SEAT Exeo saloon

Drive

The steering is relatively precise and there's plenty of grip during cornering. The SEAT is very comfortable and at home on long motorway journeys. There's only one petrol engine - a 2.0-litre TSI - and a pair of 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines with 141bhp and 168bhp. They've all been used in other cars from the Volkswagen Group (which SEAT is part of) before, so they're tried and tested and offer respectable performance. The TSI petrol engine makes the Exeo very quick off the mark with a 0-62mph time of only 7.1 seconds, but it's not as well suited to a big, comfortable saloon as the smoother, less frenetic diesels are.

Comfort

The standard Exeo is comfortable, but the suspension feels bouncy when driven over uneven roads. The Sport model feels more composed and rides slightly better – and as the name suggests, it's a bit sportier, too. The diesel engines are smooth, but they're not as quiet as they are in other Volkswagen Group models. Apart from a small amount of wind noise, the SEAT's cabin is quiet most of the time.

Reliability

An overall score of four stars under the current Euro NCAP safety regulations is good and the Exeo is loaded with safety equipment. Six airbags, electronic stability control, active front headrests and Isofix child seat mountings are all standard, as are Top Tether seats, which keep child seats in place during an impact. The Exeo has not been around long enough to appear in any reliability surveys, but if build quality is anything to go by, it's superb. Audi has a fine reputation for reliability too, so the Exeo is unlikely to let you down.

Practicality

The 460-litre boot is wide and easy to get into, and the rear seats split 60/40 and fold down. Four chrome hooks allow you to attach a cargo net to the inside of the boot and there are large front door pockets, map pockets on the back of the front seats and optional storage drawers beneath the front seats, too. The only downside is that rear legroom is quite tight.

Value for money

The SEAT Exeo is a lot more affordable than many more established saloon rivals and offers lots more standard equipment. Entry-level S models get dual-zone climate control, electric windows and mirrors, front foglights, cruise control, wheel-mounted stereo controls and a CD stereo with an MP3 connection. That's a huge amount, especially considering the low price, so you'll hardly want for anything even on the basic version. Resale values for big saloons aren't great at the best of times, and the SEAT's lack of a premium badge means it's likely to lose more, quickly. But then it is pretty cheap in the first place.

Running costs

Diesel models are very cheap to run. The lower powered 2.0 TDI diesel offers 54.3mpg and emissions of 136g/km, while the 168bhp diesel is still pretty frugal with 49.6mpg and 142g/km. The 2.0 TSI petrol isn't that bad either, with 40.9mpg and 159g/km. Insurance groups range from 21 to 27, so running costs in general are quite reasonable.