In-depth reviews

SEAT Alhambra owner reviews

“The SEAT Alhambra is a huge MPV with plenty of room for seven seats. It’s also good value and surprisingly fun to drive”

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14 Apr 2020

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Carbuyer Rating

3.4 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.9 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

74%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Other (2 cases)
Brakes, Electrics, Suspension (1 case)
Brakes, Electrics, Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Engine, Gearbox / clutch, Other (1 case)
Electrics (1 case)
Suspension (1 case)
Brakes (1 case)

Review 1 of 23

Tell us what you think about your car?

I didn't go for the 184 version, insteads spent the money on traffic camera and lane assist, along with keyless go and park assist. The 150 DSG is more than adequate even 6 up with a roof box. With little ones on board, you are not going to drive it anything other than careful and restrained. It has plenty of mid range poke and is a comfortable long distance cruiser. Space wise you can't fault it and can even get 3 child seats across the rear. The 2 rearmost seats even have isofix points, useful to have. Some reviews say the rearmost seats are only suitable for children, I have to disagree as our 6' teenager sits comfy in the far back. Only criticism is that sometimes stop start stalls the car and SEAT don't offer Adaptive Cruise, my wife's Golf has it , the Sharan SEL has it,so why not the Alhambra?

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I use the car to tow a caravan around France, and it find perfect for the job, no problems at all. The mpg is excellent, with no mechanical problems at all. I would buy this car again, with or without a caravan. It is ideal for a family or couple run around.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

New so no issues

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

i brought this car due to it been powered by the vw 1.9 tdi oil burner and its reviews on how bulletproof that engine is. i have yet to any problems with the engine. very pleased

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent all-round useability & driveability, engine great but problematic electrics & i have had to replace the front seats twice. The trim outside has a habit of dropping off & the headlight wash/wipe housing keeps coming off every time i clean the screen. An excellent drive with fantastic load space when the seats are removed (i don1t need to go to the gym to get fit, just remove & replace a few seats).

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car is great for space ,but that all its good for, really bad choice for us to be honest, electrics fail, smells like it's burning sometimes, revs are too high and does not shift gears well and either pick up speed to quick or does not move at all you can't win. The electronic parking brake often sticks on and car won't move, air con is rubbish and sensors are too over sensitive and it's a nightmare to drive. Unfortunately we are stuck with this now until 2019 as it's a Motability car, I wish I kept our old car now the Chevrolet Orlando not as big but a much better car to drive for sure.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is a very well made, luxurious car. I was encouraged to buy the DSG version as VW quoted 53mpg average in and out of town. My wife and I are stunned by how bad the car is on fuel. We drive it with great care and try not to exceed 60mph. The automatic gearbox does not change up as I would, it sits at 50mph in 3rd gear sometimes and refuses to be changed to 6th with paddles. We cannot afford to run this car. I feel VW must have cooked the books with this one unless it's faulty. Nice car, but drinks fuel!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Generally very good , hard on tyres.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No issues with the car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Reliable and economical to run good for transporting teenagers and their friends

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Really good practical, comfortable car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very practical and economic, design wise it's ideal for the family and job i use it for, it's had a few problems which have been due to cheap componentry.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is the second Alhambra we have owned and has many features we just can’t find in other cars. We need to get a mobility scooter and wheelchair in the boot so the low boot sill height and high opening door make this easy - plus it means I can get large rubbish bags in more easily for the trips to the tip. We also need to carry children and grandchildren so having five ISOFIX points in the rear five seats, three full-size seats in the middle row and two large seats in the rear plus the electric sliding doors for easier access make all journeys quite stress-free and we can still get luggage and scooter in the boot. We have managed 60mpg on a long journey once by keeping to 55-60mph and usually average well over 50mpg on a long run. DSG auto works well and we also tow a caravan at times, so the weight of the vehicle and high towing limit are really useful. Disappointed that ‘Fulllink’ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not standard, but the sat nav and Bluetooth work fine - even the 6-inch colour screen is perfectly adequate and very discrete. We have the full sunroof which makes the cabin very light. Shame that MPVs are a dying breed as they are SO practical.

What's the one thing you like most about your car?

Practicality

If you could improve one thing, what would it be?

Have Apple CarPlay as standard, not a chargeable extra

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Sadly our huge Renault Espace had to be replaced and this is the only car that comes close in maximum volume load space with all seats down. Performance is good, handling is good, economy not as promised but still good at 44mpg overall compared 33mpg with our old Renault. That's mostly motorway and some town driving. Owned from new for 15 months. So far not a single fault or problem. My only gripe is the auto stop start. I don't like it but seems all cars are like this now, but don't like it cutting out as I slow at a junction just as I am about to put my foot down. Can be most un-nerving. It's not as fast as the old Espace, either. Very comfortable cabin, well equipped. Cant fault it really. Hugely practical especially if load space is important to you.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

the car has never let me down,starts first time and does exactly what i want the car to do wheather it be fully loaded or just myself in the car,built quality is superb and the ever reliable 1.9 vw engine its the pefect car for my family needs

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This is the 3rd new seat alhambra i have bought and it suits all my needs.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

The car has plenty of room inside and is well built but has a very bumpy, noisy ride, heavy steering with not enough lock. The DSG gearbox is very jerky in low gears. Also, when you are driving you cannot see the controls for the cruise control or the wipers hidden behind the steering wheel.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Having owned Ford S-Max's I wanted a 7 seater with better 3rd row seats. The Alhambra doesn't disappoint as an adult can sit comfortably for long journeys. Fuel economy is no where near the advertised 55mpg as I get 46 mpg (187bhp)but for a large brick shaped car is ok. The SEAT manual is rubbish as it states the cruise control should disengage when the clutch is depressed. Only disengages when braking or manually switched off. The manual doesn't explain clearly other operations (too many red warning texts).

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No reliabilty issues since purchased

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Last repair only partly covered under warranty I like it, not as much space internally as my previous renault espace but much more reliable particularly electrically. I like the versatility of the seats inside although would like more leg room in the very rear seats & more shopping space at the back. Was shocked at how expensive it was to replace the exhaust and springs etc. It cost me £600 to get through the mot - very disappointed about that as thought it would sail through being the newest car i have ever owned. Had to replace all the coil springs (front & rear offside were both broken-i'm told due to cold weather & potholes-although i have driven it very carefully!) And the exhaust needed replacing. I will have to replace the front shocks and the tyres in the near future which i am now saving up for... I have only had the car a little over a year but despite the recent financial shock i have been very thankful for its reliability. I had been budgeting for repairs etc but never expected it to be so expensive to maintain, especially being a vw engine. I'm hoping it will be ok from now on. Having driven a vw transit van before i have found the seat much more scary to drive in the snow, it seems to slide very easily so have had to be very cautious and try not to go out in the snow unless absolutely necessary It is much more fuel efficient than my previous vehicles but with diesel prices rocketing sadly i haven't felt the benefit of it at all :(

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down