SomeDude

Edit: no longer an option, so post on page 3

We are finally getting rid of our VX220 (long story, involves lawyers and flakes of paint flying around us when we drove it) and were looking for a "sensible" second car, mainly for commuting.

I've never owned a diesel car, and a lot of them would make me feel "old/boring" (I am old & boring but just don't want to feel it OK ? )

Enter the Cupra D with 160 PS and nice mpg. I do like the styling, and it seems to combine "fun" with "sensible".

I live abroad, and to my surprise it is actually cheaper over here than a Clio Cup. I say this because in a lot of reviews/discussions it is always mentioned that its 16K UKP price is a bit OTT (over here it amounts to 13K for the Cupra, 13.5K for the Clio)

Does anyone have experience with the latest batch of Ibiza's (or the Cupra) in terms of build quality / dealer experiences ?

andrewdelvard

Funnily enough we test drove a Seat Ibiza FR yesterday.
It was really just to 100% confirm that my girlfriend did want a Mini Cooper S and that there was no other car (test drove all the other equivalents) she'd rather have.
Well we arrived at the Seat dealership at the salesman all but threw the keys at us and told us to take it out for the afternoon if we wanted to. A very different experience to the Mini Cooper S test drive which we weren't allowed to do on our own.
The drive is a hoot. Nice rapid accelleration, really excellent gearbox, handling was very good, just held and held. Think it's an Audi engine amongst other things?
The downside?
The awful interior. I knew when we got in that Rachel wouldn't live with it. Very very basic. Kind of reminded me of an old Vauxhall Astra from 10 years ago, especially the radio/cd. Nice touch was the indicator (awful arm though) you just touch it and indicates for a timed period. No up and down movement is required, leaving you to concentrate on the road. I liked that.
Credit to Rachel she thought about it. She liked the exterior, the colour choices and the excellent price-this car is fantastic value for money.
It's just ashame about the interior.
For her that is. I would have bought the Seat.

mynickers

I had same experience with seat dealer, gave me keys to a Leon Cupra and let me go off for the afternoon - silly man! I didn't leave him much rubber left. This was the petrolium 1.8T based on same engine unit as the TT, and various other cars within the Audi/VW umberella. Felt very well made, and chunky inside, solid. Power was very good I realise it's not the deisel but the chassis, clutch and gear change were all very good I was extremly impressed. I had it oversteering on lift off turning off a round about on a camber very adjustable and lots of fun to throw about. The oil burners seem to have all the press very excited I've never heard one, not sure how they sound, I doubt it's as satisfying as the 1.8T petrol engine, but I am sure the torque will make up for that! I'd say go for it especially if they're cheaper than a Clio cup. Here they are £16k odd vs Clio £13k!

SomeDude

Thanks folk !
Interior, yeah, we've seen that. Not a really happy place to live in, and even though the Cupra has a bit more badges, blah blah, it's not much better.
But we're used to 5 years of MY99 Impreza interior, so we kinda got used to that
Was the FR you drove the 130 or the 150 BHP ? (FR being the new name for Cupra apparently, Cupra R is now just called Cupra)

The Cupra will also come in 1.8T guise for the same money, but it would make a bit less sense when it comes to ownership costs and taxes/insurance.

The sound will probably be naff, but I think we can live with that.

One more question... driver space. The car is mainly for my wife, but would a 6'7" person be able to more or less get in/drive the thing ?

harj

Ive just bought a 130tdi sport as my everyday runner and there is plenty of room for a tall person for sure!

More room in one of these than its nearest rivals for sure, bland interior but great performance. I have just had mine Revo'd which now pushes it to beyong 185bhp with over 300lbts or torque and what a hoot it has become!

Still shows 60mpgs but the torque it unbeleivable, ultimate diesel apart from 330D, 160 Cupra should be just as much fun. This car gets to 100 quicker than most cars out there now.

Harj..

The Shrink

Isn't just the torque that's unbelievable

mynickers

From what I have read, the FR will be the warm hatch given some people want a nippy / sportyish car, not an out and out screamer - hatches are getting more and more teeth after all. Similarly Ford have bought out the ST badge (warm hatch), and the upper sports batches will be RS or Cossie. As far as I have read the Cupra will be similar to that, the upper range of sports, and I thought they were keeping the 'R' as the ranger topper.

If you want to save money, according to some owners they've found they spend less on D hatches than P, plus D deliver lots of torque, and the torque is delivered lower down the rev's, unlike BHP which is normally peaking at the top.

My old man has just bought an Audi A4 TDI, and it's got the exact same stat's as his current Passat Sport and it's not really a sporty model as such.

If it's value and build quality again I would say go for the Seat, but the Clio 182 Cup sus, will still probably deliver the best thrills, depends wha tyou wnat.

SomeDude

I like what I'm hearing

Thanks Harj, sounds like it is a nippy fun car without going OTT money wise. Even untweaked, if apparently gives you 330 Nm at 1900 revs, will be a bit of a different feeling compared to the Impreza LOL

I truly like the styling, I do see a few hints that remind me of Alfa...

Strange about the different pricing strategies over here compared to the UK BTW !

Next step will be a test drive, and then argue about the color (she wants black, I want yellow )

Thanks all, test report will follow soon I hope

CraigH

Can you actually fit in one? Or you gonna peel the roof back?

