Our much-valued Exeo ST has had its biggest challenge yet – a family trip to the New Forest.

BusinessCar’s publisher borrowed the car, anticipating that a wife, toddler and Labrador plus luggage would need some extra room. The Exeo was comfortable on motorways and held its own on winding, forest B-roads. It handled corners well, too, while the solid steering and balanced suspension meant few problems on a variety of road surfaces. As our publisher said: “It’s difficult to fault. It’s a no-frills, safe, robust, economical car.”

Space, however, was an issue, and he said that for the average family plus a dog “you’ll need a roofbox” because the Exeo quickly reached bursting point once the packing began. “If you are just buying a car requiring a bit more space, then it’s perfect; if you want to buy a car specifically for an estate element, then you’re going to be disappointed,” he said.

Seat Exeo ST 2.0 TDI 143hp
Mileage 6332
Claimed combined
consumption
51.4mpg
Our average consumption 36.5mpg
P11D price £21,215
CO2 (tax) 143g/km CO2
BIK 20/40% per month £71/£141
Service interval 10,000mls
Insurance group 24
Warranty 3yrs/60,000mls
Boot space (min/max) 442/1354 litres
Engine size/power 1968cc/143hp
Top speed/0-62mph 129mph/9.6secs
Why we’re running it Seat’s first foray
into estate market
Positive Good value
well-specced estate
Negative Small, essentially an
old-generation Audi