My turn to say goodbye...

[Jaco2k]

The Skoda is gone - traded today for this:

 

 

Did the maiden voyage with it and also took it around town for a blast...

 

I am instantly into this car, something that I never was as much in the whole Octavia ownership...

Mostly, this car is predictable and does what I want it to, as I want it to - I always had to fight the Octavia and never felt in total control.

 

I will stick around, cause this is an awesome forum and will still engage in discussions and share any knowledge I may have.

 

Cheers!

[Swirly182]

I know they're both 2L turbo estates however I wouldn't put them in the same class for comparison. Absolutely no doubt the Cupra is the better car to drive on the limit, Octavia is a larger estate, more relaxed / refined maybe. But still sporty enough for most people. 

 

Enjoy the car. Goodbye, even though you're staying 

[john999boy]

Welcome to the club Jaco2k. 

[JohnnyType2]

I agree,  apples and oranges as the cliche goes. Bloke in work has one and its a nice motor.

 

[EddGee]

Interesting that I’m the other way around. I traded my Cupra 280ST and now am picking up 245 estate tomorrow. 

 

I loved the Cupra and had two years of trouble free motoring and some great family holidays in it. 

 

The performance was fantastic and I know the 245 will struggle to be on par with it. However what I didn’t like with the SEAT was the cheaper grade plastics and overall build quality compared to Skoda. 

 

Skoda have really progressed over the last few years and now are equally as good if not better than equivalent VW offerings. 

 

Enjoy your new motor and have fun, especially good in Cupra mode. 

 

Heres my new one. 

 

Edited 14 March, 2018 by EddGee

[harrylime]

32 minutes ago, Swirly182 said:

I know they're both 2L turbo estates however I wouldn't put them in the same class for comparison. Absolutely no doubt the Cupra is the better car to drive on the limit, Octavia is a larger estate, more relaxed / refined maybe. But still sporty enough for most people. 

 

Enjoy the car. Goodbye, even though you're staying 

I've never driven the Seat so cannot make a comparison, but every Octavia I've driven, including a new Scout TSI I had a few year ago. have had so much road noise, refined was not the first adjective that would spring to mind.  Definite cost savings on sound insulation that spoiled the cars, in my opinion.

[ahenners]

Lovely motor and enjoy! Was quite impressed with a colleague's facelift 300 and can only imagine the 4drive setup makes it even better 

[EddGee]

4 minutes ago, ahenners said:

Lovely motor and enjoy! Was quite impressed with a colleague's facelift 300 and can only imagine the 4drive setup makes it even better 

Actually is doesn’t. 

 

Its heavier and more prone to understeer since the 4x4 was introduced. 

 

Many Cupra fans wanted the 300 estate to remain 2WD as its lighter and more nimble and easier to throw around. 

 

Sadly its focused more around straight line down a runway type of speed now like an Audi S3 or Golf R. 

 

A 280 ST Cupra once beat an Audi RS4 around the Nurembergring circuit. 

 

Very fast cars..

[Exeterj]

Nice motor , we considered a cupra ST 4drive but never got to test drive one (local dealers couldn't get them) hence were put off somewhat more with the likely customer support by Seat than the car.

 

But we're also saying goodbye to our Octavia Scout in two weeks, to be replace by Golf R - sorry to see it go, but onto bigger/better(different) things - also still got the Mk3 diesel vRS so not fully saying bye!

[ahenners]

2 minutes ago, EddGee said:

Actually is doesn’t. 

 

Its heavier and more prone to understeer since the 4x4 was introduced. 

 

Many Cupra fans wanted the 300 estate to remain 2WD as its lighter and more nimble and easier to throw around. 

 

Sadly its focused more around straight line down a runway type of speed now like an Audi S3 or Golf R. 

 

A 280 ST Cupra once beat an Audi RS4 around the Nurembergring circuit. 

 

Very fast cars..

 

Better is subjective; sure the 4wd system variant isn't better at everything. But day-to-day on public roads (rather than the track) being able to put 300ps down through 4 wheels instead of 2, wet or dry, wins for me every time.

 

Some will understandably say it's less fun, but it's not always easy to put 220 (never mind 300) down in non-perfect conditions without wheel hop. I've driven my mate's mapped B8 S4 (about 400ps) and a colleague's Golf R 310 and I couldn't believe how easy both were to put all the power down. Both just gripped and the numbers on the Speedo climbed very quickly. The FWD Cupra might be slightly quicker down a very twisty B road, but I doubt there's a huge amount in it and I rarely drive roads like that. Horses for courses and all that!

[EddGee]

Absolutely mate 

[Jaco2k]

That's the thing - usable power. And here up north, so nice to drive in the snow...

 

Gimme a few more weeks with it to get acquainted and I will have it everywhere sliding sideways with ESC off

[Jaco2k]

Oh, and about the Octavia interior being more refined... Really??

