Used SEAT Altea XL review and buying guide (2007 to 2015): which one to buy and what to check

Which used SEAT Altea XL should you buy?

Buy a manual Altea XL if you can, whatever the year. The DSG automatic is the part that turns up in several owner reports across the 2007 to 2015 run, from jerky low-speed manners to a gearbox that failed outright, so that's where the risk sits. If it has to be an auto, the gearbox is what you're really buying, so judge the car on how it shifts at parking speeds.

Of the two 2.0 litre diesels, the 2010 to 2015 2.0 TDI is the lesser risk. Its known fault, EGR valve and DPF trouble after the emissions software fix, is rated medium and usually shows up between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. The older 2.0 TDI PD is the one to be choosy about, the 170 especially. There's next to nothing on record about the other engines, so judge one of those on the car's own history.

Which Altea XL engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2010 to 2015 2.0 TDI is the diesel to pick, as long as you check it for its known fault. Once the emissions software fix has gone on, its EGR valve can fail and its DPF can block, usually between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. It shows as an engine management light, a flashing glow plug light or the car dropping into limp mode. It's rated medium, so it's a check rather than a deal-breaker.

The older 2.0 TDI PD, in 140 and 170 form, has a weak oil pump drive. The pump's turned through a short hexagonal shaft that only grips by the finest of margins, and after about 50,000 miles that shaft can round off and leave the pump without drive. The 170 also clogs its particulate filter unless it's regularly taken above 3,000rpm, so it's a poor fit if most of your driving is in town.

The TDI 105 drew complaints that it feels sluggish in a body this size, so drive one loaded up if that's how you'll use it. Of the gearboxes, the DSG automatic is the one to be wary of: owners have reported jerking at parking speeds, a sudden shift from fourth to first and, on a 1.6 TDI, rough running and stalling after the emissions fix that SEAT put down to a failing clutch pack.

What should you check when viewing a used Altea XL?

On a DSG car, the low-speed part of the test drive tells you the most: reverse, park and creep along in traffic, feeling for jerks, jolts or stalling. One 2009 car jerked like that at 43,500 miles, and a fluid and filter change was suggested as the first fix, so ask for proof the gearbox has been serviced. Any sudden drop down the gears is a bad sign; one owner of a 2007 car was quoted £6,500 to repair it.

On a diesel, watch the dash for the engine management light or a flashing glow plug light, and make sure the car doesn't fall into limp mode when you work it hard. On a 2010 to 2015 2.0 TDI, ask whether the emissions software fix has been done and for receipts covering any EGR valve or DPF work. If it's an older 2.0 TDI PD running Siemens piezo injectors, ask for proof they were replaced under the recall that covered them.

Look closely along the roof above the B and C pillars. One owner found creases forming there on a two-year-old car with just 5,000 miles on it, which pointed to the welds on the roof's strengthening beams having separated. It's a single report, but it takes seconds to check. On a 1.9 diesel Stylance, lift the bonnet: those cars weren't given the engine's noise-damping cover, so see whether one's been fitted since.

Ask for proof the recall work was done on three safety faults. Cars built from 2008 to 2010 needed a software update because an earth connection could drop out and switch off the ABS and ESC. On a 2011 diesel with stop/start, a broken solenoid spring could leave the starter motor engaged until it overheated. A few 2009 and 2010 cars also had a driver airbag whose ageing propellant could burst its housing and throw out metal.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used SEAT Altea XL cost to run?