Leon Cupra R v Audi S3

[Grale]

Any of you LCR owners think about an S3 before buying your LCR ? what made you go for the LCR over the S3 apart from the difference in £££££££££'s

Does the LCR outhandle the S3 ? and would you say it is as quick point to point (A & B roads, wet & dry).

I can't decide between the two and need some convincing arguments to decide what to go for (budget £17k). Is the S3 just an 'Audi badge' thing or a genuine contender....

Cheers guys.....

 

[Vennuth]

The S3 is a 4WD Leon Cupra R with smaller wheels. It is more common, more expensive and generally more boring!!!

Rob

 

[DU02]

And with 4WD will waste any Leon off the line

 

[Urban Tiger]

I went to see an S3 before getting the Leon. IMHO, the Leon is a much better looking car, and comes in a colour I really like (Platinum). Has all the equipment I could ask for and was available, new, for £16245.

Yes, if a 4WD Leon came up, I'd be interested. But I wasn't prepared to pay am extra £8ish grand just for 4WD on a car I didn't think looked as nice, wasn't as practical and was more cramped in the drivers seat (I'm 6ft 4in).

I also found the Leon steering to be direct and responsive whereas the S3 was sluggish, the car just felt a little dated.

Had the 'R' for 3 months now and still loving every minute of it

 

[Icecavern]

Sorry but I'd take the S3 over the R anyday. I know you'll hate me for saying it but I've driven an A3 quattro and I prefered it over mine with the 4WD.

PLEASE SEAT sort it out and give us a 4WD Leon... The v6 or 1.8T will do me...

Pete

 

[LEO LION R]

I'd take the S3 over the LCR anyday as well if it was the same price, but i think the reason why so many choose the LCR instead is purely financial and stick to a budget.

I looked at getting one, in fact one of very many mor eexpensive cars second hand. The issue that turned me away was that i could only find 3year old ones for a similar price (pre discount).

I wanted a warranty more than i wanted 4WD.

 

[Shock_Xe]

the S3 is nice but its the old case of car vs £££

If they were close the S3 would win just becuase of the quality of interior. but in the case of a new LCR or 2/3 yr old S3 i would go with the new LCR for the same money just to be sensible

 

[ZBOYD]

Got to love those huge transmission losses though on the S3, it might get ahead at the start, but does it stay ahead?

in my experience not really, bloke near me trys it on at least once a week, his is tuned i know it is, and its quick, but seems to take an age to really pick up the pace, it gets off allright but then doesnt do anything with its advantage, and i just tear past it.

But very nice cars, very wallowy handling, more comfort class than race class.

Id probably of considered one if it wasn't for the outrageous money. They are not worth what they ask for them, there a lot better cars out there for the money.

I like the new shape A3, nearly bought an oil burner over the R, but decided id wait and see how the A3 pans out, and if they will make a new S3, or go straight to silly land with an RS3.

 

[Andrew P]

I was locking in the very same thought battle when buying my LCR. Loved the look of the S3 and tried 4 of them in an attempt to love it. Sadly I didn't. Tried the LCR and was blown away. The S3 just didn't feel quick or alive where the LCR did. I don't consider myself a car handling expert at all but even I could tell the massive difference.

Price came in to it too. I had about £17k and was faced with a choice of a 40,000 mile, 3 year old S3 or a spankers LCR. Spankers won. Also, the servicing costs are about half the price of the S3 - it is the same engine - bizarre!!

Try both and see if you come to the same conclusion!

 

[Gadget110]

I had up to 35k to spend and ended up spending only 2/3rds of my budget.
I tried loads of cars and the only one I would have gone for over my R was a boxster. Unfortunately there was almost a years wait for one so that was out.
The S3 looked ok, but seemed to be a little common. It drove ok but was a little boring. The 4wd was ok but sapped power and made the whole experience less fun. The price was ok but I couldn't see where the extra cash was going; come on 4wd doesn't cost that much. I had a BMW previously and so had got over my badge snobbery.
The S3 was ok, but that was all.

The R is not so common, plenty of fun yet cruises smoothly and quietly on the motorway, good value for money, and had a good build quality. More than that, my company car tax is less too.

