Liking it but not loving it

[Ads290ez]

Hi all,

Not trying to put a downer on the Cupra in anyway but something seems to be missing for me. Not sure if anyone else has had the same thing, admittedly its a odd problem to have with such a nice car.

As mentioned i like it but not loving it, cant put my finger on why exactly had it 2 months and done 1,000 miles.

I did test drive one for the day before i leased this one, it was the Cupra 300 so there no real difference.

To be honest I'm actually more impressed with the other half's new ibiza for some reason which may mean i have finally grown up.........

 

[Hazkirby]

Do you drive it like a hot hatch? I.e. on the edge

Have you felt the diff yet ?

 

[Ads290ez]

Do you drive it like a hot hatch? I.e. on the edge

Have you felt the diff yet ?

Where i can i do yes, i normally leave it in the individual mode which i have set the diff up.

There is no doubt in the cars abilities, handling is spot on

 

[Kibby]

Hi all,

Not trying to put a downer on the Cupra in anyway but something seems to be missing for me. Not sure if anyone else has had the same thing, admittedly its a odd problem to have with such a nice car.

As mentioned i like it but not loving it, cant put my finger on why exactly had it 2 months and done 1,000 miles.

I did test drive one for the day before i leased this one, it was the Cupra 300 so there no real difference.

To be honest I'm actually more impressed with the other half's new ibiza for some reason which may mean i have finally grown up.........

I dont think it is the case that you have grown up i believe it is a case of expectations.

The ibiza impressed because you didnt expect it to have much power or be fun.

You become institutionalized after owning a powerful car for a while (everyone who gets a remap always seem to chase Stage 2 and Stage 2+ etc). If you want to feel consistently blown away by the cupra keep it as a weekend toy (i know unrealistic), do a res delete to get the sound level up a little.

I always thought the same until a two week holiday without the cupra then getting back into the car that excitment came right back again.

Its one of those cars that is seamlessly comfortable and fun and as a result becomes anticipated and expected.

 

[Legojon]

In what way is it disappointing? Are you expecting more pull when you put your foot down? I've found as the engines become more refined, they tend to hit speeds quicker without snapping your neck as much. Having said that though, usually the point of a Stage 1 is not to hit high bhp figures but to more unleash the power of the engine and better shape the torque curve.

Mines a MK2, but I've spent hours driving it and $$$ upgrading it and it's tailored just to me. If I could, I'd sell my house and live in it. Shame yours is on lease as that limits modding options.

 

[Ads290ez]

I dont think it is the case that you have grown up i believe it is a case of expectations.

The ibiza impressed because you didnt expect it to have much power or be fun.

You become institutionalized after owning a powerful car for a while (everyone who gets a remap always seem to chase Stage 2 and Stage 2+ etc). If you want to feel consistently blown away by the cupra keep it as a weekend toy (i know unrealistic), do a res delete to get the sound level up a little.

I always thought the same until a two week holiday without the cupra then getting back into the car that excitment came right back again.

Its one of those cars that is seamlessly comfortable and fun and as a result becomes anticipated and expected.

I do get what you're saying as most of the faster cars now are almost to refined and can do it all, my friend had a mk2 focus rs then a mk3 and said the mk2 was always the better car. This was due to the mk2 being more old school and having lag then balls out power, where as the mk3 was a faster car but felt slower.

As you say it can do everything so you forget how good it is at it all, the cupra is not a weekend toy but its not used to go and from work so just social.

I think i need to arrange a road trip to really get to use it as intended as i did this with my last two cars and made me love them.

 

[Ads290ez]

In what way is it disappointing? Are you expecting more pull when you put your foot down? I've found as the engines become more refined, they tend to hit speeds quicker without snapping your neck as much. Having said that though, usually the point of a Stage 1 is not to hit high bhp figures but to more unleash the power of the engine and better shape the torque curve.

Mines a MK2, but I've spent hours driving it and $$$ upgrading it and it's tailored just to me. If I could, I'd sell my house and live in it. Shame yours is on lease as that limits modding options.

I was thinking about a res delete but not sure how much difference it makes on the new 290 models due to exhaust changes and added filters.

i think a stage 1 would be all i would do if i did want to remap it but as its on a 2 year lease dont really want to spend any money on it and just use it as it is.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

Afraid newer cars are all about Saftey and Environment and as a result have lost a bit of the heart.

I see owners across the VAG Group complaining about there brand new cars not being as enjoyable as there old ones.

However that said its still a great car you need to take it out and get a feel for it.

 

[Ads290ez]

Afraid newer cars are all about Saftey and Environment and as a result have lost a bit of the heart.

I see owners across the VAG Group complaining about there brand new cars not being as enjoyable as there old ones.

