Golf vs Leon interior
Discussion
Hi
I'm trying to work out whether to go for a golf or a leon from an interior perspective. Im looking at the xcellence technology trim (2017) for the leon and the SE Nav trim (2018) for the golf or maybe a higher trim. The lock down has meant that dealers or local traders are not even allowing us to sit inside any car to get a feel for it. All the typical review websites seem to suggest that the golf edges out the leon in the interiors. But just wanted to get some real world opinions from others who may have tested or owned both these cars.
I'd prefer not having scratchy/hard plastics in the common areas of interaction at the front. Don't mind such plastics down the sides or at the bottom near the feet. Similarly not too bothered about plastic surfaces at the back as long as they don't look cheap. A friend of mine has a golf and I did have a look. It's a decent balance of squidgy soft--to-touch materials on the dash and the sides at the front and unoffensive plastics at the back. But no one we know has a Leon. So asking for opinions here. Would appreciate your thoughts/insights. Thank you.
I'm trying to work out whether to go for a golf or a leon from an interior perspective. Im looking at the xcellence technology trim (2017) for the leon and the SE Nav trim (2018) for the golf or maybe a higher trim. The lock down has meant that dealers or local traders are not even allowing us to sit inside any car to get a feel for it. All the typical review websites seem to suggest that the golf edges out the leon in the interiors. But just wanted to get some real world opinions from others who may have tested or owned both these cars.
I'd prefer not having scratchy/hard plastics in the common areas of interaction at the front. Don't mind such plastics down the sides or at the bottom near the feet. Similarly not too bothered about plastic surfaces at the back as long as they don't look cheap. A friend of mine has a golf and I did have a look. It's a decent balance of squidgy soft--to-touch materials on the dash and the sides at the front and unoffensive plastics at the back. But no one we know has a Leon. So asking for opinions here. Would appreciate your thoughts/insights. Thank you.
The Golf interior is definitely more “premium” than the leon. The Leon’s interior is not flimsy it’s just the plastics are hard compared to the Golf.
Personally if you can I would stretch to either a Golf GT or Leon FR. They both (especially the golf) have nicer seats in the sportier spec which really lifts the cabin. The Golf GT seats are Alcantara centres and are much better bolstered than the basic seats in the S/SE/match
Personally if you can I would stretch to either a Golf GT or Leon FR. They both (especially the golf) have nicer seats in the sportier spec which really lifts the cabin. The Golf GT seats are Alcantara centres and are much better bolstered than the basic seats in the S/SE/match
Having had both, the Golf does edge it. The Leon is probably just as long lasting and hard wearing (a lot of the buttons, dials etc are shared), but some of the plastic is a bit second rate. The centre console/transmission tunnel is one such area which isn't really out of sight enough to get away with it.
The Leon is possibly a bit more interesting in its layout, but we're splitting hairs really.
The Leon is possibly a bit more interesting in its layout, but we're splitting hairs really.
SteBrown91 said:
The Golf interior is definitely more “premium” than the leon. The Leon’s interior is not flimsy it’s just the plastics are hard compared to the Golf.
Personally if you can I would stretch to either a Golf GT or Leon FR. They both (especially the golf) have nicer seats in the sportier spec which really lifts the cabin. The Golf GT seats are Alcantara centres and are much better bolstered than the basic seats in the S/SE/match
ThanksPersonally if you can I would stretch to either a Golf GT or Leon FR. They both (especially the golf) have nicer seats in the sportier spec which really lifts the cabin. The Golf GT seats are Alcantara centres and are much better bolstered than the basic seats in the S/SE/match
jwilco said:
Having had both, the Golf does edge it. The Leon is probably just as long lasting and hard wearing (a lot of the buttons, dials etc are shared), but some of the plastic is a bit second rate. The centre console/transmission tunnel is one such area which isn't really out of sight enough to get away with it.
The Leon is possibly a bit more interesting in its layout, but we're splitting hairs really.
