Seat Alhambra 2,0TDi Ecomotive

Very practical and feels solid but the 2.0TDi engine is noisy

I should point out that I haven't actually bought this car but had a nearly new one on hire for a while so got to know it pretty well.

I was pleasantly surprised with the interior space and comfort of all 7 seats and I suppose that's really what most buyers of 7 seater MPVs need to know. The rear sliding doors are excellent when parking between other cars and you don't have to worry about careless rear seat passengers whacking their doors into adjacent cars. However, my elderly mum couldn't shut the sliding rear doors from the inside as they require a fair tug to get them to slide fast enough to shut fully. I understand the higher spec models have an electric sliding door option which could be worthwhile if you are regularly transporting limp wristed relatives.

The ride is good and it goes nicely over bumps and potholes and all the controls are well laid out and clear. It only took a few minutes to get used to everything. Once you get it up to speed it is really quite pleasant to drive, particularly on the motorway and the handling is surprisingly good for something so big but compared but I think it's fair to say that there is no pleasure in driving it. I usually prefer to drive rather than be a passenger (same for my wife) but neither of us particularly wanted to drive the Alhambra.

In my opinion the 2.0TDi 140BHP engine is not really up to the job with full complement of passengers - whilst it isn't short of grunt you do have to give it some welly to get it moving when heavily loaded, and that does make it quite noisy and rough. If you will regularly load up your Alhambra or tow a caravan I would suggest you go for the 177BHP version.

More bad points: The turning circle isn't great but I expect it is comparable to most other MPVs and the brakes didn't really fill me with confidence although they are quite progressive and predictable. There is a vibration / pulsating through the clutch pedal that you feel noticeably when changing gear. To be fair this is the same as most recent VAG 2.0Tdi cars I've driven and I find it really unpleasant. The gearchange is also a bit clunky and engaging reverse could be easier. The dashboard display seems to always suggest changing into a gear higher than you really should be in - if you do this then there is quite an unpleasant low frequency booming as the engine labours slightly. 6th gear is very tall and you do have to change down for motorway inclines when carrying passengers. My wife didn't use 6th gear at all and I found that I could only use it one flat motorway stretches.

The headlights are very disappointing but I'm used to bi-xenons on my daily driver so maybe the Alhambra headlights are no worse than any other halogen headlights but I would definitely pay the extra for bi-xenons if you drive on unlit / country roads regularly.

A major source of irritation with this car is that the electric handbrake won't release if your seatbelt isn't fastened or the drivers door is open. It's quite a nuisance if you just want to move the car back or forward a couple of feet (as I frequently do when shuffling cars around my driveway). I know they do this for safety reasons but I think they are going too far. There are some emergency scenarios when you might need to jump in and drive off briskly without fastening your seatbelt, or if you want to reverse without your belt on. I also found that the handbrake was sometimes a bit slow to automatically release when pulling away which isn't going to do the clutch / dual mass flywheel/ engine mountings any good in the long-term.

I achieved an actual fuel economy of 42mpg with 6 passengers and luggage with mixed A-roads and motorway driving over long distances which I think is pretty good for a big car. The trip computer said the average was 44mpg so very accurate compared with many other vehicles. The fuel gauge seemed to be very linear also which makes a nice change.

Overall, I would recommend the Alhambra as a good value and durable 7 seater but I would suggest you go for a higher specification version (e.g. SE) with the 177BHP automatic gearbox if possible.

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