SEAT Arona

[Mynameisjon]

On 10/28/2020 at 10:40 AM, Splinter said:

My SEAT Ateca has the stale air con smell as well. I bought a cabin filter to replace the existing one. No more smell after that.

 

Where did you buy the filter?

 

7 hours ago, Keepmoving said:

Hi, Mynameisjon. I also had my battery changed at the 2nd year service - they did show me the charge was weak, and I thot well, 2 years is about time for these new-design cars which power so many things from the battery. Cost about $220 so I guessed just let Vertex do it, don’t think you’ll save much going outside (also Vertex gives a one-year warranty). When I picked up the car, it immediately felt peppier, I think the steady charge from the newer battery helps (voltage steady, higher wattage will help with the ignition, fuel injection etc I think).

actually this is the first time I’ve had to buy a new battery in almost 20 years - my 4 previous cars (which I kept for up to 5 years) had their batteries in the boot, and i think that helps with the longevity and they were absolutely huge batteries!

 

Thanks for sharing the experience. Just not sure I trust Vertex very much after my last service experience with them. The price they quoted my was a little under $300. Price must have gone up lol

[Keepmoving]

Oh really ah? I changed my battery only in Sep last year. That’s too bad that they think they can just raise prices so quickly and steeply. I always thot their service was quite good, and even rotated my tyres under the free service package. 
 

I’ll have to start plotting to move to an electric car but I would probably only buy one if the car can autonomously drive itself to be charged up! 

[Keepmoving]

Had a strange problem with my Arona over the last week. Happened first on Thursday  - warning lights started lighting up, loss of parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system etc. but it was a short drive and I got home safely. Started it again and everything was ok. Then on Sunday as I drove to church, it happened all over again - this time at the end of the 4km trip, the steering got heavier clearly indicating a loss of electric assist. Later as I prepared to drive home, warning message appeared to warn not to drive and to call for assistance. I waited a while, started it again and everything was ok but decided to drive to Vertex. The sales person there cheerfully helped me keep the key. 

This morning I called the service centre and told them the issue. They ran a check and replaced some speed sensor in the front, covered under warranty. I just picked up the car, nicely cleaned inside and out and drove home safely in it. I googled about the problem, and seems that a number of people  in the UK experienced the same thing, with all the warning lights coming out. Seems some sensors can drain the electrics and cos havoc to the car! 
 

Anyone experienced anything strange? I just had the car inspected for my road tax, and thot maybe the inspectors accidentally knocked something out of place. My first issue with the Arona is 3 years and thank goodness for the 5-year warranty! Also fortunate it’s not anything more serious. Otherwise the car does feel quite solid still!

[badlammy]

2 hours ago, Keepmoving said:

Had a strange problem with my Arona over the last week. Happened first on Thursday  - warning lights started lighting up, loss of parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system etc. but it was a short drive and I got home safely. Started it again and everything was ok. Then on Sunday as I drove to church, it happened all over again - this time at the end of the 4km trip, the steering got heavier clearly indicating a loss of electric assist. Later as I prepared to drive home, warning message appeared to warn not to drive and to call for assistance. I waited a while, started it again and everything was ok but decided to drive to Vertex. The sales person there cheerfully helped me keep the key. 

This morning I called the service centre and told them the issue. They ran a check and replaced some speed sensor in the front, covered under warranty. I just picked up the car, nicely cleaned inside and out and drove home safely in it. I googled about the problem, and seems that a number of people  in the UK experienced the same thing, with all the warning lights coming out. Seems some sensors can drain the electrics and cos havoc to the car! 
 

Anyone experienced anything strange? I just had the car inspected for my road tax, and thot maybe the inspectors accidentally knocked something out of place. My first issue with the Arona is 3 years and thank goodness for the 5-year warranty! Also fortunate it’s not anything more serious. Otherwise the car does feel quite solid still!

Welcome to VW family. 😄

[Keepmoving]

Actually all things considered, I still think the Arona has been reliable - my friend’s Kona which he bought at the same time have had heaps more problems and is on his fourth battery. 

[Keepmoving]

It’s also true however that I’ve have not had any issue with my cars in more than 20 years - my last 6 cars I didn’t have any issues mechanically and didn’t even have to change the battery (the longest was 5 years, but I figured they installed a huge battery and it sat in the boot - it was an ML350). So yes this Arona is on its second battery and has had this problem, so it’s been the fussiest car I have ever had. But I’m still impressed considering that I’ve left the car untouched for stretches of up to 2 months and the car always started and drove without a squeak. For a car designed to be a city runabout, it’s not bad at all. It’s a good deal nicer to drive than say, a Corolla, which has a reliable ancient engine which I think would be a torture to drive on every single journey!

