can't make my mind up (cupra or tdi)

tyranical

Active Member
Apr 13, 2008
161
0
Hi there,

I'm looking at a new car towards the end of the year when my next years no claims comes in and so trying to work out what i fancy now so i can save up enough in time :p. I've come up with either the cupra, cupra tdi, or a type r, however i'm put off by the type r due to the fact that these days they are so common, i don't see many ibiza's around. If anyone has any other car suggestions i should consider for around the same price range, feel free to throw them in the mix.

I currently drive a yaris t sport, nippy little car and surprises alot of people who think "pah its a yaris, its not gonna be fast" when infact it is probably the fastest of the 'warm hatch' band of cars (saxo VTR's and the like). However due to my erm, somewhat aggressive driving style, i average about 30mpg, unfortunately the yaris is low geared which means that cruising at high speeds on the motorway means the engines doing 5-6k revs and thus the 30mpg is achieved. I put in about 50 quid of petrol a week (thats the normal stuff not v power)

I drive on average perhaps 350 miles a week. A fair bit of that is on the dual carriageway to and from work, however due to the high revving engine my little yaris drops to around 30mpg past 75mph, then there is the b road blast to my girlfriends and back several times a week.

Looking at the current second hand prices for one with around 30,000 on the clock, the cupra is cheaper than the cupra tdi by at least £1000. insurance costs for me will be pretty much the same on both.

I have to admit that for me, performance comes before fuel economy but only to a point. How do they compare performance wise? i've been on youtube and been reading around these forums etc, and been looking at the performance figures which suggest they are very very close and in 'real world' driving rather than the dash from the traffic lights, the tdi would be the quicker of the two until you hit silly speeds.

Its very difficult to find any unbiased opinion on this kind of subject online because such threads are generally a hardened diesel veteran vs. a petrolhead and usually comes down to 'mines got more torque', 'yeh well at least mine doesn't sound like a tractor' style arguments and the petrolhead tends to be a young man who is stuck in the past and still thinks diesels are slow oil burners like they were 10 years ago when nowadays, the gap between petrol and diesel has diminished and in my opinion will soon open up again with diesel ahead. Petrol engines have pretty much reached the peak of their development where as diesel development is still in relatively early stages.

There's also the tuning ability i need to consider. I'm not a hardcore car modder mainly because on small engines like my yaris (a 1.5 105bhp engine for those who don't know) you have to spend alot of money to make any significant gains. From what i've read with bigger turbocharged engines, significant gains can be made relatively cheaply from remaps etc. On a small engine you could be talking £2000+ to make the kind of gains a remap offers on these kind of cars.

At the end of the day i do not care what my car sounds like, nor do i care if i have a built in smoke screen function at the push of my right foot, as long as i enjoy the drive and can keep up with the majority of cars on the road which both of these cars should be capable of.

All opinions are welcome but i'd appreciate the non biased opinions most and hope this thread does not descend into what i described in a previous paragraph lol. I apologise for the length of my post and how jumbled up and poorly punctuated it is, i got a bit carried away with my typing.

cheers,

Matt
 

kriso

_______ C U P R A _______
Jan 29, 2007
2,325
4
Brighton
Hi and welcome! To get straight to the point; I would try and test drive them both before you make up your mind.

I currently have the Cupra 20vt but used to have the Cupra TDI.

The TDI has loads of mid-range torque and acceleration in 2nd, 3rd, 4th anywhere between 20-50mph is astonishing. But you will have to change gear quite soon if you want to keep on accelerating as the power drops off qutie suddenly as you go up the revs. Fuel economy is very good even when driving like an idiot :) Tractor noise gets a bit annoying after a while but some are able to put up with it more than others. Mine didn't give off as much black smoke as others I have seen.

I was a little concerned about losing all that torque when I got the petrol version, but I was surprised at how much it still has. The turbo kicks in quite low (1900-2000rpm I think) so it gives you that extra torque without you needing to downchange. And it will keep on pulling up the revs so you don't need to change up gears as much as the TDI. Fuel economy isn't too bad (28-30mpg when driving like an idiot:whistle:). My friend has a Type-R and gets 24mpg and he drives more sensibly. It's much quieter than the TDI...I was really surprised when I first drove one.

The 1.8T engine is very tunable. I have a £225 remap and now have almost as much torque as the TDI (but 60 more BHP :p). I get wheelspin in 2nd and 3rd, same as I did in the TDI as standard and have slighlty better MPG. You can remap the TDIs too however the amount of torque often gets too much for the clutch so you will have to repalce this as well. Although not everyone seems to suffer from this problem.

