Seat Leon Cupra 300 DSG Review - Better than the Golf R / S3?

[@ItsDanLatham]

Yes I know compression had the quality of this one but its been a long time in the making, enjoy!

[@ernesthemingway2013]

In terms of driving may be not. But (as a Cupra owner) I can tell you the overall package it’s better; looks, equipment, interior and POWER.

[@Thomasmoney96]

Hi Dan, big fan of the channel. I'm trying to decide between the Cupra 300 dsg and the newer 290 dsg and am struggling to decide if the newer 290 is worth about a £1000 extra. As you've had both I was wondering if you have any advice?

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks for the kind words! Honestly I preferred the 300 overall, if you can get a late one (with virtual cockpit) I think on an 18 plate, thats the sweet spot. You get the better pre-gpf exhaust and they just seemed a bit more solid. The only thing is though, the newer 7 speed gearbox in the 290 is smoother round town and better on the motorway, but a bit less aggressive. From what I hear the 6 speed can be tuned to be a bit smoother and snappier, which is what I’m going to try on my new Audi. Best of luck!

[@Thomasmoney96]

@@ItsDanLatham thanks for the quick reply and for the advice, it's really appreciated! I'd be really interested in knowing how that changes your Audi, all the best with it!

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@Thomasmoney96 I’ll be sure to do a video on it!

[@anthonymeek4248]

@@ItsDanLatham did you see a big mpg difference due to the extra ratio? Thank you.

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@anthonymeek4248 not a huge one, but its better for motorway cruising with the 7 !

[@leefoster8015]

You nailed it. Stick a set of ps4's on a 2wd performance motor and you get a different beast. In the dry on a good bit of tarmac the sprint vs golf R will be negligible. Just bought a new cupra 300 and awaiting delivery and first thing I'm doing is getting some new tyres.

[@ItsDanLatham]

Definitely. I’ve recently reviewed the new mk4 cupra and that is even better, a massive reduction in wheel hop even on rubbish tyres. But the PS4s absolutely transformed this, and I’d recommend them to anyone with a FWD hot hatch! Congrats on the new car 👍🏻

[@leefoster8015]

@@ItsDanLatham thanks mate, saw your review and agreed with your thoughts on the wheels. Actually went for VZ2 just because those wheels are awful! Such a shame you can't spec wheels. For me the new line looks better than a VW and not far behind an Audi. With all the options thrown in for 3k less than a golf R you can't really justify anything else!

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@leefoster8015 I agree it usually represents better value than the golf, especially the finance and lease deals. I'm looking forward to seeing modified examples with lip kits and aftermarket wheels, I think they'll look good in the right spec. What colour did you go for ?

[@leefoster8015]

@@ItsDanLatham Well I wanted Graphene grey with the pan roof but wasn't available till December. Was offered magnetic grey no roof for a discount which ended up taking 50 quid off my PCP payments. Also offered me nearly 20k for my 2017 GTI with 30k miles, only paid 17 2 years ago. Couldn't have done it without the crazy used market prices!

[@leefoster8015]

@@ItsDanLatham Yeah with the wheels I may try and get hold of the copper ones. I'm sure ABT will offer some nice options soon enough.

[@bbsheppo]

I've had a 2019 since may. These things are a real target for theft at the moment. I've had one attempt of someone trying to get the keys from the house. Someone else I know lost his at 2 months old, oh and I live in a small Cheshire village!

[@ItsDanLatham]

It seems to have really spiked recently. I think as they’ve become more common, theft has increased dramatically. Soon it will probably be as difficult to insure as the Golf R. I’ve got rid of mine now.

[@KING0SISQO]

RideWithMe what you replaced it with?

[@stu24pot]

It's funny your vid popped up as this has been my issue for the past couple of months and today I collected the Cupra 300 dsg. It made sense i.e costs, performance, insurance and the kit you get as standard. S3 was more for the spec i wanted and insurance loads more, Golf R was just on budget but insurance was similar, I found a Cupra (car i bought today) and just did an insurance quote and thought, its a no brainer... it has everything!! This is definitely a sleeper

[@ItsDanLatham]

Exactly, those are the points I was trying to get across in this video. I’m sure you’ll be very happy with it!

[@stu24pot]

@@ItsDanLatham definitely!! 300 bhp is enough power for these roads and it being front wheel drive, its will definitely struggle to put anymore power down so I'll keep it standard... Went from a tuned GTC Vxr to this and the Cupra feels weirdly faster including the Golf R/S3 I test drove... must be the weight?

