So I test drove a Cupra 300 4WD today...

[Jaco2k]

...I shouldn't have done it

 

Yes, the space is less than the Skoda, as we all know (but not that much) but that power delivery and chassis... So much more planted and playful - it was a bliss.

 

And the interior, surprisingly, felt way more premium than the Skoda - maybe the new Octavias also have the alcantara, etc, but that was a seriously nice car to drive and way more silent than the Skoda.

 

I am seriously tempted and considering it

[pist0nbr0ke]

Not surprised, and I'd say do it - but I'd just wait until Skoda confirm what they are doing with the petrol vRS.

 

Here in the UK we can't order one at present, and there is lots of speculation and BS about what may or may not happen, BUT if they do produce a petrol 4x4 you might want to compare it 1st?

[Jaco2k]

1 minute ago, pist0nbr0ke said:

Not surprised, and I'd say do it - but I'd just wait until Skoda confirm what they are doing with the petrol vRS.

 

Here in the UK we can't order one at present, and there is lots of speculation and BS about what may or may not happen, BUT if they do produce a petrol 4x4 you might want to compare it 1st?

 

There is no way the longer Skoda chassis is going to handle the same, but you are right.

Although, I belong to to the club that really cannot get on with the FL Octavia - there are plenty in my neighbourhood I see daily and I still don't like it.

That Leon is a great looking car and the interior aches more to Audi.

Also, I doubt they would ever give a IS38 Turbo with 4WD to Skoda Octavia, but we can always wish, eh?

[pist0nbr0ke]

I fully agree. If the figures work and you don't want or need the extra space (how much different is it in the real world anyway?), go for it.

 

Even if Skoda do announce a 4x4 TSI, the waiting list will probably be about 9 months  

[Dave77]

Maybe they've improved but when I was looking between a 14/15 Leon estate and an Octavia last year the Skoda was far superior. Coming from an Audi and being a badge snob I wanted the Seat to be better 

[toni8b]

300 Cupra is second update if I am not mistaken so they have improved a lot. I really like alcantara on the doors.. But the price has risen as well. Very close to Golf R I think. I would wait for a year or two when there will be 300 Cupra Estate on sale, their prices drop a lot as used compared to Golf.

[john999boy]

13 hours ago, Jaco2k said:

...I shouldn't have done it

 

Yes, the space is less than the Skoda, as we all know (but not that much) but that power delivery and chassis... So much more planted and playful - it was a bliss.

I've got a 290 BE and the only downside is FWD so the 300 estate should be even better considering where you live. 

Edited 18 February, 2018 by john999boy

[ahenners]

The facelift Leon has addressed a number of areas in the cabin, where the pre-facelift felt inferior to the Octavia. The power train of course is not available in the Octavia so that adds an element of performance too. If you can make the figures work go for it! I thought the Leon 300 4drive was quite expensive new despite the performance and kit.

[Jaco2k]

Yes - it is almost Golf R territory in prices, but better equipped.

 

As to the interior quality, etc - I had also looked at the pre-facelift Leon interior and thought it was crappy, but when I drove it yesterday I felt "this is not what I remembered..." and I guess it is a revised interior.

 

There are not many available used yet around here, so the price is bound to go down.

 

Also, the price is Golf R territory but so is the performance, so I would say this is one the best performing cars for that price segment (again, this is valid for Finland).

 

To my surprise, the narrower driving position actually felt better, since the door is nearer to the sit and my left elbow (LHD car for you Island guys ) was very naturally falling over the door handle.

 

Also, even though the model I drove did not have the sport(ier) seats, the "regular" sport seats seemed to offer enough support and were more comfortable than the Skoda "buckets", one of the particular things I haven't got along with the Skoda.

 

...but the price might be the deal breaker for me - I think it is a bit out of my range. I have been doing some creative counting and still no white smoke.

 

What sums it up is that I came back after the test drive and as I entered the shop the sales guy pointed out and it was true: " there's a smile on your face!" and that's what I pretty much want of any car that I drive.

 

Arggggghhhh... Why did I try it...

[fabdavrav]

Seat always has been & always will be the VAG brand that is designed to be "young & sporty"...so will get more "boy racer" cars than the other brands.

 

The VW "R" is for when you get older & the Audi's when you are older further & want sporty....that's a shortened version of what the brand directors have said many times over the years...

 

Just the Audis get premium fittings etc, cost a fortune, & can feel very heavy & dull for a sports car compared to the "R" & Seats...

 

Seat still makes a loss for VAG, as it only really sells well in a few European countries.....but if the car offers what you want & the dealer is good why not???

[Petunet]

2 hours ago, fabdavrav said:

Seat always has been & always will be the VAG brand that is designed to be "young & sporty"...so will get more "boy racer" cars than the other brands.

 

Jaco2k: Suits you, sir  

[Jaco2k]

55 minutes ago, Petunet said:

 

Jaco2k: Suits you, sir  

 

I guess I am not alone on this one...

 

TBH, and labels aside, I have been quite ****ed with the Skoda FWD on the snow and the struggle to put power down on our weather - not necessarily driving fast but more to get going from a standstill.

 

Mostly I want a sporty(-ish) car with 4WD that is still "practical"

 

....but the price, the price... Still searching for the budget

[Dave77]

31 minutes ago, Jaco2k said:

 

Mostly I want a sporty(-ish) car with 4WD that is still "practical"

 

....but the price, the price... Still searching for the budget

 

Audi A4 Avant 3.0 TDi s-line Quattro. Was my last car but stolen unfortunately. Great car!

Edited 18 February, 2018 by Dave77

[Jaco2k]

6 hours ago, Dave77 said:

 

Audi A4 Avant 3.0 TDi s-line Quattro. Was my last car but stolen unfortunately. Great car!

