Seat Toledo Review (1999 to 2005)

Quick Summary

Despite the appeal of the Skoda Octavia, it has to be said that the smart money in this class goes on the SEAT Toledo. Costing little more than the Skoda but offering markedly superior equipment levels, corporate identity and the 2.3-litre V5 engine, the Toledo range has a lot to appeal to the used buyer. Look for decent nearly new V5s or turbo diesel models and you shouldn't go far wrong. It's one of the better used buys.

Overall:

Models Covered:(4 dr saloon 1.6, 1.8, 2.3 petrol, 1.9 diesel [base, S, SE, V5])

IBERIA’S BUSINESS CLASS SEAT

It's hard to believe that in one form or another the SEAT Toledo has been around since 1991, quietly garnering a modest share of the corporate fleet market. It was always one of those cars with little or no identity, but which did speak volumes about the esteem your boss held you in when you were presented with the keys. The latest incarnation of the Toledo changed all that. Here was a car that looked good, was priced aggressively, boasted build quality to die for and was part of an increasingly sexy range of cars. A used Toledo lets you buy into these values for an almost laughably low price compared to a mechanically identical new VW Bora or Audi A3. It's said you always get what you pay for, but in Barcelona, SEAT's bosses may wish to question that assertion.
Used Seat Toledo for sale

History of the Toledo

The SEAT Toledo has traditionally been viewed as a modernised Volkswagen Jetta, embodying the 'old' SEAT virtues of taking other companies tired stock and breathing new life into it in a cheap and cheerful manner. The latest Toledo, launched in March 1999 is a very different proposition. Based on parent company Volkswagen's standard Audi A3/Volkswagen Bora/Skoda Octavia body platform, the Toledo offered the best value of all. With some sharp pen work from Ital Design, the lines are a huge improvement over its brutally cubist predecessor. The Toledo was only offered in four-door saloon format, and came with 1.6, 1,8 and 2.3-litre petrol engines, plus a 1.9-litre turbo diesel. The petrol engines were standard off-the-shelf VW Group products; the 100bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder, the ubiquitous 125bhp 1.8-litre 20-valve and the creamy 2.3-litre 150bhp V5 unit, effectively the old VR6 engine with a cylinder lopped off. The diesel was the impressive 1.9 turbo diesel developing 110bhp.A base 1.6 trim level was added to the range in October 1999, but SEAT soon backtracked by deleting the 1.6-litre engine option and all models below SE trim in July 2000, leaving just the 1.8 20v SE, 1.9 TDi SE and 2.3 V5 models in their line-up. A 1.8-litre turbocharged Sport with 180bhp on tap was launched in Spring 2003, bringing a welcome dynamic edge to the Toledo line up and it was followed soon thereafter by a 130bhp version of the 1.9-litre TDi diesel. An all new Toledo went on sale in the first part of 2005.
Used Seat Toledo for sale

Seat Toledo Road Test

If you've driven a VW Bora, VW Golf, Skoda Octavia or Audi A3 of similar age, the Toledo will come as no great surprise. It's a tidy handler with a slightly nose-heavy bias in diesel and V5 forms, but on the whole it's a little softer than its German or Czech counterparts whilst still impressing with the quality of cabin fittings. It is possible to see where corners have been cut to warrant the cost savings, but on the whole it's a class act. The 1.6-litre engine should really be avoided, and the 1.8, whilst reasonably brisk, feels vibratory, a little coarse and a bit shy of torque. It'll be far more rewarding to save for the V5 or plump for the gutsy diesel.The V5 reaches sixty in 9.2 seconds on the way to a top speed in excess of 130mph, but all-out performance isn't what the V5 is all about, instead offering a decadently creamy power delivery that's reminiscent of one of the better small BMW sixes. The TDi manages sixty in 11.2 seconds, but combines this fair turn of speed with 56mpg capability and offers a huge wall of torque between tickover and 4000rpm. All it need to be an effortless drive is an automatic gearbox, sadly only available on the 1.8-litre car.
Used Seat Toledo for sale

Buying a Seat Toledo

Tried and tested engines, the VW-standard quality auditing and an inherent feeling of solidity all bode well for the Toledo's reliability. Having been on sale for such a short duration it's perhaps inevitable that no major faults have emerged, but watch out for neglected ex-hire cars. The Toledo is a car where the price differences between good and bad examples aren't too great, so be fussy. Look for a fully stamped up service history and reject anything that looks in any way tatty, grubby or vaguely dog-eared.
Used Seat Toledo for sale

Seat Toledo Typical Pricing

Talking about residual values with a SEAT dealer used to be a first class way to get shown the door, but since VW's rehabilitation of the SEAT brand into a sort of Iberian Alfa Romeo, things have changed. The Toledo still won't hold onto its value quite as well as a VW Bora, but it's still a pretty gentle depreciator. Opening prices for a 1999V-registered Toledo 1.6 S with around 43,000 miles showing on the clock are around £3,025.The more popular Toledo 1.8 starts at just under £3,075 for an S model, but the volume selling SE can be yours for only about £150 more. If you want an automatic version of the SE, factor in another £200. The pick of the petrol range is the 2.3 V5, prices of which begin at just over £3,900 for a 1999 T-plate car. Try to stretch to this one, as it's a model which genuinely justifies the additional expense. Perhaps equally impressive is the TDi model. For those who don't fancy the V5's fuel bills, the TDi is a good bet, with prices starting at £3,550 for a 1999 T-plated TDi S or £3,675 for a similar vintage SE model. All Toledos come in for some quite reasonable insurance ratings, with the 1.6-litre cars rated at Group 7, the 1.8 and 1.9-litre models at Group 9 and the swift V5 a mere Group 13.
Used Seat Toledo for sale

Seat Toledo Parts

(approx based on a 1999 Toledo 1.8 20v) SEAT spares are reasonably priced, with consumables starting at just £4v for a spark plug. An air filter costs £20, a timing belt £40, an oil filter is £9 and a fuel filter a mere £6. Keeping a nearly-new Toledo on the road shouldn't prove too expensive.
Used Seat Toledo for sale