Everything else really is the same - ride quality, brakes etc. Hope this helps....I've tried to be un-biased as I have owned both, but I personally prefer the petrol. :D
 

tyranical

Active Member
Apr 13, 2008
161
0
Hi and welcome! To get straight to the point; I would try and test drive them both before you make up your mind.

I currently have the Cupra 20vt but used to have the Cupra TDI.

The TDI has loads of mid-range torque and acceleration in 2nd, 3rd, 4th anywhere between 20-50mph is astonishing. But you will have to change gear quite soon if you want to keep on accelerating as the power drops off qutie suddenly as you go up the revs. Fuel economy is very good even when driving like an idiot :) Tractor noise gets a bit annoying after a while but some are able to put up with it more than others. Mine didn't give off as much black smoke as others I have seen.

I was a little concerned about losing all that torque when I got the petrol version, but I was surprised at how much it still has. The turbo kicks in quite low (1900-2000rpm I think) so it gives you that extra torque without you needing to downchange. And it will keep on pulling up the revs so you don't need to change up gears as much as the TDI. Fuel economy isn't too bad (28-30mpg when driving like an idiot:whistle:). My friend has a Type-R and gets 24mpg and he drives more sensibly. It's much quieter than the TDI...I was really surprised when I first drove one.

The 1.8T engine is very tunable. I have a £225 remap and now have almost as much torque as the TDI (but 60 more BHP :p). I get wheelspin in 2nd and 3rd, same as I did in the TDI as standard and have slighlty better MPG. You can remap the TDIs too however the amount of torque often gets too much for the clutch so you will have to repalce this as well. Although not everyone seems to suffer from this problem.

Everything else really is the same - ride quality, brakes etc. Hope this helps....I've tried to be un-biased as I have owned both, but I personally prefer the petrol. :D

Another question i should of asked, how does it match up against the type r standard and mapped?
 

DaNnY_LaD

Big Turbo Leon Cupra R
Jun 2, 2007
4,814
1
Manchester,Walkden
www.myspace.com
Civic typre R?

Mines the Mk3 Cupra 20vt with the mods below and a Rolling start my cupra Eats them but off the line you will play catch up IMO as the Cupra will just spin as you come on full boost..

Throttle Control is the Key tbh but if its Wet/damp/Greasy roads it will just Spin all the way throu the gears so always try and get a Rolling start..
 

CUP-RACING

Active Member
Feb 13, 2007
193
0
I think Kriso has an great unbiased view of the cars as he has owned both, I would drive them both though to really make your mind up if you end up going for a cupra. to be honest though considering your mileage the deisel would make a more logical choice.
my experience is that the petrol is an absolute hoot to drive and is seriously quick with a remap. I have seen off many type rs but a large margin even with all the rediculous wheelspin I get but lets be honest here a great drivers car isnt about straight line speed its about how it makes you feel which includes how it looks inside and out, how it corners,driver involvement etc. my opinion is that the civic type r will give you a better experience and more smiles per mile although I reckon your best bet is to get a dc5 integra type r instead as it is far superior.

any way goodluck with what every you go for,
 
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Clark10

Full Member
Apr 13, 2005
205
0
Belfast
Hi there,

I currently drive a yaris t sport, nippy little car and surprises alot of people who think "pah its a yaris, its not gonna be fast" when infact it is probably the fastest of the 'warm hatch' band of cars (saxo VTR's and the like). However due to my erm, somewhat aggressive driving style, i average about 30mpg, unfortunately the yaris is low geared which means that cruising at high speeds on the motorway means the engines doing 5-6k revs and thus the 30mpg is achieved. I put in about 50 quid of petrol a week (thats the normal stuff not v power)

VTRs? I don't know much about yaris t sports, what's the stats? They must be pretty decent to be quicker than VTRs.
To answer your question, I'd say test drive both and see what you think. If you're big into tuning the petrol is the way to go, if you want to keep it standardish with maybe a remap it I'd be tempted to go for the diesel.
 

kriso

_______ C U P R A _______
Jan 29, 2007
2,325
4
Brighton
VTRs? I don't know much about yaris t sports, what's the stats? They must be pretty decent to be quicker than VTRs.
To answer your question, I'd say test drive both and see what you think. If you're big into tuning the petrol is the way to go, if you want to keep it standardish with maybe a remap it I'd be tempted to go for the diesel.

VTRs are less than 100bhp so not too hard to beat with more modern cars like the Yaris T Sport.
 

tyranical

Active Member
Apr 13, 2008
161
0
VTRs? I don't know much about yaris t sports, what's the stats? They must be pretty decent to be quicker than VTRs.
To answer your question, I'd say test drive both and see what you think. If you're big into tuning the petrol is the way to go, if you want to keep it standardish with maybe a remap it I'd be tempted to go for the diesel.

