Having had the car now for a few days, this is my first impressions. As my last car was a Scenic, this is the car I am comparing it to which may be the same for any potential buyers.
Got the car, brand new, with a saving of roughly £2500 off list price. The car is standard apart from the addition of the “integrated” TomTom 510 Sat Nav unit.
Engine
Engine is very good with strong pull right through the gears. As with most diesels it doesn’t do too much in first from standstill but then quickly makes up for lost time. Engine is definitely noisier than the Scenic dci I previously had, especially noticeable whilst idling. Seat have stopped putting “Noise Suppression Covers” on these models although they can be bought for about £60-£70. I have taken opinion on this and some people say it makes a difference, others say it doesn’t so I will see if the noise becomes intolerable over the next month or so. Too early to give opinions on mpg. Gearbox is very quick change, I always found the Scenic to be very notchy and “long” but the Seat is the complete opposite.
Cabin
The car is very well laid out with everything needed to hand. The audio is very good with a socket for Aux input. My model has the 3.5mm socket but I believe if ordering from the factory, you can select ipod or USB socket instead. Controls are on the steering wheel which is taking a bit of getting used to as with the Scenic the controls were fixed which meant that you always knew where they were! Speedometer increases in 20mph markings but these are even rather than odd, so the critical limits of 30, 50 and 70 aren’t as obvious to see. Speedometer seems to be a good 10% out in comparison with GPS speed.
Plenty of toys, all round electric windows, cruise control, split zone climate control etc. As I said, mine also has the Tom Tom which also works as Bluetooth handsfree for phone, both phone and navigation instructions come through the car speakers.
The Seat is taking some time to get used to and to get comfortable. It has strong side supports but I find my left hand side resting on the support rather than in it, but I am nowhere near the right hand support. Don’t know if this is due to position of pedals or whatever. The seat is definitely far more supportive and firm than the Scenics was. If you like driving with one arm resting, well the middle glovebox is too low for your arm to rest on and the drivers door doesn’t have a good “edge” to rest on, the door card slopes from the window.
Versatility
This car is nowhere near as versatile as the Scenic so if you need versatility and storage areas, then this isn’t the car for you. However, if like me, you have had 3 Scenics due to their great versatility and flexibility and then, on looking back, you realise that you very very rarely actually made use of them, then you should consider the Seat. The boot is huge and the Seat backs fold down to give you more space. However they don’t tumble forward or be removed like some MPVs (Scenic). The seats are split 70/30 but does have a middle pull down “armrest” with integrated cupholders. A point worth noting is that the seats are lower than in the Scenic and for me, this means that where my 9 year old son sat in the Scenic no problem, in the Seat due to the seat being lower then the seatbelt comes down very close to his neck. He could really do with a booster seat even though he is taller than the new regulations. Also, unlike the Scenic, there is the middle hump that runs through the floor making things less comfy for a middle passengerStorage is limited to 2 pull down flaps under the front seats (not drawers) and the centre armrest which has a split level in it, pens etc on top and then a couple of CDs in the bottom bit. There are no underfloor or underseat cubbies in the back like the Scenic does.
There are 3 auxiliary sockets, as well as the normal “cigarette lighter” in the front, there is one at rear of centre console for rear passengers to use and one in the boot as well.
The boot is big and has a space saver spare wheel. However it also had a squareish space next to the spare wheel that lies empty. Therefore if you apply any significant weight to the boot carpet then it bevels due to the gap underneath it! I am sure I will find something useful to put in there to prevent this (compressor, jump leads etc). Boot does not have a conventional parcel shelf which rises with the bootlid, instead it has a telescopic cover that pulls out and retracts. I actually prefer this especially if you are carrying something taller than the height of the shelf then it is easier to recline it rather than remove it altogether.
Car itself sits slightly lower than the Scenic.
My first impressions are that I like this very much and prefer it to the Scenic. I think my kids will prefer the Scenic due to its seating positions but their opinion is being ignored! The car has a few strange things that I don’t understand – it has a locking fuel cap which is attached by a cord to the “door”. This means than when you unlock it and take it off, it hangs down the side of your bodywork! Why not a release inside the car or in the case of the Scenic, the flap worked through the central locking?
Under the rearview mirror there are 2 red LEDs which shine down onto the centre console, presumably their only function is to create some ambience! At night the inside of the car is very very red. The audio buttons on the steering wheel light up as well but you also have the option to switch them off, why?
Oh, and one gripe I do have, the car only comes with one remote control key, the other is not a normal key. For a car that should be £17.5k, surely you would expect 2 remote control keys? That’s what my Skoda has.
Shortly will be taking it to France and back so will report back in a few weeks how living with the car is.
