• Guest would you be interested in CUPRA or SEAT valve caps? let us know in the poll

  • Welcome to our new sponsor Lecatona, a brand dedicated to enhancing performance for VAG group sports cars, including SEAT, Audi, Volkswagen and Škoda. Specializing in High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) upgrades.

MK3 Leon Cupra, what we know

RacerBice

Active Member
Nov 25, 2013
87
17
Stockholm, Sweden
I know this should be taken with a large pinch of salt (as it is Clarkson after all), but he did seem very impressed with the LSD in the performance pack GTI last night.

There is no substitute for 4WD in the wet admittedly, but the Cupra 280 is significantly cheaper after discount and better equipped than the Golf R / S3. At the moment I think it will be the Cupra 280 for me this time around, but I do want to test drive one before deciding.

I have an SC FR 180 TSI. The feel of the car (total impression of interior, chassis, agility, drive-line, etc) is better than a regular A3 1,8T, my previous-gen S3, and that ol' stinker of a Golf (VI) R.
 

Rob66

Full Member
Apr 25, 2004
1,620
93
UK
Dealers have had them since last week ;)

Could well be right, :) Didn't actually speak to them just had a voicemail from the local dealer saying it has arrived and was undergoing PDI, so call for a test drive, so i'll be calling them back shortly ;)
 
Last edited:

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
I know this should be taken with a large pinch of salt (as it is Clarkson after all), but he did seem very impressed with the LSD in the performance pack GTI last night.

There is no substitute for 4WD in the wet admittedly, but the Cupra 280 is significantly cheaper after discount and better equipped than the Golf R / S3. At the moment I think it will be the Cupra 280 for me this time around, but I do want to test drive one before deciding.

It did help the golf into the hot hatch bracket as he called it but that also includes the vxr Astra
Which has more power , so the golf did very well
 

ma9mwah

Active Member
Aug 13, 2009
201
1
The cupra at seat wrexham was parked outside near the front entrance at the weekend. Though you wouldn't have noticed it among the other FR's there unless you knew what to look for.
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
I know this should be taken with a large pinch of salt (as it is Clarkson after all), but he did seem very impressed with the LSD in the performance pack GTI last night.

There is no substitute for 4WD in the wet admittedly

An LSD is an awesome addition to a front drive car. It doesn't overcome the laws of physics though when 280bhp is pushed hard through two wheels when friction is low due to precipitation/moisture/rain/ice/snow.

the Cupra 280 is significantly cheaper after discount and better equipped than the Golf R / S3.

Better equipped yes. Significantly cheaper - no. You can get good discount on the S3 and Golf R if you try. And residuals will be loads better on them too. In the long run, the Leon is likely to cost more than either of its German cousins.
 

jonjay

50 Years of 911
Jun 27, 2005
5,843
1
Essex
What sort of discounts you chaps getting and how you going about getting them?

Drivethedeal the way to go?
 

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
It's not worth getting a car until June when the rest of the options are available , early cars won't be worth as much on the second hand market.
Cars with the optional bucket seats and hopefully more colours will be the way to go and also the manual gearbox unless your desperate to get a car now.
 

Syphon

Site Owner
Staff member
Feb 28, 2002
9,433
2,169
South West
www.seatcupra.net
It's not worth getting a car until June when the rest of the options are available , early cars won't be worth as much on the second hand market.
Cars with the optional bucket seats and hopefully more colours will be the way to go and also the manual gearbox unless your desperate to get a car now.

None of the options coming will add financial value to the car come resale other than desirability. SEAT UK have been vary careful in their spec of the UK car.

Scott
 
Mar 13, 2011
697
0
It's not worth getting a car until June when the rest of the options are available , early cars won't be worth as much on the second hand market.
Cars with the optional bucket seats and hopefully more colours will be the way to go and also the manual gearbox unless your desperate to get a car now.

Agree with the bucket seats being more desirable (and I would certainly pick them myself if they were available), but I'm not really sure it will affect residuals all that much. Online configurator says you can order a manual now but there is no arguing colour choice is very limited. I'd go for the red anyway so it doesn't bother me much. What I don't understand is how DTD offer "special white" at £175 but the official configurator does not list it. I assume it is the solid candy white versus metallic Nevada? But, solid white isn't listed on configurator so I would assume a mistake on DTD part?

