2003 Seat Leon Cupra R from UK and Ireland - Comments

Cup holder & cig. lighter element (Not much nothing important or worth crying about)

Response to earlier comments posted: I just bought a Leon Cupra R and I smoked a few decent cars including a Subaru WRX and a S4 on my way home from picking it up.

Great torque, pulling power in every gear, I thought they had stopped making affordable cars like this. Most fun I've had in a long time.

Seat have got it right, all the important areas have been well designed and had money well spent. The interior switches and bits and bobs are not the best, but no worse than VW & Audi a few years back. STILL GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY!

A recommend this as a true drivers car!

What do you need four wheel drive for?

Switch off the ESP and drive the car like it meant to be, Electronics and safety features just spoil the real fun!

What did you spend all that money on driving lessons for? So the car could drive you around and keep you on the road?!?!

Cheap, powerful, cheap insurance, reasonable MPG, practical... better than any French or Italian junkers which are designed around pre-fabricated faults.

Audi s4 would kill you performance wise...

...GET REAL!

Sorry I must agree.

An Audi S4 driven properly would make short work of a Leon Cupra, so would a properly driven WRX.

Is this you first real performance car?

You really must not get carried away, you are in Civic Type R, Clio 182 territory with the Cupra.

Don't mistake it for something it isn't :-)

I must point out a WRX (MY01+) would not beat a Cupra R... the WRX's are to slow and heavy these days and are not what they used to be. But I agree about the S4... they are seriously quick motors.

Data rom www.parkers.co.uk.

Subaru WRX Turbo.

0-60 mph: 5.7 s.

Seat Leon Cupra R 225.

0-60 mph: 6.7 s.

No, no no.

Response to earlier comments:

This is not my first performance car I have owned about 20 cars in total and all been reasonable performing cars. I bought the Seat to accomidate my young family and still supply power and fun.

I have owned WRX Subarus and a Civic type-R a few years back and driven and S3 & S4. The Seat will beat a WRX not an STi WRX, it will beat an S3 and if you have the Balls you can beat an S4.

I'm not saying Seats are the fastest cars in world, but it is the best practical hot hatch of its time.

P.S. I have worked in the motor trade (including Honda) for over 12 years I a know there is not many good, reliable, fast, great handling 5dr, practical, and affordable cars on the road.

Stick your cheap built over priced rice machines where the sun don't shine... German build cars are by far THE BEST OVERALL! Given the choice I would buy a BMW M3 but money and rear wheel drive in Scotlands winter roads is not much fun.

So end of... go to the Rice section and boast about your cars plastic COCK-pit and lack of options and standard bumpers with bolt on lower bumper spoilers (Is this a Civic sport or type R or just your Grandad trying to be and extra in FAST 'N' FURIOUS... Sorry I forgot there is no way a Seat could beat a Honda or a Subaru because they've all have got tanks of Nos in the boot and remapped switchable ECUs and 4 exhausts!!

Further to the comment above regarding the all important 0-60: yes, the scooby will be quicker due to the extra 2 wheel drive traction, but don't forget once your moving it's all about 30-100 (how many corners do you go into and STOP). Then consider weight and driver ability. The Leon Cupra R is a great car (unmolested/modified) plus you don't stand out like a sore thumb as you would in a WRX.

Blimey that obviously hit a nerve :- (

I still stand by my comments though, a standard WRX or S4 driven properly will beat a standard Cupra R, no question.

Whatever you "claim" to have owned or driven, the facts speak for themselves. Go to www.parkers.co.uk for a quick refresher.

Also, German build quality is not what it used to be and although Seat is now part of VW, it is a Spanish car :-)

I drive a company Mondeo 1.8, slow, ugly and unreliable so I care not a jot, but as with all things, numbers speak for themselves.

Okay, so the scooby is 1 second faster on the 0-60, but that's only because of the 4wd, the Cupra R has a real issue with grip off the line. Once both cars are moving, its another matter, so unless you are racing from the lights, a Cupra R is able to beat the WRX tin can!

Go for the MG ZS 180 which is by far the better choice. Values have plumeted so you will not lose much money, parts are available from honda civics, rover 400's and rover 45's and xpart. The car uses its power better than the cupra as it has 8 more valves and 2 more cylinders. And reliablity is not a problem when compared to the seat leon curpa!

I'm sorry Cupra owners, I know you're proud of your purchase and you want to be different, but Imprezas ARE in a different class. I own a 54 WRX PPP and I've certainly never been beat by a Cupra. There are lots of impreza's out there and 1/2 of them won't know you're there, (just going home with shopping) I've raced porche's to 120 and stayed with'em. An Impreza will beat a Cupra to 100.

Cupra R 53/03

Faults so far:

Cooling fan circuit – fixed under warranty

Front spoiler is too low –I keep scraping it.

Apart from that it is an excellent car, fast and practical for everyday driving. I chose it over an Audi S3 which the same engine (the R has nicer steering and was £7K cheaper) and a WRX (very good, but it is ugly and I have been told by a friend who owned one it only does ~20mpg, vs ~28mpg for the R). I haven't driven an S4 but it's over twice as expensive as the R so that is not a valid comparison. The Seat dealers seem to be pretty good at servicing, more friendly than VW dealers in my experience.

Get a 25 year old mini, bolt a Yamaha R1 1000cc motorbike engine in the back and hold on for dear life... Can be done for around 7k. http://www.zcars.org.uk/