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@stu24pot I thought the same vs the Golf R, just a different feel to it. I preferred the driver involvement to the straight line performance of 4WD rivals. I agree about the weight, I do think it makes a slight difference due to the lack of haldex 4wd system in the rear. I cant recommend PS4S tyres for the front enough though. Trust me on the investment!

[@stu24pot]

@@ItsDanLatham yeah that's my next purchase to get all 4 corners changed as its got P zero which are ok but nowhere near the quality of Mich P4S or even Goodyear f1 asc5. Good honest vid though @RideWithMe... Golf r/S3 are regular cars on the road and i only see Seat FR never Cupra so it feels good to be unique

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@stu24pot Thanks for the feedback. I only came across a handful of Cupra's in the 2 years I had it, most of them being older models (280 etc). However I know of an S3 and a Golf R not even a few streets from me. Its certainly a more exclusive club, which is why I think they tend to be cheaper to insure despite theft risk (for now). I expect the market to flood again shortly when peoples leases are up though.

[@jazzer111]

own 290 352bhp remapped still love it for pure fun

[@ItsDanLatham]

Great cars

[@ghostinthemachine76]

Another great review. I was after a Golf R, but you’ve really got me thinking now.

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks! The golf R is a great car don't get me wrong, but the Cupra is a better deal I think personally and certainly rarer on the road. Have a go in both if you can!

[@ghostinthemachine76]

The Cupra is cheaper to buy, insure and run. And quicker once on the move. Definitely worth a look 👍

[@tedsha6124]

guys with what fuel ur driving your cupras ? 95 regular or 98 premium ?

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@tedsha6124 always premium

[@joshsparkes32]

Great video, I'm thinking of getting a cupra .. If I got the 300 with digital dials does that come with the 7 speed? Would b trading in my stage 1 mk7 golf R .. cos as you say straight line speed brilliant absolutely rapid .. but when u meet the corners it's just too heavy doesn't feel very nimble at all !

[@ItsDanLatham]

No the 300 is the 6 speed. Which I think although not as smooth round town is the more responsive overall. The 300 with digital dials is the sweet spot I think. Because its pre-GPF. I think an 18 plate is the only one that ticks all the boxes you mention.

[@MilitaryAircraftVideos]

Nice review. I like the 300 with a manual gearbox and 3 door with PS4's as you say, but it looks like DSG and 5 door is the way they are going. 2019 engine noise is a bit tinny on standstill revving but OK once on the move - backward step but all about emissions... Hybrid would be interesting, but bet they follow VW to electric in the next few years unfortunately!

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks for watching. I think the manual would be a good drive although I hear bad things about clutch durability. The engine noise itself Im not too fond of, but the exhaust makes up for it. I'm yet to hear the newer GPF car. The next Cupra is rumoured to be a 1.4TSI hybrid, but we shall see. We're probably still about a year off yet. Now that the Golf 8 has been unveiled that should speed things along for seat.

[@MotorhomeDIY]

Hey buddy I’ve just got the same car the 2.0 tsi cupra 300 18 plate I’m trying to find the blow off valve for this. Do you happen to have a link please been looking hours

[@richboy900]

Great review and insight, thumbs up

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks for watching!

[@rickysimms5]

That car has a faulty gear box if it's not smooth at low speeds, mine is silky at all speeds.

[@ItsDanLatham]

In comparison to the newer 7 speed boxes they aren’t as smooth around town. I have the same experience with my Audi with the 6 speed. They can be tuned and also they do adapt to driving style over time, so they’re worse when new

[@karlfontanari2169]

Good review just came across this in lock down ;-) have the 300 same spec, and love it, bought mainly on price over a Golf R and the Type R looked to carzy for my taste as did the Focus RS, nice and subtle the Cupra ;-)

[@ItsDanLatham]

Totally agree, its the sweet spot in my opinion. Enjoy it!

[@Daniel88563]

Getting mine next month 2019 reg. Hoping to get them DSG bangs 🤣. Need to be careful in the manuals gear boxes are like chocolate. They start slipping around 20k miles.

[@ItsDanLatham]

So I’ve heard! As for the DSG bangs, you wont with your 2019 unless you delete the GPF. I have a 2020 now and even with a res delete you only get muted DSG bangs in sport mode. You’ll love it though, congrats!

[@Daniel88563]

@@ItsDanLatham ahhh bro I'm gutted now. And tbh it's one reason I wanted it. What's the sound of the exhaust like in cupra mode outside? I wanted something loudish but not too asbo. I think I'll get stage one in the first month. What I'm looking for is power and a nice sound. Not too fussed about about a lot more.

