SEAT Altea XL (2007 - 2015) 2.0 TDI Stylance (170ps) 5d Owner Review

Owned for 1 year. 2.0 tdi.170 bhp Stylance. 105k miles. Ive done over 10k. Full dealer service history. Its a good size and very comfortable. Slightly high driving position for me but you get used to it. Handles well for the size (with decent tyres). Rolls a bit and passengers complain of nausea when im driving slightly more than sedate but not being silly. Also the rear side pillar is intrusive and the passenger can bang their heads on it when cornering/turning too quickly. Visibility is poor. Had a couple of near misses when i first bought the car as i couldn't see cars to the left or right. I have had to adjust my driving style to compensate. I.e leaning forward and back and double checking. Same at the front lots of large pillars in the way. You get used to it but not ideal. Brakes are powerful but the seized caliper was a pain. DPF has been the bain of my life, constantly trying to clear it out. If you have the same issue the best way is to sit at 68mph in 4th gear 3k revs on a motorway or dual carriage way for 10-20 mins. When this car is running well it makes me smile and happy but has spluttered and misfired for the past 12 months. No fault codes i might add. It has without a doubt been the DPF though. I would sell it but finances mean i am stuck with it. Door locks have been a pain. Has put me off diesels. The boot is huge and practical. I think a good looking car, a bit quirky not as well proportioned as the Altea but still looks different. The best fun is people think you are in a slow people carrier until you leave them standing at the lights. Handles well too. I would like one that runs nicely but think I would end up with the same DPF issues.