[bluechill]

Hi all, new here and considering getting an Arona. The last post was more than a year ago so just wondering if there's any more longer term review from you all! Thanks in advance! 

[Keepmoving]

Hi bluechill. I think there’s a thread on Facebook on the Arona and so no one posts on this forum anymore. 
 

but since your post was flagged out to me by email, thot I’d answer. 
 

thanks to the pandemic, I’ve only started driving up to M’sia early this year. My car is now almost 4.5 years old but I’ve not even broken 30k km despite having driven to M’sia many times over the years (as far as Penang and at least 7-8 times to the top of Genting). I’m glad to say that the car still is running well, and the body is still tight and solid, no squeaks. The interior is generally holding up and even the headlamp plastic covers have not ‘clouded’ up - they’re still clear and I don’t notice any major blemish. I still do 6-7 liters/100km regularly which is great considering I’m a press-on driver generally. Lowest I saw was 4litres/100km - I came down from Genting to downtown KL, you could still say half the distance was downhill!

A friend whose Subaru has many scratches around the exterior door handle noted that it was due to poor paint quality - so I started looking out and generally the cheaper cars have this problem (Nissan Note is another example), even if you’re not wearing a ring, apparently our fingers and nails still leave a scratch - take a look next time you pass a car. The Seat doesn’t seem to have this problem.

so overall yes, the car is still good and it looks like I might be keeping this car for a while especially with COE where they are. Would I recommend the Arona - by my experience, absolutely. Happy motoring everyone! 
 

PS - I changed my tyres anyway due to the rubber hardening - got a set of Pirelli P7 now

[bluechill]

Thanks keepmoving. Will be joining the Arona community soon!

[Philipkee]

I am also looking at the Arona.  Actually either Mokka or Arona as i am looking for a budget SUV.  My current ride is a Honda city, 2.5 years old.  I usually try to change the car before 5 years old for max trade in value and least repair costs.

Have not test driven the car yet. Maybe i will do it in early 2024 if COE drops.

Anyone got any feedback?  Especially on space for driver and rear passengers? It felt cramped to me but it's the showroom car and i was just looking so i did not adjust the seat to comfort level.

[Keepmoving]

Hi everyone. As my car approaches its fifth anniversary, maybe it’s time to mention some stuff. 
Brought the car in for service at Vertex and they’ve now appeared to charge exorbitant rates - I told the service chap that it’ll be the last time I brought my car in to them. 
 

they also were pushing to change a lot of stuff even without determining if it’s necessary, like the air con filter, wipers etc. definitely not customer-focussed - vertex just wants to find opp to charge more!

anyway the car is still fine and I did another long drive to Kuantan and Genting in Feb. off the highway, road conditions were iffy but the Arona remained solid and capable. I don’t detect any rattles still, and steering and suspension seem to be fine. Still economical and more than powerful enough for a blast up Genting and for keeping up traffic in town.

paint work looks ok to me, and the interior hasn’t shown much wear.

in answer to PhilipKee, I think you’ll find the Arona to be a nippy drive and all the gadgets in the FR model work wonderfully (love the adaptive cruise control). You might find the car a bit tight space wise, but if you’re carrying only 4, it’s fine. I wouldn’t consider driving to KL in any car smaller than a large SUV with up to 5 in the car so the Arona is fine for me. Also easier to get in and out as the door openings are big and tall. Yes I’ve not driven the car much, but it has certainly held up for 5 years, and I don’t detect any reason for it not working properly for at least 2-3 years. The gearbox works fine and is responsive too, just remember how to treat a DSG gearbox properly (eg from reverse to forward, let the gears and clutch a couple of seconds to change), and try not to creep at traffic lights, apparently. 
 

(PS in England now and driving around in an Audi A1 with same engine as the Arona and with manual gears - surprisingly refined!)

[Ceecookie]

On 3/31/2023 at 3:46 PM, Philipkee said:

I am also looking at the Arona.  Actually either Mokka or Arona as i am looking for a budget SUV.  My current ride is a Honda city, 2.5 years old.  I usually try to change the car before 5 years old for max trade in value and least repair costs.

Have not test driven the car yet. Maybe i will do it in early 2024 if COE drops.

Anyone got any feedback?  Especially on space for driver and rear passengers? It felt cramped to me but it's the showroom car and i was just looking so i did not adjust the seat to comfort level.

Arona in term of size is sufficient for small families without babies. E.g 1-2 pax most of the time.

If put baby seat behind, only got comfortable space for 1 adult behind, so not very ideal for big families.

The Skoda Kamiq (rebadged Arona) have a larger cabin, so it's more comfortable for bigger families. Unfortunately, AD stopped sellong that model already. 

