Advice on Cupra R buying

[Mark51]

Morning all,

This is my first post and is a long one so please bare with me.

Im looking for a new car atm but dont want to rush into things and end up with a shed. Im wanting a Cupra R. From what i understand there are two models, the 210bhp and the 225bhp.

I have read the guide about the differences in the LCR models. The third paragraph says 'All 225's have teardrop mirrors' however, i have just been looking on the Auto Trader and found a Cupra R that has tear drop mirrors but is listed as having 210bhp -
Please could someone enlighten me or correct me if im wrong?

Im sure this will have been asked before (and yes i have searched) but is there a massive difference between the 210 and 225 models, power wise?

Ive got a saxo atm so this will be a big step for me in terms of running costs and type of car, what are the cost of parts like? From what i gather the safte of the car is pretty good so will make a good family car when the time comes

Also apart from the cambelt change at 60K is there anything else i need to look for when buying apart from the obvious visual checks such as mayo type substance in the rad filler cap, knocking, etc....???

thanks in advance all.

 

[andycupra]

there are some late 210 models withrdrop mirrors so this is not an exact guide for which model it is.

The 225 models have a red stripe on the sterring wheel (which is also chunkier).
however the only real way to be sure 100% is to check the engine code:
AMK = 210
BAM = 225
The engine code is found on the front offside corner of the engine.

please see this thread for more info: (i searched for 210 225 differences)
http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=115851

Difference power wise? well firstly the 225 is actually 222bhp as its 225ps not bhp. so on that basis its 12 bhp difference.
However im not sure anyone has found there to be any difference in the real world. Some suspect he 210 models often came out with more power.
Both the 210 and 225 models remap to the same power levels, which may suggest the tuners have the same hardware to tune! (remap is 'chipping' but withouth changing the chip as its done via the diagnostics port with no need to open the ECU).

Costs, tyres and brakes will be alot more than you have been used to, as 18" alloys and brembo brakes mean they are not cheap. So if they are worn down this is something to take into account.
You will do well to achieve 30mpg, most people dont manage this.

Things to check: all electrics, dash lights etc.
Change the climate control temperatre to 'LO', then ensure air con is on (snow symbol) - the radiator fans should come on when the air con is on. (not at a high speed so dont put your fingers in to check if you think its not moving). If it pulses on at a high speed then off, then on then off the radiator fans have a fauly which is not cheap to fix.
Check all carpets for dampness. There are issues with the door seals, so if carpets are wet this will need to be sorted. (say £500 for all 4 doors at a dealer. or £30 in parts and 3 hours of your own time with the help of this forum).
Boot lock, does it work? - again fairly common but easy to fix with help of this forum.

The font bumper has a splitter, (grey strip at bottom of the bumper). These clip into the bumper and are only £20 or so from a dealer, but many people dont realise this so you can knock them down if this is damaged and they dont know its easy to replace). - and you weill scrape it as its low!

Knocking from rear when going over speed bumps may be rear beam bushes, which is not cheap to do.

Take some time to learn how the computer read out works, (using the wiper stalk buttons) as you can see what sort of mileage they have been getting which may give you an idea of how its been treated/driven..

 

[Mark51]

cheers for the fast and long reply andy. Ive read the stuff in that link you posted,
'210’s steering wheel is the same as the Cupra’s, but with red stitching. The 225 has a thicker stering wheel with a red band at the top. The steering wheels are a straight swap and the airbags are the same.'

from the pictures in the link of the car i would say that the steering wheel has a red band at the top so would indicate its a 225ps?

im waiting for someone to say 'go look at it and check the engine codes' but its abit of a mission to go view it when the funds arnt quite in place.

 

[Mark51]

annyone else?

 

[Faisal]

hey mate! i was in the same situation as you, i came from a saxo 1.1 straight to a leon cupra R...big big step for me...

andy was pretty much on the ball with everything thats needed to be said there.

only thing id add when checking the car out is to make sure the service history is in full and stamped.if the timing belt is done make sure theres a garage stamp beside it (bought my car offae a liar). if the timing belt is done,ask if the water pump has been done too as they are prone to failure at high mileage.
if not,you could haggle a good £600 off the asking price!

ask if any coil packs have been replaced since they are a common fault. also ask about the MAF.

1 thing i would recommend is check the vacuum hoses in the engine bay,some of them collapse and cause problems (happened to me)

get a good feel for the clutch,and the rest is the usual run of the mill checks like brake imbalance,steering wheel pulling either side when accellerating etc.

as its a turbo car,ask how he treats it,coax him into telling you he warms up + cools down the car everytime (dont ask directly as they will end up saying yes). you will tell a lot about the car from how the owner treats it!

as for parts,they are a bit more expensive than the saxos,compare £120 for an induction kit over £30 odd.other than that,it is affordable if ur sensible with ur money (unlike me).

if you use this forum,i recommend deep pockets as it will be expensive (you will see )

good luck!

