Bought a family hatch.... [warning: FWD] [Cupra280 content]

[corsaire77]

After three seasons of immense fun, I've sold the Coupe. It was still perfect, but with 90K kilometres on the clock and at the age of almost eight, I could expect some maintenance in the future (the usual items like shocks, mounts, bushings, etc). So, while she was still in her prime, I decided to let her go and keep the impeccable memories.

The new car is a MY2015 Cupra 280 5D. Much faster than the Zed, with a Haldex-derived intelligent front diff, but of course not half as much fun.

The reasons for my purchase are quite plain:
[youtube]K5dRujiHbpA[/youtube]
[youtube]4tgdtVhQzJM[/youtube]

And here's the car:

All the hot-hatchery aside, I still see a Cayman S in my future.

By the way, just google "family Seat"...
https://www.google.com/search?q=family+seat&safe=off&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=RileVMC7McLSaIXhgOAO&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw&biw=1024&bih=677
Made my day.

 

[maxman]

Looks like a very nice motor,inside and out

 

[paulgs1000]

Can see why you made the choice - though the cost of refurbishing the coupe would have been less than buying a new car.

Love the colour - all the best with it.

:driving:

 

[halifaxbantam]

Nice looking car..the Leon is the classiest vehicle in the Seat range.

My lad is currently lusting after one.

My wife & I would prefer it if he bought his own home :x

 

[bluestreak56]

Very nice, I am also eyeing the new cupra for my next car.. 280 dsg

Whats the interior like? Anywhere near as good as a Zed?

 

[domsz4]

In what way faster?

 

[corsaire77]

The interior grade is more or less E86, but of course not on par with E89. It's a notch better than the standard Leon, which I found a bit squeaky and substandard, in the plasticky sense. The dash, despite its swathe of plastic, is actually quite soft. The controls feel light and plasticky, just as the E86 climate control. What I like is the alcantara/eco leather combo.

If we are talking about 0-60 sprints, the Cupra's power is compromised due to its FWD layout. Still, definitely in the Zed territory as long as you apply the torque yourself. Above that, with the same weight as my Zed, it goes like stink. The brakes are superior in size and aptitude, although they bite to early to my liking. Sure, you can tail-brake, just like the Zed. What makes the difference mid-corner is the active suspension and the clever haldex-derived diff: good body roll control and the ability to get on the throttle much much earlier than my timid Zed attempts. It's all down to the driver, but that's the most differentiating point.

It's a car equivalent of my Note 3. Not exceptional at anything, but indispensable in everyday life, fit for every purpose. A compromise one can live with.

 

[bluestreak56]

Nice reply, whats the ride like in comparison to the E86 sport? With the 19s especially..

 

[domsz4]

The interior grade is more or less E86, but of course not on par with E89. It's a notch better than the standard Leon, which I found a bit squeaky and substandard, in the plasticky sense. The dash, despite its swathe of plastic, is actually quite soft. The controls feel light and plasticky, just as the E86 climate control. What I like is the alcantara/eco leather combo.

If we are talking about 0-60 sprints, the Cupra's power is compromised due to its FWD layout. Still, definitely in the Zed territory as long as you apply the torque yourself. Above that, with the same weight as my Zed, it goes like stink. The brakes are superior in size and aptitude, although they bite to early to my liking. Sure, you can tail-brake, just like the Zed. What makes the difference mid-corner is the active suspension and the clever haldex-derived diff: good body roll control and the ability to get on the throttle much much earlier than my timid Zed attempts. It's all down to the driver, but that's the most differentiating point.

It's a car equivalent of my Note 3. Not exceptional at anything, but indispensable in everyday life, fit for every purpose. A compromise one can live with.

cool, im always interested when some one says a car is faster or better to find out why without introducing any preconceptions. the cupra's always seem to get a decent review.

 

[Adamski]

Cheap cars for so much fun, very practical too

 

[McKoval]

Edit: sorry, but I've managed to duplicate my post somehow.
The correct one is the one below ;-)

 

[McKoval]

It's sad, but for most of us young drivers fwd's always will be faster, as most of us grew up driving fwd's :-(
I find it dissapointing that sometimes, when I'm forced to borrow my mothers fiat bravo, and driving in the wet, I can maintain a pace of zed with only 150hp and an fwd. Just dont need to hold back on windy roads and blast through most of the corners in a three-wheels-on-the-ground manner and sorting most of the understeer with left foot braking, whereas while driving a Zed I'm holding back most of the time, as I dont feel that confident with catching every possible oversteer.