[Philipkee]

https://m.sgcarmart.com/articles/articleinfo.php?AID=28520&CT=n&
 

lucky I never buy?  Any implications for new SEAT car buyers?

Edited May 27, 2023 by Philipkee

[Hamburger]

On 5/27/2023 at 11:25 AM, Philipkee said:

https://m.sgcarmart.com/articles/articleinfo.php?AID=28520&CT=n&
 

lucky I never buy?  Any implications for new SEAT car buyers?

VW Singapore will assume distributorship and dealership of Cupra and aftersales and service support for Seat, noted people familiar with the matter.

[badlammy]

It's good news for Seat owners actually if they intend to keep their cars. Reminds me of those days when VCS announced that they will takeover the service support for Skodas sold by Harvest.

[Sdf4786k]

On 5/27/2023 at 10:25 AM, Philipkee said:

https://m.sgcarmart.com/articles/articleinfo.php?AID=28520&CT=n&
 

lucky I never buy?  Any implications for new SEAT car buyers?

Should be seamless transition..

[Keepmoving]

With COE at record prices, the thoroughly unsatisfactory system is becoming a major liability to our country which ultimately makes every Singaporean pay toward these high  costs of doing business resulting from ever increasing and unpredictable COE prices. The only beneficiary is the govt and they’ve seem to have become addicted to this stream of revenue without any regard to the down sides to the whole economy and livelihood and quality of life of Singaporeans. The LTA is a joke and if the rest of the govt depts are anything like them, we’d soon be relegated to third world status.

fortunately I’m not in the market for a new car but I ‘weep’ at the thought process of a business owner who is wondering how to raise his prices to finance his latest automotive fancy. I just came back from a road trip to M’sia, and the glaringly large gap of prices between the 2 countries is now staggering. I’m revisiting thoughts of relocating to a cheaper country for a few years just to improve my quality of life for a little while. 
 

anyway back to the theme of this forum, which is about car ownership - it’s such a shame that we are in no position to take advantage of the advances in car tech, which have not only brought affordable technology to enhance the operations and ownership of cars, but also to lower the cost of operations. Isn’t this what technology development is about, improving productivity and lowering costs? But the COE system totally hampers us singyies from taking advantage of these and we can only look on in despair when a brand new car almost anywhere in the world costs only a fraction of a Cat A COE. 
 

so I’m left with this topic - Should I keep my 1-litre Seat Arona or take the plunge and buy a hybrid or EV? Firstly, let’s be frank and admit that the current COE is at insane levels - even if I had plenty of extra cash, I’d find it really hard to justify spending $1,000 a month for 10 years for the right to own a car. If I told my kids or wife that they’ll have $1k extra to spend every month, that’d be super happy. Although don’t go into a proper restaurant here, it’ll probably just pay for one meal! 
 

so buy a new EV or keep my car? Assuming I would gladly stump up the initial purchase price, is an EV really a better bet than operating a small ICE car? I recently drove to Kuantan and topped up my tank just outside Kuantan for RM112. Let’s say an EV could shave half that off - is it worth the anxiety of planning where to stop to top up the electricity, and possibly the long wait for the top-up? 
 

also the road tax system seems to be stacked against EVs - the road tax for a Hyundai Kona electric is about $1,100 a year, compared to mine which is below $400. 

so clearly EV ownership from operating costs pov is subject to a break even point - if you don’t drive X thousand miles a year, you’re better off with an ICE preferably a small turbo engined one. of course there is also one other major saving for EV, which is engine maintenance - from a couple of hundreds for normal servicing to maybe a few thousand when engine parts start needing replacement. 
 

Of course the EV will bring tech improvements in leaps and bounds, such as better propulsion, quieter operations, better packaging but also invariably better tech such as lane centering, 360 degree camera, collision avoidance (just naming some of the tech not already found in my Arona). It’ll depend very much on how each model can demonstrably outdo a normal ICE car - for that we will have to go and test drive each and find out for ourselves. Right now I’m eyeing the MG4, BYD Dolphin and Ora Good Cat - the Koreans, Europeans and American offerings being so much more to buy and run, I quickly cross them off my list. Hybrids are definitely out since I see only more mechanical complications and a serious compromise to driveability. 
 

i welcome everyone’s suggestions on thots matter!
 

 

 

 

[Mkl22]

On 8/12/2023 at 10:52 PM, Keepmoving said:

fortunately I’m not in the market for a new car but I

 

On 8/12/2023 at 10:52 PM, Keepmoving said:

Right now I’m eyeing the MG4, BYD Dolphin and Ora Good Cat

Rather conflicting eh? 
Got money just buy. No money stick with what you have.