Seeking advise on purchasing a cupra

[Chadwl95]

Hi all,

Im looking to purchase a cupra 300. I’ve opted for the DSG version as my findings suggest the OEM manual clutches are weak and more often than not they need replacing before the expected time span of a clutch….please correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway, I’ve found a car which on the surface appears to be a great deal however my only concern is that the vehicle is arguably 2+ thousand below similar species vehicles. The vehicle is retailing at 18.5k however similar spec vehicles are in the 21k-22k region.

The car can be found via the following link: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301253582264

Do you think the price is so severely underpriced it would warrant concern or would you be willing to take a punt? I guess I’m just trying to get a feel for the thoughts of others especially ones of those with more car buying experience and or mechanical experience.

 

[H Rafiq]

Looks a very good car, and good price too. Only thing it’s missing is heated seats, bucket seats, sunroof and virtual cockpit, but those are just minor things. It has had >5 owners, which can reduce price. Do a Carvertical check. Or have a mechanic give it a once-over before you buy it. Nothing major on the previous MOTs either, bar tyres and brakes.

 

[SRGTD]

I’d see the absence of a sunroof as a good thing - quite a few posts on various VAG forums of cracks in the sunroof surround and water ingress issues caused by blocked drain tubes.

@Chadwl95 - The car at the link you’ve posted does look good, but there’s no real substitute for viewing the actual car in person.

Difficult to be certain from the pictures in the ad. but it looks as if all the alloys have either kerb damage around the rim or what looks like white worm corrosion (common with diamond cut alloys) - I’ve marked what looks (to me) like the damage on the pictures below. The cost of a good quality wheel refurb would be around £100 - £120 plus VAT per wheel. Also bear in mind that with diamond cut alloys, because the refurb process involves recutting the face of the wheel and removing a layer of alloy, they can usually only be refurbished a maximum of two times - more than twice and structural integrity of the wheel can be compromised. So if the alloys on the car you’re considering has had previous refurb, then it might not be possible to do them again in a diamond cut finish.

It made me smile to see that whoever cleaned the car ready for sale forgot to clean in the corners of the tailgate opening on the rear bumper

 

[oldglosracer]

It looks like it might be a bit knocked about, the alloys look rough, cheap Taurus tyres on the front and a lot of the nut covers are missing.
5 owners, last change May last year, so maybe not loved much.
Do your checks, RAC or car vertical, get a discount code off one of the YouTube channels promoting it.

 

[SRGTD]

It looks like it might be a bit knocked about, the alloys look rough, cheap Taurus tyres on the front and a lot of the nut covers are missing.
5 owners, last change May last year, so maybe not loved much.
Do your checks, RAC or car vertical, get a discount code off one of the YouTube channels promoting it.

I’d noticed Taurus tyres and the missing wheel bolt covers.

Although multiple owners isn’t necessarily an indication that the car’s a poor example or may have a dubious history, a car that’s had 5 owners (or is it 4? - see screen print from ad. below) would put me on alert and make me question why the average ownership by any one owner is just over a year. As you suggest, I’d at least get an independent check carried out; the cost incurred in getting it checked out (and also doing an HPI check) could be money well spent if it does have a dubious history or issues that would be costly to fix.

It’s described in the Autotrader ad. as being a ‘beautiful condition car throughout’. Although it looks OK in the pictures apart from the alloys (although difficult to tell from a set of photos what the true condition is), I think ‘beautiful condition’ might be stretching it a bit. Also, as mentioned above, there’s inconsistent information on the number of owners.

Interesting (and unusual?) that it’s being sold by a used motorcycle dealership that doesn’t have any cars for sale on their website - https://fasttrackmotorcycles.co.uk/

All things considered, I think I’d give this one a miss and look at some other examples, even if it meant spending a bit more and / or waiting for the ‘right‘ car to come along (maybe this one’s competitively priced for a reason?).

 

[seatgraham]

I’d noticed Taurus tyres and the missing wheel bolt covers.

Although multiple owners isn’t necessarily an indication that the car’s a poor example or may have a dubious history, a car that’s had 5 owners (or is it 4? - see screen print from ad. below) would put me on alert and make me question why the average ownership by any one owner is just over a year. As you suggest, I’d at least get an independent check carried out; the cost incurred in getting it checked out (and also doing an HPI check) could be money well spent if it does have a dubious history or issues that would be costly to fix.

It’s described in the Autotrader ad. as being a ‘beautiful condition car throughout’. Although it looks OK in the pictures apart from the alloys (although difficult to tell from a set of photos what the true condition is), I think ‘beautiful condition’ might be stretching it a bit. Also, as mentioned above, there’s inconsistent information on the number of owners.

Interesting (and unusual?) that it’s being sold by a used motorcycle dealership that doesn’t have any cars for sale on their website - https://fasttrackmotorcycles.co.uk/

All things considered, I think I’d give this one a miss and look at examples, even if it meant spending a bit more and / or waiting for the ‘right‘ car to come along (maybe this one’s competitively priced for a reason?).