Thank youThe Leon is possibly a bit more interesting in its layout, but we're splitting hairs really.
Worth noting that for a given year, the Skoda/Seat offerings typically have subtly inferior kit (previous generation infotainment, for example) compared to VW.
So check whether a 2017 Leon featured the MIB2 unit or not. If it's still on MIB1 and these things matter to you, it's a big difference.
So check whether a 2017 Leon featured the MIB2 unit or not. If it's still on MIB1 and these things matter to you, it's a big difference.
Not car specific but I went car shopping at the weekend.
2 dealers in Berwick upon Tweed allowed me to sit in the cars without any problem if they had been sterilised. I got to look at the inside of a customers car as it was on my list but obviously they wouldn’t let me sit in it.
The next day I went up to Edinburgh. The first big dealer I went to a salesman on passing said everything is done by email just now. I took it that meant they wouldn’t even speak to you without an appointment so I just left. I was browsing not turning up for a flipping job interview.
Went literally over the road to another branch of the same company to be greeted by a nice lady. As she said ‘I’m standing doing nothing , you’re looking for a car so let’s see what you want’. We had a look about, saw something we liked and asked if we could go inside it. ‘I’m not supposed to do that but I’ll just walk round this corner’.
In the end we bought it so she got a sale and the other branch didn’t.
That long story means if a company is keen to make a sale the rules can get bent. In fact the very fact I’m picking the car up myself on Wednesday appears to be agains the regulations in Scotland.
Ironically it was a Leon I was interested in at the first garage but obviously nobody was keen to speak to me so I ended up with Fiesta.
2 dealers in Berwick upon Tweed allowed me to sit in the cars without any problem if they had been sterilised. I got to look at the inside of a customers car as it was on my list but obviously they wouldn’t let me sit in it.
The next day I went up to Edinburgh. The first big dealer I went to a salesman on passing said everything is done by email just now. I took it that meant they wouldn’t even speak to you without an appointment so I just left. I was browsing not turning up for a flipping job interview.
Went literally over the road to another branch of the same company to be greeted by a nice lady. As she said ‘I’m standing doing nothing , you’re looking for a car so let’s see what you want’. We had a look about, saw something we liked and asked if we could go inside it. ‘I’m not supposed to do that but I’ll just walk round this corner’.
In the end we bought it so she got a sale and the other branch didn’t.
That long story means if a company is keen to make a sale the rules can get bent. In fact the very fact I’m picking the car up myself on Wednesday appears to be agains the regulations in Scotland.
Ironically it was a Leon I was interested in at the first garage but obviously nobody was keen to speak to me so I ended up with Fiesta.
Edited by Drawweight on Monday 22 March 08:36
I've had a MK7.5 Golf and a Leon MK3.5 and the golf interior was much nicer quality and finish. Had a few squeaks in the Leon but nothing felt like it would fall apart, just cheaper materials used than the Golf. The Leon MK3.5 (facelift) is much nicer than the pre-facelift, the few subtle changes really make a difference.
I think I will drop the Leon. Have started looking at A3s. They seem to be going at a premium for used cars...Many of the A3s are the same or similar price to A4 used cars. I'm guessing its because there isnt a steady supply right now. Do people think that used car prices will drop in the near future?
I had a Scirocco before i got my Leon. Yes, the VW's interior is a bit more premium, but there really isn't much in it. I had a B9 Audi A4 before that, and i couldn't see what the fuss was all about. I personally thought that the VW's interior was much better, less horrible chrome and felt better quality to me.
I had a mk7 R followed by a Cupra 290 BE. In terms of the quality I would say they were pretty close. The Seat had a few more scratchy black plastic surfaces but the main difference is you could see a bit more thought and money had went into the design and different surfaces in the golf. However, most of them didn't feel anymore premium than what was in the Seat. It was still plastic painted to look like something else. They both also had the same crappy feeling heater controls which just felt cheap and nasty.
