Twin test: Seat Leon vs Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra is the current European Car of the Year. The talented newcomer has already proven itself to us in turbodiesel guise, where it saw off the Ford Focus and Skoda Octavia. But petrol engines are ever-more popular again these days. How does it stack up in 1.4-litre turbo guise?

To find out, we pitted it against another popular family hatch five-door, the Seat Leon. Like the Astra, this came with a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine, matching the Astra with a 148bhp power output. For true parity, we picked sporty variants of both: the Astra SRi and the Leon FR.

Against the clock, it’s the Astra that has the immediate advantage. It’s quicker against the clock and not far shy of some hot hatchbacks. The Leon isn’t far behind, though, and its power delivery is, if anything, more progressive than the boisterous Astra.

The Leon’s steering has more feedback as well, and there’s more bite from its front tyres. With less body lean, it’s that bit more enjoyable to drive. The Astra isn’t bad, and proves agile enough, but it doesn’t have the feedback of the Seat that will please more enthusiastic drivers.

In keeping with their sportier setups, neither car has a magic carpet ride. They’re not crashy, but firmer than conventional models. The Seat is actually the slightly comfier ride, despite its engaging feel and sporty 18-inch wheels. Both are more refined on the go than their diesel counterparts though, and passengers will appreciate this smoother feel at speed.

Inside, these family-friendly cars are roomy and comfortable for passengers. We found the Astra to be slightly roomier, and occupants may find it feels less claustrophobic thanks to its bigger side windows. The Astra has a taller boot as well, although the Seat actually betters it for on-paper capacity. It’s a pity the decent space of both is spoiled by high openings that are tricky to lift stuff over.

Up front, the Astra’s dashboard feels more upmarket compared to the slightly dour Seat. Saying that, the Leon has fewer buttons so is simpler to use. Its 6.5in touchscreen is straightforward too. The Astra’s 8.0in screen is brighter and better-looking, and seems to pack in more features and functionality. We quickly got comfortable behind the sporty steering wheels of both, although the Leon’s seats held us in better during faster cornering.

They’re closely matched on standard spec, but there are differences. Both have sat nav, DAB and Bluetooth, but the Vauxhall adds Apple CarPlay, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers. The Seat, in contrast, includes LED headlights, climate control and all-round parking sensors. You’ll get a bigger discount on the Leon as well, despite the sticker price being higher than the Astra.

The Leon will be cheaper to run as a company car, because CO2 emissions are lower. As for leasing versus PCP, both are winners. The Leon has the cheaper PCP deal but the Astra is by far the cheaper car to lease, costing £195 a month instead of £253. Vauxhall fits the more comprehensive haul of active safety kit as well, including low-speed auto-braking. This is not available on the Leon, even as an option.

Which gets the nod? Both are very evenly matched, so you’d probably be happy with either. Of the two, the Astra has the best tech, the most useful practicality and is perhaps the most comfortable. But it’s the Seat that’s most satisfying to drive and cheapest to buy and run. By the smallest of margins, it’s our pick. But few battles have been as close as this.

AUTOCAR