Photoshoot, Seat Leon FR and Renault Megane RS

[komotar]

Hey, this is like the first time in about 100 years that I took time and wrote more than a word or two about the cars. What the heck, my girl is sleeping allready, I'm not tired at all, and I have time ... hope you enjoy the read and the pics
 ...


Ok, here's the catch ...

... both cars have a diesel engine. The Leon had 170 and megane has 175 hp.

The difference between the engines is huuge, as is the difference with the cars all together.

The megan's engine is IMO better, but not the more exciting of the two. It's more refined, it runs smoother, is easier to live with. But there is a big downside to the whole thing. The thing is, that I have also tested the laguna and the espace with the same engine. It blend's excellently with those cars, because it's just so well behaved. The turbo starts sppining very early, well below 2000rpm and it pulls strongly untill almost 5000 rpm. Well it does ease off a bit at 4200-4300, but not much. But all the speed gaining is done with such ease and refinment, that, well, it's just borring. That's too bad, because the megane RS is not borring when you look at it, or when you drive it. They should have done something to the engine, to make it a little bit more edgier. And the car itself? Well, from the outside it looks really agressive and even cool, which is a strange thing to say about the megane ...
It's a shame, that the whole visual drama doesn't continue on the inside. Well, except the pedals and the steering wheel, everything else is just so bland, and the driver could easily forget that he is sitting in an RS if it weren't for the excellent recaro seats! The body is firmly held in the right place the whole time.

And the suspension and all the thing's you can't see? The really important bits? Well, I can safley say that this car is a great blend between comfort and sporty character. It's a bit soft, but is still hadles very well. There is a surprising amount of grip, tha back end is very light, the car gave me oversteer on demand ... The brakes work very well, almost fade free.... but I must admit I didn't try very hard.

And the minuses? Well, first off, the gear stick travels like half a mile, before it get's into another gear, the steering is soooo fucking soft and too light, but when pushing, you adapt very quickly and the thing that irritated the hell out of me is tha fact that if you turn off the stability controll (which I do alot), the car, or should I say Renault turns it back on when the driver reaches 50 km/h (30 mp/h). And this is just STUPID. It's an idiotic and forced compromise.

All in all, I think it's a good car, not because of the sporty part, but because it put's sporty and really, really comfortable in the same sentence. It's a car for a man (or a woman), that want's to save fuel and is at the same time not ready to make the commitment to go for the hardcore 230 or so hp petrol version. You could easily have an average of just 7l per 100 km, but of you like to also drive hard, you'll still stay below 9l which is a great thing.


ok, on to the leon, and I'll make it short. It's harder, much sportier than the megane and it really is a hot hatch even if with the diesel engine. The engine is a bit of a hooligan. It's oldschool, a bit rough around the edges and it makes the car go like a rocket. The trouble is, that there isn't much going on untill you pass 2000 rpm, which makes it a bit of a pain to drive it around the city. All the torque is available so late in the game, that I stalled it a couple of times, and if you can doodle around in almost every diesel in second gear at pedestrian speed, you just can't do this in this car with thise engine ...

On the outside, the car looks very good with thie white colour, I think it's the best colour for this car imo. Insid the drama continues. The seats really deserve the word bucket, the steering wheel is chunky and sporty as hell. It sits well in the hand, the gearstick is precise, but the shape is just aquard and not ergonomical at all. The plastics in the cabin are still the weakes point of this cars interior.

On the road the car is swift and very happy to play along no matter what the speed is. The turn-in is good, the car reacty fast to driver's input's. It's a fun car to be in first of all because it's so willing to go fast. The power delivery is always there, well when at least you reach that 2000 and something rpm's.

The downsides? Well, not many. The plastics inside, and that's about it ...oh well to be honnest, it's still a bit boring and, I guess it comes with the VW territory

This car show's that a diesel can work in hot hatch territory, it's not a screamer like the petrol engines it doesn't rev but it's effective and I can undrstand why people would buy one. I on the other hand would still pick the petrol, when talking about hot hatches or any sports cars ...



forst the megane pics. I'm quite pround of the first ones. It was -8 deg C and it took me almost an hour to make them. I think some of them are very good...







   

 



 



 


and the leon pics ...

the panning's are not good at all, it was also cold like hell, the wind was blowing an it was getting dark, so I made all of them in about 5 minutes. I just wanted to get in the warm car again 


oh, and I was playing just a bit in the photoshop with two of the pics, the dead centre front and back pics of the leon ...(the 4th and 5th pic) the windsheeld and the back window are totaly black, it doesn't lookg good, but I saved the pics and put them on the cd before I wen't home ... when they will be posted together with the test on our site, they will be normal, because it doesn't look good this way ...

hope you like them ....



