Skip advert
Advertisement

SEAT Leon Cupra (2014-2021) review - MPG and running costs

30-plus mpg in the real world. Expect to chew through consumables if you're partial to trackdays

Evo rating
  • Underlying technical make-up impressive; excellent engine, brakes and chassis tune
  • Feeling its age inside; still not the most playful of hot hatchbacks

Gone are the days when running a car that sprints to 62mph in under six seconds meant MPG figures in the teens – officially, SEAT’s hottest hatchback will cover 38.7 miles for every gallon of unleaded. CO2 emissions are correspondingly low, at 156g/km. These figures alter slightly depending on the model, and bottom out at 33.7mpg for the Abt-tuned Cupra R Estate

Advertisement - Article continues below

Realistically our Leon Cupra R Abt evo long-termer didn’t prove much less efficient than the official numbers, being relatively easy to keep above 30mpg in mixed driving. Drive it with more aggression and those numbers will fall below the 30mpg mark though.

Other running costs are par for the course too; SEAT’s warranty covers three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), and service intervals are every year or 10,000 miles, again whichever is first.

Depending on your propensity for trackdays and hard use, tyres and brakes will be the main consumables.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

BMW i8 (2014-2020) review – futuristic hybrid sports car now looks a bargain
BMW i8 review
In-depth reviews

BMW i8 (2014-2020) review – futuristic hybrid sports car now looks a bargain

The BMW i8 was a very different sort of 911 rival, not least because it used a hybrid system with a Mini engine mounted in the middle and a carbon tub
9 Sep 2026
Lotus Esprit (1976-1987) review – from James Bond's icon to the Esprit Turbo
Lotus Esprit Turbo
In-depth reviews

Lotus Esprit (1976-1987) review – from James Bond's icon to the Esprit Turbo

The delicate but delicious Esprit was a supercar like no other. Here's everything you need to know and our drive of the Esprit Turbo
7 Sep 2026
The incoming BMW 3-series M350 will come with a straight-six and M3 power
2027 BMW 3 series testing
News

The incoming BMW 3-series M350 will come with a straight-six and M3 power

We all know the BMW 3-series is going electric with the new i3, but the combustion-powered model certainly hasn’t been forgotten… 
8 Sep 2026