Some of you may have seen my for sale post but I'm sad to say the z4 has been driven away by a very lucky buyer.
Really sad to see it go but I had, had the car for 2 years and either needed a change which would've involved me spending more money or something totally different so that I didn't have too much money in a car and could look at putting the money into a house.
After looking at lease deals on numerous cars, one stood out as being right for me in my circumstances and so about 3-4 months ago I signed a contract for a seat Leon Cupra 290. I've had the car for 2 weeks now and just wanted to share my impressions. I have seen recently there are some great deals this quarter for them so this may be useful for anyone considering one.
The good:
- Car of 2 halves - comfort/cruising - the z4 was my DD and although I loved it there were some instances on longer journeys I wanted something a bit smoother and quieter on he motorways. The seat does this perfectly. It has configurable suspension, steering, throttle response, diff lock - everything! This means you can put it into a more comfortable mode and happily cruise along all day. It's also got plenty of torque to pull away from almost anything at motorway speeds.
- Car of 2 halves - back road blasting - now his may sound odd but on our rutted English roads the seat is actually more fun than the z4. I don't have to worry about bumps in the road and suspension bangs, the seat takes these in its stride as if they weren't there. Now this may be seen as heresy but he front end turn in on the Leon and feel through the steering is better than the z4. This is bearing in mind I had a coupe with the electric steering. The seat has incredible traction and the front diff is crazy - you can really push on through the corners without hint of wheel spin - I haven't done this in the wet yet so it may be a different story then.
The bad:
- Not a sportscar - now this might sound obvious but the z4 was stunning and everyone that saw it knew what it was capable of - it was an out and out sportscar. The Leon is not the same in this respect and lesser educated car people have questioned the trade. One spin in the car and I'm sure they would feel different but this is generally the reaction. Now I'm not a poser but nobody dislikes appreciation for their car - I definitely had more of this with the z4
- The noise - I had started to take for granted how great the noise on the z was. All foam out for the sound gen mod and a bit of fettling with the exhaust by our resident MM and the car sung. The seat doesn't. It does have a lovely pop when you change gear over 4krpm but the sound in general is not in the same ballpark. This is the biggest loss I feel from moving away from the z
Overall:
For me at this time it is the right decision. Leases mean you only loan the amount you pay, not the full value of the car so what I can get as a mortgage is not impacted. The seat itself is great and for the money I don't think there is anything better new (not RRP price but lease price). Reviews comparing the fun of this vs the golf r and this comes out on top. No other leases for similarly retailed cars even come close. The cost of ownership over the 2 years won't be any different to that of the Z and I have the Z money to do with what I please. If you are considering as a DD you won't be disappointed.
Will I be back in a Z:
Depending on how things go in the next 2 years, potentially yes. I would still love a z4m and have never owned a roadster. Either that or a cheap boxster if the house/ flat is costing me more than I would like and I haven't saved enough again by that point.
What next for the seat:
Well, it's a bit naughty, but I have ordered a dtuk box for the seat. It can really handle the 290bhp in standard form but this will turn up the wick a bit to 350bhp - this should help with the z blues. And I couldn't make you read all this without putting a picture for comparison at the end - goodbye my old friend:
Really sad to see it go but I had, had the car for 2 years and either needed a change which would've involved me spending more money or something totally different so that I didn't have too much money in a car and could look at putting the money into a house.
After looking at lease deals on numerous cars, one stood out as being right for me in my circumstances and so about 3-4 months ago I signed a contract for a seat Leon Cupra 290. I've had the car for 2 weeks now and just wanted to share my impressions. I have seen recently there are some great deals this quarter for them so this may be useful for anyone considering one.
The good:
- Car of 2 halves - comfort/cruising - the z4 was my DD and although I loved it there were some instances on longer journeys I wanted something a bit smoother and quieter on he motorways. The seat does this perfectly. It has configurable suspension, steering, throttle response, diff lock - everything! This means you can put it into a more comfortable mode and happily cruise along all day. It's also got plenty of torque to pull away from almost anything at motorway speeds.
- Car of 2 halves - back road blasting - now his may sound odd but on our rutted English roads the seat is actually more fun than the z4. I don't have to worry about bumps in the road and suspension bangs, the seat takes these in its stride as if they weren't there. Now this may be seen as heresy but he front end turn in on the Leon and feel through the steering is better than the z4. This is bearing in mind I had a coupe with the electric steering. The seat has incredible traction and the front diff is crazy - you can really push on through the corners without hint of wheel spin - I haven't done this in the wet yet so it may be a different story then.
The bad:
- Not a sportscar - now this might sound obvious but the z4 was stunning and everyone that saw it knew what it was capable of - it was an out and out sportscar. The Leon is not the same in this respect and lesser educated car people have questioned the trade. One spin in the car and I'm sure they would feel different but this is generally the reaction. Now I'm not a poser but nobody dislikes appreciation for their car - I definitely had more of this with the z4
- The noise - I had started to take for granted how great the noise on the z was. All foam out for the sound gen mod and a bit of fettling with the exhaust by our resident MM and the car sung. The seat doesn't. It does have a lovely pop when you change gear over 4krpm but the sound in general is not in the same ballpark. This is the biggest loss I feel from moving away from the z
Overall:
For me at this time it is the right decision. Leases mean you only loan the amount you pay, not the full value of the car so what I can get as a mortgage is not impacted. The seat itself is great and for the money I don't think there is anything better new (not RRP price but lease price). Reviews comparing the fun of this vs the golf r and this comes out on top. No other leases for similarly retailed cars even come close. The cost of ownership over the 2 years won't be any different to that of the Z and I have the Z money to do with what I please. If you are considering as a DD you won't be disappointed.
Will I be back in a Z:
Depending on how things go in the next 2 years, potentially yes. I would still love a z4m and have never owned a roadster. Either that or a cheap boxster if the house/ flat is costing me more than I would like and I haven't saved enough again by that point.
What next for the seat:
Well, it's a bit naughty, but I have ordered a dtuk box for the seat. It can really handle the 290bhp in standard form but this will turn up the wick a bit to 350bhp - this should help with the z blues. And I couldn't make you read all this without putting a picture for comparison at the end - goodbye my old friend:
North West Surrey