Its only a 1.5 engine, but it puts out 105bhp which see's it to 60 in around 8.5 seconds. The main reason i bought it was because like you, not many people know much about yaris t sports.
 

NickyJam

FR - gone, not forgotten
Mar 17, 2008
1,669
0
SW LONDON
both TDi and petrol don't have much between them as I have experienced (on not so quiet B-roads, so pretty much about the driver and mid-range torque :))

As mentioned, if you're not big on tuning but would want to get a remap then I would recommend the TDi as these are very impressive (and the noise isn't as bad as some make it out to be), but test drive both and get what you prefer.
 

tyranical

Active Member
Apr 13, 2008
161
0
I think I'm getting VTRs and VTSs mixed up.

Thats possible :p VTS is 120bhp, and will see u to 60 in 7.5 seconds.

Doesn't matter either way, they're still french.

Just another question to throw into the works, if i was to go for a TDI, wouldn't it be much cheaper for me to buy an FR and get it remapped etc? obviously brakes need upgrading too and that but when the FR is about 2500 cheaper and insurance would also be much cheaper.
 
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kriso

_______ C U P R A _______
Jan 29, 2007
2,325
4
Brighton
Just another question to throw into the works, if i was to go for a TDI, wouldn't it be much cheaper for me to buy an FR and get it remapped etc? obviously brakes need upgrading too and that but when the FR is about 2500 cheaper and insurance would also be much cheaper.

Insurance wouldn't be cheaper once you've decalred all the extra upgrades. The brakes would set you back at least £500 (if you can find a set second hand). I'm not sure if FR wheels would fit over them, maybe facelift ones do. Then you miss out on the front mounted intercooler and larger intake. You can fit a Cupra or Forge one (£700-£800) but you will want the Cupra front bumper to help the airflow. Suspension is different, front ARB is thinner on FR, bushes aren't solid as on Cupra, ride height is higher, interior is different, track width is thinner, body ridgity/weight is different (if you go for a 5 door FR), exhaust is twin-tail pipe instead of oval. The gearbox is different, then there are various engine differences between the FR and Cupra which help give the Cupra the extra power.

Can't think of much else right now, but it's been discussed on here before and it doesn't work out any cheaper to upgrade an FR to Cupra-like performance after upgrades and insurance are taken into account. :(
 

keefy

Active Member
Dec 4, 2006
344
0
Hi, from the sound of it you want something that does better than the 30mpg you are currently achieving with your current car & driving style.

I would say that pretty much rules the Civic out & probably even the Cupra petrol. You might get a little more than 30mpg but not much.

Your best bet is to drive both the Cupra TDI and the FR TDI. IMO if you want Cupra performance and are buying a new car, you might as well go the whole hog and get a Cupra, rather than an FR and then butcher it to get the performance up.
I suspect even the FR TDi will be quicker than your current car once off the line and should easily see you 50mpg. I average over 55mpg in my Sport.
 

Clark10

Full Member
Apr 13, 2005
205
0
Belfast
Insurance wouldn't be cheaper once you've decalred all the extra upgrades. The brakes would set you back at least £500 (if you can find a set second hand). I'm not sure if FR wheels would fit over them, maybe facelift ones do. Then you miss out on the front mounted intercooler and larger intake. You can fit a Cupra or Forge one (£700-£800) but you will want the Cupra front bumper to help the airflow. Suspension is different, front ARB is thinner on FR, bushes aren't solid as on Cupra, ride height is higher, interior is different, track width is thinner, body ridgity/weight is different (if you go for a 5 door FR), exhaust is twin-tail pipe instead of oval. The gearbox is different, then there are various engine differences between the FR and Cupra which help give the Cupra the extra power.

Can't think of much else right now, but it's been discussed on here before and it doesn't work out any cheaper to upgrade an FR to Cupra-like performance after upgrades and insurance are taken into account. :(

Turbo's different on the Cupra too.
 

JPS3290

Dirty Diesel
Jun 6, 2003
438
0
Durham
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I've owned a Saxo VTS, a Civic Type R (EP3) and we just got rid of a Yaris T Sport in place of our Ibiza Cupra TDI. The scooby replaced the CTR over 2 years ago. My partner's brother also has a DC5 Teg Type R.

I'm not biased towards petrol or diesel and for everyday driving I use the Cupra TDI as I do over 70 miles a day while the GF uses the Scooby running a sensible 330+bhp ;)

I bought my Civic new back in 02 and I was getting a good 30/32 mpg out of it driving to work and back with a few good blasts. As long as your not in VTEC (high cam) then I was even seeing 40+ mpg on motorway cruising.

The Yaris was surprisingly quick but also very chuckable on back roads, something which I find the Cupra TDI does even better.