Got the car, brand new, with a saving of roughly £2500 off list price. The car is standard apart from the addition of the “integrated” TomTom 510 Sat Nav unit.
Engine
Engine is very good with strong pull right through the gears. As with most diesels it doesn’t do too much in first from standstill but then quickly makes up for lost time. Engine is definitely noisier than the Scenic dci I previously had, especially noticeable whilst idling. Seat have stopped putting “Noise Suppression Covers” on these models although they can be bought for about £60-£70. I have taken opinion on this and some people say it makes a difference, others say it doesn’t so I will see if the noise becomes intolerable over the next month or so. Too early to give opinions on mpg. Gearbox is very quick change, I always found the Scenic to be very notchy and “long” but the Seat is the complete opposite.
Cabin
The car is very well laid out with everything needed to hand. The audio is very good with a socket for Aux input. My model has the 3.5mm socket but I believe if ordering from the factory, you can select ipod or USB socket instead. Controls are on the steering wheel which is taking a bit of getting used to as with the Scenic the controls were fixed which meant that you always knew where they were! Speedometer increases in 20mph markings but these are even rather than odd, so the critical limits of 30, 50 and 70 aren’t as obvious to see. Speedometer seems to be a good 10% out in comparison with GPS speed.
Plenty of toys, all round electric windows, cruise control, split zone climate control etc. As I said, mine also has the Tom Tom which also works as Bluetooth handsfree for phone, both phone and navigation instructions come through the car speakers.
The Seat is taking some time to get used to and to get comfortable. It has strong side supports but I find my left hand side resting on the support rather than in it, but I am nowhere near the right hand support. Don’t know if this is due to position of pedals or whatever. The seat is definitely far more supportive and firm than the Scenics was. If you like driving with one arm resting, well the middle glovebox is too low for your arm to rest on and the drivers door doesn’t have a good “edge” to rest on, the door card slopes from the window.
Versatility
This car is nowhere near as versatile as the Scenic so if you need versatility and storage areas, then this isn’t the car for you. However, if like me, you have had 3 Scenics due to their great versatility and flexibility and then, on looking back, you realise that you very very rarely actually made use of them, then you should consider the Seat. The boot is huge and the Seat backs fold down to give you more space. However they don’t tumble forward or be removed like some MPVs (Scenic). The seats are split 70/30 but does have a middle pull down “armrest” with integrated cupholders. A point worth noting is that the seats are lower than in the Scenic and for me, this means that where my 9 year old son sat in the Scenic no problem, in the Seat due to the seat being lower then the seatbelt comes down very close to his neck. He could really do with a booster seat even though he is taller than the new regulations. Also, unlike the Scenic, there is the middle hump that runs through the floor making things less comfy for a middle passengerStorage is limited to 2 pull down flaps under the front seats (not drawers) and the centre armrest which has a split level in it, pens etc on top and then a couple of CDs in the bottom bit. There are no underfloor or underseat cubbies in the back like the Scenic does.
There are 3 auxiliary sockets, as well as the normal “cigarette lighter” in the front, there is one at rear of centre console for rear passengers to use and one in the boot as well.
The boot is big and has a space saver spare wheel. However it also had a squareish space next to the spare wheel that lies empty. Therefore if you apply any significant weight to the boot carpet then it bevels due to the gap underneath it! I am sure I will find something useful to put in there to prevent this (compressor, jump leads etc). Boot does not have a conventional parcel shelf which rises with the bootlid, instead it has a telescopic cover that pulls out and retracts. I actually prefer this especially if you are carrying something taller than the height of the shelf then it is easier to recline it rather than remove it altogether.
Car itself sits slightly lower than the Scenic.
My first impressions are that I like this very much and prefer it to the Scenic. I think my kids will prefer the Scenic due to its seating positions but their opinion is being ignored! The car has a few strange things that I don’t understand – it has a locking fuel cap which is attached by a cord to the “door”. This means than when you unlock it and take it off, it hangs down the side of your bodywork! Why not a release inside the car or in the case of the Scenic, the flap worked through the central locking?
Under the rearview mirror there are 2 red LEDs which shine down onto the centre console, presumably their only function is to create some ambience! At night the inside of the car is very very red. The audio buttons on the steering wheel light up as well but you also have the option to switch them off, why?
Oh, and one gripe I do have, the car only comes with one remote control key, the other is not a normal key. For a car that should be £17.5k, surely you would expect 2 remote control keys? That’s what my Skoda has.
Shortly will be taking it to France and back so will report back in a few weeks how living with the car is.
![[:@]](/forums/styles/seatcupra/oldforumsmileys/furious.gif "Furious [:@]")
End of July
