Seat Ibiza Mk4 Cupra 1.8 20VT vs Honda Civic Type R GT?

[ee01akk]

Which car is better in terms of overall performance, handling, reliability, price, longevity and running costs?

Has anyone ever owned both cars, and knows which is the better out of the two?

Also what are their performance stats, and how do they compare on a racetrack and on normal roads?

 

[kriso]

Cupra is cheaper to buy, better MPG, cheaper insurance. Most ppl will say the Cupra is better as this is a Seat forum Servicing is every 10,000 miles on Seat, every 12,500 miles on Hondas. Type Rs probably handle better (tho not as well as the older generation ones).

Cupra 1.8T has loads of torque at mid revs, Type Rs need to rev high to get the torque. You can easily tune the 1.8T, not so easy on the Honda engine.

The Type R GT stands out more than a Cupra so if you like that kind of thing, you might prefer it.

 

[ee01akk]

Cupra is cheaper to buy, better MPG, cheaper insurance. Most ppl will say the Cupra is better as this is a Seat forum Servicing is every 10,000 miles on Seat, every 12,500 miles on Hondas. Type Rs probably handle better (tho not as well as the older generation ones).

Cupra 1.8T has loads of torque at mid revs, Type Rs need to rev high to get the torque. You can easily tune the 1.8T, not so easy on the Honda engine.

The Type R GT stands out more than a Cupra so if you like that kind of thing, you might prefer it.

Thanks for that. The servicing interval seems quite short on the Cupra, as my current Vauxhall is 20,000 miles I think. Are there any clutch issues, brakes, suspension upgrades needed if I wanted to tune an FR to have the same power as the Cupra model?

You're right about the Cupra having loads more torque low down the rev range, however once the Type R hits the VTEC power band it can beat many turbos when they have run out of steam at higher speeds, so it's a kind of a stalemate.

I'm more inclined to buy the Cupra as it uses Volkswagen parts and prefer a quieter engine that still delivers the performance I need.

It seems like Top Gear and 5th Gear prefer the Civic Type R though- but most ppl don't drive around racetracks lol!

 

[T. Spark]

I wouldnt say a Type R GT stands out more on the road that a Cupra, I can drive to the missus and see 2/3 Type R's whilst ive NEVER seen a Cupra, and im looking for them, if I see one, I notice it... whilst the Type R is just another Type R im waiting to move out of my way....

VTEC is like turbo lag, without the turbo at the end of it all...

Id rather be quicker 0-100mph than 100-140mph

Lucky for me, im quicker 0-150mph

 

[Ultra_Joel88]

Cupra is a much better day to day car because of the torque, makes it nicer to drive.
However for sheer thrills I would say the Type R wins.

If its a weekend car/ low milage type r

everyday car cupra

 

[Damoegan]

Cupras have AP 4 pots with 312mm discs as standard so the brakes are in a different league than the civic.

 

[EB20VT]

You're right about the Cupra having loads more torque low down the rev range, however once the Type R hits the VTEC power band it can beat many turbos when they have run out of steam at higher speeds, so it's a kind of a stalemate.

Standard vs standard this is true, but i have a remapped cupra and it is quite a bit quicker than my friends type R GT even at higher speeds. I have to say though the type R stands out a lot more. My friends has the aerodynamic kit (deeper front and rear bumpers) and the 19" rages on it and it looks awesome.

 

[ee01akk]

Standard vs standard this is true, but i have a remapped cupra and it is quite a bit quicker than my friends type R GT even at higher speeds. I have to say though the type R stands out a lot more. My friends has the aerodynamic kit (deeper front and rear bumpers) and the 19" rages on it and it looks awesome.

I would have thought the remap would have just improved the low-end acceleration, and maybe a slight increase in torque in the mid-range but surely it wouldn't keep up with the Type R at around 120+ mph when that screaming VTEC is still warming up in the 8000 rpm range.

I'm more inclined to buy the Seat Ibiza Cupra right now, but I just want to see what the competition is going to be like before I start all the posing stuff hehe! There are TOO MANY Type R's on the road out there. I have spoken to one guy from work who's driven the old Type R and the new, and he says rear visibility is awful in the new one, and the ride is waaaay too hard and because it's heavier it's slower than the old Type R. He's now swapped his Type R for a Toyota Landcruiser lol!

