W204 C63 v Mk1 Cupra Ateca
Discussion
After the arrival of our first child the wife has decided to give up her Polo and I have narrowed down the search to these two cars.
For the same price, I can either go for a facelift W204 C63 Wagon or a Cupra Ateca.
Head is saying Cupra but heart is saying C63. I know they are totally different beasts with different running costs. Is the C63 worth the extra cost? Is the Cupra a decent drive compared to the C63?
For the same price, I can either go for a facelift W204 C63 Wagon or a Cupra Ateca.
Head is saying Cupra but heart is saying C63. I know they are totally different beasts with different running costs. Is the C63 worth the extra cost? Is the Cupra a decent drive compared to the C63?
prtyqwerty said:
Head is saying Cupra but heart is saying C63.
The Cupra will depreciate by what, another ten grand in the next 3-5 years, whereas the C63 will probably be worth about the same then as it is now.I suspect the financial logic will hinge around how many miles you do, with a low mileage driver being better with an appreciating classic and accepting higher fuel, tax and maintenance costs, whereas the high mileage driver is still better off with a newer more economical car.
Unless your mileage means there's a clear saving to be made with the Seat overall, then you should probably go with your heart I'd say, as the money may well be a wash.
The facelift C63 is a pretty tough thing, the V8 AMG's in general are reliable.
Remember it will be in the 20's for MPG, need tyres fairly frequently if driven enthusiastically. Most of the car spares are generic C class so not ugly expensive but the drive train can get expensive if it needs anything. It was an expensive car when new so it will largely still have expensive car running costs.
Samoht is right, the C63 will probably loose a lot less in depreciation than the Seat, unless the government go crazy and tax the life out of big engined cars. So you will save £10k+ in depreciation which is large chunk of fuel and servicing.
I jumped off the PCP wagon a few years back and have loved my 205 C63. The way they turn petrol into a wall of noise is epic and makes me grin from ear to ear so it's totally worth it.
Remember it will be in the 20's for MPG, need tyres fairly frequently if driven enthusiastically. Most of the car spares are generic C class so not ugly expensive but the drive train can get expensive if it needs anything. It was an expensive car when new so it will largely still have expensive car running costs.
Samoht is right, the C63 will probably loose a lot less in depreciation than the Seat, unless the government go crazy and tax the life out of big engined cars. So you will save £10k+ in depreciation which is large chunk of fuel and servicing.
I jumped off the PCP wagon a few years back and have loved my 205 C63. The way they turn petrol into a wall of noise is epic and makes me grin from ear to ear so it's totally worth it.
I bought a 204 C63 estate in March this year after wanting one for about 10 years and never being able to justify the fuel costs. I have since enjoyed my short ownership to date.
Do be warned though, it is not cheap to run albeit they are reasonably reliable as far as I can tell. I bought mine privately so saved a small fortune (about £4k+) compared to buying from a dealer who would normally have provided only a short warranty anyway. I have since used the funds "saved" to pay towards the initial round of preventative maintenance, this year's annual service and the MOT. The total cost of which was around £2,600 (or so). There is still more that I want to do next year though so I expect another £2k or so next year as well, plus any non-scheduled maintenance (if there is any).
Tax is as high as it gets. Currently around £700pa albeit it's worth the £60pm this costs to me. Mine is on the smaller 18s which are less prone to cracks and the tyres are much cheaper to replace - roughly £500-600 for a full set.
Brake discs and pads are expensive even for non-performance pack cars which most estates are. Think somewhere between £650 to £1,200 all round depending on where you go. That said, if your mileage is low, like mine, then this won't be a regular job.
Fuel consumption is also high. High teens on average at best albeit on a run you should eek out high 20s. The highest I have managed from Bucks to Sussex was 27mpg. I don't believe I could get it much higher.
To me the costs are all worth it. The car is so full of character compared to some of the potential alternatives and it still works as my only car. It is also so much better for a petrolhead than the VAG cars with the 2.0 lump which I say as someone who had and liked 2 cars with this engine (a Golf R estate and Leon Cupra 300 estate). Both were great cars but the C63 makes me smile every time I drive it whereas the VAG cars didn't ever tug at the heart strings. IThe C63 is also still great at family duties with all the things you need - isofix, reasonable boot and so forth.
One thing I would warn any potential owners, beyond the inevitable high running costs, is that the gearbox is great when up and running but is awful when cold or at slow parking speeds. This takes some getting used to after the VAG DSG which wasn't perfect but was far superior in this regard.
If you can live with the gearbox foibles at slow speeds and the higher running costs, then it really is a great car. I fully intend to keep mine for as long as I can justify as I can't think of any other small estate cars which do what it does - i.e. massive and silly engine in a relatively small and practical footprint.
Oh, and the sound...it's every bit as good as you know and imagine. A little blip in the undercover station car park this morning made a boring journey to work much more interesting.
A couple of gratuitous pictures of mine.
Do be warned though, it is not cheap to run albeit they are reasonably reliable as far as I can tell. I bought mine privately so saved a small fortune (about £4k+) compared to buying from a dealer who would normally have provided only a short warranty anyway. I have since used the funds "saved" to pay towards the initial round of preventative maintenance, this year's annual service and the MOT. The total cost of which was around £2,600 (or so). There is still more that I want to do next year though so I expect another £2k or so next year as well, plus any non-scheduled maintenance (if there is any).
Tax is as high as it gets. Currently around £700pa albeit it's worth the £60pm this costs to me. Mine is on the smaller 18s which are less prone to cracks and the tyres are much cheaper to replace - roughly £500-600 for a full set.
Brake discs and pads are expensive even for non-performance pack cars which most estates are. Think somewhere between £650 to £1,200 all round depending on where you go. That said, if your mileage is low, like mine, then this won't be a regular job.
Fuel consumption is also high. High teens on average at best albeit on a run you should eek out high 20s. The highest I have managed from Bucks to Sussex was 27mpg. I don't believe I could get it much higher.
To me the costs are all worth it. The car is so full of character compared to some of the potential alternatives and it still works as my only car. It is also so much better for a petrolhead than the VAG cars with the 2.0 lump which I say as someone who had and liked 2 cars with this engine (a Golf R estate and Leon Cupra 300 estate). Both were great cars but the C63 makes me smile every time I drive it whereas the VAG cars didn't ever tug at the heart strings. IThe C63 is also still great at family duties with all the things you need - isofix, reasonable boot and so forth.
One thing I would warn any potential owners, beyond the inevitable high running costs, is that the gearbox is great when up and running but is awful when cold or at slow parking speeds. This takes some getting used to after the VAG DSG which wasn't perfect but was far superior in this regard.
If you can live with the gearbox foibles at slow speeds and the higher running costs, then it really is a great car. I fully intend to keep mine for as long as I can justify as I can't think of any other small estate cars which do what it does - i.e. massive and silly engine in a relatively small and practical footprint.
Oh, and the sound...it's every bit as good as you know and imagine. A little blip in the undercover station car park this morning made a boring journey to work much more interesting.
A couple of gratuitous pictures of mine.
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