Honest review of Cupra Ateca VZ1

[Harps]

I have had my Cupra Ateca VZ1 for a few months now. It took an absolute age being built and I posted my frustrations in waiting on the forums lol. Finally got the car in April and Ive driven it around 4k miles.

Looks
I got the car in white which is the cheapest option, but I would have liked it in grey or
I got the car in white which is the cheapest option, but I would have liked it in grey or black. I wasnt prepared to pay extra at the time and prior to this I had a VW Tiguan R line also in white. I love the look of the posterior it looks sporty. The side profile is again sporty looking. I think the alloys could be bigger at 20 or 21” rather than 19 that to me look a bit small maybe its the black and silver that makes them appear smaller. Also they tend to get dirty quickly much quicker than my Tiguans alloys. I’m forever cleaning them. In terms of the front of the car its my least favourite I actually prefer the look of the previous the first version just personal preference it again looked ‘sportier’ maybe beefier to me.

Drive
Now I hardly ever switch driving modes only if driving on narrow country lanes. I live in city and just leave it in individual, but will try comfort. For me I can definitely feel going over pot holes and bumps in the road its not as smooth as my previous suv. I do like the fact its reasonably nippy. It can put my foot down and forget how fast it can pick up sometimes so speed is something I currently can favour more than comfort. I’m in my early 30s maybe if I had kids or driving elderly parents I wouldnt buy this car.

Economy
I wasnt quite prepared on how thirsty the car was going to be I barely average 23 MPG which is poor. When compared to the Tiguan that sometimes got to 50mpg. I know its a compromise with performance and luckily petrol prices have started to drop after the record increases. I cannot get to London and back on a full tank from where I live wish there was a bigger fuel tank. I get approx. 360 miles on a full tank I believe which means I need to stop on the way back from London and fill up.

Interior

lots of people comment on the part alcantara and part leather seats saying their nice. I think they honestly look better than the comfort they provide. I personally am tall and dont like the fact they are not electronic as standard that’s very disappointing that I cant adjust them electrically. The driving position and virw could be improved. I can get a stiff back as I’m tall on long journeys. So its looks over comfort with the seating in my opinion. The dashboard I have no complaints about like the digi cockpit and size of infotainment screen. I also like that Cupra kept the physical aircon dials so you don’t have to find them on some hard to find menu.

One bug bear for me is fact that theres no adaptive cruise control. There’s a speed limiter which doesnt limit the speed at all so you have to be careful if you use that function if its a speed ‘limiter’ i expect the car not to go a few miles over which this regularly does. so you have to cover Cupra should have done better on that front especially with the amount of speed cameras we have in UK. I would also have liked heated seats as standard the heated steering wheel is a bit of a gimmick to me.

I did opt for the extra of a panoramic roof which I have made lots of use of in summer and its of comparable quality to my previous cars and I think the interior would be a bit too dark without it in my view. Its often overcast and dull so I appreciate the extra light even on days I can’t open the roof.


Overall verdict
I like that Cupra is still a niche brand that not many people I talk to are still not aware of. In my city there was one other person I’ve seen with the same car plenty of Formentors though. So the uniqueness is a big bonus for me. I would honestly give the car 7/10 for the issues I’ve raised.

 

[rafletcher]

I have a PFL Special Edition. That has 20” rims. If you think you can feel the potholes with your 19” rims you’d probably not like the 20’s. The 20’s do, however, sharpen up the steering and braking significantly - I run 19’s for winter so have a direct comparison.

Economy is pretty poor, worse even than my (pre GPF) S3 was. Even on a run I don’t get better than 32 and that’s at the speed limit. General pootling to work I get around 24

Im 5’ 10” and find the seats perfect (I also have the leather/alcantara buckets). Mine are electric but not memory.

Luckily I got cruise control (tho not adaptive, which I agree is a very nice to have) and the seats are heated. I dislike intensely the VW style CC control on the stalk, my Audis both had (standard) CC operated by the additional stalk that SEAT only use for ACC.

 

[SRGTD]

I always enjoy reading owner’s experiences of their new cars - much more useful learning what a car is like to live with on a daily basis than to read some motoring journalists view after they’ve spent a just few hours at most with the car.

I think the Cupra Ateca is a fine looking car and IMHO it looks better than a VW Tiguan. White suits it well. As for larger wheels - I think larger wheels and lower profile tyres would make for a ride that would be too firm for some; using comfort mode may be the solution if the wheels were larger. Black alloys are a bit like having a black car; they only really look clean just after washing them - drive a few miles and brake dust build up is noticeable. it’s a shame an anthracite / gunmetal colour option isn’t offered for the alloys as ‘shades of grey’ or a smoked chrome colour would do a good job of hiding the dirt.

