Just ordered a new Cupra and have some questions...

Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
Hi, new lad reporting in. Just ordered a new Seat Ibiza Cupra SC (because I didn't have money to buy Fiesta ST as its over 30000eur total and 9000eur over the better specced Cupra here in Finland). I now drive a Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0TFSI - 06 that has done only 115000km but I have had my share of problems with faster/sportier than normal used cars and decided that I try a new car and see how it goes.

Cupra is specced quite nicely on its own (at least here in Finland we get almost everything as standard with Cupra) but I added a few things to it:
-Metal color dark gray (Pirineos Grey)
-Seat Portable System (newer Garmin version that has 0-100km/h timing, 1/4mile timing, boost gauge, G-meter etc.)
-Parking sensors to the rear
-Textile mats for summers

Is there anything interesting or other things that I should know about the Ibiza? Bad design, nice touches and things that you notice only when you own and drive the car daily?

Plus any ideas how to cope with the wait of 3months for a new car.

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MjrSharpe

Astra VXR
Jun 18, 2012
507
1
Northern Ireland
Hi man, glad to hear you picked a cupra. Mine is grey as well, have had it for around 8 months and I love it. It has never missed a beat on me, and whilst it does use a little oil, it's nothing crazy, maybe a litre every 2000 miles, sometimes not even that. Can't suggest anything to help with the wait though lol, but at least you've got the exact car you want when it comes.:)
 
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Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
Any weird details like with Saabs handbrake causing your thumb to brake etc? Or any nice details that were not in brochure or didn't notice them when test driving? Or any Cupra only stuff? As I have only seen Cupras from a distance but not heard, not driven or sat in one I want to know what I'm getting :D. Is there any extras that you think I might be missing (I can still order them if needed). Oh, and is the sound really that different from the normal or FR versions?

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MjrSharpe

Astra VXR
Jun 18, 2012
507
1
Northern Ireland
I had a facelift fr before the cupra, a 1.2 tsi and the sound is totally different, especially higher in the Rev band, it's so much better. In terms of cupra only stuff, the headlining is black which I really like, and the upholstery is nice with the white banding. The speedo has a little cupra badge and it comes with a lot of things standard which are options on the other models i.e. climate control, hill hold, and the full bi-xenon/ led kit, although I've probably missed some. I think the armrest makes a great addition, as do the piano black door handle trims, but the only other thing is the winter pack which adds heated seats and a few other things as well such as heated washer jets. I think it's good value for money. The best mod though, in my opinion would be to lower it with some h and R springs, as from the factory it's quite high, and this would be the only minor criticism I could level at it, and one which is easily fixed at that.
 

Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
What about the steering? Is the steering rack faster on the Cupra?

Oh and thanks a lot for the info. I knew most of those but didn't know about the headliner and the door handles.

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MjrSharpe

Astra VXR
Jun 18, 2012
507
1
Northern Ireland
No problem at all. Tbh, I'm not sure about the steering rack, it feels largely the same as the fr in terms of weight and turn in etc., but I'm happy enough with that because I always thought it was fine.
 

Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
I had a facelift fr before the cupra, a 1.2 tsi and the sound is totally different, especially higher in the Rev band, it's so much better. In terms of cupra only stuff, the headlining is black which I really like, and the upholstery is nice with the white banding. The speedo has a little cupra badge and it comes with a lot of things standard which are options on the other models i.e. climate control, hill hold, and the full bi-xenon/ led kit, although I've probably missed some. I think the armrest makes a great addition, as do the piano black door handle trims, but the only other thing is the winter pack which adds heated seats and a few other things as well such as heated washer jets. I think it's good value for money. The best mod though, in my opinion would be to lower it with some h and R springs, as from the factory it's quite high, and this would be the only minor criticism I could level at it, and one which is easily fixed at that.

What about the idle sound. Is it better or do I have to get Miltek exhaust or something just to get a nice sound of it. What about the white parts in the seats, is it cloth or leather and is it pain in the ass to keep clean? And winterpack is standard here in Finland so no problem with that.

And the armrest, I didnt order one because it costs almost 400eur and does not add anything else to the car as its a Cupra and because I´m afraid its going to be too high for my hand as I have to sit low in the car because I have long legs and short hands. If I understand correctly you can by the armrest separately for a few eur/dollars and install it quite easily.

As for the lowering, I think you are right about how high the cars sits but then again I would partly lose my warranty and it would be too low to drive to my summer cottage and I would be constantly worrying about speedbumps (I have had a lowered ST170 Focus and Escort XR3i Cabriolet and those were pain in the ass).
 

