MK2 Cupra R - Is it worth it?

[SeanH.]

As the title, I am very interested in purchasing a MK2 LCR. After I sold my MK1 I've been itching to get back into one!

This appeals to anyone who has ever had any experience or came in contact with one. What is your honest opinions on them? How do they compare to the the MK1, how do they compare to other KO4 turbo'd cars like an ED30 or an S3?

Also, colour. I'm pretty much made on getting Yellow, I love the colour it stands out so well and really pops when you wash & polish it. What's peoples opinions on colours and spec? Should there be anything that I should watch out for, any recalls or weak points on the car?

Any help here would be much appreciated fella's.

 

[jc_boc]

MK2 LCR is an awesome machine. Many folk would say just get a MK2 CUPRA but once you have sat in both and driven them I would be surprised if you didn't opt for the R. I had a pre fl cupra running stage 2+ and I loved that car to bits, still regret selling it in fact, BUT my 12 plate LCR puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel.

 

[mike0105]

The spec on the R is what really separates them, some on here opted for the Cupra as they did not want 19" alloys or leather, that is a personal choice you'd need to consider. Just make sure you are happy with the ride on 19s haha.

Other than that they are cracking value compared to an S3 or Golf R, both of which have awd so weigh more and are more complex, but have more traction of the line.

 

[lsg60]

I test drove the r fantastic car but ended up with buying the standard cupra. If your budget stretches get an R much better looking than the ed30s and s3s, but saying that if you have the money I'd go for a golf R

 

[Crafoo]

I'll sit back and wait for this to descend into the usual Cupra vs R willy waving/back biting that it usually becomes, but before then I'll offer my feedback which you can choose to take on board or ignore as you so wish


Drive both and make your own mind up which you feel you would be most happy with.
As others have said it's personal preference and nobody other than you can decide whether or not the R is worth the extra over a Cupra.

I personally felt it was as I liked the "extras" that came with it, and the fact that when I had mine there were (according to the website "howmanyleft") only ~330 registered in the UK which made it quite rare.

I drove both and my personal opinion of both was that the R just felt a little more special, in reality that was nothing more than a few styling tweaks and bigger wheels, but nonetheless, for me it was the only one of the two variants I really wanted. A nicely kept one will be guaranteed to turn heads, and I always got comments on mine wherever it went.

Only real weak spot I saw was the clutch/flywheel gave up after around 40k, other than that keep an eye on oil levels as some drink quite a lot ~1 litre per 1000 miles.

Mouldy bonnet lining is also something that this cars poor design suffered from, not a show stopper but does let the car down if not sorted.

Electric folding mirrors are prone to seizing in the cold weather and you can get the odd little rattle/creak from the interior, but this is a "feature" of pretty much any Seat I have ever sat in.

If you decide on the R check tyre prices beforehand (some people seem to get all crazy over the difference between the cost of 18s and 19s, in reality I don't think it's more than about £15-20 extra per corner)

If I were to have my choice over again I'd purchase the R without hesitation, with a stage 1 map it's an incredibly capable car, and will easily upset quite a few expensive motors.

I detailed the time I had with mine in my readers ride thread (link is in my signature if you're interested)

Enjoy your car hunting

 

[Clazzer]

Very balanced advice that I couldn't have put better myself...very well put Crafoo

 

[SeanH.]

MK2 LCR is an awesome machine. Many folk would say just get a MK2 CUPRA but once you have sat in both and driven them I would be surprised if you didn't opt for the R. I had a pre fl cupra running stage 2+ and I loved that car to bits, still regret selling it in fact, BUT my 12 plate LCR puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel.

I have seen a few threads like that alright! Although I like the standard Cupra's they seem sort of plain and don't look too much different to a standard Leon, where as the R looks special and stands out as a proper hot hatch! But thank you for the feedback!

The spec on the R is what really separates them, some on here opted for the Cupra as they did not want 19" alloys or leather, that is a personal choice you'd need to consider. Just make sure you are happy with the ride on 19s haha.

Other than that they are cracking value compared to an S3 or Golf R, both of which have awd so weigh more and are more complex, but have more traction of the line.

Well I currently run a set of 19" BBS Speedlines on my MK5 Gti and they are fine, its also lowered on adjustable coilovers and the ride doesn't bother me, I do have to snail over bumps with the big wheels but it doesn't bother me too much!

I was tempted at a 10' Golf R but they are close to 20k and with me living in Ireland that is a serious amount of money when you take in the exchange rate and VRT. I have seen well kept 10' Cupra R's go for around 12-14k which I think is much better value!

I test drove the r fantastic car but ended up with buying the standard cupra. If your budget stretches get an R much better looking than the ed30s and s3s, but saying that if you have the money I'd go for a golf R

Thanks for that, like I mentioned above, with the prices of a Golf R and with the all the fee's that would come with it, it's a good bit out of my price range. However ED30's go for around 10k which is manageable but I think the LCR which will come in a little higher but I think it would be worth the extra dollar for the rarity of the car.

