The standard Leon could be accused of having a slightly drab interior, and so it was for the early Cupra models that had little extra to distinguish them other than sports front seats. Leather upholstery was an option, while air conditioning, CD stereo, electric front windows and remote central locking were all included in the price.
When the R pitched up, the cabin was improved with better seats, climate control and a leather sports steering wheel. This steering wheel is a good indicator of wear as the red underneath the black finish begins to show through.
Leather seats and satellite navigation were both options for the R but most owners stuck with the standard Recaro fabric seats and shunned sat-nav. Again, the state of the seats' fabric is a sound way to judge wear as the material tends to go shiny with age and use, so beware a car with shiny seats and a low mileage.
The Cupra's dash is clearly laid out and functional, but remember the dash lights remain on at all times. This can lead to some owners forgetting to switch on the headlights as it gets dark.
Check all of the electrics in the Leon Cupra work as they are not as reliable as the German origins of the car might suggest. Electric windows can fail and jam, the boot lock can stop working or click constantly, and the alarm can start to sound for no reason. Also listen out for a rattle from the passenger's side of the dash. This is possibly a loose bracket that hold the airbag in place and is a dash-out job to replace, so most owners learn to live with it rather than incur the cost of fixing it.
A much more common Leon Cupra fault are water leaks due to perished door seals. When the internal door seal fails, water runs in over the wide sill and collects in the front footwells. The cure is to remove the door card, and fit new seals with a bead of silicone sealant to hold them in place.
The reason the inside door seal often fails is down to them being damaged when removed to fix an electric window regulator, which are known to break.
PHer's view:
"I wouldn't bother with Recaros as I found the standard seats to be fine."
Tim Slater