MjrSharpe

Astra VXR
Jun 18, 2012
507
1
Northern Ireland
Unfortunatley the idle sound is quite muted so you'd probably need a miltek as you say. The white on the seats isn't leather but it is like a wipe clean vinyl. It's not as bad as you would think for picking up marks, and I've found that auto finesse upholstery cleaner is the best for removing any that do appear.
The armrest is adjustable and I find it good, but it's just personal opinion. 400 euro seems an awful lot because I got mine for about £120 iirc, and it's easily fitted as you say.
I get what you mean about the lowering, and there's no point in doing it if it would be an inconvenience for you.
 

Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
Unfortunatley the idle sound is quite muted so you'd probably need a miltek as you say. The white on the seats isn't leather but it is like a wipe clean vinyl. It's not as bad as you would think for picking up marks, and I've found that auto finesse upholstery cleaner is the best for removing any that do appear.
The armrest is adjustable and I find it good, but it's just personal opinion. 400 euro seems an awful lot because I got mine for about £120 iirc, and it's easily fitted as you say.
I get what you mean about the lowering, and there's no point in doing it if it would be an inconvenience for you.

The armrest is in a optionpack that includes a lot of stuff that won't be fitted with 1.4 and above so thats why the high price.

How loud is the exhaust at full throttle? I have RS Octavia now and idle is ok but at full throttle it's just too quiet.

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Bobanegra

Active Member
Oct 15, 2010
310
0
Stirling
Oh, and is the sound really that different from the normal or FR versions?

The Cupra models are the only Ibizas in the range fitted with sound actuators, it emphasises the engine noise within the cabin whilst in actual fact is still relatively quiet outside. It adds a lot to the overall driving experience but you have to remember that its a twin charged 1.4 engine, not a 3L V6, it will make very little to no noise while idle so do not expect it to sit purring while you're at a set of lights.

The actuator responds to engine load, so you'll find that it sounds best whilst accelerating… once you're at a cruising speed it is hardly noticeable.
 

Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
The Cupra models are the only Ibizas in the range fitted with sound actuators, it emphasises the engine noise within the cabin whilst in actual fact is still relatively quiet outside. It adds a lot to the overall driving experience but you have to remember that its a twin charged 1.4 engine, not a 3L V6, it will make very little to no noise while idle so do not expect it to sit purring while you're at a set of lights.

The actuator responds to engine load, so you'll find that it sounds best whilst accelerating… once you're at a cruising speed it is hardly noticeable.

That's even better. I like it to be quite silent on my normal commute but still aggressive and racy when I step on it. I don't mind that its a artificial as long it is convincing.

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avangerx

Guest
As an ibiza cupra owner there are couple of things I want to say;
1st - As you may know for the first 4000 Km go easy on the engine. Do not force it or test it's limits. Read the owners manual and do what it exactly says. Otherwise you may end up with some unwanted engine problems. At 5000 Km you may want to go for an oil change.
2nd - As for the oil I recommend Motul Brand as performance series motul is perfect for these kind of engines. You may use 5W40 Motul instead of Castrol 5W30.
3rd - You can get a really nice sound with Milltek if you choose to have it installed.

There are two downsides that I can think off.
1 - The sound system is very outdated. You won't have a USB for Bluetooth. The sound quality is just ok. I'm looking for a proper upgrade on the sound system.
2 - The seat quality is really cheap and I think it won't last long so I want to get leather seating installed. You may want to think about it. The interior quality is likewise somewhat cheap. It could have been better but there is not much you can do about that.

Well in time you may also want to get a coilover for better handling as I think it will get far better on the road with coilover.
 
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Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
As an ibiza cupra owner there are couple of things I want to say;
1st - As you may know for the first 4000 Km go easy on the engine. Do not force it or test it's limits. Read the owners manual and do what it exactly says. Otherwise you may end up with some unwanted engine problems. At 5000 Km you may want to go for an oil change.
2nd - As for the oil I recommend Motul Brand as performance series motul is perfect for these kind of engines. You may use 5W40 Motul instead of Castrol 5W30.
3rd - You can get a really nice sound with Milltek if you choose to have it installed.

There are two downsides that I can think off.
1 - The sound system is very outdated. You won't have a USB for Bluetooth. The sound quality is just ok. I'm looking for a proper upgrade on the sound system.
2 - The seat quality is really cheap and I think it won't last long so I want to get leather seating installed. You may want to think about it. The interior quality is likewise somewhat cheap. It could have been better but there is not much you can do about that.

Well in time you may also want to get a coilover for better handling as I think it will get far better on the road with coilover.

Yeah, been reading about the engine problems and half of the people say that you should drive it hard from the beginning and half say that take it easy for the first few thousand km. As for the oil, I´ll use the oil that dealer uses just to minimize problems when/not if the engine goes bad.

