Long-term report: Is living with a hot hatch better than an SUV?
Our time is coming to an end with the Cupra Leon, but before it leaves us, Cameron Richards has a few things to say.
I want to be brutally honest, it’s been so refreshing driving around in a car that feels like a car.
You see, I’ve lost count with the number of SUVs I’ve driven in recent months – and sure – there are some great options out there, but overall, they really are the cure for insomnia.
So when the Cupra Leon landed with me, oh how I was jumping with joy to drive around, sitting low to the ground and to have a car that handles with some dignity.
In the last four weeks, the Cupra and I have racked up over 1,000 miles together – travelling to London Stansted Airport, Gatwick, Heathrow and Surrey. And, from those experiences, I’ve come to the conclusion that you simply don’t need an SUV – unless you absolutely have to.
The Leon’s excellent levels of refinement still make it great for long journeys and the ice-cold air conditioning works wonders on very hot and humid summer afternoons.
It’s also been used as a removal van – sort of. Just last week, I had to transport my grandparents’ rather large 55-inch flat-screen TV in the back, with the Cupra swallowing it up with ease. The back seats fold completely flat, and the overall shape is nice and wide, allowing the TV to be slid all the way to the back.
When I first took delivery of the car, I found its Achilles Heel was the fuel consumption, however the more I’ve driven it, the better the economy has been, with long journeys now easily returning between 40 and 45mpg. But where it falls down is around town; you’ll see around 25mpg if driven enthusiastically or in stop-start city traffic.
Talking of negatives, I still find the bucket seats rather uncomfortable on long journeys, and the automatic gearbox is still very jerky when manoeuvring out of spaces – especially with the ‘auto hold’ function engaged. The stop-start function does help with saving a little fuel, but in traffic, the car takes a few seconds to engage after the engine kicks back in – which is annoying.
Another thing that has been brought to my attention is the parking sensor diagram which pops up on the screen when the car thinks you’re getting too close to an object. That’s fine when you’re parking, but when you’re going down a tight country lane, with the sat-nav on, and don’t know where you are, not so much.
Thankfully, no random warning lights have popped on the dashboard this month, telling me that there is a ‘headlight bulb malfunction’. It seems to have sorted itself out and the infotainment system is all working as it should. Even the Apple CarPlay hasn’t decided to blow my eardrums out with its glitchy soundsystem, either.
I’ve got just over one month left with the Cupra Leon and I will just make the most of driving around in a car, which, theoretically, is a dying breed. So, to answer my original question, is living with a hot hatch better than an SUV? The simple response is, yes.
The Cupra Leon is practical, stylish and above all else, easy to live with. For sure, it isn’t returning the same fuel consumption as a hybrid family wagon, and you do find yourself at the pumps rather frequently, but if you can afford to run it, the Cupra Leon is just as capable of carrying a family around in the same way that a larger, more expensive and heavier SUV can.
