Sly870

Active Member
Jan 10, 2021
102
16
Hello!

Does anyone use a Leon Cupra (MK3) 290 5 door as a family car? One has popped up that has caught my eye (2019 - 21 990 miles for £20k, with DCC) and am quite keen on it but curious how a pram and baby seat fit in it? :D
 
They dont fit very well

I had a mk3 a new born and a pram

Pram took the whole boot. Obv you can get smaller prams but try telling the missus that ?

The Estate would be a better choice
 
They dont fit very well

I had a mk3 a new born and a pram

Pram took the whole boot. Obv you can get smaller prams but try telling the missus that ?

The Estate would be a better choice

Ha, that was my concern. Estate it is, now to decide between the R or Leon Cupra version :D

Formentor was a little too expensive for my blood (and the recent issues worried me)
 
Ha, that was my concern. Estate it is, now to decide between the R or Leon Cupra version :D

Formentor was a little too expensive for my blood (and the recent issues worried me)
The ST's look nice so it's no biggy.

I have an estate now too or a shooting brake as the manufacturer calls it. Much better for the family
 
They dont fit very well

I had a mk3 a new born and a pram

Pram took the whole boot. Obv you can get smaller prams but try telling the missus that ?

The Estate would be a better choice

Some nice roof rails and a sexy looking roof box could solve that issue.

TBH I had a 3door and found the boot space adequate for pram, bags etc on a day out. Wasn't a Cupra but don't think that should make a difference to the size.
 
It really depends on the pram/pushchair.
IMO the Leon should be fine as a family car - it's bigger in the boot than the Ibiza, and that served us fine with a McLaren style pushchair, and also a full on Oyster travel system.
 
I’ve just had a baby a few months ago. I have a Leon Cupra 280 hatchback stage 1. It works really well. I can fit the pram in the boot and car seat fits well in the back. It’s a good family city car. Good on motorways too. I’m not upgrading now until I have more than 2 children. It’s fine for 1-2 children. If you really want more space then go for an estate. Hatch is perfectly fine as a family car imo.
 
Thanks guys! The pram is a Joie versatrax if that helps :ROFLMAO:

Still stuck between Golf R estate, Leon 300 Lux estate or 290 Lux hatch..
 
I'm sure you can make do with the hatch and can get a pram in the boot - but if ever you go away on holiday or go to you favorite flat pack furniture store you will be grateful for the estate.
Then when they get older you're probably talking bikes - and the amount of presents they get from parties is frankly ridiculous! - filled my ST boot with presents from their school friends on our recent 5th birthday!
If you currently have a choice and you have a baby then 100% estate. Through my eyes the ST looks better than the hatch.
If it will only ever be a school run car then the hatch would be slightly easier to park - but the ST isn't a long car.
 
I’d go with any Golf R estate or any Cupra estate. Cupra looks better imo. Golfs are more common. Get the spec you want, FSH etc. Hardly any difference in Cupra 280, 290, 300. You can always get a stage 1 done fairly cheaply for a couple of hundred. I’ve a 280 stage 1 and it’s ??
 
As a hatch poor. As an Estate it does a good job, 2 weeks in France it was full to the roof and did it well. My 280 hatch was a pain it could never quite take a buggy whole the Joie spin we used needed the seats forward. Dont get me wrong it will do but expect it to be a squeeze and definitely need a roof box.

I chose the 300 lux as it get 4drive and more kit (lane assist etc). The only way it losses over the Golf is the back slopes in which means less room. The Cupra looks better is cheaper to buy and cheaper to insure/run etc.

I will be buying a roof box for my ST to allow us to carry more in comfort.
 
Was in a similar position just over a year back (one kid, 2yo) and got a 2019 5F ST Lux. Great car and the size is bang on for a small family. The little one needs an epic amount of stuff, so have filled it to capacity more than a few times. The large flat boot floor is great for nappy changes/roadside emergency potty breaks - not sure if you get the level loading with a hatch?

Continuing with the grim but inevitable side of parenting, the kid loves the car which rides better than most SUVs which she'd throw up in more often than not. But with the rare occasion when she has thrown up in the Leon, the leather seats are handy at the clean up stage (though we put down a towel under the car seat to make everything easier).

As estates go, Leon ST is a bit smaller/narrower, but that’s actually pretty handy getting the kid out in car park spaces and the interior is plenty big for one. Not sure I am brave enough to see how it works with two :)
 
Thanks guys, love this forum for this type of everyday-real information, estate it is!

I think I have also settled on the Golf, the Mrs said she slightly prefers the look and price is not that bad. I still have my eyes on the '19 plate white R, keyless entry and reverse camera with 22k miles for £25k from VW, just to decide how much is a reasonable monthly payment for it :D
 
Thanks guys, love this forum for this type of everyday-real information, estate it is!

I think I have also settled on the Golf, the Mrs said she slightly prefers the look and price is not that bad. I still have my eyes on the '19 plate white R, keyless entry and reverse camera with 22k miles for £25k from VW, just to decide how much is a reasonable monthly payment for it :D
I like a Golf R estate.

I was considering one but then I thought about being sensible. So I bought a diesel. Now with fuel prices I wish i got the petrol.

Can't win.

I went for a Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake over the golf. IMO they are nice looking cars
 
Or a Volvo 850 R.
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I’ve always really liked the 850R but anyone considering buying one would be looking at a car that’ll be around 25 years old.

With a car of that age, I’m not sure I’d want to run one as a daily driver as it’s likely to be more prone to mechanical issues. It’d probably also be difficult to find a good one - I dare say many examples may have a patchy history and there’s a good chance they may have been abused.
 
Probably best to leave the 850 R on the poster then, and use the Golf R estate as a daily.
 
I have a mk3 280st. I’ve had my neice and nephew in the back in their big kids seats. Dog, pram, all our crap in the boot. Equips itself very well, you can also lower the boot shelf for an even bigger boot space if you want.

ST all the way.
 
Sorry, late to the party.

Obviously, biased with a Cupra ST 300 with 7 Spd DSG from new. I too was weighing up between R Estate and Cupra ST, but couldn’t justify high spec Cupra and £4k in my pocket vs Standard spec R. The Cupra also came with DCC control as standard which helps if you want a softer suspension setting.

Since owning the Cupra my wife bought a BMW 3 Series Estate Shadow Edition 320D and to be honest I’d swap the Cupra for a 335D or 340i version of this car.

I’ve also owned several Skoda Octavia VRS estates which were fantastic when we had two young kids, prams and many road trips across Europe.