And the soundsystem might be a thing that I´ll have to update as I have quite a setup at home and have used to cars that have at least the basic hifi setup. As for the bluetooth and usb, no it wont have USB but I´d never use it anyway as I use bluetooth streaming that comes with Portable system or if needed the SD-card reader that is in it as well.

And sadly I cant do to much mods without risking the warranty. So basic outside mods like smaller antenna, vinyl roof, rims and some of the inside mods are ok to do but any changes to chassis will void the warranty and give them reason not to replace the gearbox, engine or anything that goes wrong even that it does not have anything to do with those things :(.

What do you think is going to give up on the seats? Just wear and tear or some other quality issue? And I´m with you on the interior quality but at least it is much better than what it used to be and is quite ok. Of course not on the level of some other similar cars but good enought.
 

avangerx

Guest
Well the most important thing is to go easy on the engine for the first 4K km. It is alson in the owners manual and it is hard to do cause , as a new car owner, you want to test the limits of the car but keep in mind if you do it right you will have lots of time to do it and enjoy the performance of your car without any engine problems.

There are couple of Hi-fi systems from Zenec or Necvox that would be a fit for your cupra. The coolest part is not only they give you tons of options but show you some of the readings of your car such as engine temp, oil temp etc. Just for those readings they are worth it.

Seats are ok but sad part is just ok! They should have been much better. You will have wear and tear quickly but it is a worry for tomorrow so enjoy it now. You will deal with it when it starts bothering you. I really considered buying VW Polo GTI and no doubt it has a better interior qualit all over but it doesn't have the spirit as Ibiza Cupra has so I passed on it and got the Cupra. I'm sure you will like it. You made a good decision. The car is handsome, quick and fun.
 
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Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
Well the most important thing is to go easy on the engine for the first 4K km. It is alson in the owners manual and it is hard to do cause , as a new car owner, you want to test the limits of the car but keep in mind if you do it right you will have lots of time to do it and enjoy the performance of your car without any engine problems.

There are couple of Hi-fi systems from Zenec or Necvox that would be a fit for your cupra. The coolest part is not only they give you tons of options but show you some of the readings of your car such as engine temp, oil temp etc. Just for those readings they are worth it.

Seats are ok but sad part is just ok! They should have been much better. You will have wear and tear quickly but it is a worry for tomorrow so enjoy it now. You will deal with it when it starts bothering you. I really considered buying VW Polo GTI and no doubt it has a better interior qualit all over but it doesn't have the spirit as Ibiza Cupra has so I passed on it and got the Cupra. I'm sure you will like it. You made a good decision. The car is handsome, quick and fun.

Actually engines today might be better when used not hard but with different loads including full throttle. Maybe not in the first 1000km but after that.

Headunit is not my biggest consern but the speakers themself. Those are quite easy and cheap to swap out for better ones and the difference would be huge. Oh and I suggest you to read up on the Seat portable system. It offers everything from 0-100km/h timing, to G-meter, boost gauge and engine temperature, bluetooth streaming, navigation etc etc.

Polo GTI was not an option because of the money, it would cost over 30000eur here with lover specs than Cupra, same thing with Fiesta ST, Clio RS and others. Only other options within my price range were Fabia RS and Swift Sport. Test drove both but Fabia was too sensible and boring (same as my Octavia RS) and Swift was just too slow and engine did not have ANY torque and you had to rev it all the time just to keep up with traffic.

EDIT: Oh I could have got a Polo BlueGT but it was just too slow and no equipment at all.
 
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avangerx

Guest
County differences

I guess some of the options that are available to us show some differences due to the Countries that we live in. In Turkey they do not import Fiesta ST or Clio RS :(. The nav. unit which is available in Europe is not even on the option list here in Turkey.
I agree on the engine part but keep in mind these are relatively small engines that are capable of producing high HP and troque so the down side of it is the first 4K km. It is all in the users manual. Have fun on the road man.
 

Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
I guess some of the options that are available to us show some differences due to the Countries that we live in. In Turkey they do not import Fiesta ST or Clio RS :(. The nav. unit which is available in Europe is not even on the option list here in Turkey.
I agree on the engine part but keep in mind these are relatively small engines that are capable of producing high HP and troque so the down side of it is the first 4K km. It is all in the users manual. Have fun on the road man.

Yeah, the engine is quite high hp/torque and what I see more important than the engine revs is engine load. Dont try to use too much low down grunt or full throttle but you can use the revs if the engine load stays lowish.

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Pyrres

Ibiza Cupra -14
May 2, 2014
299
0
Finland
Yeah, just got information that it will be built on week 24 and delivered july/august. Any things to consider doing now or when receiving car?

I already ordered it without any stickers or dealer markings, not washed (I´ll do it myself), back window wiper deactivated and wheel alligment checked in first 1000km. What else you would do?
 
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