for decent money.

 

[warren_S5]

Facelift model has been announced. Avant version looks far better than saloon. Saloon version looks like they've tried to graft a SEAT onto the front of an A4 with a cut and shut.

Don't know what the deal is with that grille; go on SEAT try and make it's once handsome A4 face just a bit uglier; I dare you!

 

[doug.p]

that is a step forward indeed, the lights are B8 looking, much better than the current offering IMO
still would not touch one with a barge pole though..........

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Unfortunately the face lifted Exeo is more expensive than the current version.
With two kids, my A3 is too small, especially in vacations. I want to sell it and buy a bigger car. I was looking at A4B7 when I came across Exeo. I knew about its existence but never considered it as an option. I've changed my mind now.
I can't wait to sell the A3.

 

[jdp1962]

Unfortunately the face lifted Exeo is more expensive than the current version.
With two kids, my A3 is too small, especially in vacations. I want to sell it and buy a bigger car. I was looking at A4B7 when I came across Exeo. I knew about its existence but never considered it as an option. I've changed my mind now.
I can't wait to sell the A3.

That's good news all round. It'll mean the price of good clean second-hand Exeos will fall a bit further.