View attachment 36514

I agree. The owners jumped out at me straight away. And as you say, the fact it's a motorbike trader.
Also, the car was registered in Oct 2017. So I'd expect more than 4 service stamps. So perhaps not been serviced at correct intervals - given the mileage. Last change of V5 11 May 2022. So probably overdue a service. Only taxed until Jan 2023. Have they had it on sale for 3 months?

 

[seatgraham]

and the motorbike dealers positive reviews are likely mostly for bike sales. worth noting that all 4 cars for sale are VAG. One is a stage 2 golf R on an 18 plate with 9 owners!

 

[Burne]

Wishing you the best of luck with your search. As mentioned above I would get a mechanic to check it over. You would need to budget to get some better tyres on there so around 650. Also this can indicate (not always of course) how it has been maintained previously.
Also the EA888 engines are prone to leaking water pump/thermostat issue normally around the 4/5 year mark so make sure you check that out. You may have seen already but if you follow Volkswizard he did a buying guide on his cupra he used to own (280 but can apply to)

 

[Chadwl95]

Thanks for the replies everybody. For all the reasons you’ve mentioned, I’ve decided to swerve clear. I noticed the majority of issues highlighted bar the cheap tyres and scuffs on the alloys. As mentioned, I noticed the seller was a bike dealer and did find this unusual. The owner made it sound as if he’s drove the vehicles a handful of times, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s actively using them. Once again, thanks guys.

 

[Chadwl95]

I have decided to check out the following as it looks better: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303085029548 if you have the time please do let me know your thoughts.

 

[seatgraham]

I have decided to check out the following as it looks better: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303085029548 if you have the time please do let me know your thoughts.

Hmm. Car had first service at 21k miles, when it was nearly 3 years old.
Advert states it has digital dash, but picture suggests it's analogue dials.
I would double-check on the warranty. Car first registered Jan 2018 but SEAT warranty apparently to April 2024. I believe original manufacturer's warranty has to be taken out at purchase. So, is it a full warranty?
Blurb states it's a limited edition Cupra - but is it?

 

[Chadwl95]

Agreed - did notice a few discrepancies (inaccuracies) I suspect a copy and paste job has been done.

 

[seatgraham]

Agreed - did notice a few discrepancies (inaccuracies) I suspect a copy and paste job has been done.

Yep probably copy and paste. Not so sure about service history. Seems like may not have been serviced properly for first 3 years.

 

[seatgraham]

Compare MOT history against advert's service history:

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=wm67+fwo

 

[Chadwl95]

It seems to matchup/correlate. I wonder why there was no service for the first 3 years, I suspect it was a lease/pcp.

 

[seatgraham]

It seems to matchup/correlate. I wonder why there was no service for the first 3 years, I suspect it was a lease.

maybe set to long life servicing or owner didn't bother! But if did about 20k miles in 3 years, suspect it should have had more regular servicing.

 

[Chadwl95]

Agreed. Dang! It’s hard to find a car without a red flag.

 

[seatgraham]

Agreed. Dang! It’s hard to find a car without a red flag.

If you're looking for a Cupra, they often have a (partially) red flag! Good luck - worth being sure if you splashing out that sort of money.

 

[SRGTD]

I have decided to check out the following as it looks better: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303085029548 if you have the time please do let me know your thoughts.

From the pictures it looks pretty decent but definitely worth checking MOT history against service history as @seatgraham has suggested. Maybe there is a good reason for the first service being done late - could it be it was a consequence of Covid and lockdown?

The dealer’s website suggests they deal in good quality, relatively late date cars and the customer reviews on their website are good, although I always treat any online customer reviews with a degree of caution as they may not be genuine.

It’s not really possible to see from the pictures if the alloys are scuffed or whether the tyres are a decent brand (I’m viewing on my tablet, and if I try and enlarge the pictures, they loose definition); as @Burne has said, brand of tyres and whether the same all round can be an indication of whether the previous owner(s) skimped on the cost of maintaining the car. I’d definitely be checking the wheels and tyres carefully.

From the pictures it looks as if there may be an area of damage on the bolster on driver’s seat cushion - see below. It might just be creasing over time as a result of the driver getting in / out of the seat, but to me it looks as if it could be damage (scuffing) caused by something like a zip or jeans pocket studs. If it is damage, then I‘d be looking for the dealer to rectify it as a condition of the sale.

 

[Nathan penney]

Agreed. Dang! It’s hard to find a car without a red flag.

So many new cars are leased now, a lot (not all) first time owners won’t give two hoots if they look after the car or not.
A quick once over at the local hand car wash once in a while and some tyre shine and it’s all ready for the next owner.
I’ve been looking recently at 2/3 year old cars and financing again for the first time in years but after the crap I’ve seen and driven I’ve bought two old cars.
What I’ll save on monthly’s is in the maintenance pot ( and expensive road tax)