So it's a sad conclussion, but being a normal driver, without godlike driving skills, you will be quicker in an fwd 9/10 times, just without the thrill you get when using rwd properly.

PS. Corsaire - I love the colour if your new Cupra

TapaTalking

 

[corsaire77]

You know, after about two weeks of hooning around I genuinely miss the Zed. The Cupra is like a computer game. It's only in the wet that things get interesting (that t-rex of a handbrake) or unpredictable. I can only imagine how detached a forward-biased AWD would feel. A similarly priced but underpowered Miata would be more fun, and now I know why Miata drivers are a sect of their own, hooning with a huge grin, not caring about comparisons with others. Still, overall the Cupra is the lighting fast all-rounder I needed.

I don't condone racing at traffic lights, but sometimes I like when another car joins my hoon and we blast together along a stretch of road that either I or the other driver knows. The Zed seemed to deter any prospective playmates, but the understated Cupra makes a very good bait indeed.

As for the colour, I've always had a thing for red cars. Every since my father bought a Rosso Corsa (yes!) tiny Fiat 126p back in 1988.

 

[Mowflow]

I really fancied one of these but I've ended up ordering a Golf R instead. This is purely because on lease the Golf is less than half the price of the Seat here in the UK.

I like the every day practicality and usability of these cars. People bark on about RWD being better than FWD and AWD bogging down on the move etc but I'm a believer in judging every car as it drives. RWD is not inherently better especially as the most recent BMWs all have a fair amount of understeer dialled in and the latest crop of e-diffs on FWD really leave it so that most wouldn't notice a difference day to day.

Regarding fun. I have a miata (MX5 with torsen diff, 1.8 with Mazdaspeed cam and 6 speed box) which i intend to keep for another year at least. It is a laugh to drive but you are living in your own world most of the time while driving it. You can't really join in and noon with anything unless it's bone dry. In a straight line It's no quicker than your average VW Polo etc and on anything but dry roads you need to keep your wits about you even when driving relatively sedately. It's very forgiving and easy too correct even with my modest talent but it's not a car you would want to be in driving home on a wet Friday night after a long day at work. Negotiating almost any roundabout at normal traffic speeds in the wet will almost definitely involve a bit of sliding.

 

[corsaire77]

Six months of ownership, still very happy. No issues so far - it seems that the MY2015 doesn't suffer from 2014's teething problems (door rattles, headlight levelling, door seals).

The intelligent diff does a good job even in casual city driving, as long as you keep ESC off. When my Tiburon V6 or Eclipse GT would torque steer and effectively change the lane, the nose just "drills" into the road and surges forward. Not a thing I'd expect from a powerful FWD.

[youtube]MxBl2k53Hqk[/youtube]

The negative so far is VW's utterly stupid idea of cutting of power when both the brake and the accelerator are pressed. Fine, I enjoed left-foot braking all the way through the cold and wet season, but now when I try to use it during a powered corner... the power just cut off! There should be a warning label for this. As for H&T, it is quite a crude and brutal foot kick under heavy braking only, as the loud pedal is a "hanging" one and further to the right than the Zed's.

[/quote]


A fellow forum member has just dynoed a twin Cupra - in the cold, so the results are a bit higher than the stock spec.

I still miss the Zed's instant engine response and raw experience, though.

 

[corsaire77]

I've tried to put together a short crappy video.

In short, an utterly civilian gearbox, but the great VAQ diff eliminates torque steer and pulls like crazy.

[youtube]CzuZ1r8xNFk[/youtube]

 

[Mowflow]

Good video. I'm very happy with the manual on my R. I never have trouble with the gates being too close, I actually find it easier than some of my previous manual cars to locate the correct gear. If you just sort of guide the shift rather than pushing it in it seems to help. I'm sure a weighted knob could also help but I don't feel it necessary where i have with some other cars.

The other thing this video really illustrates is just how freely the Ea888 engine revs under load. That's been one of the most surprising things for me.

Does the Cupra have a sound generator/soundaktor type device? I'm contemplating disconnecting mine to see what it's like. It sounds fine in normal mode but in race it gets messy over 4k.