 

[T. Spark]

I would have thought the remap would have just improved the low-end acceleration, and maybe a slight increase in torque in the mid-range but surely it wouldn't keep up with the Type R at around 120+ mph when that screaming VTEC is still warming up in the 8000 rpm range.

Well I can only speak from experience, when I say both myself and another member on here which both had remapped DIESEL's! Had no problem taking it in turns to sit on the back bumper of a new type R at those speeds, well I lie it was 140mph+

One minute he looked and it would be a red one, then looks again and it was yellow.

You could hear his car going for it, as we sat at a nice polite 4,200rpm

He even gave us the thumbs up as he got of the motorway (in germany )

 

[Poverty]

im sorry but standard vs standard the new type r is better than the cupra in every way. What lets the ibiza down is its chassis.

Now leon cupra vs type r is another story.

 

[caveo]

Was that the 1 where i came screaming past you both lol ( this was also Germany )

 

[T. Spark]

Was that the 1 where i came screaming past you both lol ( this was also Germany )

No, this was 'remapped' diesel, not BT diesel... that time you mention I was just bullying the sucker to move over so I didnt have to change lanes (he should have been sat in the middle lane *in germany*) in the first place!

 

[kriso]

I would have thought the remap would have just improved the low-end acceleration, and maybe a slight increase in torque in the mid-range but surely it wouldn't keep up with the Type R at around 120+ mph when that screaming VTEC is still warming up in the 8000 rpm range.

A remap improves acceleration everywhere, especially Stage 2. Compare the maximum 142 lb/ft of torque from the Type R to 274 lb/ft on a Stage 2 1.8T and there is a big difference everywhere...even at high revs the 1.8T still pulls and doesn't need to rev any higher than 5500rpm.

Type R owners also get to enjoy their new £300 a year tax band soon

 

[caveo]

A 1.6 clio has the same torque as a type R ....nuff said.

 

[EB20VT]

A remap improves acceleration everywhere, especially Stage 2. Compare the maximum 142 lb/ft of torque from the Type R to 274 lb/ft on a Stage 2 1.8T and there is a big difference everywhere...even at high revs the 1.8T still pulls and doesn't need to rev any higher than 5500rpm.

Well said kriso, i only have a stage 1 map with around 235 lb/ft (max) and i was easily pulling away from my mate. The way a remapped 1.8T pulls is quite impressive and i can only assume it gets more impressive with more torque!

I will warn you though (the OP that is) the ride can be, how should i put this............ quite crashy, in the Ibiza.

 

[ee01akk]

A 1.6 clio has the same torque as a type R ....nuff said.

A high revving VTEC engine doesn't need that much torque to keep it going.

 

[T. Spark]

Well said kriso, i only have a stage 1 map with around 235 lb/ft (max) and i was easily pulling away from my mate. The way a remapped 1.8T pulls is quite impressive and i can only assume it gets more impressive with more torque!

I will warn you though (the OP that is) the ride can be, how should i put this............ quite crashy, in the Ibiza.

So now imagine the same bhp of a stage two cupra 20vT, but over 100lb.ft more in a the diesel and your onto something... esp as we have a 6 speed box, and also like to go up at just past 5,000rpm

 

[arron2004]

Which car is better in terms of overall performance, handling, reliability, price, longevity and running costs?

Has anyone ever owned both cars, and knows which is the better out of the two?

Also what are their performance stats, and how do they compare on a racetrack and on normal roads?

Ibiza every time! Better engine easily tuned spend £500 on a ibiza and see another 40-50 bhp at least! Spend that on a civic you wont even see half that! My mates got a civic and it cant keep with mine i have got coilovers on and he on stand suss and i just leave him! but there is driver skill! There is just so many options with the 1.8 t if you get bored of 200 bhp you can consider a BT and i hear there is a forum where people with plenty of knowlege can help with any thing its called SCN i heard!

 

[kriso]

A high revving VTEC engine doesn't need that much torque to keep it going.

Most cars don't need much torque to keep going, its when they want to accelerate quickly that the torque comes in useful. Even if you rev the hell out of a VTEC engine, you still get comparatively little torque..altho those revs do sounds good and impress the rest of the ppl in the car park too

 

[caveo]

Just makes it more satisfying when its reving its tits off as i cruise past....gets me every time as they think theyre invincible ( especiliy as mine looks like a 1.4 lol )