I was intending to order a Cupra
280 in black. Had it all specced up and ready to go. However, the local dealer said that demand was so high that he wasn't going to budge on price. I was also looking at a Golf R, S3 and M135i. In the end I've got a deposit down on a Golf R. £4K off list, so the difference between that and the Cupra was only £3K and the R is much better specced. I could have probably hunted for a better price on the Cupra, but this deal was one I couldn't pass on.
No brainer really. The Cupra's a great car and I'd be happy owning one, but I'm going back to VW. I traded my old Polo in for my current
Ibiza FR ten years ago.
Well, congratulations on the order and I am sure the Golf will be a great car to own.
Have to disagree on the price differential though as it is clear discounts are possible on the Cupra too (quite a few on here have bought well under list). Like everyone else who is / was looking at the Cupra I also considered the S3, didn't really consider the Golf R as the styling doesn't do much for me. Anyway, I did a little experiment and spec'd a Golf R and an Audi S3 as close as possible to the spec I have ordered taking into account there are things standard on Seat which are cost extras on the other two and vice versa (I think the adaptive cruise is standard on the VW). It isn't 100% accurate as you can't spec 19" wheels on the Audi and you can't spec LED lights on the VW, both standard on the Seat.
So, solid colour manual cars with active dampers, adaptive cruise and the most basic satnav & manufacturers sound upgrade (matching my spec as closely as possible) list prices :-
Cupra £28,495
Golf R £34,325
Audi S3 £36,690
Note, Golf would have been dearer if LED headlights available.
The Golf and Audi are more powerful and part time 4WD, but the Cupra is significantly cheaper and available with 0% finance. For those who don't like PCP the 0% is a big draw against, I think, 6.3% PCP on Golf. Assuming similar discounts across all three (the Audi attracted the least discount when I was getting carwow quotes) the Cupra is still an attractive option in my opinion. The only thing it lacks is the Haldex.
However, the above should be taken in context as everyone has different priorities when buying cars. I am happy with my choice