From auto express.

 

 

Thought some people might be interested.  Short but gives a bit of info

Wife muttered that I could have a smaller car next time round.....280 5 door manual please!

Im not a huge Seat fan TBH and still not 100% sold on the looks of the Leon but 50 more horses, the performance pack, adaptive suspension and lots of standard kit for practically base GTI money....also its said to drive better....whats not to like?!

Edited 25 February, 201412 yr by pipsyp

See how long those white bits on the seats stay white..

VRS should have the option of these toys, if SEAT can get them why not Skoda?

Pains me to say it, but that is a better buy than the Octavia. 

 

He's a knob. I managed only 48 seconds! 

Pains me to say it, but that is a better buy than the Octavia.

depends on what you really need. The octy offers considerably more space...

It does but the Seat has more performance, sharper looks, a nicer interior.

I'm a devout Skoda fan but I'm impressed how good the Cupra is considering Seat are generally the weak link in VAG.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

had a look over on the seat forum and there seems to be a lot of complaints about rattles and general interior trim. there is not anything like that on here so I am assuming that the octy is a better built car!

in my case I can only report the headlight washer sometimes doesn't fully retract...

He's a knob. I managed only 48 seconds! 

 

He certainly looks like one. I managed zero seconds.

 

Sure the performance may be better but the Octavia is not meant to be a performance car. No way would I swap mine.

Yeah but for what is essentially a front wheel drive e-diff'd S3 (down 20hp but hardly makes a difference on the road) for base GTi money I can see it being extremely popular.

Edited 26 February, 201412 yr by pipsyp

Yeah but for what is essentially a front wheel drive e-diff'd S3 (down 20hp but hardly makes a difference on the road) for base GTi money I can see it being extremely popular.

And being fwd, once it is off the line I bet it would stay with or pull on an S3 with the bigger haldex awd transmission losses. I think the new Leon is better value all round unless you need that big boot and more spacious rear cabin space. If you dont then I think it looks nicer and offers better value for money with the option of equipment that you cant even spec on the Octy.

Bit more costly than the vrs.  Base 5 door gti is £26780 so the cupra ~£27300. To get close to the vrs on size you need the St version which I guess who be nearer £29k.  If space is not a driver for you then it does look interesting.

Bit more costly than the vrs.  Base 5 door gti is £26780 so the cupra ~£27300. To get close to the vrs on size you need the St version which I guess who be nearer £29k.  If space is not a driver for you then it does look interesting.

Discounts are usually bigger on the Seats though - you can already get the 5dr Cupra 280 for £23580 via online brokers - thats a saving of nearly £3600 - and its only just been launched!

Does look nice, I prefer it to the new golf

 

Options do vary

 

SEAT doesn't have Park Assist or Colour Maxidot as an options

 

Only VW and Audi have Rear view cameras

You can have the Cupra as an estate as well, so the space is a non-issue. I'm envious of the adaptive suspension and the diff... :(

Does look nice, I prefer it to the new golf

 

Options do vary

 

SEAT doesn't have Park Assist or Colour Maxidot as an options

 

Only VW and Audi have Rear view cameras

The high res colour drivers display (Maxidot equivalent) in the instruments is part of the navigation pack that's currently part of the Technology Pack (which includes DAB, LED lights and nav) and it's currently free!

 

Though you don't have the option of Park Assist, you do get front and rear sensors with an "optical parking system display".

 

Shortly you'll have the option of specifying the Dynamic Pack which includes progressive steering and adjustable damping on the 184/180 FR's, something Skoda haven't got (yet). I'm waiting for this to become available before I order an 184FR hatch.

 

The Mk3 Leon is a BIG step forward over the Mk2, whereas the Mk3 Octavia is a relatively small improvement over the Mk2 (IMHO!) 

It's a cracking package and a good price to be had, I've just never liked the SEAT interiors.....wonder how long they quote for factory order.....

It's a cracking package and a good price to be had, I've just never liked the SEAT interiors.....wonder how long they quote for factory order.....

About 12 weeks for a factory order!

 

I think with badges removed, the only way you'd tell a Leon interior from a Golf is by carefully touching every surface. The look is very similar between the Leon, Octavia and Golf. Only the A3 has really high quality interior.

just looks so plain :(

About 12 weeks for a factory order!

 

I think with badges removed, the only way you'd tell a Leon interior from a Golf is by carefully touching every surface. The look is very similar between the Leon, Octavia and Golf. Only the A3 has really high quality interior.

Personally I think it's definitely the cheapest of the interiors in the MQB cars - more so the area of plastic down by the gear stick on the console but it isn't bad by any stretch. The last gen Leon (and the current Ibiza) are extremely weak in this area IMO.

Personally I think it's definitely the cheapest of the interiors in the MQB cars - more so the area of plastic down by the gear stick on the console but it isn't bad by any stretch. The last gen Leon (and the current Ibiza) are extremely weak in this area IMO.

Wouldn't particularly disagree with this, but the point I was really trying to make is that in the last iterations of these cars the Octavia, Golf and A3 all had similar styled interiors, mainly differing in the quality of the plastics used whereas the Leon had a totally different interior that was ugly and plain cheap.

 

Whereas now it's only the A3 that has really high quality interior, the rest are much closer in interior quality. I guess VAG have decided they needed to differentiate the A3 perhaps to justify the prices.

 

Note also that I think Seat have ditched the cheap plastic cover in the centre console and made it an open cubby hole now.

You can have the Cupra as an estate as well, so the space is a non-issue. I'm envious of the adaptive suspension and the diff... :(

Can you now?! I know the 3 and 5 door are available and an ST is planned but its not available from launch is it?

What a bit of kit for the money thats going to be, particularly if they all a full house 280 ST!

depends on what you really need. The octy offers considerably more space...

And it's got a Skoda badge on it. For that reason, and because I'm looking thru my Skoda branded rose tinted glasses, it trumps every other car out there. I'm getting bored of this sole reason why a Skoda trumps every other performance model in the VAG range, despite being the least out and out sports car of them all. For those people, if you want to drive something spacious that belongs in the fast lane of a motorway with a Skoda badge on it, just get a bloody Ford Transit van and swap its badge for a Skoda one. For Pete's sake space isn't everything! If only I got a pound for every time someone said "Ahhh, but an Octy's got more space"!!!

Edited 26 February, 201412 yr by Statto