I'm not desperate to change, but am tempted by the discounts available in conjunction with 0% finance. Bit woried that the discounts / 0% may disappear if hang around too long.
 
Mar 13, 2011
697
0
Better equipped yes. Significantly cheaper - no. You can get good discount on the S3 and Golf R if you try. And residuals will be loads better on them too. In the long run, the Leon is likely to cost more than either of its German cousins.

Was / still am seriously considering the S3. However, spec'd up an S3 comparable to how I would like a cupra and the list is 7.5k more (the adaptive dampers are a 1k option alone). After DTD discount the gap is even wider as I can't get anywhere near the discount on the Audi, plus if going that route it would have to be a PCP deal (which I am not really that comfortable with). Don't see any large deposit / 0% deals for Audi so would also be paying interest on the depreciation. Can't really see how the S3 would be cheaper for me over 3 years of ownership. Intend to drive both and make my own mind up if an S3 is worth the extra outlay. Unfortunately I don't have the disposable to buy either car outright for cash. Everyone's circumstances are different, but I guess affordability comes in to it for me.

Ruled out the Golf R as in my opinion Seat have done a much better job with the same platform (minus the 4WD of course).
 

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
None of the options coming will add financial value to the car come resale other than desirability. SEAT UK have been vary careful in their spec of the UK car.

Scott

That's not true Scott
You pay a premium for desire ability , if you have a Cupra 280 with standard seats or optional buckets dealers will make sure you pay a premium for the car with the buckets.

I'm sure when the other colours are announced that they will also be more desirable hence have a premium attached on a used dealers forecourt.
 
Mar 13, 2011
697
0
That's not true Scott
You pay a premium for desire ability , if you have a Cupra 280 with standard seats or optional buckets dealers will make sure you pay a premium for the car with the buckets.

I'm sure when the other colours are announced that they will also be more desirable hence have a premium attached on a used dealers forecourt.

In my experience you'll never recoup the cost of extras come resale time. Yes, they may make the car a little easier to move on, especially if selling privately but the first owner will take the financial hit. I have the same feelings on metallic and really don't like paying extra for paint. Have taken the solid / no cost option for paint on our last three new cars and will do the same on this one. Unless the dealer will throw in metallic for nothing will stick with the red ta. Same goes for sat nav, I would never spec it as an option but if its a standard feature so be it.

More interested in what the car is like to drive than how others perceive it. People buying second hand (sensible ones) will buy on condition not colour / options.
 

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
In my experience you'll never recoup the cost of extras come resale time. Yes, they may make the car a little easier to move on, especially if selling privately but the first owner will take the financial hit. I have the same feelings on metallic and really don't like paying extra for paint. Have taken the solid / no cost option for paint on our last three new cars and will do the same on this one. Unless the dealer will throw in metallic for nothing will stick with the red ta. Same goes for sat nav, I would never spec it as an option but if its a standard feature so be it.

More interested in what the car is like to drive than how others perceive it. People buying second hand (sensible ones) will buy on condition not colour / options.

Sorry should have said , no recoup the cost of the extras but you will pay a premium over a standard car of the options are fitted
 

LeonCR

Active Member
Oct 22, 2009
2,389
2
Truth is I would want some of the options if i went to a MK3, for me tech pack is something i would 100% want if i got a lower spec model, for the cupra the seats would be a massive thing for me
 

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
And to be honest thats how it should have come from the factory with the bucket seats as standard.

I would rather have sat nav as an option , also the 19" wheels as an option over the 18" wheels , same probably with the LED headlights if xenon were the standard fit.
and i wouldnt be fussed about the 280 badge on the back , would rather not have one to keep with the Q car type styling.
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
And to be honest thats how it should have come from the factory with the bucket seats as standard.

I would rather have sat nav as an option , also the 19" wheels as an option over the 18" wheels , same probably with the LED headlights if xenon were the standard fit.
and i wouldnt be fussed about the 280 badge on the back , would rather not have one to keep with the Q car type styling.

Surprised you are even considering or contemplating another Leon after the **** you had to go through with SEAT with the one you have.
 
Adrian Flux insurance services - discount for forum members.