I had my Cupra remapped to around 195bhp/300lb'fts when it had 6k on the clock. Now touching 13k, no issues, better mpg and after a number of run ins with EP3 Type R's and one of the new ones I'm pretty confident my Cupra is quicker in every aspect as I have to keep backing off if I'm behind them and can quite easily out brake them.

Day to day driving i'm nice and relaxed in the Cupra TDI but have plenty of over taking power when need be and as it looks fairly low key it doesn't attract too many knobbers. If I take the Scooby to work it just gets all stressful with every idiot tailgating, the difference a big bloody spoiler makes is shocking! Scooby again is better in every aspect to the Ibiza, even though It only has about 30/40lbs'ft more torque, the extra 140ish bhp is very noticeable when smashing your right foot.

I would say test drive both the Petrol/TDI Cupra versions and decide which your prefer and the running costs. Bare in mind the Car tax bands change next year and Petrol will rape you. I'm looking at £400+ for the scooby, double what it is now....The Cupra TDI is something like £120 i think. Pretty sure you can't buy a new Ibiza Cupra Tdi anymore either unless you mean new-second hand ?
 

Ant FR

Full Member
Feb 15, 2005
2,861
0
Kent
I think Kriso has an great unbiased view of the cars as he has owned both, I would drive them both though to really make your mind up if you end up going for a cupra. to be honest though considering your mileage the deisel would make a more logical choice.
my experience is that the petrol is an absolute hoot to drive and is seriously quick with a remap. I have seen off many type rs but a large margin even with all the rediculous wheelspin I get but lets be honest here a great drivers car isnt about straight line speed its about how it makes you feel which includes how it looks inside and out, how it corners,driver involvement etc. my opinion is that the civic type r will give you a better experience and more smiles per mile although I reckon your best bet is to get a dc5 integra type r instead as it is far superior.

any way goodluck with what every you go for,

Personally after haveing tuned versions of both the overall quickest real world ( which is what counts on the road) was the Tdi. Because it delivers peak BHP and peak Torque so low its more usable.

And in todays climate the diesle has got to be better on the wallett. I sometimes wonder why i changed back to petrol. But hey thats hindsight.
 
Jan 13, 2008
32
0
Midlands
Its so down to personal choice this one, I looked at the Cupra V FR argument , I bought an FR 130 in the end . Basically i could not stand the everday use of the cupra because its to harsh a ride banging and crashing over every pot hole an all that does is make the interiour fall to bits. I would like to point out mine is running just under 180 Bhp an 290 torque with no clutch problems and unless your a 19 year old plonker the brakes are plenty strong enough. An you dont need any of the induction or intercooler mods at this power anyway. so you get a much younger car with less miles on an cheaper insurance too. Its a compromise but it suited me as i use the car everyday for all jobs. Pitty you cant try a remapped FR to see what you think. only Mod i will make is to go up to 225 tyres if i can get them on the rims just want slightly better traction in 1, 2nd .
 
Jun 24, 2007
967
0
durham
Its so down to personal choice this one, I looked at the Cupra V FR argument , I bought an FR 130 in the end . Basically i could not stand the everday use of the cupra because its to harsh a ride banging and crashing over every pot hole an all that does is make the interiour fall to bits. I would like to point out mine is running just under 180 Bhp an 290 torque with no clutch problems and unless your a 19 year old plonker the brakes are plenty strong enough. An you dont need any of the induction or intercooler mods at this power anyway. so you get a much younger car with less miles on an cheaper insurance too. Its a compromise but it suited me as i use the car everyday for all jobs. Pitty you cant try a remapped FR to see what you think. only Mod i will make is to go up to 225 tyres if i can get them on the rims just want slightly better traction in 1, 2nd .

The brakes are poor/hardwork with normal power but with a remap if you want to use the full performance of the car you need the bigger brakes there isnt many other hot hatches with as crap brakes as the fr
 

RichieRich

Mk4 Golf GT TDi
Sep 17, 2005
2,367
0
Oxfordshire :)
www.bebo.com
my Fr doesnt sound like a tractor seems quite raw'ey, i got the brake upgrade 312mm with standard power or sort of... you can goto 215 tyres quite easy as thats on mine not sure u wanna put 225's on it tho...
 
Jan 13, 2008
32
0
Midlands
Yeah i agree rich i like the sound of my TDi with my boot down! its all opinon an personal prefrance just like the brakes i just dont rag the brakes like some others do an it DOES NOT stop me using the power i just brake a bit earlier but like i said at 38 i dont feel the need to be the last of the late brakers, seen to many bent cars when that goes wrong. I know they would not stand up to a track day or a 30 mile tyre smoker across country roads but i dont do that so!!
 
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