On Saturday after waiting for just under 2 weeks i got a drive in a Cupra R, courtesy of the dealership in Sidcup (SE london).
First impressions were pretty good, the demo was covered in a chequred flag, i presume to promote the new race series. It was a yellow example with the nice 18 inch wheels. Interior wise it was a bit typical VW, undeniably good quality but it was pretty bland. I was also a tad disappointed that the shouted about recaros werent fitted either, but beggars cant be choosers. Despite being a big car i didnt notice much more room in the back than the clio but the boot was pretty huge.
Starting up the car was quiet but there was a nice burble at tickover. I started off driving down the local highstreet, there were plenty of looks from passers by but the real test was the quality of the road and how the Leon dealt with it. The answer is suprisingly well, with 18s and lowered suspension it wasnt to bad at all, there was plenty of compliance though i wondered if this would count against it later on.
After a few minutes i was on the A20 Kent bound, this was another test of ride as the A20 is a bit patchy. The result wasnt as good as on my local highstreet, it was a bit choppy but still i pressed on. The top speed was quite a bit better than a 172..indicated anyway.
As usual i took the Brands hatch turn off and gave the Leon some stick around the roundabouts before the vauxhall garage leading up to brands. I was suprised by the amount of feel and composure of a relatively large car. The grip was amazing from the big wheels and the car only went into understeer when i took some bad apexes. I took the turn off for the Paddock entrance and followed my favourite sharp and twisty route. Again the Leon did well, grip was excellent, it is a very fast cross country car. However the weight didnt seem to do the brakes any favours, they struggled after repetitive action, not what youd expect from big Brembos. It became apparent the Leon was better suited to the wider B roads than country lanes.
I then turned back and headed towards Otford. The roads here are unrestricted, very wide and largely downhill. First thing i did was slow to stop to try and do a rough 0-60, i dropped at 3500rpm and there was no wheelspin, i would say it felt just as fast as a Cup if not faster which i found suprising as i thought its factory time was 7 seconds. The turbo came into its own on these roads with a train like pull through all gears, the mid range was very flexible, more than equal to my dads old 3.0 GTV. It took the couple of chicanes on the way well too, although the gradient change accompanyed by the weight of the thing was close to its undoing on the second one!
Heading back home i realised how much i liked this car, it looked great, seemed built very well and appeared to be the better handling of the VAG cars. When i first drove one i found it mundane but this example showed me a broad range of skills. I would say its faster than a Clio or a CTR though the brakes let it down a little and overall the nimbleness and fun isnt quite there compared to the Clio. I cant really make a decision over the two though, i think id need to drive back to back but at the end of the day the Leon makes a good case for itself, i wouldnt blame anyone for getting one!
Sorry for the length, i tried to make it short!
-Rob
