sulli

Straw poll - would you prefer to buy a 2nd hand Leon Cupra R as standard (210 or 225 bhp), or with a remap already done, with around 260 bhp?

I have an LCR and to be honest it's quick enough standard, remapped they are extremely rapid and pretty awesome, and the standard brakes and suspension handle it easy enough.

I am easy either way on remapping, and what may swing it is how it will affect resale when I come to moving on, and will the remapped one get any more (or less) cash or interest?

Don't look at it as which would you prefer to drive, but which you'd prefer to buy, as anyone can get a remap once bought, and all else equal like full extensive service history etc.

Can you tell i'm bored cause there's nowt on telly, choice between Gareth Gates and Lottery

HankScorpio

I'd always buy standard on the remap front. You'd never know if it had the proper TLC after the remap.
I'd also never buy a car where the previous owner said he'd serviced it himself but I suppose I am over cautious. (Think Chucky out the Rugrats )

Mrfastbaz

i would have to say standard no remap although i have a remapped fr tdi leon a t the moment looking to change to a wrx and have got to think about having the remap taken off before i sell it,,, jus t for piece of mind if the new owner wants it they can do it themselves....

The_Gza

Given all things equal, I'd prefer a remapped car to a standard one. Lots of caveats to that though - I'd want to be reassured it had been serviced to at least the manufacturers recommendations - preferably more - and had a responsible owner. Fairly easy to tell even via email discussions and the ad itself before you get to the talking turkey stage of car buying - doesn't know much about the car, fairly basic ad, not many pics = reconsider.

Funny though - I bet there's lots of folk who wouldn't give a second thought to buying a car which had had the exhaust and filter changed, yet would think twice about one which had been remapped despite the fact a remapped car would be the 'safer' option out of the two

And yup, I bought my current car which had been remapped by the previous owner, and have previously had my own car remapped and sold it on.

sulli

I agree, someone in the know would ensure all is OK with the car's history and servicing, and if they knew their stuff would probably be OK with a remap after all relevant checks are done. I myself am meticulous with my cars so would hope someone in the know comes along, they are often few and far between though, so generating interest most widely may mean avoiding remap.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

As long as it's been serviced at the right times, it's history checks out etc, then go for the remapped one.
I sold my LCR with a revo remap. Took him for a test drive with it as standard, he was impressed, switched over to the revo map, and he was sold

Martin-STI

Switchable mapping is the way forward. I would buy with switchable and history.

paul2070

At the end of the day,when you come to sell it,try advertising with the remap,and if you have no luck,adverise it with that info not in the advert and see if you have any luck that way.

I sold my LCR about 2 months ago and i had spent a fortune doing stuff to that car(all professionally)and i did struggle to sell it,although i think it may have just been the wrong time to a certain extent,as the new Cupra had just been advertised for imminent release.

You never get the money back you spend on cars anyway,it just makes them more desirable to some and less to others.............................you just have to find the right buyer at the time.

The guy that bought mine neither wanted a yellow one nor a modified one,and mine was both and he loved it.He said the only reason he came to look at it(he was about 50 miles away) was because he could tell from speaking to me it had been cherished,meticulously looked after,and that i knew what i was talking about,all of which convinced him to make the journey.

The moral being that there is always someone out there that will buy anything,it is just more dependant on price and condition,and lets not forget that Remaps have become so popular now that a lot of people that would never normally of had a car "modified",now knows what the benefits are of having it done,and that it doesn't put any more wear and tear on a car as long as it's looked after!!

