Audi S3 v Seat Leon Cupra R: Blood Bros
More dash for your cash, or more posh for your dosh?
No surprise then Audi's S3 has a strong following. Ironically though this popularity has made it actually less exclusive. So if you fancy a fast VW Group hot hatch with true rarity value then you need to look elsewhere - to the SEAT Leon Cupra R in fact. Not seen many of them on the road? Not surprising. Leon Cupra R sales were dwarfed by those of its Audi S3 cousin (and VW's Golf R stablemate too for that matter) making the five-door SEAT the hot hatch choice of the discerning few. Yet under the bonnet you'll find the very same 265hp EA113 2.0-litre turbo, offering similar performance and tuning capability.
Audi's second-generation 8P S3 was the first of these blood brothers to reach UK shores, arriving late in 2006 armed with a host of improvements over the first-generation model. With a revised four-wheel drive system, the 265hp three-door reached 62mph in just 5.7 seconds yet could readily return high-30s mpg on a run.
Late 2008 saw the S3 receive a facelift, with sharper styling and an upgraded four-wheel drive system. This coincided with the launch of a five-door Sportback version and, for an extra £1,450, you could now have a faster-changing DSG gearbox (S Tronic in Audi speak) in your S3. Power remained at 265hp though, with the three-door S3 priced at £28,920, and the five-door Sportback at £29,420.
Plusher still Black Editions were made available from 2010, with upgraded Bose stereos, unique exterior and interior trim plus different alloys, before the second-generation S3 made way for the current EA888 powered model in 2013 - by which time Audi had shifted an extraordinary 12,168 examples.
SEAT's Leon Cupra R rival didn't go on sale until November 2009, with the first UK customer deliveries in early 2010. And with the Audi S3 already well-established (and VW's Golf R launched at a similar time) SEAT - not surprisingly - found sales relatively hard to come by. But the price looked attractive at just £26,005 and the spec was a match for the prestigious S3.
Performance from the near-identical engine wasn't far short of the S3 either, even with power going to just the front wheels. 0-62mph took 6.2 seconds en route to a 155mph limited top speed; fuel economy was marginally better than the Audi's.
In addition the Leon claimed more striking exterior styling, arch-filling 19-inch alloys as standard and distinctive 'R' branding on the central grille, instrument dials and the remote key. August 2011 saw extra kit added to the Cupra R's already bulging spec list, including SEAT's latest media system, Bluetooth connectivity, bi-xenon headlights and LED rear-light clusters. But sales volumes remained relatively low - with just 360 Leon Cupra Rs sold by the time the current Leon Cupra 280 appeared in March 2014.
The common strands of automotive DNA are clearly visible; both are built on VW's Group's PQ35 platform and possess almost identical versions of the 265hp EA113 engine. Sharing some common steering, transmission and suspension gear, as well as a few electrical components, the similarities might appear to far outweigh the differences. But each company's development engineers retained final control over their own products. All SEAT Leon Cupra Rs were built at SEAT's Martorell plant in Spain whilst the second-generation Audi S3 was completely assembled at Ingolstadt in Bavaria.
And the successful blueprint continues to this day, the latest incarnations of these two rivals - the 300hp Audi S3 and the SEAT Leon Cupra 280 - still share a common platform (VW's new MQB) and the latest chain-cam EA888 engine, yet are very different final products.
On the road you might reasonably expect Audi's three-door S3 to have the edge over a five-door SEAT, but actually it's the Leon Cupra R that offers greater excitement. There's a lack of emotional appeal from behind the wheel of the Audi. Sure, it delivers extremely rapid progress - in all weathers - while feeling refined and a clear notch ahead of the Leon in terms of cabin quality. Who'd have guessed and all that.
But the S3 comes second in terms of driver involvement - there's no special wow factor that the very best hot hatches always seem to possess. And the ride seems even firmer than the Cupra R's on rough surfaces.
Four-wheel drive means the S3 is easy to pilot with complete confidence, and performance in a straight line is impressive despite the extra transmission mass. But when it comes to cornering the Audi feels more FWD than RWD, in spite of the 'official' 40:60 front/rear drive set-up, and the steering lacks feel. While sometimes struggling to put all that power through the front wheels the Cupra R still manages to deliver near-identical performance while feeling much more lively. There's better steering feedback and greater chassis adjustability, while the SEAT's brakes behave in a more reassuring manner too.
The Audi's predictably conservative lines clearly sold well to the mainstream but there's flair and excitement about the Cupra R's styling that reflects its more dynamic character. If the practical aspects of hot hatch ownership sway you towards the S3 then think again - the Leon has greater cabin space and is not only cheaper to buy but also offers higher residual values. Thanks perhaps in part to its relative rarity. The SEAT also emits marginally less CO2 and (just) pips the S3 at the pumps too. Guess which is cheaper to service?
