Impreza to leon cupra r = disappointment?
Discussion
hello all, lately I have been finding my impreza pretty boring and really fancy a change of car. I would take a step up to an STI, but insurance for it would be horrific! I have always liked the leon cupra r, so this is the main car that I am looking at for the moment. My only concern is that the cupra r will feel slower and not as fun to drive as the impreza, so if anyone has any advice/ownership experiences for me, then fire away! My car at the moment is only a turbo 2000 with a de-cat exhaust and remap, will a cupra r with a revo map (and supporting upgrades) be a disappointment or not? On the other hand, i've been wondering whether I could do with a 6 cylinder in my life? my budget is about 8k, but if I can get a nice car for half of that then I wouldn't complain!
it's worth mentioning a few other cars that I have been looking at, an odd mix of cars really and some of them with surprising results insurance wise for someone under 25!
- 350z
- Supra twin turbo
- corrado vr6
- e36 328i sport
- mr2 turbo
If anyone has any idea of other cars I should be looking at then please point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated, cheers!
it's worth mentioning a few other cars that I have been looking at, an odd mix of cars really and some of them with surprising results insurance wise for someone under 25!
- 350z
- Supra twin turbo
- corrado vr6
- e36 328i sport
- mr2 turbo
If anyone has any idea of other cars I should be looking at then please point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated, cheers!
After an Impreza Turbo I would recommend something strong! The Impreza is incredibly easy to drive very fast and tends to distort 'real' speeds by flattering the driver. I went from an Impreza Turbo to a Audi A8!!, don't think I would have trusted myself with a hot hatch afterwards, I would have got into all sorts of bother!
It depends why you are bored!
I went from a couple of powerful cars with poor handling to a less powerful car with great handling... I've been all smiles!
License losers are all very well and good but can sometimes get boring as you can't push the car to it's limit in a safe way.
The LCR with a remap is a very fun car, but it's probably not going to be as fast or as easy to drive quickly as the Impreza.
I went from a couple of powerful cars with poor handling to a less powerful car with great handling... I've been all smiles!
License losers are all very well and good but can sometimes get boring as you can't push the car to it's limit in a safe way.
The LCR with a remap is a very fun car, but it's probably not going to be as fast or as easy to drive quickly as the Impreza.
AWD to FWD? Torque steer, some of the power spent wheel spinning, understeer... Not sure about that 
Make sure you check the specialist insurers (Keith Michaels etc) for STi insurance before writing the idea off. However, be mindful that an STi does not make a great daily if your doing a fair amount of miles...
Make sure you check the specialist insurers (Keith Michaels etc) for STi insurance before writing the idea off. However, be mindful that an STi does not make a great daily if your doing a fair amount of miles...
woah, quick off the mark you lot! I very very rarely drive the impreza at 10/10ths, so I sometimes feel like I'm not getting the best out of it, of course it's power delivery is impressive and you can get up to license killing speeds rather sharpish, but that gets boring after a while. Another car on my mind is the e30 325i sport, a country road with that beautiful straight 6 howl in an old school "bruiser of its day" car is quite appealing...
chuggabugga70 said:
woah, quick off the mark you lot! I very very rarely drive the impreza at 10/10ths, so I sometimes feel like I'm not getting the best out of it, of course it's power delivery is impressive and you can get up to license killing speeds rather sharpish, but that gets boring after a while. Another car on my mind is the e30 325i sport, a country road with that beautiful straight 6 howl in an old school "bruiser of its day" car is quite appealing...
I do track days in mine now which are great. However, if I didn't I reckon it would only be a matter of time before I tried something more progressive...Also, you never drive it 10/10ths
do a track day and you will quickly realise that...johnpeat said:
I love Cupra R's but that's a backward step in performance and 'fun factor' for sure.
Even a modified one is going to lag behind your Impreza quite a bit - it's a family car with 'go' rather than a rally car with back seats
Dont be silly, the only thing the Leon is lacking is the 4wd traction. As mentioned with a Revo map they are quite an accomplished tool. If the OP's car is a non Sti Imprezza there'll be nothing in it once moving.Even a modified one is going to lag behind your Impreza quite a bit - it's a family car with 'go' rather than a rally car with back seats
Cupramax said:
johnpeat said:
I love Cupra R's but that's a backward step in performance and 'fun factor' for sure.
Even a modified one is going to lag behind your Impreza quite a bit - it's a family car with 'go' rather than a rally car with back seats
Dont be silly, the only thing the Leon is lacking is the 4wd traction. As mentioned with a Revo map they are quite an accomplished tool. If the OP's car is a non Sti Imprezza there'll be nothing in it once moving.Even a modified one is going to lag behind your Impreza quite a bit - it's a family car with 'go' rather than a rally car with back seats
this is not the states ... my current insurance was done through keith michaels, so I might have to give them a ring about the sti. The CV8 monaro is something I never thought about, bloody great idea, but surely insurance is crippling? MX5, good idea, good to drive, but im a fat bugger and feel very, er, enclosed. As for the e36 M3, insurance is a massive no no 
chuggabugga70 said:
my current insurance was done through keith michaels, so I might have to give them a ring about the sti. The CV8 monaro is something I never thought about, bloody great idea, but surely insurance is crippling? MX5, good idea, good to drive, but im a fat bugger and feel very, er, enclosed. As for the e36 M3, insurance is a massive no no
I'm a bit older than you, but i pay £590 fully comp with business use and the OH named with mods and mine is the more powerful VXR version. The Mk1 Cupra R with obligatory map at +-270 BHP will run a WRX pushing around the 300 Bhp neck and neck in straight line speed, especially with the 4wd driveline losses. On a "rolling" test with a friends mapped Impreza I was as quick, well into large numbers.
The Cupra R is not affected by torque steer to any discernible degree normally, only when the tyres are near the legal limit tread wise do you start to get some tug on the steering, but as long as the front tyres are a decent quality, and have a reasonable amount of tread, torque steer is not an issue at all. You have to work harder with the R, but certainly do not let people sell you that it is boring, they handle well, got great mid range pull and are probably more comfortable to live with in the real world. They just do not have that funky boxer 4 sound.
The Cupra R is not affected by torque steer to any discernible degree normally, only when the tyres are near the legal limit tread wise do you start to get some tug on the steering, but as long as the front tyres are a decent quality, and have a reasonable amount of tread, torque steer is not an issue at all. You have to work harder with the R, but certainly do not let people sell you that it is boring, they handle well, got great mid range pull and are probably more comfortable to live with in the real world. They just do not have that funky boxer 4 sound.
Edited by Traveller on Saturday 3rd September 19:51
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