 

[andycupra]

cheers for the fast and long reply andy. Ive read the stuff in that link you posted,
'210’s steering wheel is the same as the Cupra’s, but with red stitching. The 225 has a thicker stering wheel with a red band at the top. The steering wheels are a straight swap and the airbags are the same.'

from the pictures in the link of the car i would say that the steering wheel has a red band at the top so would indicate its a 225ps?

im waiting for someone to say 'go look at it and check the engine codes' but its abit of a mission to go view it when the funds arnt quite in place.

no worries.

although i dont understand the bit where you say its a mission to go see it when you dont have the funds... - are you just window shopping?
You can of course ask them for the engine code. If i was selling and someone asked me to pop the bonnet for something like that then i would.

 

[jacupra]

the best advice i have for you , is buy mine. haha

 

[jwfcms]

power difference between 210 and 225 is not really noticeable, once remaped they remap to the same anyway. get one which has been serviced, and make sure cambelt has been done with a full kit and waterpump.

as mentioned brakes are expensive but...can get a set of pads for less than £ 30 for some mintex or pagid which are oe quality. but not as good as the brembo which are near £ 120-140, ferodo ds2500 racing pads are around £ 120 too.. but if you arnt going track racing, they will be perfectly fine for the street.

main thing is servicing, cambelt and a good list of reciepts and history for any work done.

get an rac/aa inspection fo find any faults and then knock them down based on that or make your decision if its a shed or not

 

[Mark51]

thanks Faisal

no worries.

although i dont understand the bit where you say its a mission to go see it when you dont have the funds... - are you just window shopping?
You can of course ask them for the engine code. If i was selling and someone asked me to pop the bonnet for something like that then i would.

I am waiting for a cheque to arrive with some money and dont really want to raid my bank for the extra money before it clears. However, if i see a nice LCR then it will have to be done. im the mean time though im wanting to try and increase my knowledge on them so i dont end up with a shed, hence this thread.

the best advice i have for you , is buy mine. haha

lol, PM me details

power difference between 210 and 225 is not really noticeable, once remaped they remap to the same anyway. get one which has been serviced, and make sure cambelt has been done with a full kit and waterpump.

as mentioned brakes are expensive but...can get a set of pads for less than £ 30 for some mintex or pagid which are oe quality. but not as good as the brembo which are near £ 120-140, ferodo ds2500 racing pads are around £ 120 too.. but if you arnt going track racing, they will be perfectly fine for the street.

main thing is servicing, cambelt and a good list of reciepts and history for any work done.

get an rac/aa inspection fo find any faults and then knock them down based on that or make your decision if its a shed or not

do the 210 and 225's both have brembo's? is the only difference the slight visual mods and engine code?

 

[6th.replicant]

For what it's worth, I was advised (by a mechanic) to try & find a 1-owner car with a full-SEAT-service-history (so that all warranty work is up to date) & to buy privately. The last mentioned is because you'll be able to get a better idea of how the car has been driven. For example, ask the owner to take you for a brief drive when the engine etc is cold: if the owner fires it up with a bootfull of revs & rags it from cold, then walk away pronto.

However, if the owner's natural driving-style appears to have 'mechanical sympathy' & he/she treats the car with respect, then you could've found a good car.

Obviously, if you buy from a dealer, you'll never know how the car has been driven by the previous owner, or how often the dealer has allowed potential punters on test-drives to rag the car from cold...

Not saying that LCs/LCRs are fragile, simply that all turbo engines need to be warmed-up/cooled-down correctly, then they're good for a long-life; especially VAG's.

I've found that it's possible to achieve 40mpg in a LCR, if you cruise at a steady 60mph in 6th; 34-36mpg also possible on motorways at a steady 80-90mph (once the MAF was renewed & the ECU re-set).

And yes, the 210 and 225 both have Brembos. (Incidentally, Brembo's calipers are actually made by Bang & Olufsen.)

 

[Mark51]

thanks 6th.replicant, seems a good idea. my thoughts of buying from a garage would be if i find one i like and im a little short of funds then the finance would be available. also there would be a warrenty (abeit a short one) so there is some type of comeback incase something goes wrong in the first couple of months of owning it as theres only so much you can look at and check when your viewing it.

anyother input from anyone else?

 

[SuperTubby]

I'm also looking at the moment and have a cambelt + water pump related question. I've seen a LCR that I might go look at but the owner says that he changed the Cambelt at 65K miles but not the water pump as apparently it doesn't need doing till 120k?
I would have thought its a good idea to change water pump as a matter of course when doing the cambelt.

If I buy it should I change the water pump along with the cambelt again?

Thanks

P.S this is a very useful thread

 

[JamJay]

He should have changed the water pump at the same time. The OEM one has a plastic impellor that likes to break as far as I know.