 

I don't do diesel - quite costly here in Finland, and so is the badge

[Tim1631]

Golf R estate!

[Jaco2k]

9 hours ago, Tim1631 said:

Golf R estate!

 

There were a couple in my price range, but they are nowhere near the same level of equipment the Leon has.

Also, TBH, the looks of the Golf estate are a bit "Meh!", in my opinion.

[mikey vrs]

On 17/02/2018 at 19:57, Jaco2k said:

...I shouldn't have done it

 

Yes, the space is less than the Skoda, as we all know (but not that much) but that power delivery and chassis... So much more planted and playful - it was a bliss.

 

And the interior, surprisingly, felt way more premium than the Skoda - maybe the new Octavias also have the alcantara, etc, but that was a seriously nice car to drive and way more silent than the Skoda.

 

I am seriously tempted and considering it

"So much more planted and playful - it was a bliss" this was the reason why after having skoda's for 10 years (a mk1 & mk 2 octavia vrs) i went & bought a Golf R,i tried the mk3 octavia but it just felt no better than my mk2 & i wasnt 100% sold on the looks & interior & i hate how the facelift model looks at the front (it isnt my intention to upset or offend mk3 owners i might add )  so i tried a Golf R & wow,i know you cant compare a 230bhp fwd car to a 300bhp awd car but as i was spending the same amount of cash on the same car(one nearly new & one 2 years old) the Golf was the car for me. I like the understated looks of the Golf,im to old for the looks of a focus rs or civic type r   

[mikey vrs]

5 hours ago, Jaco2k said:

 

There were a couple in my price range, but they are nowhere near the same level of equipment the Leon has.

Also, TBH, the looks of the Golf estate are a bit "Meh!", in my opinion.

Im not a fan of the Golf R estate either,the rear end looks to big & out of place,however if i had to have a estate then im sure id learn to like how it looks once id driven it.   Weird thing is when i was considering a mk3 octavia vrs i thought the estate looked better than the hatch.

[penguin17]

I went and looked at the ST CUPRA 4drive last week just to see if there's been any significant changes since I owned a 2013 FR ST and apart from the handbrake no longer being there I don't think there was any discernible differences to the model I had.   I especially didn't think there had been a 'step up' in quality.  The doors still felt paper thin and the some of the plastics are still made my Fisher Price.   Unless they've improved things with the addition of the Virtual Cockpit then IME it's the same car with a few aesthetic changes.  SCN still has loads of posts regarding rattles and buzzes regardless of trim level.    Though we see plenty of those posts on here too. 

 

I will give the Leon it's due though; It's the one car I really didn't enjoy having, I just didn't 'gel' with it BUT it's the one VAG car I've had that didn't have a single issue in 3 years, not one...a dodgy sensor, a warning light...nothing.  Go figure. 

 

If SEAT priced the car to undercut everything else then it'd be a different story but it isn't and depreciation will be awful, making it a great 2nd hand bargain in a year or two's time. 

[toni8b]

11 hours ago, penguin17 said:

If SEAT priced the car to undercut everything else then it'd be a different story but it isn't and depreciation will be awful, making it a great 2nd hand bargain in a year or two's time. 

Thats why I said. Now there is lots of 280 versions. 

 

https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/search.html?categories=EstateCar&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=22500&makeModelVariant1.modelId=9&maxPowerAsArray=PS&minFirstRegistrationDate=2013-01-01&minPowerAsArray=280&minPowerAsArray=PS&scopeId=C&transmissions=AUTOMATIC_GEAR

[juan27]

I don't think the Leon ST and the Octavia Estate are fishing in the same pond space wise. It is such a shame that powertrain isn't available in the Octy, I would certainly have bought one instead of my 245 but rejected the Leon on size alone. 

 

[Petunet]

Jaco2k

Maybe you should wait a while: Seat announced a new brand, Cupra and it's first model Ateca.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/seat/ateca/94349/new-2018-cupra-ateca-revealed-with-296bhp

 

They're going to make other Seat models as a Cupra too.

[dunc69]

On 19/02/2018 at 12:17, mikey vrs said:

Im not a fan of the Golf R estate either,the rear end looks to big & out of place,however if i had to have a estate then im sure id learn to like how it looks once id driven it.   Weird thing is when i was considering a mk3 octavia vrs i thought the estate looked better than the hatch.

@mikey vrstotally agree.  Some cars look better in hatch / saloon, some in estate.

 

Golf R - always better in hatch

vRS Octy - always better in estate 

RS4 & RS6 - estate 

E-class - saloon

5 Series - saloon 

 

I love an estate and I think they will soon enjoy a return to form and be considered "cool" as the SUV market gets ever more saturated - some cars just suit a wagon!

 

IMO of course!

 

[ahenners]

1 hour ago, Petunet said:

Jaco2k

Maybe you should wait a while: Seat announced a new brand, Cupra and it's first model Ateca.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/seat/ateca/94349/new-2018-cupra-ateca-revealed-with-296bhp

 

They're going to make other Seat models as a Cupra too.

 

Could you genuinely live with that badge plastered everywhere though?! I'm not a badge snob but it looks utterly horrendous.

[john999boy]

1 minute ago, ahenners said:

Could you genuinely live with that badge plastered everywhere though?! I'm not a badge snob but it looks utterly horrendous.

 

True; however.......

 

I'd previously skirted around the SEAT brand for many years but always thought that the finish was slightly sub standard even though some of the 'gadgets' were impressive and free compared to other brands. My current Cupra had improved considerably from those early versions but taking it for a test drive had me much more initially impressed than other test drives in 235's, 435's etc especially as they were of a more prestigious marque.

 

Looking forward to seeing the finished items in Geneva in a few weeks time.