What's strange? The British have been bending over and taking a shafting by the car manufacturers for years.

SomeDude

Would you believe me if I told you I have a hell of a time fitting in my 850 T5, and I was more comfortable in a MY85 Fiesta T ?

I didn't mean "rip-off Brittain" Craig, the Clio 182 for example is the same price over here as it is in the UK, yet the Cupra D is 3K cheaper here in comparison (which is the normal trend/percentage).

Maybe that is because Renault is market leader over here and wants to "conquer" the UK ?

CraigH

Wouldn't surprise me. Bloody french.

davyboy

Harj - If you have money for a new car and a re-map, may I be so bold as to suggest you pay Clare what you owe her?

£100 should do it.

Dave

SomeDude

Dave, with all due respect... this thread was supposed to be about yellow fashion victim diesel cars, not about old or not so old feuds.

Next thing we know Anders posts on this thread ...

May I kindly suggest taking this to email or another means of communication ?

And before you think "he hasn't got a clue"... erm, Craig didn't react this way, and I'm sure he & Harj are not exactly "close friends" either ? He preferred to have a go at the French though , as it should be. Don't get fooled by my registration date...

Shall we both delete our posts and replace it with "Cupras are gay" - "no they are not"? That way we don't need those pesky moderators (or Markus )

The Shrink

That doesn't sound like Harj

Promise the world, deliver nothing

SomeDude

Pretty please ?

CraigH

You should see the amount of Voodoo dolls I've made though

No disrespect SomeDude, it may not be the ideal way to vent frustration/make a request, but in some situations, when you've had line after line of BS, it's sometimes the only way.

I keep quiet 'cos like all Germans, we don't like starting fights we just wait till things happen

You gotta admit, Cupras are g4y. Anything yellow is g4y - ask my ex and her Lupo

SomeDude

I see what you mean, but in this thread, there was nothing said that was provocative/insulting/whatever.

Not defending or attacking, but surely, we should be able to talk about gay yellow cars without suddenly posting about "issues" ?

It's not like I said my Impreza would be faster than the Cupra is it

mynickers

No they're not, I think anyone that makes such daft comments, should write down what they drive straight after.

CraigH

I know you're not attacking - you're not that subtle when you do

I think something like this is inevitable when Harj posts tbh - you don't hear hide nor hair from him, then all of a sudden he posts - it's not like he posts often enough for daves comment to be able to be put elsewhere is it?

Now get back in your armchair old man and go drink some stella, or whatever other stuff you lot concoct

CraigH

What you trying to say? You wanna know what I drive? A metallic **** brown auto mondeo lx. And something else

SomeDude

ROFL Touché as the French say

Just trying to behave, because I often feel pretty ****ty after one of my rants. Just trying to keep this one on topic.

PS: Malt BTW

PS2: do you know what the single biggest reliability issue with VAG diesel engines is ? MAF sensors from Bosch, I kid you not !

CraigH

Yep - same as VAG 1.8t lumps. Same part as a Scoob isn't it iirc?

SomeDude

Back on topic...



or



A marriage could depend on this

SomeDude

Re: MAF: we found out that the MAF on my MY99 was the same as on a MY00 Ibiza diesel yes, only difference was the connector.

CraigH

Being serious, I think Seat are the only company (mainstream) that can get away with making yellow cars. Leons look great. I think the Ibiza is quite heavy handed looks wise, especially the side profile and it's exaggerated by bright colours. Dark obviously disguises this, so if I were to buy one personally, I'd go for black/dark grey.

But then I'm german - we invented pink jeans and paisley suits I think

ps I thought all the Ibiza Cupras had dark coloured wheels? Or is that just for light body colour?

SomeDude

I'm not really "submersed" into the Seat scene yet (and if I have any sense left, I won't be ) but I'm pretty sure these alloys are the current spec.

Funny: notice the "tire enhancer" on the second pic.

Also funny: the yellow car looks lowered by about 3 cm compared to the black car

Mhhhm... maybe the yellow is fun in the beginning, and ends up "in your face" and "boy/girl racer" after 2 weeks.

<a worried black scoob owner>

CraigH

Plus in summer all the flies will be buzzing around a yellow car - unless there's a hairy pitted french woman nearby.

mynickers

I'd agree with Craig, if you can stretch to a nearl new Leon, you'd be getting a better deal, the TDI Cupra Leon, nearly new means someone else has swallowed the depreciation. Price is hard to compare (UK), but I have seen nearly new Leon's (looking for a friend) for the same money has a Clio 182 (£13k), it's a bargain. Spacious, stylish, well built, nice inside.

Comes in Yellow too, not sure about Brown though Craig

platy

SomeDude, we took delivery of the 1st uk Cupra Tdi 3 weeks ago, and all i can say is "save your money" not only did we reject the car and got a full refund, but IMO It is NOT worth it, spend 12k on a Golf 150, much quicker and more to the miles.

jon77

So you are saying that a heavier Golf with less power and torque is faster than the lighter Ibiza Cupra with more power and torque?? I dont see how you work that one out
Also, in last months Evo they tested it and praised its handling abilities, saying it had a 'superb chassis', 'fabulous damping', there is 'little roll', 'virtually no understeer', and 'strong brakes'
Can the same be said for the Golf?