I think the general consensus is they go well with a remap but the twisties dont live up to the straight lines.... No real character to the car/tuneful noise from a 1.8T either, which would be a major turn off for me. I knew someone who had one & he described it as swift but BORING! He didn't keep it long Aren't the mk3 Ibizas those with the odd wider track at the front than the rear too? might explain the handling oddness
what do folks do to Mk2/3 golfs to make then 'handle'? They increase rear roll stiffness to give the rear less grip and make the car less understeery. Well a narrower rear track also does this...... I think ibiza's handle just fine
Begs the question of why do so many owners go out and fit spacers to the rear wheels to increase the rear track then? Twitchy as standard? They might handle ok as stock but I'm sure it all becomes more critical when it is so easy to plug in extra BHP so you are arriving at corners with more speed...
Dont get the seat, go for a mk4 golf. I had a cupra and its the most chav attracting wagon you can drive with a turbo. I sold up and went for the gtd golf. If you want the 1.8t engine go for a mk4 and you wont regret it atall + they look 10x sexier, youl spend more time in the golf than with the mrs
Bit late now by chav attracting do you mean the annoying 'i feel the need to race everything because my saxo its the fastest thing on 4 wheels' or attract alot of unwanted attention?
I'd have to say the Mk4 Golf 1.8T is seriously boring compared to the mk3 Ibiza Cupra. I'd seriously recommend investing in a decent set of coilovers (eibach, kw or if you can afford it Bilstien or H&R) for your mk3 cupra, combined with a strut brace and a rear anti-rollbar. If you add those three things you will be surprised how good the mk3 cupra actually handles. If its going to be used as a daily I'd suggest going for Eibach or Bilstien coilovers, a friend of my had bilstiens in the mk3 cupra and the ride quality was flawless even on the road in northern ireland, ofcourse it comes at a price. About 800 i think.
Well , thise sorts and just the plain burberry caped pple with a car full of pussy. I was forever having to show up saxos clios and the occasional a3. I did get utterly dicked on by one a3 but i could see he had serious mods so i was quite pleased with my little cupra.
I totally disagree there, you canb get such nicer spec and trim levels on a golf not to mention you can have a cd player with out chopping the lower dash panel on the drivers side and fafing around wih extended plug leads. You also get far better respect in a mk4
Myne had raceland coiles blueflame cat back system seat sport brace forge dv and the nvalve bypass with an uprated fuel rail to hold the pressure, it also had a green fillter with a leon carbon relocation pipe to the front wing . It was putting out 187 iirc on a low stg 1 but with an irratic turbo kicking in the low 2ks. Wasnt a bad car but just to small after all they are a polo based car
I have never bought a performance car on spec levels, cd player or how much respect I get. Hence where our differing opinions come from mk4 golf = floaty barge mk3 ibiza = fun little car easy choice
Agreed. I would take a Mk3 Ibiza over a Mk4 Golf. Can't afford either so its not the best opinion to take but having driven both i would go that way. I am biased being a massive Seat fan though
I personally would choose a Ibiza Cupra if I wasn't do big miles, but the mk4 was a done purchase as it had all the creature comforts but biggest thing is the leather recaro's in my mk4 are very plus and soak up the miles. I couldn't get on with the half leather ibiza cupra seats in having a set for 2 years as found them too hard for my peachy rear. I agree the mk4 is a lardy ass and you can really feel the ARB's struggle with its sloppy set up but i know the Ibiza is set up to go as it is. Plus if you want that extra go go the Ibiza is lighter.
Ive had both the cupra and golf, my cupra was coiled up and my golf is down 100m ish fk anti rollbar and it out handles my cupra alott let alone its 50mpg and the amount of torque its got now