However that said its still a great car you need to take it out and get a feel for it.

Yer dont get me wrong its a great car, as you say everything is changing with new cars look at the new cupra with the hybrid and other cars got to make the most of this.

 

[Challymo]

I did feel a bit like that at first, I was struggling to get used to the dsg having had manual cars for the last 12 years. I'm now starting to get used to pre-empting when I may need to use the grunt and using the paddles to drop a cog or two in preparation, it has definitely helped me feel a lot more connected with the car and given that sense of urgency that I felt was missing initially with the car.

 

[LouG]

I sort of get what you're saying. I like my wife's Arona because you can wring its neck without getting hyper illegal. But then I get in the Cupra and feel the psycho trying to get out and get addicted all over again.

 

[Jaco2k]

Oddly, we also have a new Ibiza FR with the 1.5 engine on the household and it surprises me how often I just reach for the keys of that one (it is a manual...)
...that said, I just did a big road trip to Estonia and Latvia with loads of overtaking and I could not think of a better car to ahve there than the Cupra

 

[hepy]

I’ve had a 4drive for 18 months and 30,000 miles now and I hear what you are saying. It is just too competent!

My previous car was a Fiesta ST, and that had a bone shaking ride, wasn’t as quick, family hated it, rubbish air con and a small boot. But I loved it!

I wish I had gone for a manual and 2wd, as it would ‘feel’ more like a hot hatch.

Mind you an estate car that holds all the family’s gubbins, loads of shopping, can do over 150mph and 5 secs to 60, are we all getting a bit too spoilt?

 

[r3d]

I feel the same unfortunately. Had my share of 90s hot hatches - 205gti, renault 19 16v, those cars were a lot more involved. I have done just 400 miles so far but i still dont feel any connection with the car. Totally clueless of the amount of grip, weight distribution and braking force i have left. Usually it takes a day or two for me to connect with the car. Somehow cupra feels heavy and floaty, I have no idea of one of the wheels is in the air or its on the ground. I really really hope it will change over time.

 

[Bullet]

I have also come from a Fiesta ST and it's taking me a lot longer to gel with the Cupra looking at it from a hot hatch perspective but it's a different beast really. So different with the DSG etc but starting to come together now though. However, the more grown-up feel and better ride in Comfort mode and the auto in traffic jams is fantastic.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

Its not just the Cupra, Golf R, Audi S3 and Skoda forums have people saying the same thing.

It has just confirmed for me that I will keep my 280 for a very long time, just the right amount of comfort when needed and boy racer madness when you turn the tap on.

 

[JSM Cupra]

It depends on what you want from your car. For ultimate hot hatch thrills the Type R or Megane RS will thrill you with their poise, pace and handling. But if you want a car that that is massively competent and comfortable for most journeys then the Cupra fills that brief perfectly. I love driving mine as it does everything so well, from the commute to long distance travels.
It may not have the raw edge of the cars I have mentioned but having the speed, space and comfort of my car outweighs them. And I still love getting in and driving it.

 

[Jaco2k]

Just on the subject of excitement and tick all boxes - a former colleague of mine had a Subaru WRX that had been tuned to 600bhp and an absurd amount of money and mods thrown at it.
He took me for a ride as a passenger once and it has to be one of the most uncomfortable cars I have ever been on... It surely was fast, probably exciting but would I like to live with that car everyday? No.
Neither did he, BTW - he came to work by bus most of the time.

 

[Ads290ez]

I feel the same unfortunately. Had my share of 90s hot hatches - 205gti, renault 19 16v, those cars were a lot more involved. I have done just 400 miles so far but i still dont feel any connection with the car. Totally clueless of the amount of grip, weight distribution and braking force i have left. Usually it takes a day or two for me to connect with the car. Somehow cupra feels heavy and floaty, I have no idea of one of the wheels is in the air or its on the ground. I really really hope it will change over time.

From the handling point the cupra i have found to be outstanding for a front wheel drive car. The diff just wont let it understeer and pulls you round. Just take it to some road you know very well and push it a little.

On the older cars I believe it was the imperfections that made them more characterful. If you were to drive one of them now and get in the cupra it would feel so old school, and would be useless at the day to day stuff unlike the cupra.

 

[Ads290ez]

Just on the subject of excitement and tick all boxes - a former colleague of mine had a Subaru WRX that had been tuned to 600bhp and an absurd amount of money and mods thrown at it.
He took me for a ride as a passenger once and it has to be one of the most uncomfortable cars I have ever been on... It surely was fast, probably exciting but would I like to live with that car everyday? No.
Neither did he, BTW - he came to work by bus most of the time.

Yer i did a similar thing to one of my earlier cars, by modifying it i made it useless and uncomfortable, but i was young and thought it looked good and loved the noise!