What to Buy?

[BigKev]

Hello,

I was out car shopping today and walking through Seat and seen 2 Ibiza. Had a look at them and looking to see what people think.

Ibiza 1.8 20v fr in black '56' 2006
31,000 miles on the clock
£7488

Ibiza Cupra 1.9tdi 160 in silver/light blue '56' late 2006
44,000miles on the clock
£8488
(This car had a SCN stick which brought me here, is there any way of knowing if the owner is on here?)

Woundering what people think of either of the cars or what to choose?

Any info would be great!

Kevin

 

[Gooner_Mike]

Even though I have an FR (petrol) I would go for the diesel Cupra if I had the choice again. You will be amazed by the torque of the diesel and a remap will add more BHP and torque if required. Efficient if you want it, better brakes, front mounted intercooler, nicer looking alloy wheels, cruise control, different and more aggressive bodykit....
Petrol and diesel are very different beasts though. Any particular preference?

 

[BigKev]

Well, just now i got a 1.9dci 120 megane which i like but the are no mods avaliable wat so ever, so basically looking to upgrade but i get bored very easily so looking to go back to vag, i have a mk gti golf before till I smashed it.

 

[Gooner_Mike]

Lots of mods you can do to both really... Coming to this forum is a great source of info BUT it will make you spend more money. Have a look at my readers ride thread to see what I have done to my FR 20vt (page 1 has an index of mods.)

If you go for the Cupra, you will have less to upgrade which you would probably want to do to the FR (bigger brakes, intercooler etc.)

 

[BigKev]

Ok, thanks for that. I shall have a look through posts tonight.
Hopefully going to get a test drive of them both tomorrow providing that the ice clears up a little and i shall report back. Ooh and i shall drive like I drive, not very kindly!

 

[beeko85]

i came to seat from a megane dci 130, which i had mapped to 165. i went for the leon fr petrol, wanted the power, and had wanted a turbo petrol for a while. i have to say its a lot of fun, certainly very different from a diesel, and theres a lot of scope for tuning...would i pick petrol again? i dont know tbh.
i really miss the mpg of the diesel, and so will you, even if money isnt really an issue, its still annoying when you know you could be getting not that far off double from a diesel.
yeah the real problem that i had with the dci was the lack of tuning options available aswell, no exhausts, very few intercoolers, and only uiniversal induction kits or panel filters,but there are lots of options for vag tdi's-milltek exhausts, forge intercoolers...im not sure about cai's but im sure there are some. some of the guys here have serious power from their tdi's. the drive is so different too, going from peak power at 3500rpm from the dci, to the turbo only really comming in at 3500rpm in the fr, again its fun, but maybe not as practical. i end up driving like a granny half the time cause im too miserable to fork out for petrol all the time. if i really had to pick over again id probably go for the fr tdi, and get a dpf delete-goes to around 230-240bhp which is plenty. ill get more from the tfsi, but do i really need it? if you think along those same lines, then honestly id chose the diesel, a cupra tdi with a remap will be as fast as you need it be for the most part, and can suprise a lot of other cars, and if you really want to go nuts with the upgrades, theres a few examples of the 1.9tdi putting out 250-270 with hybrid turbos, ive seen a few fabia vrs around the 270 mark. its all down to what you want/feel you need out of it

 

[great_kahn]

Drove 230 miles today, averaged 55mpg. Cupra tdi really does eat up the miles, overtaking people without have to change down is always good. On tight bumpy roads its less good.

 

[BigKev]

Thanks for that. Could you please elaborate on how is it is less good on tight bumpy roads?

 

[great_kahn]

Thanks for that. Could you please elaborate on how is it is less good on tight bumpy roads?

Firm suspension, makes pot holes and rutted roads a tad annoying. Handling on the whole is very good, doesnt do anything unexpected, like the snap over steer you can get in a type r for instance. I would say the front end can feel a bit heavy in tight corners giving a bit of understeer, but with £60 strut brace fitted its improved that a fair bit.

There are various other mods that can improve handling, but there are loads of threads on here by people who know alot more than me . I found best way to drive on tight roads is to go smoothly, it doesnt appreciate being man handled. Nice and smooth into a corner, then use the torque to thunder you out the other side, you can cover ground very rapidly that way

 

[Ant FR]

the only downside i will give is sometimes, and i have had this during the last week, you get in your cupra tdi, its cold, you start it up and it sounds like a masey ferguson, in fact worse than that it sounds like an old taxi. then theres the days you really just would like the sound of a big petrol exhaust, i used to love going through tunnel, i remember doing tunnel runs, alas not in the cupra tdi,

however the fuel economy ( which tends to be around mid 40's is definately worth it.

 

[beeko85]

yeah you cant beat the mpg. in my megane, which wouldnt be as good an engine- so probably not as efficent either- i never averaged under 40, even flogging it which was how i drove most of the time. if i drove the fr tfsi like that id probably average around 20mpg...as it is i average around 29-if i drove a diesel like i have to drive the fr now days id say id be mid 50's.
But then the fr is a 2.0tfsi, the ibiza is a 1.8t, so should the mpg be slightly better on that-smaller engine in a lighter car?

 

[.Phase]

I bought an FR TDi 11 days ago and love it, if I could afford the insurance I would of bought a Cupra TDi!
but instead of 1k it was 3k to insure lol...

I'd really recommend one!
I've had 2 petrols before, albeit non turbo but the instant power of a diesel I am in love with, petrols have their peak later on whereas diesel is from 1.9k and drops off around 3.5-4k

I've averaged 39mpg around town and 52 on a motorway (driving quite hard, otherwise would be 60 easy)

I don't miss the sound of a petrol that much.. I know diesels are a bit chuggy but the FR doesn't sound like a weak diesel, it has a nice thundery roar which I actually don't mind

see if you can take both on a test drive, just maybe explain to the dealers you are testing out both pet+die ibizas so can't make a decision right now

 

[BigKev]

see if you can take both on a test drive, just maybe explain to the dealers you are testing out both pet+die ibizas so can't make a decision right now

Thanks for that. Sounds like you dive rather similar to myself.

The dealer said that I would be able to get both out so I can see what I prefer. Only hoping the some of the ice up here has melted and he can them out for me.

 

[.Phase]

oh dear lol are you up north?
Ice has all gone down here apart from a couple of tiny patches that are in the shade all day, roads clear though

 

[stevenc89]

you wouldnt happen to be in scotland?

as linwood seat have a grey cupra tdi and a black fr 1.8t

my mate has just bought the 04 39k cupra tdi in the forecourt.

took the fr out and the cupra, he instantly fell in love with the cupra

 

[great_kahn]

Wonder how it went?

 

[stevenc89]

Same as iam very intrested in a cupra tdi but at 20 with 6 points and 1ncb it doesn't look to promising for the insurance