Used Seat For Sale

Country & Base – Spain – Martorell

Key Models:

• Ibiza [supermini]
• Leon [family hatch]
• Altea/Altea XL [mini MPV]
• Exeo [compact executive saloon and estate]
• Alhambra [large MPV]

Netcars Need To Know:

SEAT's schtick used to be to bill itself as the Spanish Alfa Romeo. For a while it seemed to stick to that script fairly well, majoring on fire-breathing Cupra models and 'auto emocion'. Then things went awry. SEAT's styling went through a decidedly wonky period where almost every car looked like some variation of a mini-MPV and the whole sporty vibe was lost. That's not to say that used buyers can't unearth bargain after bargain. It just means that you might well have to forego sleek styling in the process.

The best looking car in SEAT's line up has long been the Leon and this latest generation car is a handsome beast, especially in Cupra guise with its big wheels and squat stance. With 2007 model year prices now starting to inch below £8,000, it offers a lot of capability for the money. You'll still need £19,000 to land a 261bhp Cupra R though, so that might be one to wait a year or two for in order to scalp a real deal.

The Exeo is one of those rare cars that seems to work better as a new car  than a used one. It's based on a previous generation Audi A4, of which there's no shortage of used stock that has already experienced the steepest part of its depreciation curve. A better bet is the Altea and its Altea XL mini-MPV pairing. These offer plenty of space and practicality and the styling works well with this shape. With early Alteas now priced at less than £3,000 and XL's hovering around £4,000, it's a very attractive way of securing cheap, reliable, stylish and safe family motoring.