The Seat had amazing seats compared to the golf. The golf had soft spongey things made of sack cloth. The Seat had leather and Alcantara high back buckets.
The Seat had amazing seats compared to the golf. The golf had soft spongey things made of sack cloth. The Seat had leather and Alcantara high back buckets.
kirathakudu said:
I think I will drop the Leon. Have started looking at A3s. They seem to be going at a premium for used cars...Many of the A3s are the same or similar price to A4 used cars. I'm guessing its because there isnt a steady supply right now. Do people think that used car prices will drop in the near future?
It's all guessing re used car prices but I suspect not. I think there's probably built up demand from people who don't want to buy a car during lockdown who will be looking when it ends and probably a shortage of new cars into the market as manufacturing has been delayed due to lockdown.
I think short term used prices will stay as they are, I dont know the market well enough to guess long term.
I've owned both a mk3 Leon and now a mk7 Golf.
The differences in plastics didn't really bother me, the bigger differences for me are
Noise and refinement, mechanically the same car however the golf is more refined. I assume more sound deadening material? Less engine noise, less rear road noise from the Golf.
Seats, Golf items are firmer and offer better support.
The Golf feels better screwed together. Playing banging tunes
the Leon's door trim couldn't cope. They would vibrate and rattle. None of this in the Golf.
This was an FR v GTD
The differences in plastics didn't really bother me, the bigger differences for me are
Noise and refinement, mechanically the same car however the golf is more refined. I assume more sound deadening material? Less engine noise, less rear road noise from the Golf.
Seats, Golf items are firmer and offer better support.
The Golf feels better screwed together. Playing banging tunes
the Leon's door trim couldn't cope. They would vibrate and rattle. None of this in the Golf.This was an FR v GTD
In 2019 I intended to buy a 1 year old (or slightly less) petrol Golf GT. However, the Golf was fitted with the early troublesome version of the 1.5TSI (150) engine.
I bought a July 2018 Leon FR as that has the previous 1.4TSi engine. Refinement & trim quality not quite up to the Golf but not far behind & switchgear & infotenment the same. The Leon has climate control & all LED lights (including headlamps) - both expensive options on the Golf GT - and the Leon (from a main dealer) was almost £5k cheaper than the Golf would have been.
Have driven a friend's Goft GT a couple of times but don't regret my decision.
I bought a July 2018 Leon FR as that has the previous 1.4TSi engine. Refinement & trim quality not quite up to the Golf but not far behind & switchgear & infotenment the same. The Leon has climate control & all LED lights (including headlamps) - both expensive options on the Golf GT - and the Leon (from a main dealer) was almost £5k cheaper than the Golf would have been.
Have driven a friend's Goft GT a couple of times but don't regret my decision.
The wife had an A3 with the 1.4 ACT engine on a lease for 3 years. It was a good car with a nice interior, but expensive for what it was, with very little included options.
At the end of the lease, we toyed with buying the A3, but in the end bought a Leon FR with the same engine.
It was newer than the equivelant A3' and Golf's, and came with the remainder of the manufacturers guarantee. The interior wasn't quite as nice as the Audi, but it was significantly cheaper for what was essentially the same car. Plus it came with far more optional extras for the price.
I'd image the Golf would be somewhere in the middle of those two, not that there's that much difference between the three cars to begin with.
It depends on what value you put on a badge.
At the end of the lease, we toyed with buying the A3, but in the end bought a Leon FR with the same engine.
It was newer than the equivelant A3' and Golf's, and came with the remainder of the manufacturers guarantee. The interior wasn't quite as nice as the Audi, but it was significantly cheaper for what was essentially the same car. Plus it came with far more optional extras for the price.
I'd image the Golf would be somewhere in the middle of those two, not that there's that much difference between the three cars to begin with.
It depends on what value you put on a badge.
Edited by Terzo123 on Tuesday 23 March 17:23
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