 



 

[TT]

I love these cold winter shoots!! Really great setting!!! And two damn nice hatches!

[alanw89]

I think that megane is surprisingly good looking, theres something about the front lights that makes it look aggressive, the back lets it down though.

Good shots aswell this one in particular stands out from the rest for me, best of the bunch IMO.

http://img195.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=72374_04_122_93lo.jpg

[danidmas]

What a post!!!!!

Personally I'd go fort he Seat. And it's not because it's spanish, eh? looks better, and in white you just can't say no and I also like the more sporty feel according to your words

Love the "cold" pics of the Megane, you really captured the athmosphere in that session!!!

[DMF]

Great photos! Love the winter scenery.. makes me cold just viewing the thumbnails!

Shame the US still has not caught up with diesels as Europe has.

[brembo]

Holy hell thats what I call a post.....

Great writeup Cyril I really enjoyed reading your views on them along with those great picture, I really dont like the megane, but in those shoots it almost looks good.... ..I guess you did something right.....
I prefer the previous Leon to the new one, but its ok and those diesel engine really does the job in those cars.....

[pterps]

Great shoot and write up Komotar, I can't tell about the Megane because I have never driven it but as you might know the Leon FR TDI is my daily driver. (36.000 km since august.....). About the engine being old school, I guess you have never driven the old FR TDI? That was really oldschool IMO, with it's raw engine. I am very happy with the new Leon, I discoverd it was a modern car right away because of it's handling and its engine. Ergonomics is great the seats are comfortable on long trips and give perfect side support on twisty roads.
The only thing is that my car is black, and I really hate the color, I would have prefered red or white. But in that case I had to wait 3 extra months till delivery.

Have you tried to hit the revlimiter in the Leon? red starts at 4500 rpm but I haven't hit the limiter yet (up to about 5000 rpm).

[komotar]

Great shoot and write up Komotar, I can't tell about the Megane because I have never driven it but as you might know the Leon FR TDI is my daily driver. (36.000 km since august.....). About the engine being old school, I guess you have never driven the old FR TDI? That was really oldschool IMO, with it's raw engine. I am very happy with the new Leon, I discoverd it was a modern car right away because of it's handling and its engine. Ergonomics is great the seats are comfortable on long trips and give perfect side support on twisty roads.
The only thing is that my car is black, and I really hate the color, I would have prefered red or white. But in that case I had to wait 3 extra months till delivery.

Have you tried to hit the revlimiter in the Leon? red starts at 4500 rpm but I haven't hit the limiter yet (up to about 5000 rpm).

(Image removed from quote.)

hey I was wondering if you'd comment, because I know you own one...

I really haven't driven the previous model, but I have tested the old engine on other cars. I know that that engine is realy rough and I can say that this engine is an improovment compared to the previous, old diesels ... but still, this 170hp engine is a bit rough too, and if I ignore the torque getting to help a bit late, I think it's a great engine... it really fits this car, and that's exactly what renault didn't succeed with the megane RS dci. That engine is really refined, soft ... to civilised for a hot hatch with those looks and that capability of fast cornering ...

about the colour, well, I think black indeed is the wrong colour, the thing is, that the leon imo is a beautifull car, and that the colour hides half the lines on it. I'd only gofor black if I'd buy a big car...

It totally kills the lines, for exapmple, I saw a black clio RS yesterday and it looked a bit sad ... and the car get's dirty just about 30 second's after you wash it 

[MartinR]

What a post. Great writeups! The first pics of the RS are some of the coolest car images I've seen in a while. The car looks stunning in that setting.

[mrmojo77]

Allthough I'm not a a big fan of Renault, Megane looks very good in that chilly environment.
From those two cars, I'd take the Seat still. Thanks Komotar!

[Smartdriver]

Wow, Komotar, really great reportage!
Thanks for all shots and impressive work! Very good! 

[regele]

Great writeup and pics  , if I had to pick one of the two, I'd also go for the Megane.
Fav pic: http://img195.imagevenue.com/view.php?image=72374_04_122_93lo.jpg

[bmagni]

great writeup and pics, i just love snow and cars! thnx

i'd prefer the leon, the megane is cool but the looks don't quite convince me, and the leon looks agressive and sportier IMO.

[yeckmohr]

Very nice pics as always - nice winter location - the white Seat looks great.

[sameerrao]

Awesome shoot as always ... I like the way you take time to pore over the details

[everso]

fantastic photos. very interesting write up! thanks Komotar! good to see yer posting in full force!

the Cupra looks great! i can definitely see GTI lines in the car, but i think it looks better than the GTI.....

the Megane is absolutely UGLY as sin though....god...it truly is awful.  That rear end has to be the nastiest thing evar!