Blueblaster

The age of the car is a huge factor. Someone on the lookout for a ten year old scoob is probably going to be more than happy with a few mods as they are probably thinking about doing them themself anyway. Someone buying a nearly new Leon is more likely to be on the lookout for a cherished car that has already tasted heavy depreciation. They are essentially after a nearly new car. Personally I wouldn't touch a remapped car (PPP etc excepted) with a barge pole as the remap implies that the standard car wasn't fast enough for the seller. To me that casts a serious doubt over the way the car has been treated, even if the paintwork, alloys and interior are immaculate. Keep it standard.

paulcupra r

some good points made but to me someone buys a hothatch for the reason they were made so if its remaped or not they have drivien the car fast. i always thought i'd never buy a remaped car but i would now as long as i knew who did the mapping it ok with me not all cars like remapping and i'd have to take the car on a nice mixed run to see if there are any problems . and if it was remapped and they turned the boost down or turned it off or had the 5 hour trial and then sold it on how would you know till it was to late?

paul2070

IMO,i would be more wary of a 10 year old Scoob having had mods(especially if they were not done when the car was new/relatively new) done as by the time they reach that age and price level,they are more likely to of been thrashed by idiots and been through numerous owners than a car that is only a year or 2 old.

What would be the differance between a remapped car and a PPP,which is essentially just a remap/exhaust,and just because someone wants to get the best out of a car performance wise does not mean that in it's original form it was not good enough,afterall,the remap does just eliminate the factory restrictions,therefore making most vehicles run more efficiently and in most cases economically(when driven the same).I have had 5 cars now that have been remapped/chipped and done approximately 35,000 miles in them and never had any problems with any of them due to a remap/chip.

As long as reputable companies do the work and most importantly the car(whatever it is) is looked after (whether it is standard or modified) problems are highly unlikely to arise.

Scoobedoo

personally I'd prefer to buy the car in standard form. Anything like engine chipping puts me off as you don't know how hard a life it has had and no matter what anyone says it will provoke component failure sooner.

if it's a recognised upgrade, for example the PPP then I would feel more comfortable with this.

Blueblaster

I agree that a 10yr old modded scoob is a potential disaster but for £2k you can afford to take the risk. A £12-15k Leon is an altogether different proposition. If a standard Leon is not fast enough then the owner must be doing some serious speeds. I appreciate that you look after your cars, but other people are not as careful. For me, aftermarket performance mods = Max Power type = Abuse. Whether or not I am right is not really the issue. The issue is perception which is half the battle when trying to sell a car.

Edited to say, look how many people on this site drive modified car. How look at how many of them talk about doing stupid things in cars, or doing track days, or road racing or any number of other things. I know performance cars are designed to be driven but a lot of people take it too far.

gatty

i have learned over time how much you can loose on mods let someone else spend the cash and you pick it up at almost standard price.

you can tell if the cars been ragged just because its modded dont mean its a knacker!!

PPPRob

I'd rather get the most car for my money every time.

Having said that, I'd want to make sure that its been treated right as others have said.

As far as your situation, don't expect anything you spend to get you a penny back when you sell it. Any mod will be worth nothing when it comes to selling it.

If you're happy with the car before remapping as you say you are then why bother

Just sounds like money down the drain in your situation to me

paul2070

In that situation(and i do agree with you that a lot of people drive their cars well beyond their cars limits,with little or no mechanical sympathy),it will not matter one bit if a car is remapped,modified,standard or anything else,that person will be doing that damage to a car no matter what it's had done to it.....................a remap does not mean that a car will automatically get driven harder,it does not just add BHP it add's Torque aswell,and therfore a lot of people that have it done(me included) actually find themselves driving easier that when the car was standard because you are going faster without having to try.It just enhances the experience.

Blueblaster

How about looking at it this way? How many people would not buy the car because it has NOT be remapped? Virtually none, I bet. How many people would not buy the car because it HAS been remapped? About 50% according to the poll. A remapped car has less appeal and will be harder to sell.

sulli

Not sure you're right, but I see your point. I think with the LCR, particularly with the recognised remappers like Revo, APR, Jabba and the like, remapping is seen as pretty reliable, and the engine being bullet-proof doesn't do any harm either. So I think there may be people who'd prefer the remap having been done, and run reliably for a time, before they buy it. It also puts the car ahead of some standard ones, maybe? It almost seems like a remap is an essential addition to the LCR, and looking at SEATCupra.net - Your #1 source for SEAT information - Home it seems not many have had adverse effects.