A clear victory for the Leon Cupra R then? Well not entirely.
The S3 does power out of corners more quickly and confidently, and with plenty more decent used examples around to choose from you can easily find an S3 with a spec and colour that fits your own particular tastes. Greater supply also means more chance of a decent discount. Note that the cheapest brand-new S3 is £30,940 - so don't be tempted to pay more than £23K for a second-generation example, however attractive.
But when it comes to tuning potential these two VW cousins cannot be split - less than £500 spent on either car delivers 315hp and 333lb ft (via a simple remap) whilst for a further £225 you can even have your S3's DSG system completely remapped by a VW/Audi specialist.
There are of course other options in this price bracket for the hot hatch connoisseur, not least from within VW's own stable. But in this family fight it's the Leon Cupra R - rather than the Audi S3 - that ticks the most boxes.
AUDI S3 (THREE-DOOR HATCH)
Engine: 1,984cc 4-cyl turbo
Power (hp): 265@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 258@2,500-5000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual/S-Tronic
Kerb weight: 1,455kg
Top Speed: 155mph
0-62mph: 5.7secs (5.5 S Tronic)
MPG (NEDC combined): 33.2*(34.0 S Tronic)
CO2: 199g/km* (193g/km S Tronic)
Price: £9,995 to £24,995
Manufactured: 2006-2012
*2008 UK model
Love it: A desirable all-round package
Loathe it: Doesn't deliver enough thrills
Spotted : Imola Yellow Audi S3, 60K miles, fresh MoT, £12,995
SEAT LEON CUPRA R
Engine: 1,984cc 4-cyl turbo
Power (hp): 265@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 258@2,500-5000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Kerb weight: 1,450kg
Top Speed: 155mph
0-62mph: 6.2secs
MPG (NEDC combined): 34.8
CO2: 190g/km
Price: £12,495 to £17,995
Manufactured: 2009-2013
Love it: Stands out from the hot-hatch crowd
Loathe it: Tricky to fully exploit the car's potential
Spotted: Black 2010 SEAT Leon Cupra R, 62K miles, four new Michelin tyres, £12,500
Many thanks to Andy Leicester, Seat Cupra, Audi Sport and the Gaydon Heritage MotorCentre for their help with this feature
It isn't often I would choose to take the S3 over the LCR!
I have been looking the 5 door 3.2 V6 A3s as a family car to replace the Mini Cooper S JCW now that another child is on the way.
I have been looking the 5 door 3.2 V6 A3s as a family car to replace the Mini Cooper S JCW now that another child is on the way.
its a "look at me colour" for a "don't look at me" car.
tbh though i think they are a too understated...but each to their own
I used to work for a VW dealer and we also had a SEAT franchise, so i drove the Golf GTI, R (MK6), Scirocco R and the Leon as above.
The Leon...to drive was my absolute favourite.
Sure it didnt have the plush interiors or quite as much refinement..but it was such a fun, 'raw' car to drive, superb.
I also had the chance to get a new one for £18k....which i bottled....bah!
Appreciate Seat did the Altea but the Leon looks too similar to it whereas the previous and current models both look like proper small/medium hatchbacks.
Throw price into the comparison, say £20,000 where the new shape Leon will be against a late previous S3 - that would be interesting.
The thing that really gets me about the A3/S3 is I used to own a 2005 2.0T S-Line and not so long ago bought a 2004 5 door SE model as a temporary hack - not only was the view from the dash was the same on them both, it was also the same on a £22k S3 I drove recently.
Would never have thought it until recently, but mk2 Focus ST with MP260 pack is more exciting to drive than either of them. I tried all three (and many others) and chose this a few weeks ago. The the correct suspension geometry the Ford is very impressive.
I changed that for a LCR and now I'm on my second- they are that good.
The speeds are the same in the dry, EVO tested both, the LCR was faster by 0.1 second in every test apart from 0-30mph where the 4WD gave the S3 the only advantage over the whole speed range.
The S3 claimed to be more economical via the dash- I get about 2mpg less in the LCR- which isn't how I thought it would go. But I think the LCR makes you drive a little harder.
Used values for a 62 plate of either will be vastly different, so if you can find a low mileage LCR you won't regret it!
Yeah right... driven at 56mph cruise control it might get mid 30's.
Saying all of that, it is brilliant fun to plant your foot and go, although this does become slightly repetitive, it doesn't have that 'magic driving spark' that my Clio 182 had, or my Megane R26. Those two I felt excited to drive. The S3 however just does pretty much everything really well but doesn't get your pulse racing in the same way as the RenaultSport stuff did.
Went for a like new R32 with Recaro wingbacks. Just felt special...
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