Was the engine in your Tiguan a diesel to enable you to achieve 50mpg? Isn’t the engine in the Ateca VZ1 essentially the same 2.0 litre unit that VW uses in the Golf R, but detuned to 300ps in the VZ1? (320ps in the Golf R). With a 300ps poweplant, the emphasis will definitely be on performance rather than economy; Cupra quote an official overall fuel consumption figure of ‘up to’ 31.7 mpg, so a figure around mid 20’s in real world driving is probably realistically what you’d expect to achieve. Agree, a larger fuel tank would be useful.

The seats do look good. I find the sports seats in my VW are more form over function - they look good but arent great for comfort. I’ve owned lots of cars with quite heavily bolstered sports seats and the seats in my current car are poor in comparison with some others in previous cars. Physical controls for air con would get a big thumbs up from me as I’m not a fan of touchscreens to access regularly used functions in a car.

Enjoy your car!

 

[Tell]

I have had my Cupra Ateca VZ1 for a few months now. It took an absolute age being built and I posted my frustrations in waiting on the forums lol. Finally got the car in April and Ive driven it around 4k miles.

Looks
I got the car in white which is the cheapest option, but I would have liked it in grey or
I got the car in white which is the cheapest option, but I would have liked it in grey or black. I wasnt prepared to pay extra at the time and prior to this I had a VW Tiguan R line also in white. I love the look of the posterior it looks sporty. The side profile is again sporty looking. I think the alloys could be bigger at 20 or 21” rather than 19 that to me look a bit small maybe its the black and silver that makes them appear smaller. Also they tend to get dirty quickly much quicker than my Tiguans alloys. I’m forever cleaning them. In terms of the front of the car its my least favourite I actually prefer the look of the previous the first version just personal preference it again looked ‘sportier’ maybe beefier to me.

Drive
Now I hardly ever switch driving modes only if driving on narrow country lanes. I live in city and just leave it in individual, but will try comfort. For me I can definitely feel going over pot holes and bumps in the road its not as smooth as my previous suv. I do like the fact its reasonably nippy. It can put my foot down and forget how fast it can pick up sometimes so speed is something I currently can favour more than comfort. I’m in my early 30s maybe if I had kids or driving elderly parents I wouldnt buy this car.

Economy
I wasnt quite prepared on how thirsty the car was going to be I barely average 23 MPG which is poor. When compared to the Tiguan that sometimes got to 50mpg. I know its a compromise with performance and luckily petrol prices have started to drop after the record increases. I cannot get to London and back on a full tank from where I live wish there was a bigger fuel tank. I get approx. 360 miles on a full tank I believe which means I need to stop on the way back from London and fill up.

Interior

lots of people comment on the part alcantara and part leather seats saying their nice. I think they honestly look better than the comfort they provide. I personally am tall and dont like the fact they are not electronic as standard that’s very disappointing that I cant adjust them electrically. The driving position and virw could be improved. I can get a stiff back as I’m tall on long journeys. So its looks over comfort with the seating in my opinion. The dashboard I have no complaints about like the digi cockpit and size of infotainment screen. I also like that Cupra kept the physical aircon dials so you don’t have to find them on some hard to find menu.

One bug bear for me is fact that theres no adaptive cruise control. There’s a speed limiter which doesnt limit the speed at all so you have to be careful if you use that function if its a speed ‘limiter’ i expect the car not to go a few miles over which this regularly does. so you have to cover Cupra should have done better on that front especially with the amount of speed cameras we have in UK. I would also have liked heated seats as standard the heated steering wheel is a bit of a gimmick to me.

I did opt for the extra of a panoramic roof which I have made lots of use of in summer and its of comparable quality to my previous cars and I think the interior would be a bit too dark without it in my view. Its often overcast and dull so I appreciate the extra light even on days I can’t open the roof.


Overall verdict
I like that Cupra is still a niche brand that not many people I talk to are still not aware of. In my city there was one other person I’ve seen with the same car plenty of Formentors though. So the uniqueness is a big bonus for me. I would honestly give the car 7/10 for the issues I’ve raised.

As for keeping within speed that's where you want TSR to get the beeps if exceeding the speed limit read by the Lane Assist camera uses a combination of the digitised road speed with what's read of the signs. If it's got Lane assist but not TSR you might be able to code TSR on, although there have been some changes on some models Lane Assist cameras fitted so doesn't always work. I put the coding on the OBDEleven thread on the traditional Seat Ateca side. It's a try if you got lane assist and invest in the Obdeleven Pro or VCDS. Also a thread on the VCDS coding of that over there. It was common coding but there are some Lane Assist cameras where the functionality of TSR isn't in them. This coding has been done on some Ateca Cupras with success, pre face lifted, not sure of post face lifted.

 

[AndyB123]

I have had my Cupra Ateca VZ1 for a few months now. It took an absolute age being built and I posted my frustrations in waiting on the forums lol. Finally got the car in April and Ive driven it around 4k miles.

