hopefully,
It's 5dr and aimed at a wider American audience for the first time. Here's hoping they don't get it wrong
Cupra vs Megane vs New Type-R
- Thread starter Ocularis
- Start date
hopefully,
It's 5dr and aimed at a wider American audience for the first time. Here's hoping they don't get it wrong
Changed their tune...
AutoExpress, like a lot of car magazines, change their tune. They also have different teams of people to test cars. For example, in a forum thread I made not long back, AutoExpress crowned the Seat Leon Cupra 280 as the winner in a head to head with the Megane and Civic (http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=420409
Here's the scan from the magazine:
By the way - I'd rather die than own that Civic. It looks dreadful.
AutoExpress, like a lot of car magazines, change their tune. They also have different teams of people to test cars. For example, in a forum thread I made not long back, AutoExpress crowned the Seat Leon Cupra 280 as the winner in a head to head with the Megane and Civic (http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=420409
Here's the scan from the magazine:
By the way - I'd rather die than own that Civic. It looks dreadful.
I have to agree. Saw one up close for the first time at the weekend and whilst it looks well put together, it just looks a bit too extreme (Chavvy). I know there are people out there who will love that but are they old enough to buy and run one?
Bit like an orange focus ST or a yellow Megane R26....great for a blast on a Saturday morning, but then you have to drive it to work on a Monday morning and feel a bit silly.
(BTW I'm probably exactly the sort of person they were aiming this car at and i think they have missed the point!)
So my neighbour came home in a civic type-r today... first off, it sounded how the cupra needs to sound... amazing! and while it is a bit "in your face", i must admin it was a real head turner. Think it would attract a lot of the wrong kinda attention which is why the cupra is good for subtle fast driving, the civic would have to be "on" all the time i think.
Okay the civic looks like a 17 year olds wet dream car for a start.
Secondly yes, I had a Type R about 4 years ago and it was a full strength chav magnet. Also I've never been pulled over by the police so much before or since.
Never again.
Secondly yes, I had a Type R about 4 years ago and it was a full strength chav magnet. Also I've never been pulled over by the police so much before or since.
Never again.
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So i spoke to my neighbour, he said it sounded good, the interior was a nice change compared to the VW group stuff (he works for VW) but the drive wasnt that great. Gearbox was notchy apparently. Sure it was quick, but he also though it was deaf aimed at a younger crowd.
That's a surprise, Honda transmissions are normally excellent, maybe it needs some heat in it to work well.
The cupra is the only one I'd actually buy.
My better half has a Megane CC currently, and to be honest it's getting on a bit now so we need it replaced. Problem is there isn't really anything that we like enough to shell out for it. We already have a Leon ST, so would wait to buy the Cupra when that goes. We also have an Alfa Romeo Spider, which is terrible but jaw droppingly beautiful, so we don't need another convertible. The new Megane isn't even on the list. It just feels a lot cheaper than it actually is. The Honda just looks a mess. Its like they drew it with their eyes closed. I'm sure its probably great in its own ways, but I just couldn't get past the chav factor personally.
Its a shame there's no Leon Cabriolet... That'd be just perfect!
My better half has a Megane CC currently, and to be honest it's getting on a bit now so we need it replaced. Problem is there isn't really anything that we like enough to shell out for it. We already have a Leon ST, so would wait to buy the Cupra when that goes. We also have an Alfa Romeo Spider, which is terrible but jaw droppingly beautiful, so we don't need another convertible. The new Megane isn't even on the list. It just feels a lot cheaper than it actually is. The Honda just looks a mess. Its like they drew it with their eyes closed. I'm sure its probably great in its own ways, but I just couldn't get past the chav factor personally.
Its a shame there's no Leon Cabriolet... That'd be just perfect!
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Saw a new type R in the last week, first one. Was a white one, and tbh I wasn't over keen on the looks. Maybe it's a grower, I dunno.
Well gentlemen, curiosity got the better of me and I went to test drive one!
Pics below:
As I mentioned on GGF, I made the following observations:
Comfort, not really harder than my golf tbh, normal mode was slightly harder than current and R mode was again slightly harder than current but not unlivable so that was ok. but no comfort mode, so their adaptable suspension is not to the extent of ours and no, there is no eco mode.
