I need you help guys/gals... the wife wants a Leon FR!!! (It has to be a GTI!!)

[vanders]

I was thinking about a Cupra when they first came out - but reading on Cupra Owners Club site - even the enthusiasts identified too many problems with both FR & Cupra.  One of the biggest seems to be tyre wear / tracking - both seem preety good at shreading tyres at pretty low mileage.   Plus plenty more FR negatives, have a read then you should soon get your way!

[BodyThief]

What happens if so called friend pulls up in an Audi S3 instead of GTI, what does that say?
As much as i like the GTI, i know i'd have the S3 over it if i could swallow the 4-5k difference

But what happens if your best friends sisters nephew in law pulls up in a Yugo Zastava and say's "It's better than the Golf GTI 'cos it just is"

"Nah, it is, innit"

Then what?

Haha indeed!

[Peskarik]

aha, Seat is cheaper, but remember, free cheese is only in the mouse-trap

[K1]

Is it just me or does the majority of people here not realise that there are cars better than the GTI?
I know its a GTI forum so there are bound to be biased opinions. But for some people its not what you want, but relistically what you can afford, ie value for money. In this case the FR which is mechanically 95% identical to the GTI yet shaving 4k of its list price is strong enough to persuade some people. So why i ask must we b!tch about other cars which share similar components just because one has a VW badge the other a Seat?
What happens when we move up to an S3 or S4 or maybe RS4, do we then slag of the greatness of the GTI then?

[Phil mcavity]

But the s3 is plain!!!, isnt there someone on here thought a Black S3 was the way to go, purchased it and is now ordered another GTi only a few months of having it! 

[gooseuk]

The seat leon fr and cupra and cupra r are amazing cars. I wanted a leon but you cant really find many tdi leon used.

I say go for the seat pretty much a golf but looks different. But build quality worse. My mates fr ibiza 05 plate has been back to the garage lots. Just a warning lol.

[RobGTI]

Got to add my two pennies worth...

I had a good few Golf GTIs over the years and was almost definitely going to get a 3 door Mk 5 in either white or red, anyway my situation changed and I needed a 5 door (the wife was pregnant ).

So I test drove the Leon FR and Golf GTI back to back for at least an hour in each over varied surfaces here are my thoughts:

To drive they both drove exactly the same, I know the reviews reckon there are subtle differences but not so much that I could tell.
The interior of the golf as everyone's said is far better than the Leon.
The boot in the Golf is bigger but I can get the pram shopping etc so no problems (I was coming from a Mini so every other cars boot looks massive).
The Leon I think looks great with the optional 18s and in a light colour and get quite a lot of +ve comments about the looks (as many as with my fully loaded, kitted Mini).

In the end I went for the Leon because it was a change from VW, its rareness factor, good looks and I got it fully loaded with everything (18s, bluetooth, bi-xenons, sunroof, armrest, rear airbags, winter pack, convenience pack) for less than the price of a standard GTI.

Yes it has compromises with the interior and its not got the cache of the "Golf GTI" but thats about it as far as I can see. I went for it knowing this and don't regret it.

Fair enough, but if you can afford it, I'd go for the genuine article... the Golf GTI.  Other cars just don't come close and if the Leon was that good why wasn't it feted in the motoring press in the same way?  I don;t remember Jeremy Clarkson nominating the Seat as car of the year any year.

I did have the choice to go for the genuine article (in standard trim) but choose the Leon over it for the reasons I stated above, and I am a BIG VW fan.

The Leon doesn’t get as much plaudit as the Golf because it came out 2 and a half years later than it and you all know how much things move on in that space of time so it would need to be better than (rather than as good) as the Golf to get the rave reviews.

And if I remember the Leon FR did make Top Gears Wall of fame Cool cars section, not that this holds much value in my eyes.

[RobGTI]

At the end of the day the choice boils down to whether you want this... which comes with compulsory slippers and pipes 




Or this.... 



Note the subtle addition of the Mk1 Golf GTI in the background, thereby associating the Mk5 with its heritage, history and class. Not that I am bias or anything 

And as the greeks said "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so I'm not going to convince anyone here, but as someone who choose a Leon and loves VWs then I have probably got a fairer view. They are both nice looking cars but for me the Leon took it for the rarity factor.

Heritage, history and class, no arguement from here, but all I know is that it is problem free, looks good and goes well. 

[Phil mcavity]

did the GTi ever make the cool wall??

[Peskarik]

did the GTi ever make the cool wall??

does it matter?