Cupra 290 opinions

Praetorian22 wrote: »

Hi Everyone

I posted this on another forum and received some very good/informative feedback.

I just wanted to cast the net of "opinion seeking" out a little wider.

Essentially I guess I am trying to gauge opinion and see what the general consensus was surrounding Cupra 290 Leons?.... as I've been to see a few recently.

I have had a few hot hatches all of which Incorporated a 4 wheel drive system e.g. Quattro, X-Drive.

I've never owned a Cupra however.....but I may shortly.....

What do people think about Cupra 290 Leon Hatchback or has anyone any ownership experience?

How bad is this infamous wheel-hop I keep reading about?

I've had a 290 ST for almost a year now, it's a late 2016 pre-facelift black edition.

If you're coming from something with all wheel drive you're not going to be able to plant the foot in the same way in lower gears - that's going to be obvious from the get go. Tyres and a lower torque mount will eliminate this to a huge extent. I have Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's on mine and traction/torque steer is a non-issue in the dry and manageable in the damp or wet. I had a lower torque mount installed but got it removed as it does add a bit of vibration - works extremely well though. For me the fact that it isn't a push the loud pedal and go kind of car adds to the fun as it means you need to try a little bit to get the most from it.

Manual clutches are a little soft like the R/GTI and an upgraded RTS or similar clutch is approx. €1200. I haven't had an issue with mine though and some owners have them lasting well north of 100k miles. If you plan on remapping a manual you should budget for a clutch though. DSG can handle the extra torque. Water pump/thermostat housing can leak - easy to check and common on the engine but apart from that the engines very solid and reliable.

They can be a little on the quiet side, especially the estates. I ended up getting a cat back exhaust and it made a big difference to the overall experience. DCC is standard on them which is rare on a GTI/R and is really impressive. For a smallish car on big wheels it rides and covers ground really serenely and never gets harsh. It's something you wont notice initially on a test drive but over the last year my mind is made up on having it on any future purchases just for how easy it makes a more stiffly sprung car to live with, the small gains in body control aren't enough to justify it on its own.

Be picky on spec. I imported as I couldn't get the combo I wanted. I knew I didn't want a sunroof (some cause grief and rattle a lot) and adaptive cruise I hate so they were the two options I wasn't bothered about but I was able to get pretty much everything else. It's worth finding one with the Cupra bucket seats - they're superb and lift an otherwise dull interior. It's not at Golf quality levels but compared to an Octavia it's every bit as good (and I've owned both).



Running costs are standard VAG - Major service recently with brake fluid was €360, tyres about €200 a corner, no timing belt on the EA888. Diff service around every 50k km and DSG I think is 60k km will stand to them. 30-ish to the gallon is about right on average, I've had maybe 35 way on longer runs. At the moment the way FR/GTI prices are going I think they're the bargain hot hatch in Ireland from some of the prices I am seeing advertised.