I'll sit back and wait for this to descend into the usual Cupra vs R willy waving/back biting that it usually becomes, but before then I'll offer my feedback which you can choose to take on board or ignore as you so wish


Drive both and make your own mind up which you feel you would be most happy with.
As others have said it's personal preference and nobody other than you can decide whether or not the R is worth the extra over a Cupra.

I personally felt it was as I liked the "extras" that came with it, and the fact that when I had mine there were (according to the website "howmanyleft") only ~330 registered in the UK which made it quite rare.

I drove both and my personal opinion of both was that the R just felt a little more special, in reality that was nothing more than a few styling tweaks and bigger wheels, but nonetheless, for me it was the only one of the two variants I really wanted. A nicely kept one will be guaranteed to turn heads, and I always got comments on mine wherever it went.

Only real weak spot I saw was the clutch/flywheel gave up after around 40k, other than that keep an eye on oil levels as some drink quite a lot ~1 litre per 1000 miles.

Mouldy bonnet lining is also something that this cars poor design suffered from, not a show stopper but does let the car down if not sorted.

Electric folding mirrors are prone to seizing in the cold weather and you can get the odd little rattle/creak from the interior, but this is a "feature" of pretty much any Seat I have ever sat in.

If you decide on the R check tyre prices beforehand (some people seem to get all crazy over the difference between the cost of 18s and 19s, in reality I don't think it's more than about £15-20 extra per corner)

If I were to have my choice over again I'd purchase the R without hesitation, with a stage 1 map it's an incredibly capable car, and will easily upset quite a few expensive motors.

I detailed the time I had with mine in my readers ride thread (link is in my signature if you're interested)

Enjoy your car hunting

NOW THAT ^^ is exactly the type of feedback I was looking for!! Thank you for putting in the effort to write it up.

Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of test driving both because they rarely come up for sale here across the pond. If I was to get a test drive of one it would have to be in the UK. The interior I think plays a massive role when deciding on a car and the standard Cupra interior is just awful! The dash is very plain and it uses the same MIF as my Golf.

Interesting point in relation to the clutch, I wasn't aware of that. I seen from some build threads that when you were modding the car and going for any sort of power increase the clutch had to be changed for an uprated one? If I was looking to buy one I would be looking to get a sensibly modded one with the mods already added to save me forking out big money to get them.

I have scoured YouTube trying to find some decent video's of an R on the move but came up with nothing useful really. Are they quick? I've never had the chance to drive a KO4 TFSI

I will also have a creep through your build thread at some stage today, thanks for the feedback!

Also colour!? What's peoples preference on colour, like I mentioned above I am quite made on yellow, but I love the Blue & I think it looks extremely well in White so I'm still undecided.

When checking online its quite hard to find the one I'm really looking for, I check sites like Gumtree, pistonheads and the 'For Sale' section on here but rarely find 'The One', is there any sites which I've missed? (AutoTrader is a disaster because I can't use the 'Post Code' function - we don't have postcodes in Ireland )

 

[Crafoo]

NOW THAT ^^ is exactly the type of feedback I was looking for!! Thank you for putting in the effort to write it up.

Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of test driving both because they rarely come up for sale here across the pond. If I was to get a test drive of one it would have to be in the UK. The interior I think plays a massive role when deciding on a car and the standard Cupra interior is just awful! The dash is very plain and it uses the same MIF as my Golf.

Apologies I didn't realise you were based in Ireland.

A couple of guys on here have bought UK cars taken them back across to Ireland, obviously they had done their homework and were sure it was exactly what they wanted. Maybe see if there is anyone on here nearby that would be willing to let you take a look at theirs and maybe take you out for a drive. The people on here are usually up for helping out fellow members.

Interior wise that was one of the big things for me as well, the Cupra dash is woeful and as much as the R dash isn't stunning, it looks head and shoulders above that of the Cupra. As mentioned before the styling tweaks over the Cupra, for me, made it feel more special and after having experience of both there was only one winner.

Now you obviously can (if you wish) buy a Cupra and make all the tweaks yourself of course. But again that is something only you can decide on whether you want to do or not, and if ultimately you'd be happy.

Interesting point in relation to the clutch, I wasn't aware of that. I seen from some build threads that when you were modding the car and going for any sort of power increase the clutch had to be changed for an uprated one? If I was looking to buy one I would be looking to get a sensibly modded one with the mods already added to save me forking out big money to get them.

An already modified car will most likely have had the clutch replaced at some point (but certainly a question worth asking if it's not clear), many cars out there now are stage 1, with a fair few in stage 2 territory.

There are a number of people with mapped Cupra's/R's that are still on the standard clutch with no signs of slip, so it's not a given that it will have to be replaced, but it's certainly something worth bearing in mind, especially given that you are wanting to modify the cars power. Always worth having an eye on the cost knowing you can deal with it if/when the day comes.

I have scoured YouTube trying to find some decent video's of an R on the move but came up with nothing useful really. Are they quick? I've never had the chance to drive a KO4 TFSI

I do have a vid in my thread but it's only on the rolling road unfortunately.

However in answer to your question, yes. I would certainly describe the Cupra/R as a quick car, the book says 0-60 in a smudge over 6 seconds, which for a fwd car is nippy. The gearing I also found excellent, pretty much any gear you are in will have the torque to drag your ass along without feeling sluggish, great for overtaking.

