RE: Hot hatches for £20k | Six of the Best
Discussion
Bright Halo said:
Seat really missed an opportunity with the Leon Cupra. Could have really gone to town on the styling both interior and exterior to make it stand out. VW group already have the Audi, VW, Skoda to be the sensible versions so why not. Instead we ended up with a fundamentally good car but bland.
Always looked a bit meh to me also, VW have this knack of inserting plains designs into Seat and Skoda to distance from their(ahem) premium brands.Firebobby said:
Dombilano said:
911Spanker said:
Mégane or the BMW with a Birds kit.
I can't understand how someone can own a standard 140i.
Because not everyone wants an LSDI can't understand how someone can own a standard 140i.
I have just picked up a 130i (I hate EPAS cars) and will be getting an LSD and proper suspension set up - for me, it makes a huge difference on road and track.
But it's more than just the diff - the suspension setup on these cars is utterly woeful out of the factory if you like to push the thing at all.
It would drive me insane having a car so badly compromised.
pacdes said:
The hot hatch 'USP' was always considered it's 0-60 time: No advert, review, top trump card or discussion amongst enthusiasts would take place without it. Sadly, it's the 'Nobody's' you mention which, by inclusion refers to 'you' that has resulted in the demise of these machines.
I am glad that with the arrival of BEV's this discussion has stopped (another advantage of BEV's Edited by pacdes on Saturday 25th May 11:03
). It's a nonsense number. Partly because it's just bs; a car that needs to shift to 3rd at 59mph can be 0.2 seconds slower but 0.5 seconds quicker to 100mph. It's a manipulatable (is that an English word?) number. But more important, with the arrival of BEV's and their acceleration people seem to finally judge cars based on how much fun it actually is to drive instead of judging based on statistics. Power is just like watts in the world of hifi. Good for bragging rights in the pub, of very limited use in practice. pacdes said:
Not one 0-60 time... If journalists can't even be bothered why should the buying public.
Only schoolboys playing Top Trumps are bothered about 0-60mph times........It's an irrelevant measurement of real world driving - unless you're still bothered about the traffic lights GP.....J4CKO said:
Firebobby said:
Dombilano said:
911Spanker said:
Mégane or the BMW with a Birds kit.
I can't understand how someone can own a standard 140i.
Because not everyone wants an LSDI can't understand how someone can own a standard 140i.
The M lites are poor drivers cars out of the box, suspension that can’t keep up with the car, woolly steering and a rear axle that is crying out for an LSD to transfer all that power with a bit more predictability.
So, driving using the throttle so it isn’t a switch, yeah, but means you can’t actually deploy it beyond a certain percentage as it all get ragged, so just means you are always backing off.
Go and look at any race car, do they have and LSD ? The answer in most cases is yes, and there is a reason for that or would your superior throttle control see you winning ?
M140i if it was a manual, had better suspension and an LSD, that’s the car it should have been.
Dombilano said:
The M140i isn't a track car though, it's a fast road car, all a diff adds is traction in slippy conditions. Good tyres are far more important for road use
If it's anything like my 3 Series the main thing would be the suspension, I really struggled with any sort of fast driving because the suspension was totally inadequate. Rebound especially was awful, a series of smallish bumps or tighter S bends would cause a sort of pogo effect Another M140 owner here, I agree they need an LSD, completely transforms the car when driving out of bends. Even stock power one wheel would spin up easily.
Iv done the whole lot of Bilstein B14’s, LSD, M4 control arms, other chassis bits and power up to 500bhp and it’s a mighty quick car. After fitting all the suspension bits and a proper set up it’s was literally like driving a completely different car.
Been my daily and track day car for 3 years and Iv not had a single issue with it. Last year me the mrs did a week in Cornwall from north west, 40mpg on the motorway, then on the way back stopped at donington for a track day, emptied the boot of suitcases, had a morning passing all the stripped out and trailered group of e90’s, packed back up and continued home. Nothing I can replace it with for the money that does it all.
Also if 0-60 is you game some lads at Santa pod last weekend where into the 2’s in there m140’s
Iv done the whole lot of Bilstein B14’s, LSD, M4 control arms, other chassis bits and power up to 500bhp and it’s a mighty quick car. After fitting all the suspension bits and a proper set up it’s was literally like driving a completely different car.
Been my daily and track day car for 3 years and Iv not had a single issue with it. Last year me the mrs did a week in Cornwall from north west, 40mpg on the motorway, then on the way back stopped at donington for a track day, emptied the boot of suitcases, had a morning passing all the stripped out and trailered group of e90’s, packed back up and continued home. Nothing I can replace it with for the money that does it all.
Also if 0-60 is you game some lads at Santa pod last weekend where into the 2’s in there m140’s
Dombilano said:
J4CKO said:
Firebobby said:
Dombilano said:
911Spanker said:
Mégane or the BMW with a Birds kit.
I can't understand how someone can own a standard 140i.
Because not everyone wants an LSDI can't understand how someone can own a standard 140i.
The M lites are poor drivers cars out of the box, suspension that can’t keep up with the car, woolly steering and a rear axle that is crying out for an LSD to transfer all that power with a bit more predictability.
So, driving using the throttle so it isn’t a switch, yeah, but means you can’t actually deploy it beyond a certain percentage as it all get ragged, so just means you are always backing off.
Go and look at any race car, do they have and LSD ? The answer in most cases is yes, and there is a reason for that or would your superior throttle control see you winning ?
M140i if it was a manual, had better suspension and an LSD, that’s the car it should have been.
I have had one fitted to my Fiesta ST, it is transformative at 300 bhp, and an M140i has more power, you notice them on the road, the ST used to want to change lanes under throttle, just goes now, on track can get on the power much earlier.
People get the M140i tuned to 500 bhp, drove a lads at work and it was hillariously s
t, can keep adding power to these and it just accelerates the whole shebang to speeds it can’t handle on its wobbly suspension, suspension and LSD, then maybe add more power, create a matched package not a 500 bhp 116i which is what the feel like.They are a frustrating car as standard, you think you can get it to do what you want, but it doesn’t always, not delicate, you have to grab it by the scruff and it will go sideways but I found it lurched, spun the inside wheel and generally just confounded any attempt at fun other than fast in a straight line, there is a good car in there but i found it, as standard very dissapointing, the I30N pisses all over it for fun.
Hippea said:
NGK210 said:
Cupra as a sole-car / daily.
Megane as a 2nd-car for B-road fun.
M140i if I was 5’ 8” or less.
I30N if I owned an oil well.
Interesting comment about the BMW, are they not good for tall drivers?Megane as a 2nd-car for B-road fun.
M140i if I was 5’ 8” or less.
I30N if I owned an oil well.
But they are excruciatingly not good for anyone sitting behind a tall driver.
In terms of an everyday car with good poke to ferry people in the back and carry shopping or luggage, the Megane's at the bottom of the list. In terms of chassis dynamics and driver involvement, the Megane is far ahead of the rest. No FWD hot hatch drives like them, the chassis and setup really is absolutely incredible and to make them track ready all you need is high-temp brake fluid and decent pads. If anyone hasn't tried one I really encourage you to do so, they're such a unique and excellent package.
Dombilano said:
mooseracer said:
It is very similar. I can only assume people arguing a 140 doesn't need one have never driven one, or spend their time on dual carriageways doing "pulls"
I've owned 4 since 2017. It doesn't need one....unless you keep the traction control on all the time?
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