[Closed] Small SUV style cars, seat arona, skoda kamiq and others .. do you drive one ?

They drive exactly the same as a Felicia / Ibiza etc only with better visibility, and you do ever so slightly notice the higher centre of gravity when pushing on on country roads. Nothing more to consider than that, really. All these B segment SUVs are designed to drive like regular cars.

Between the Skoda and the SEAT, I’d go for the Skoda. Volkswagen group took the decision to market Skoda as a more upmarket brand not long ago, and that comes across when it comes to how they feel inside.

Mrs P has a VW T-Roc so same floorpan/running gear as the models you have listed.
Nice to drive and very good economy - it's an auto but it still returns 40+ mpg in everyday use.
We have the 1.5 petrol and it's surprisingly nippy. They did have an engine software issue but if you are looking at new then it will have the latest fix anyway.

I’ve driven all of them, and I own a Ford EcoSport, which I chose having driven pretty much every compact crossover on the market, based on a bunch of factors; general layout, controls, features, most of which I detailed in another thread, but things like it has a heated screen, something that really comes into its own at 6am when the temperature is -10 degrees, it has a proper handbrake, actual knobs to control heat and fan, and volume and station, although the steering wheel controls make that less of an issue. It’s a semi-auto, so on sport mode it has paddles for manual shifting for a bit of fun, and the little 1.0 Ecoboost motor is a gem, 125hp, with a remap bumping it up to 156, and a boost in torque as well. Servicing is two years or 18,000 miles
It also has a sideways opening rear hatch, which is not to everyone’s taste, but I like it. I love it, the infotainment system is simple and easy to use, with satnav as standard but it has CarPlay and the Android system as well.
But to be honest, other than details, there’s nothing inherently bad about any of them, it’s all down to preference and how the car feels and drives, which is a very personal thing. Try to get as long a test drive as you can, if a two-day test is available, grab it, it’s surprising how a car can start to display little foibles after an hour or so that can become really annoying or just plain uncomfortable! I had to take a nearly new Mercedes A-Class to Bristol for a replacement screen and system calibration, which is an hour’s drive from work; by the time I got to Bath, that’s thirty minutes, I was fidgeting around trying to get comfortable, by the time I got to Cribbs Causeway I was glad to get out of the car, my bum was so numb! A quick test drive won’t tell you things like that. In my previous job, I’d be picking up a completely unknown car, and then driving a couple of hundred miles, and that two or three times a day, five days a week, so I learned very quickly which are the nicest cars to drive. The Maserati Ghibli I did nearly four hundred miles in was a joy, but way outside my price bracket!
I don’t have the luxury any more to drive any significant distances, but my point stands, try to get as much time behind the wheel in as many as you can, it’ll avoid disappointment later.

Wife is on her 2nd Q2, great car, quite roomy, very comfy with good toys (virtual dash is fun 😁 ) and good performance and economy. Ours have both been the 1.0 3cyl turbo engines.

Ford Puma also worth a look. I test drove one prior to my mum buying one, having also tried the Kamiq. Very nice to drive, and good value!

I've got a Cupra Formentor on lease, I really like it. It has a few niggles with the adaptive cruise control but that's being fixed with a software update. It's a good size and goes well enough for a 1.5L.

Skoda Kamiq driver here (21 plate Mar 21)

4500miles in to the 1.5L Petrol SE L DSG Auto. loving it.

getting approx 43-45mpg which is as per the book, amd sure its faster than 8.3seconds to 60 in sport mode.

the infotainment takes some getting used to, the ventilation/aircon is controlled through that big screen in the centre of the console so not 'intuitive' like a couple of knos/dials for fan speed and temp, but once you get into it, its OK.

everything else is brilliant.

I had the old style* Vauxhaul Mokka as a hire car a few years ago.
Compared to the same company's hatchback offerings which my mum and brother own, uncomfortable seating position, more difficult to get in and out of, noticably more body roll in corners.

Allegedly nicer seating position in the back according to my friends though.

*new one is a vast improvement, allegedly.

^ to contrast, BIL has the Seat, and its nice. But I don't have the frame of reference of a contemporary VAG normal car to compare to.

Mrs Mellie and I have an Arona. Suits us size wise, nice to drive about town and for longer journeys, audio & navigation screen is easy to use (separate dials for ventilation). Fuel economy is very good (coming from a 10yr old polo diesel). It's only the 999cc so not exactly a rocket, but it is pleasant to drive.

We financed an ex-demo/ approved used through a SEAT dealership instead of leasing.

I’ve got a Skoda Karoq, slightly bigger than the Kamiq. It’s very nice, nicer than the BMW X3 that I had before it, although slightly smaller.

Mine is the 1.0 petrol, with DSG box. Having had an auto with the X3 I’m never going back to a manual. you wouldn’t think such a small engine would work with quite a big car but it’s surprisingly nippy, once you get past the hesitation that seems to be a ‘thing’ with the DSG box across the VAG range. I can still make the front wheels spin without too much effort.

I’ll never win the traffic light grand prix but to be honest that’s not a bad thing, it encourages a more chilled driving style.

I’ve had it 7 months, bought on an 18 plate so it’s recently had its first MOT, passed no problem.

Proper dials for the heating, like it’s cousin the Seat Arona mentioned above - same engine.

The only downside for me is that it has no CD player, so if I buy any new CDs I have to rip them to iTunes if I want to listen to them in the car

oomidamon
Full Member
I’ve got a Cupra Formentor on lease, I really like it. It has a few niggles with the adaptive cruise control but that’s being fixed with a software update. It’s a good size and goes well enough for a 1.5L.

Good looking car, looked at those earlier in the year, deals arent as good at the moment 🙁

Smudger666
Free Member
Skoda Kamiq driver here (21 plate Mar 21)

4500miles in to the 1.5L Petrol SE L DSG Auto. loving it.

getting approx 43-45mpg which is as per the book, amd sure its faster than 8.3seconds to 60 in sport mode

Thats the actual model ive been looking at, so thanks for the feedback on it 🙂 .. what colour did you go for ?

I quite like my Mazda CX-30. Quality build, nippy and nice equipment level

My neighbour has the Arona couple of years old and faultless so far.
Very small inside for an SUV though, way more room in something like a Focus estate or Berlingo

Between the Skoda and the SEAT, I’d go for the Skoda. Volkswagen group took the decision to market Skoda as a more upmarket brand not long ago, and that comes across when it comes to how they feel inside.

I dont necessarily think thats true, its down to the individual car. Some SEAT's have nicer dashboards that Skodas for example

SEAT tend to have a more sporty suspension setup than Skoda.

We looked at SEAT Altea's on the basis of leasing. Ended up getting a BMW X1 top spec for roughly £25 per month more as posh brands tend to hold value better so are relatively cheaper to lease. Dont discount the posher brands !

Edit: T Roc looks to be competitive at minute. Just go through them all on something like leasing.com