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@Daniel88563 I have a video on res delete for the newer model. Its nowhere near as loud as the previous one, but if you remove the GPF it can be !

[@Daniel88563]

@@ItsDanLatham ill get on them now lad!

[@rickysimms5]

The Clutch is chocolate not the gear box

[@paulallwood6033]

Just bought a 290 with DSG. How do you find DSG when it kicks down even in manual mode if you floor the throttle all the way? Kind of strange I thought. An example would be if I put mine in Cupra mode and in manual at say 30 mph in 3rd gear and floor it it will still kickdown to 2nd, even in manual mode. Is this an issue you have found?

[@ItsDanLatham]

When you put your foot down, at the very bottom of the pedal travel you will feel a 'bump' or 'click'. This is a kickdown feature that will override everything. If you put your foot down without pressing this, it should stay put in manual mode.

[@Elmazee]

Hi mate, I’m really interested in getting one of these.. was wondering how it was on fuel..

[@ItsDanLatham]

Not too bad, as I stated in the video you can easily get 30-35mpg mixed driving. My average over the 2 years was 28mpg. Not bad for a 300bhp car.

[@lewis2827]

Good review, I personally use a facelift rs3 for day to day driving and the odd country blast but lucky enough to have a cupra 300 as a track only car so have best of both worlds, awd is definitely better to use every day and use the power in all weathers plus on a country road the awd car would leave the cupra in the dust But the cupra on track has a slight handling edge being lighter etc and they are a good package for that use. Both fwd and awd are brilliant and have their own advantages, depends what you mainly use the car for really

[@ItsDanLatham]

Very lucky man indeed, I'd love a facelift RS3. That 5 cylinder is such a soundtrack. And I think they look the nuts in the right spec. I assume the next gen is on the horizon though considering the RSQ3 has just been launched. Thanks for the feedback!

[@lewis2827]

RideWithMe see what you think @rs3lew on insta, if you haven’t took your cupra on track yet I’d strongly recommend it as it surprised me how good of a car it is when it’s so close to stock, just uploaded some onboard footage of a trackday on my channel too from oulton Park

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@lewis2827 Will check it out, never driven it on track but I can vouch for what you're saying just from the feel of spirited driving !

[@autozoomies]

Thought you had a res delete, lol, my wife hates the noise on my 300, but with a resonator it was just too quiet for me, also agree on the ps4s, however the white colour is abit too bland. The awd cars are to boring on b-roads Get yourself an obd11 or carista and turn off the fake noise

[@ItsDanLatham]

Phil Wray I did but I removed it, too noisy for me! I do like the mystery blue and desire red options for a bit of colour, but I fancied the black and white contrast. Since I run in comfort most of the time I’ve never bothered coring out the ‘soundaktor’ but I know it can be physically unplugged also. So long as you like it thats the main thing even if you get the occasional nagging for it 😂👍🏻 as for 4wd, Even the new A35 AMG felt a bit too boring for me! Very useful for all weather though. Only complaint about the cupra is the centre point of the steering is a bit floaty and numb when pushing hard.

[@autozoomies]

@@ItsDanLatham I went for the rarest colour option, Eclipse Orange, I actually think there are more limited edition Cupra R's then orange Cupra 300's

[@ItsDanLatham]

Phil Wray Very rare indeed. They didn’t offer it for long. I was going to go for orange but they soon scrapped it. On the plus side, it probably makes you slightly more immune from the big theft issue.

[@autozoomies]

@@ItsDanLatham it is the best colour, Iirc it was on sale for about 5 months, and yes it does seem to be mystery blue that is the most stolen

[@samculpan891]

Just ordered a new Cupra 290 on a cracking lease deal. Really looking forward to it. It replaces my Scirocco 2.0 TSI DSG and I can’t quite prepare for how much quicker an extra 100 bhp is going to feel 😅

[@ItsDanLatham]

Sam Culpan You’ll love it! The extra power is night and day, I recently drove a 200bhp Audi TT and I thought there was an issue with the turbo because it felt so slow 😂

[@samculpan891]

RideWithMe my Scirocco is only 180 bhp and feels fast enough. Just needs more in-gear performance. I’m more looking forward to the pops and crackles once the exhaust has broken in after a few thousand miles. I’m hoping it’s a bit more fun and engaging to drive too!

[@ItsDanLatham]

Sam Culpan I think you’ll be impressed! Have fun with it.

[@samculpan891]

RideWithMe thanks man. Keep up the good work on the vids too!

[@ItsDanLatham]

Sam Culpan Thanks mate, I hope to keep it up and make something of it some day!