I must admit, have never raced an S3 or TT (225) off the line, but when I've come up against them whilst moving, have never lost!

So much for extra cash and badges then!!

 

[forever]

I would take the S3, in standard spec its quicker to 62 than the leon, and IMO looks better.
Try test driving the S3 which has the optional Gbmh suspension, it very much feels alive and ready to go, I still cannot understand why so few S3 have this ???
Also compare like to like e.g. 225 S3 with 225 LCR, 210 S3 with 210 LCR.
I feel you can see where the extra money has gone, amazing electric leather recaros, Xeons, DIS. In addition, just that general feeling of being better fitted together.
Don’t get my wrong, I really like the LCR and even convinced my father to get one.
And yes the £££ does come in to it, but for me £££ was not a worry

 

[Cuprar]

Had an S3 for my lease car at my old company and i loved it. Was practical pretty fast and handled a peach. But it was boring to say the least.
Then after i moved i got a Cupra 20v T which well i got rid of due to some complications *cough*.
Now got my R and its great you can have more fun with only 2 front wheels pulling ya oh and the extra power from revo is great ++ not as much loss through transmission as stated earlier.

 

[Vennuth]

As stated, the transmission losses on the S3/TT really sap power. I've got REVO and had a race with a 225bhp TT (also REVO'd) on the motorway. He was using 5th, I was using 6th and I still left him comfortably far behind

Off the line they will win, but who cares. You only pull off once - at the start of the drive! I'll take the car that's quicker for the other 99% of the time thanks

Rob

 

[corp]

I have checked out lots of magazine reviews over the last year and the R always comes out tops over the S3 on driving experience. Build quality and reliability are pretty similar, quality of materials the s3 wins and outright performance in the real world will go to the R. Should I mention practicality??? yes, that is what the R is about. S3 a big loser on this - much less room in the boot and only 3 doors. I find that you have to really kill a 4WD car in order to make a 0-60, and it is quite difficult????

 

[ZeroK66]

Mmmmm...

S3 for me, but then again... reading what has been said - indeed bang for buck the LCR wins hands down. Prob is - when I eventually get my hands on a forced induction car - I want to keep it safe... FWD just aint the way to keep it on the road. The 4wd then becomes essential!

I will end up with a LCR I know I know... but still

 

[corp]

Originally posted by ZeroK66
Mmmmm...

S3 for me, but then again... reading what has been said - indeed bang for buck the LCR wins hands down. Prob is - when I eventually get my hands on a forced induction car - I want to keep it safe... FWD just aint the way to keep it on the road. The 4wd then becomes essential!

I will end up with a LCR I know I know... but still

I am not sure that 4wd keeps a car on the road, does it not just give it better traction??

 

[ZeroK66]

Once over 300HP (which would be my goal in the next year or so) keeping the car on the road and getting the power down really is a problem, the 4wd system would see to even power delivery and as you say... better traction!

Any car over 300 should be 4wd to keep it safe orelse you end up sideways/in a ditch... not good.

 

[Beeftech]

Sorry but the Audi is far too pipe and slippers brigade! Rather have an R32 if it has to be a 4WD car! And its got 30Bhp more Plus all your paying for with the audi is those 4 silver rings......

Abroad you can get 4WD Leons, So come on Seat UK give us a RHD 4WD Cupra R please

 

[ZeroK66]

R32 nice... VERY nice. I am a dub boy so would prefer an R32. But to mod the R32 is far more complex than the S3. HP is easy to achieve out the 1.8t. the R32 motor will cost an arm and a leg and will be heavier again.

A cupra r 4wd... YES PLZ!! In Ibiza format to save a lil weight would be good!

 

[jerry]

Autocar had this to say in a review 11 september 2002 between a lcr 210 and an s3 225, as well as 3 other hot hatches:

"The other big surprise is how the Cupra comprehensively takes care of the S3, not just on price grounds but for dynamic resolve too. It's faster, handles more sweetly and is simply more engaging to drive - and it costs the thick end of seven grand less. Which means you need to be very image-conscious, indeed, to prefer the less able S3."


and this was the 210 lcr against the 225 s3
lcr for me anyday, especially as it's now 225 too.