Cupra Thoughts - 100 miles in

[MarkE]

For background, my last car was a Mk2 LCR, I've previously owned a Mk2 Cupra and Mk1 LCR. Time for Round 4...

2 days and 100 miles in the new one, first thoughts, observations and stuff :

- Feels a step or two up in build quality over the Mk2

- Toys!

- Storage space (including the thing I thought at first was a fuse cover but turned out to be a little flip-down drawer thingy) is improved.

- Leave it in Comfort mode and it's amazingly quiet, refined and effortlessly quick, like a proper grown-up fast car rather than a hot hatch.

- After the last one, having a turning circle smaller than a supertanker is a nice bonus.

- Toys! again.

- I averaged 23mpg in the last car, up to 30 on a longer run. The new one is already over 30, including some "spirited" bits. Signs are promising.

- A lap timer is useful mostly for telling people your new car has a lap timer.

- Ride quality even in Cupra mode is better than the Mk2 LCR, which in turn was better than the Mk2 Cupra.

- Presumably it will understeer, but if you can do it on a dry road without driving like a knob, something's probably broken.

- I miss the "hidden" rear door handles.

- I don't miss the seats, although the old ones did look groovy.


More to follow. I'm off up to Fort William for the Downhill MTB in a couple of weeks, Glencoe is going to be fun

 

[morini]

- I miss the "hidden" rear door handles.

Me too. The mk2 FL still looks great from B pillars back to my eyes. Don't like the rear door handles on mk3.

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[boltonredgt]

you can get it to understeer with the ESC off

 

[shutcorea]

you can get it to understeer with the ESC off

Theres is no ESC off, only TCS.

ESC and XDS are always on

 

[morini]

Theres is no ESC off, only TCS.

ESC and XDS are always on

No, this statement is not correct. On the Cupra ESC can be completely turned off. Also, I don't think it has XDS like the other Leons because it has a limited slip differential (electronically controlled).

There are photos on here in one of the threads showing the infortaiment screen where ESC can be turned off.

 

[Seastormer]

No, this statement is not correct. On the Cupra ESC can be completely turned off. Also, I don't think it has XDS like the other Leons because it has a limited slip differential (electronically controlled).

There are photos on here in one of the threads showing the infortaiment screen where ESC can be turned off.

Yeh your right, I turned it off on my test drive, as I had the car all afternoon to myself, also I noted the Cupra mode was still not as hard as my current Ibiza Cupra, which is always on.
its a great car.

 

[boltonredgt]

By the way the handbook shows an ESC off button next to the hazard warning lights but it seems the UK ones dont get it.

 

[GrahamFR]

- A lap timer is useful mostly for telling people your new car has a lap timer.

+1, it gets praise, "oh thats cool" but to date i have never and probably will never use.

 

[Moonhead]

+1, it gets praise, "oh thats cool" but to date i have never and probably will never use.

I can see myself doing a circuit of the estate just so I can say I've used it. Sure the local residents are gonna love that!

 

[Seastormer]

I can see myself doing a circuit of the estate just so I can say I've used it. Sure the local residents are gonna love that!

You could always take it to the Nurburing and see how close to 7:58 you get.

 

[shutcorea]

No, this statement is not correct. On the Cupra ESC can be completely turned off. Also, I don't think it has XDS like the other Leons because it has a limited slip differential (electronically controlled).

There are photos on here in one of the threads showing the infortaiment screen where ESC can be turned off.

Really?? That I didn't know! I thought it was like on my FR!

Thanks!

 

[MarkE]

Some pics :

More thoughts :

- Feels longer geared in Sport or Cupra. I know it isn't but there's something going on with the mapping, it seems to pull harder from low revs in Comfort. My Individual settings are now as per the Cupra mode but with the engine set to Comfort. I lose the sound symposer but I can live without the psychological extra bhp.

- The media control is more complicated than it was in the Mk2 LCR - setting the SD to shuffle all tracks should be easier. Does anyone ever really want to just shuffle a single album?

- The boot's slightly wider than the Mk2. This is a Good Thing.

 

[morini]

Nice. Needs a good wash though, much like ours. It has rained all day here, but I went out and washed the grime off anyway. Snow foam and a sheepskin mitt wash just to check the paint properly. Ours is on good nick, no swirls that I can spot, so a good base for a proper detail when the weather improves. Neighbours probably think I'm mad washing a car in the rain!

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[Rokerlad]

Really like that Monsoon Grey colour. ...Very nice mate.

 

[ryan_cbell77]

Not a fan of the new shape but that's the best mk3 iv seen! Very nice...

 

[MarkE]

Nice. Needs a good wash though, much like ours. It has rained all day here, but I went out and washed the grime off anyway. Snow foam and a sheepskin mitt wash just to check the paint properly. Ours is on good nick, no swirls that I can spot, so a good base for a proper detail when the weather improves. Neighbours probably think I'm mad washing a car in the rain!

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It was gleaming when I picked it up on Tuesday, needs some attention now, though.

 

[morini]

I'll be honest and say, much as I love the car, grey just doesn't do it for me. Very subjective, I know but the colour choices at the moment for the Cupra are a bit grim. Best colours for me are white and red, but obviously everyone has their own views.

Brilliant car anyway, regardless of colour.

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[MarkE]

I'll be honest and say, much as I love the car, grey just doesn't do it for me. Very subjective, I know but the colour choices at the moment for the Cupra are a bit grim. Best colours for me are white and red, but obviously everyone has their own views.

Brilliant car anyway, regardless of colour.

Owned a red Mk1 Cupra R 210, a white Mk2 Cupra and a yellow Mk2 Cupra R.

It's time for something more subtle...

 

[morini]

Owned a red Mk1 Cupra R 210, a white Mk2 Cupra and a yellow Mk2 Cupra R.

It's time for something more subtle...

To be honest, it could be purple with lime green stripes and I'd still say its the best FWD car I've ever driven. You don't need to justify your choice of colour, just enjoy it ;-)

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[MarkE]

To be honest, it could be purple with lime green stripes and I'd still say its the best FWD car I've ever driven. You don't need to justify your choice of colour, just enjoy it ;-)

Yep