SEAT Leon X-perience estate (2014-2018) - MPG, running costs & CO2

Before considering anything else, it’s worth noting that the top-of-the-range SEAT Leon X-perience costs over £2,000 more than the top-of-the-range Skoda Octavia Scout. Not only are the cars mechanically identical, but the Skoda also has a bigger boot. The SEAT’s more youthful image will no doubt make it more attractive to some buyers, however.

SEAT Leon X-perience MPG & CO2

In isolation, the SEAT makes a strong case for itself. Buyers have a choice of two 2.0-litre diesel engines, with either 148bhp or 182bhp. The more powerful version is more expensive, of course, but there isn’t much difference in running costs, despite the top-of-the-range model having a DSG automatic gearbox.

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The 182bhp version has CO2 emissions of 139g/km so road tax will cost £130 a year. Its 57.6mpg fuel economy is only slightly poorer than the 58.9mpg that the less powerful engine can manage, which sits a tax-band below the more powerful engine. For comparison, a BMW X3 SUV can only return 52.3mpg, while the petrol-powered Subaru Impreza (which also offers four-wheel drive in a conventional body) achieves just 44.1mpg.

Although the Leon X-perience is impressively economical for this kind of a car, a two-wheel-drive Leon ST fitted with the same engine will be cheaper to run.

Insurance group

The Leon X-perience is more costly to insure than the regular car, but cheaper to cover than the fast SEAT Leon Cupra. The basic 148bhp model sits in group 20, but choosing SE Technology trim bumps it up to group 26 – the same group as the 184bhp version.

Servicing

The X-perience has the same 40,000-mile major service interval as the rest of the SEAT range, and the company also offers a fixed-price service plan. For 24 monthly payments of £20, this covers the maintenance of your SEAT for three years or 30,000 miles – but surprisingly that’s £4 per month more than the same plan for a VW Golf.