A last minute business trip to meet a contact in an area of Hertfordshire I was unfamiliar with, saw me punching the postcode in and hoping for the best.
I’m not sure I went via the most direct route, but I was grateful and frankly impressed to reach the isolated meeting point.
Not once since the Leon arrived at the end of May, have I felt short of boot space and this month it was tested again. This time by a Passat-owning photographer friend, who needed some tracking shots.
Facts, figures, likes and dislikes
P11D – £21,940
Company car tax – £51 per month for a basic rate tax payer
Official mpg – 85.6mpg
Our average mpg – 51 mpg over 2,260 miles
Our best mpg – 65mpg on a 50 mile trip
We like – Comfortable and refined performer, specification, high-quality interior, impressive economy, low company car tax exposure, bright LED headlights
We don’t like – noisy engine at idle, touch-sensitive sat nav not intuitive, unsettled ride over unmade surfaces
He was surprised by the 597-litres of boot space in the Leon ST, which was large enough for all his kit. This and the exceptionally low running cost could see him swap to a SEAT in the future.
As the darker nights of autumn draw in, the distinctive LED headlights, part of the optional technology pack, are really confidence-inspiring, giving clear and powerful light and are surely to become more important as we edge closer to winter.
An added bonus with the LED headlights, is that the Leon also gets attractive and bright LED rear lights to match and with the courtesy feature, it’s not difficult to find the Leon in dark car parks.
Despite more careful driving and lots of trips around the M25 for launches, I haven’t managed to beat the indicated 65mpg I saw last month – the best being 58mpg on a run back from the Cotswolds. However, I’ve managed to improve the average slightly to 53mpg.
We’re still a way off the official mpg figure of 85.6mpg, but considering the mileage and the fact that on occasions it is difficult to drive frugally, over 500 miles to a tank is still pretty useful.
I’ll be working to improve this next month. I’ve also found that by equalising the tyre pressures, the ride has got better too.