A mapped car will feel all the more lively and really give you a kick in the back when you hit the accelerator, 2nd gear really gives a big grin, you've got the traction and it really shovels along. Traction off the line (obviously being fwd can) be an issue, but if you've got decent tyres and some feel in your foot rather than lead boots, you can get a lick on with no trouble.

When you're rolling is really when the car comes into it's own, 30mph, plant your foot and I guarantee it'll bring a smile to your face.

Mapping wise I chose APR who I felt were at the top of the game (and imo still are), this is another contentious issue which get's peoples backs up, but do your research, find out which one offers the map that best suits your style and go from there. The two big names, REVO and APR are both very good at what they do and I'm sure nether will disappoint.

I will also have a creep through your build thread at some stage today, thanks for the feedback!

By all means, there is some good information in there, including part numbers for the clutch etc...hopefully it'll help you out in some way.

Also colour!? What's peoples preference on colour, like I mentioned above I am quite made on yellow, but I love the Blue & I think it looks extremely well in White so I'm still undecided.

At the time of shopping for mine, I actually had a deposit down on a yellow one (long story, but it turned out to be bent so I backed out, which brings me onto another point. Make sure you check out the history before making any rash decisions), but after further shopping around I found a mint condition Speed Blue, I fell in love instantly when I saw it in the flesh and of all the colours I think it'd be blue again for me, the black accents contrast very well imo.

When checking online its quite hard to find the one I'm really looking for, I check sites like Gumtree, pistonheads and the 'For Sale' section on here but rarely find 'The One', is there any sites which I've missed? (AutoTrader is a disaster because I can't use the 'Post Code' function - we don't have postcodes in Ireland )

I eventually found mine via AutoTrader, obviously this is an issue for you with not having post codes, but you could always just bang any old post code in just to get you searching.

Obviously with buying any car, buy with your head, and if you get a bad feeling about something, walk away. It's always better to go away and think about it that making a snap decision which could end up seeing you in a car you end up not being happy with.

Also, be sure to use the search on the forum as there is literally thousands of pages of useful information, chances are, any questions you have will have been covered and answered somewhere down the line.

Anyway I hope this helps in some way.

All the best and don't forget to show us a picture of your new car

 

[lajohnz]

i love mine, wish it had Brembo brakes as standard though.

Here a track session in mine. Completely standard......

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mcbtKglR4rk

 

[herbie147]

I love my Cupra R, glad I bought it, I was considering a K1 at the time as well.
Much prefer the fresher looking rear end, leather seats, bigger wheels etc..
It's the flagship Cupra, whats not to like about it? It's got to more desirable than a standard Cupra. Very rarely see another one on the road which is another bonus.

 

[Asce]

Ive seen 1 R around. Seen plenty of Cupra's about.

 

[kazand]

In the two years we had the R we saw four, one of which was Crafoo's. In the 10 months we've had the Mk3 we've seen around 10. Admittedly a mix of 5 doors, SC's and ST's but still....

 

[lajohnz]

Part of the lure for me was you don't see many, so lad I work with bought one 3-4 weeks ago now there's 2 in the same car park

 

[Crafoo]

In the two years we had the R we saw four, one of which was Crafoo's. In the 10 months we've had the Mk3 we've seen around 10. Admittedly a mix of 5 doors, SC's and ST's but still....

Other than arranged meets/events i never saw another R on the road in the time i had mine.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

 

[sambryant]

I came from the mk1 lcr (big turbo) to the mk2 Cupra.
We just had a baby so budget wasn't the biggest so I opted for a Cupra over the k1. I got a great deal from seat main dealer on a ex demo. I was fully aware the Cupra styling was pretty boring and had intensions of changing that over time
Power wise, the stock 240bhp did feel pretty flat after coming from the mk1. However I added just a full exhaust system and intake and gained 40bhp. It did start to excite me a little at this point. I have now gone full stage2+ and it's a game changer. It's pretty rapid and exceeds my mk1. Far better handling as well, even in stock form.

Here are a few pics to show what can be done over time.
Stock, the day I bought it





And now





New calipers. Remember the Cupra has better brakes over other tfsi cars


The Cupra is a great value car with great head room for tuning.

 

[Daniel M]

I came from the mk1 lcr (big turbo) to the mk2 Cupra.
We just had a baby so budget wasn't the biggest so I opted for a Cupra over the k1. I got a great deal from seat main dealer on a ex demo. I was fully aware the Cupra styling was pretty boring and had intensions of changing that over time
Power wise, the stock 240bhp did feel pretty flat after coming from the mk1. However I added just a full exhaust system and intake and gained 40bhp. It did start to excite me a little at this point. I have now gone full stage2+ and it's a game changer. It's pretty rapid and exceeds my mk1. Far better handling as well, even in stock form.

Here are a few pics to show what can be done over time.
Stock, the day I bought it





And now





New calipers. Remember the Cupra has better brakes over other tfsi cars


The Cupra is a great value car with great head room for tuning.

Cars looking great Sam.

Have you sold your old triple r splitter by the way?