Test drive Honda Civic Type R vs Seat Leon Cupra 280: two loud hatchbacks

A duel between two hot sports cars with around 300 hp. compact class

When controversy in Internet forums revolves around compact sports models, the air begins to flutter with excitement. like the Honda Civic Type R when spurred more seriously. Or like the Seat Leon Cupra 280. So, we already have two rivals whose fans are exchanging particularly tough verbal punches. What for? Because both models excite the mood. Real madness.

Both cars are top-of-the-line versions of a fairly modest lineup with versatile qualities. Both send so much power to the front axle that they need the help of a self-locking differential. Both are luring the corners, but Seat barely sees it. Twin-pipe mufflers, distinctive air vents and large wheels are now part of the standard repertoire of many designers. So the Cupra 280 is more like an incognito athlete. And the Civic? It's like a flashy four-wheeled ad and inspires a more extroverted audience. Nothing is hidden here - we show everything we have. And we have a lot: extended fenders, aprons, sills, a four-pipe muffler and a monster rear wing, which probably makes the traffic police check the license plate. This turns the Honda model into a tracked vehicle that is legal to drive on normal roads.

The Honda Civic Type R delivers the ultimate motorsport experience.

Sinking into the slightly raised seats of the body, firmly holding on to the comfortable steering wheel with his left hand, and with his right hand on a short aluminum protrusion protruding from the gearbox, the pilot easily changes gears of a tightly working transmission. It stops deep in corners, draws perfect lines one after the other, throttle escapes even before the corner starts, leaving a locked differential to pull it out, and the turbo threw it out on the next straight.

The arriving Type R announces its arrival from afar, because Honda engineers easily saved their first pot - getting deep bass, but, unfortunately, echoing around 5000 rpm. In such a visual and acoustic spectacle, most eyewitnesses and earwigs hardly notice that this eye magnet is followed by a seat - camouflage gray, mumbling in confusion, but closely following the Japanese at his heels.

Seat Leon Cupra 280 prevents exploding

On the secondary road, the Civic never manages to get away from Leon - despite the fact that he gives everything he can, and when entering a corner, he even moves his ass to the side to reduce the turning radius. However, the Cupra follows it steadily and can pass accurately without disturbing the driver. Is it a mystery given the difference in strength? With a comparable weight, a Honda with 30 hp participates in the race. and another 50 Nm?

Look at the measured dynamic characteristics: in a sprint, the Type R pushes off harder at the start than on the starting blocks, and up to 100 km / h on the Cupra 280 takes half a second; at intermediate acceleration from 60 to 100 km / h, it is still faster by 0,4 seconds; in addition, a speed of 270 is allowed instead of 250 km / h. However, its XNUMX-liter turbocharged engine takes longer to build up the pressure before it decisively heads to top speed, while the lights flash prompting you to switch. At this time, Seat progresses more evenly, its useful torque is an idea earlier.

Optional sports tires provide powerful traction on the Cupra.

But the factor with which Cupra Performance regains lost ground is sports tires. They are optional and offer just the right fit for amazing braking distances and breathtaking cornering speeds. With them, the sports seat slides between the pylons about as fast as a Porsche 911 GT3 on hot tires and dry pavement. However, in heavy rain, these almost-smooth tires provide little to no lateral grip, causing Leon to lose points in road safety and grip scores.

In the cost section, there's a lot of lost Seat points, because soft sport tires wear out dangerously fast on rough pavement. In order for the Cupra 280 to reach the level of equipment with which the Civic Type R from the GT range participates, it is necessary to order additional accessories at a price of about 5000 euros - for example, seats, navigation system, rear-view camera, HiFi system together with DAB radio. and various assistants. In addition, Leon requires higher costs for consumables.

Pleasure, reason, or both?

But the Seat Cupra is catching up - arguments that fans of the opposite side often dismiss because they don't consider them important. For example, the Leon offers more space for passengers and can carry heavy luggage if necessary (payload: 516 kg, Honda: 297). Unlike the Civic, it doesn't rattle or squeak, and its functions are easier to control without prior preparation. With a smaller turning circle and better visibility to the rear, parking becomes smoother.

In short: The Leon handles everyday life better – without the sport tires (and the Cupra is damn fast) it would be a prime example of the first car in the family that brings pleasure and reason in perfect harmony. At the same time, thanks to the wider range of adaptive dampers, it rides more comfortably and on average reports slightly lower consumption (8,3 vs. 8,7 liters per 100 km) in tests. In fact, Seat combines two characters, quietly and calmly travels everyday routes, pretends to be harmless - but at any moment is ready to jump, just to apply gas. It's a bit like its cousin on the VW Golf GTI platform. Therefore, it is not surprising that this model with versatile capabilities, although less equipped, ultimately wins the tests.

Honda Civic Type R - praise for the unfounded

But will such a balanced character like him enter the annals of history? It is doubtful - because the extremes remain in the memory. Cars like the Civic Type R that are very aggressive about what they're doing, and that's being fast, no ifs or buts. Praise for the lack of intelligence. It is remarkable that Honda professes this radical creed and does not allow it to be clouded by petty reasoning of the carriers of doubts and fears. Type R is a celebration of the unreasonable, and yes, it's not exactly relevant. And that's great, right?

CONCLUSION

1. Seat Leon Cupra 280 Performance

427 points

Thanks to the optional sports tires, under optimal conditions, the Cupra 280 propels the speed of racing sports cars around corners and thus more than successfully compensates for power deficits. In addition, with better comfort, the vehicle offers more useful qualities for everyday use.

2. Honda Civic Type R GT

421 points

The Type R is a wild fighter, and that's what we seem to be saying. It also moves in a spectacular way, as it seems, it is not interested in such things as cabin space, payload and workmanship, but in return it offers more than rich equipment.

Text: Markus Peters

Photo: Rosen Gargolov

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