Grip, it was a hot day and they are all shod with contact sport 6's which need to be replaced every 5k so no bridgestones or traction issues here. I couldn't spin it in first or second and I firmly believe its 0-60 time.
Overall Speed, slower than my golf but that's an unfair comparison really, generally very good but not really anything new or exciting, my own fault I suppose.
Brakes, brilliant much better than mine I have to say, those brembos are brilliant!
Tech, most of the mod-cons, great garmin satnav, nice up on the dash display adn it has a brake and throttle position sensor which was pretty cool, but it was all a bit last gen if you know what I mean. You could also download apps to the satnav and it does support mirrorlink.
Seat, brilliant, hugging, couldnt climb out of it for the life of me lol never mind dealer struggled too!
Sound, the biggy, and it was a let down tbh. Very loud engine noise in the cabin along with induction tssh too but no exhaust noise inside. You could hear it when revving at standstill, lovely deep and burbly but at speed, nothing, not even under a bridge. Miltek took one away from him last week though so that will soon be rectified but still disappointing tbh. May be explained by each side having its own muffler, so an easy lob off and weld back up fix for those not wanting to splurge on a cat back.
Tuning potential, fmic is a bit piddly and the air intake is in a whole world of its own so stage 2 looks expensive, what you could get out a stage 1 will depend on whether they have a lot of headroom in their turbo like VAG do or whether its already at the max like Vauxhall or ford.
Would I buy one.... no, not really, nothing over and above the gti so be a bit pointless.
FYI, £8k deposit, 36 months pcp, 15k a year = £416p/m for the GT model.
Pics below:
As I mentioned on GGF, I made the following observations:
Comfort, not really harder than my golf tbh, normal mode was slightly harder than current and R mode was again slightly harder than current but not unlivable so that was ok. but no comfort mode, so their adaptable suspension is not to the extent of ours and no, there is no eco mode.
Grip, it was a hot day and they are all shod with contact sport 6's which need to be replaced every 5k so no bridgestones or traction issues here. I couldn't spin it in first or second and I firmly believe its 0-60 time.
Overall Speed, slower than my golf but that's an unfair comparison really, generally very good but not really anything new or exciting, my own fault I suppose.
Brakes, brilliant much better than mine I have to say, those brembos are brilliant!
Tech, most of the mod-cons, great garmin satnav, nice up on the dash display adn it has a brake and throttle position sensor which was pretty cool, but it was all a bit last gen if you know what I mean. You could also download apps to the satnav and it does support mirrorlink.
Seat, brilliant, hugging, couldnt climb out of it for the life of me lol never mind dealer struggled too!
Sound, the biggy, and it was a let down tbh. Very loud engine noise in the cabin along with induction tssh too but no exhaust noise inside. You could hear it when revving at standstill, lovely deep and burbly but at speed, nothing, not even under a bridge. Miltek took one away from him last week though so that will soon be rectified but still disappointing tbh. May be explained by each side having its own muffler, so an easy lob off and weld back up fix for those not wanting to splurge on a cat back.
Tuning potential, fmic is a bit piddly and the air intake is in a whole world of its own so stage 2 looks expensive, what you could get out a stage 1 will depend on whether they have a lot of headroom in their turbo like VAG do or whether its already at the max like Vauxhall or ford.
Would I buy one.... no, not really, nothing over and above the gti so be a bit pointless.
FYI, £8k deposit, 36 months pcp, 15k a year = £416p/m for the GT model.
Good review, thanks for that. I'm temped to drive one once the fuss has died down. I just don't think its going to surprise me in any way from what i'm already used to (much like yourself) However If you have been driving around in a 7th or 8th gen type r its going to be a game changer sure.
The focus RS will be the main pain point for the 30k+ super hatches market next year.
The focus RS will be the main pain point for the 30k+ super hatches market next year.
There was a queue of people waiting to try it and quite a few old type r's in the carpark so no doubt he will have little trouble shifting them, but i bet they will be disappointed more than me regarding the noise
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Well I can definitely confirm that this is not a real VTEC, it has 8k on the revs and the red starts at 7k but before I got to 6k, red lights appeared on the upper dash telling me it was time to change gear lol, so its more of an aesthetic rev gauge really.
Rubbish
I had titanium beehive shaped valve springs in my Civic
It revved off the tach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u41JlAy6trY
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