just test drove new cupra

[homerjay]

my 2006/55 is for sale on here for 13500 at the min, and the dealer has just offered me 13500 against a demo cupra with 1000 miles up at 18500. At 1st attempt the salesman isnt for knocking any more off...

so far so good.

the car seems built much better than my lcr, the brakes are MUCH better, its got cruise (something i really miss in my lcr)

problem is the car doesnt scream "buy me"... its in grey and looks pretty much like every other mk2 leon ive seen.

i know its new and not run in, but it doesnt seem overly quick, or am i being harsh? after doing a little bit of reading on here, is seems a couple of cars are showing more than the 237hp?

trade 2006/55 LCR for 2007/07 Cupra for 5k?

should i, shouldnt i?

 

[ZBOYD]

The main power delivery of the 2.0TFSi 16v is in the high rev band more, and SEAT purposely dialled it back in the low range so it has little or no torquesteer.

Compared to the 1.8 20VT in the R, that has a wider mid range pull, but having owned both i don't think its as revvy as the new engine.

Ive had mine just over a month now, and its certainly getting looser and more free to rev. I drove one of SEAT's press cars in February along with m0rk, and we both found them to be exceptionally good fun when you took them over 5krpm, and very eager to rev.

You have to approach how you drive them a bit differently to the R, to get the most from them. But with the exceptional handling and the revvy engine, I find it fun to drive.

 

[seat_lion]

yeah i would to agree with zboyd the new cupra is mapped to rev right from 2500 right up to 7500 rpm whereas in the cupra r your boost curve tends to peak at around 5500 rpm and then tails off whereas with the new cupra 5500rpm is just when the car gets another kick of life, the car revs very freely handles the power 10 times better and just purely out performs the old R by far, i think the main thing was before with the R there were revisions over the cupra/fr when they released it but it wasnt specifically built to handle the power whereas the new cupra imo anyway has been put together very well and by reports of people who have mapped them are able to handle 300bhp quite well which in a fwd car is quite suprising

 

[Igor23]

Yep, 300+bhp with no torquesteer, the engine and chassis are superb, better than any poxy VXR, IMHO the best value in its class, only the pirelli's let it down, yokohama parada 2's give much better grip and high speed stability....

 

[homerjay]

cheers guys. it is very tempting. the cars just not instantly loveable i wished it was. although 300bhp on the horizon gets the heart racing...

my other option is a focus st-3, which is much cheaper at 16800. but just waiting for a trade price back on mine with ford.

not driven the st-3 yet, though.

in fact as i type, ford just rang and offered me ELEVEN THOUSAND POUND on my LCR...... i laughed...

 

[BanziBarn]

The ST doesn't feel that quick either but the noise is awesome. I'd have it over the cupra I think. The Superchip remap is also well established and reliable on the ST.

 

[chrisboyle999]

not me, stick with the cupra.

while no one buys a sporty model expecting to get half decent mpg, the st is just rediculous.

and its a ford.

 

[homerjay]

ford have come back to me with 12300 for mine...

go take for a test drive and take it from there...

i really want to love the new cupra but i just dont...sorry.

but saying that, if the ford rattles like a bag of spanners, i go and buy the cupra today...

 

[InfernalBadger]

That way the ford only works out £500 cheaper. Not really much in it

 

[garycupratdi]

If i was you i would check the autotrader out and just have a look at how mant focus st's are for sale...lots and the main reason is the fuel it drinks the stuff as it has got an extra cylinder and the cupra will always be rarer.

 

[homerjay]

too late, just bought one... fuel consumpion is not something im bothered about to be honest.

managed to get 13k against a 16k 06 st-3, so tomorrow i will be the owner of an 2006 electric orange st-3

i can definatly say the focus sounds better than the cupra and does put a smile on your facem, though built quality isnt quite as good and id say the cupra was a little more refined.

and i saved a bit of cash to get it remapped straight away, which is nice...

 

[225]

What about a used VXR or R26, I would try them all myself. OK they VXR may torque steer into a bush but looks better than the cupra IMHO. The recent threads of white ones and FRs with modded wheels and lower suspension look alot better.
Now a white cupra with lowered suspension, black alloys/wing mirrors and the BTCC body kit and a remap would be spot on!

 

[garycupratdi]

Well i thought they where nice but it would be a focus rs all the way for me better fuel consumption and better lookin imho but i do think you will be very friendly with your local shell garage as a friend of mine who is a traffic cop tested one on the job and i think he said he got just over 120 miles to a tank.... ouch.