 

Mine is full of rattles and the road noise is unbearable.

 

The Seat is dead silent... No idea.

There have been people here saying they did not step up the interiors on the facelift, but I once sat in a prefacelift Cupra and also thought it felt cheap, but this one feels nothing like that...

[Jaco2k]

BTW, just to put this to rest, since this is a Skoda Octavia forum and all...

 

I see it this way:

The Seat is a car that can go fast while still having some space.

The Skoda is car that has lots of space while still being able to go fast.

 

Does this make sense?

 

At the point I got the Octavia, space was more important for me, but my situation has changed and also it kinda got on my nerves how hard it was to put down the power on the Skoda (or any other FWD car, for that matter...)

I almost got a 4WD car when I got the Skoda and been wanting one for a long time.

 

If Skoda offered an Octavia with the same power and 4WD, that would have made my decision much harder and less obvious.

[Tim1631]

3 hours ago, Jaco2k said:

The Skoda is gone - traded today for this:

 

 

Did the maiden voyage with it and also took it around town for a blast...

 

I am instantly into this car, something that I never was as much in the whole Octavia ownership...

Mostly, this car is predictable and does what I want it to, as I want it to - I always had to fight the Octavia and never felt in total control.

 

I will stick around, cause this is an awesome forum and will still engage in discussions and share any knowledge I may have.

 

Cheers!

 

Never realised how big the plastic bumper was at rear!!

[Jaco2k]

5 minutes ago, Tim1631 said:

 

Never realised how big the plastic bumper was at rear!!

 

Neither did I until you pointed it out

[toni8b]

3 hours ago, EddGee said:

Actually is doesn’t. 

 

Its heavier and more prone to understeer since the 4x4 was introduced. 

 

Many Cupra fans wanted the 300 estate to remain 2WD as its lighter and more nimble and easier to throw around. 

 

Sadly its focused more around straight line down a runway type of speed now like an Audi S3 or Golf R. 

 

A 280 ST Cupra once beat an Audi RS4 around the Nurembergring circuit. 

 

Very fast cars..

 

 

Depends on what you want to do.

 

I dont do tyre squeal in corners and only want fast acceleration and you can get this only with 4wd.

 

There is nothing worse when you cant put power down below 70/80 kph.

 

On the other hand if you want throw a car in corners 280 model with be enough.

 

I like Cupra but interior quality and looks is lame, and it costs the same as Superb 280 4x4 which would be a no brainer for me.

 

The only thing that is good about Cupra is that used ones are widely available and quite down on original price , while same thing cant be said about Superb unfortunately (almost no used ones and when they exist, they cost too much for used)

 

Edited 15 March, 2018 by toni8b

[Jaco2k]

Seriously, you guys keep banging on about "interior quality"?

 

If nothing else, the interior quality on the Seat is clearly better than the VRS I traded for.

 

Either I was very unlucky with the Skoda or Seat stepped up the quality on the Facelift Cupra.

...either way, do go take a look at a recent nice spec Cupra if you think the interior lacks against the Skoda.

And the road noise is way higher on the Skoda than on the Cupra.

[EddGee]

6 hours ago, toni8b said:

 

 

 

 

I dont do tyre squeal in corners and only want fast acceleration and you can get this only with 4wd.

 

 

Absolute nonsense. 

 

They have to be driven totally different to 4x4 cars. Feeding power in gradually getting grip rather than planting it. 

 

Theres lots of 2WD cars out there that can achieve sub 5 second 0-60’s. 

 

 

[BATVANVRS]

Enjoy Jaco2k looks a nice motor  

[brettikivi]

11 hours ago, Jaco2k said:

That's the thing - usable power. And here up north, so nice to drive in the snow...

 

Gimme a few more weeks with it to get acquainted and I will have it everywhere sliding sideways with ESC off

Jäärata 2019?

 

 - Bret

[Jaco2k]

2 hours ago, brettikivi said:

Jäärata 2019?

 

 - Bret

 

Spot on!

--edit--

 

As a matter a fact, I am now in a cottage on a work trip and there are some nice country roads covered in ice here - the Cupra is loads of fun with ESC off round the bends.

Back comes off nicely, but unlike a RWD, it is easy to grab - just keep the foot planted and point the front where you want to go

Edited 15 March, 2018 by Jaco2k

[Tim1631]

My friend has one. I like a lot

[john999boy]

Here's one from the Geneva Motor Show that unfortunately is only going to be available in Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

Edited 15 March, 2018 by john999boy
Added 2nd photo

[penguin17]

20 minutes ago, john999boy said:

Here's one from the Geneva Motor Show that unfortunately is only going to be available in Switzerland.

 

 

SEAT CH backed warranty on tuning from ABT.  Nice!  

 

Almost £42k for a Leon though 

 

EDIT:  That should clock 0-60mph in ~3.9 seconds !

Edited 15 March, 2018 by penguin17