Looks
I got the car in white which is the cheapest option, but I would have liked it in grey or
I got the car in white which is the cheapest option, but I would have liked it in grey or black. I wasnt prepared to pay extra at the time and prior to this I had a VW Tiguan R line also in white. I love the look of the posterior it looks sporty. The side profile is again sporty looking. I think the alloys could be bigger at 20 or 21” rather than 19 that to me look a bit small maybe its the black and silver that makes them appear smaller. Also they tend to get dirty quickly much quicker than my Tiguans alloys. I’m forever cleaning them. In terms of the front of the car its my least favourite I actually prefer the look of the previous the first version just personal preference it again looked ‘sportier’ maybe beefier to me.

Drive
Now I hardly ever switch driving modes only if driving on narrow country lanes. I live in city and just leave it in individual, but will try comfort. For me I can definitely feel going over pot holes and bumps in the road its not as smooth as my previous suv. I do like the fact its reasonably nippy. It can put my foot down and forget how fast it can pick up sometimes so speed is something I currently can favour more than comfort. I’m in my early 30s maybe if I had kids or driving elderly parents I wouldnt buy this car.

Economy
I wasnt quite prepared on how thirsty the car was going to be I barely average 23 MPG which is poor. When compared to the Tiguan that sometimes got to 50mpg. I know its a compromise with performance and luckily petrol prices have started to drop after the record increases. I cannot get to London and back on a full tank from where I live wish there was a bigger fuel tank. I get approx. 360 miles on a full tank I believe which means I need to stop on the way back from London and fill up.

Interior

lots of people comment on the part alcantara and part leather seats saying their nice. I think they honestly look better than the comfort they provide. I personally am tall and dont like the fact they are not electronic as standard that’s very disappointing that I cant adjust them electrically. The driving position and virw could be improved. I can get a stiff back as I’m tall on long journeys. So its looks over comfort with the seating in my opinion. The dashboard I have no complaints about like the digi cockpit and size of infotainment screen. I also like that Cupra kept the physical aircon dials so you don’t have to find them on some hard to find menu.

One bug bear for me is fact that theres no adaptive cruise control. There’s a speed limiter which doesnt limit the speed at all so you have to be careful if you use that function if its a speed ‘limiter’ i expect the car not to go a few miles over which this regularly does. so you have to cover Cupra should have done better on that front especially with the amount of speed cameras we have in UK. I would also have liked heated seats as standard the heated steering wheel is a bit of a gimmick to me.

I did opt for the extra of a panoramic roof which I have made lots of use of in summer and its of comparable quality to my previous cars and I think the interior would be a bit too dark without it in my view. Its often overcast and dull so I appreciate the extra light even on days I can’t open the roof.


Overall verdict
I like that Cupra is still a niche brand that not many people I talk to are still not aware of. In my city there was one other person I’ve seen with the same car plenty of Formentors though. So the uniqueness is a big bonus for me. I would honestly give the car 7/10 for the issues I’ve raised.

Hi Harps, just reading the spec on your car, I've got the same as you with the pan roof. Also in white.

I've had to pay for traffic updates for 2 years, I find that a piss take.

VW didn't charge me for any car.

So far the mpg is crap, although it's freezing and I've always got the aircon on hot and the steering wheel heat on.

I've just about got used to the software.

Is there any where on the menu to list all the traffic jams? My ateca could do it, same as my vw cars.

At the moment it's displayed on the nav, but I have to scroll in and out to find jams on other motorways.

 

[Harps]

Hi Harps, just reading the spec on your car, I've got the same as you with the pan roof. Also in white.

I've had to pay for traffic updates for 2 years, I find that a piss take.

VW didn't charge me for any car.

So far the mpg is crap, although it's freezing and I've always got the aircon on hot and the steering wheel heat on.

I've just about got used to the software.

Is there any where on the menu to list all the traffic jams? My ateca could do it, same as my vw cars.

At the moment it's displayed on the nav, but I have to scroll in and out to find jams on other motorways.

Hi mate, I’ve just found using google maps is best for live traffic updates, but you have to plug in a journey for it to show or you could also use an app called Waze which also tells you where police are waiting to catch drivers. Ive barely used that and its user led.

I have found after my first few 1000 miles the mpg may have improved very slightly I just about get it above 30 mpg and maybe 35mpg on the motorway when there’s little traffic.

 

[CosmicBlue]

With regard to the wheels getting dusty quickly - do Ateca owners fit EBC Bluestuff disc pads to counteract this? On the RSQ3s it was an absolute 1st mod (there was a Redstuff fitment for those too) even on a new car - the replacement discs were north of £600 a pair so using pads that didn't wear the surface of the disc was really important. The brake dust is mostly disc surface rather than the pads....its on my list for my new toy.