Took delivery of my mystery blue ST 300 yesterday. It's a ridiculous amount of car for £2,400 down and £180pm! (Well, I'm actually paying a little bit more than that as I added on keyless, parking sensors, camera and ACC.) The thing that most impresses me is the ride on the 19s - even in Cupra mode it may be firm but there's no 'thumpiness'. I took the car out for a drive last night in the dark and damp. It's a quick car with plenty of grip and strong brakes. It's not a chuckable hot hatch with aggressive turn in and sparkling handling, but still a nice thing to steer along a sweeping, fast road. It's going to be agony keeping the revs down for the first thousand miles. The engine is almost diesel sounding at low revs but the noise gets much better when you put your foot down and it feels very eager. Virtual cockpit works well, just for me based on the fact that you can have the sat nav between the dials.
I wasn't planning on getting one of these cars - I was looking at second hand Audi A6 Allroads to fulfil family duties (I have something more interesting for weekends). But the lease on the Cupra made it a no-brainer. And in the real world there's no point comparing it to the Golf R, because with discounts and lease deals (and the fact that things like 19s and adjustable suspension are standard) the Cupra is thousands cheaper. Golf estates are too boxy at the back too. With the wheels, paint and black trim, the Cupra really stands out among the standard SUVs and hatches in my street. So far, I'm loving it and can't think of any family car that would come close for the money.