[@northweezie1]

Don’t know how you keep getting such good deals, I’m looking for a lease right now and nothing comes close to your GTI/Leon prices

[@ItsDanLatham]

The market is bad right now. You have to snipe the best deals as soon as they come up because they tend not to last long. The current Cupra has just finished production as has the mk7 GTi. I managed to get another Cupra on a great deal before they dried up. But all of the deals you are looking at now will be for the brand new models so they won't come close for a while yet. I will have a new video soon on where I find all my lease deals.

[@northweezie1]

@@ItsDanLatham How much did you get your Cupra for if you don’t mind me asking

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@northweezie1 Around £1500 down and £260 a month ish - including maintenance (servicing and tyres).

[@dreamcrusher112]

@@ItsDanLatham What was the APR and balloon mate? Seems like that would have a nuts balloon at the end.

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@dreamcrusher112 These are lease deals, so no payment at the end. You lose way more money financing cars like these than leasing them because of the depreciation. I have a video that shows the lease and PCP deals side by side.

[@craigpalma272]

What’s it like in the winter though

[@ItsDanLatham]

If you often drive in the snow then not good… the 4wd golf is a no brainer !

[@pmac6062]

Curious to know how many miles your got out of them Michelins?

[@ItsDanLatham]

As far as I remember around 15k or so but depends on your driving!

[@pmac6062]

@@ItsDanLatham Wow that's really good. Was that just for the front or did you swap the tyres round mid life to get even wear? Great channel btw keep up the good work

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@pmac6062 just the front. Mostly casual driving though not much hooning! They definitely last a lot longer than the tyres the car come with which I probably replaced after about 8k. Thanks for the feedback 👍🏻

[@Birmingham_racing]

PS4's are brilliant tires my friend them on his Leon cupra r mk2 running 380bhp

[@ItsDanLatham]

They are epic. Well worth the money, really handle the power well. Even people with big power BMW M cars and that sort of thing run them.

[@ryanwitts647]

Anyone else think the botb advert is fake

[@ItsDanLatham]

If you are getting an advert for BOTB thats nothing to do with me, I have never been sponsored by them - But would be happy to be in the future - as they are genuine with their games and giveaways. I've played a few times myself but its very difficult!

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@ChrisplayThrough64 They won't sponsor me ? Definitely not at my current subscriber count, but I'm working on deals with some new sponsors as we speak. Have I done something to upset you because I keep seeing your name come up with negative comments.

[@jasonx6172]

Did you replace the resonator ?

[@ItsDanLatham]

Jason X Yes, I’m running the standard exhaust now.

[@jasonx6172]

Did you have some problem with the law there or what ?

[@ItsDanLatham]

Jason X Not at all, it was just a bit too noisy for me to run every day.

[@thetruthz13]

This vid could have been summed up in about 4 minutes. I've seen less repeats on sky movies.

[@ItsDanLatham]

I'll look forward to seeing your review on your channel!

[@pheasantpluckersson2138]

It’s no VW or Audi on the interior build quality, i still find it hard to see where Seat fits into the group to be fair? They seem to be just bitsa cars from the entire range, I’d rather have 4 wheel drive and turn the traction off 😂 And that piped engine noise that has become the norm is ridiculous

[@ItsDanLatham]

Its well equipped compared to the others, but thats where the trade off in quality and materials shows. Theres some really cheap plastics and rattly bits of trim. I agree 4 wheel drive is easier but I think FWD is more engaging. Until it snows!! As for piped in engine noise, I've never been a fan.

[@pheasantpluckersson2138]

Ken Healy I’d rather spend the extra on the Audi, you get what you pay for at the end of the day, or what you can afford

[@jackcampbell7848]

I know this is an old comment but i have driven all 3 back to back and the S3 is numb unengaging

[@Brettyboy10]

You only buy a cupra if you cannot afford a golf R or an Audi s3. End of.

[@ItsDanLatham]

Completely disagree, I actually chose the Cupra over a Golf R because I preferred the handling to the 'launch from lights' acceleration.

[@ResevoirGod]

If anything, you'd have to be really stupid or have shit taste to choose a Golf R. Either go for the Cupra or the S3 and forget the cardboard box Golf

[@user-ox4ut2zn9d]

Cheaper, get a grip the second hand prices are virtually identical and lease wise you could get a golf r for 200 quid a month a few years bk as you could a leon cupra. People would by one of these for more fun and a more engaging drive.

[@Brettyboy10]

Lance Vance Dance you buy a cupra if you cannot afford an s3. Stop kidding yourself 😂😂

[@timsmith3229]

Opinions are like arseholes.Everyone's got one. Personally I think the Seat looks nicer... :-)