Rekall Incorporated
brapI can assure you, my next car will not.
I think 2020 is about the limit for me with all the mandatory bullshit trying to grab my attention in newer vehicles.
stoyI have a 2021 Seat Leon FR PHEV, it is advanced enough.
To be perfectly frank, I’d be happy with a Volvo 960 from '96, as long as I could integrate CarPlay in it.
How do you find it? I had the misfortune of hiring a new Golf for work recently on a 700 mile round trip and hated every minute of it - it just wouldn’t shut the fuck up and let me drive. It was obsessed with trying to intervene everywhere, and when I figured out how to turn it all off, it was right back there again next time I got in.
This is my first car, I got my license back in 2022, and bought this car in 2023, you have more options when you are 30+ years…
This means I have few other cars to compare it to, I drove a 2014 Golf at my driving school, and later my dad’s 2016 Volvo V90. I also got the opportunity to drive a Skoda in Spain in 2024.
The Leon is just the car I need, small, yet capacious, it is very comfortable and fun to drive.
There are some stuff I dislike, some that are unsafe and some that are brilliant.
It has a lot of power for a standard hatchback, 205bhp with both the electric and petrol engines running, to get the most out of it, I have found that I need to put it in sport, and set the car to recharge the battery as you are driving, this keeps petrol engine running and available for fast launches, if performs best when the the battery is at 20-30%, as it has the ability to get power from the battery while using the battery as a dump to shove regenerated power and improve engine breaking, this effect is is great until about 85% charge, when it gradually disappears without warning.
The interior is quite plasticky, but the leather steering wheel is quite excellent, it has great controls for media and ACC.
The rest of the interior controls is a mix of ok, and terrible, most controls are touch that lacks illumination so finding them at night is out of the question, those that has illumination are located awkwardly on a downward slope below the steering wheel to the left, luckily I only need them for demisting.
Plenty of functions are controlled through the infotainment, it is ok, but annoying.
Overall, I like it!
A new Leon won’t be better than that, unfortunately. They’re largely the same car. Being part of the VW group, they share the same software. People complain about the same things on their new Skodas and Audis. But the systems turning themselves on is the rule though, as far as I know. Can’t blame VW for that one. It’s the same with other manufacturers.
I’d be happy with a Volvo 960 from '96, as long as I could integrate CarPlay in it.
Don’t let your dreams be dreams.
(Not endorsing this particular model and sure as fuck not endorsing Amazon. This was just the first affordable example I saw, a quick example. You’ll probably want to shop around more before deciding which one to get. There are many just like this.)
Amazon.com: PLZ 7" Wireless Double Din Car Stereo Apple Carplay Radio Screen for Car Audio Receivers, Bluetooth 5.3 Car Play Android Auto Touchscreen, 240W 4.2 CHN 2 Subwoofers Outputs, Backup Camera, SWC, FM/AM : Electronics
Buy PLZ 7" Wireless Double Din Car Stereo Apple Carplay Radio Screen for Car Audio Receivers, Bluetooth 5.3 Car Play Android Auto Touchscreen, 240W 4.2 CHN 2 Subwoofers Outputs, Backup Camera, SWC, FM/AM: Car Stereo Receivers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases