Anyone have a VXR8...
- Thread starter MOOGLEYS
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
The few i have seen seem to have been built ok, maybe they had 4 teeth...
I currently drive a Vectra and they are meant to be the worst car in the world but tbh its actually ok, i have owned 26 odd cars its by far not the worst. My subaru used to start to fall to pieces the faster you went....lol
there is an 09 plate auto just up the road from me i have found on Autotrader, i think i will take a trip there tomorrow and have a gander. Its quite pricey at £26k which to me is way over price but will be good to have a look around check car seats fit etc before looking for a cheaper one.....
I currently drive a Vectra and they are meant to be the worst car in the world but tbh its actually ok, i have owned 26 odd cars its by far not the worst. My subaru used to start to fall to pieces the faster you went....lol
there is an 09 plate auto just up the road from me i have found on Autotrader, i think i will take a trip there tomorrow and have a gander. Its quite pricey at £26k which to me is way over price but will be good to have a look around check car seats fit etc before looking for a cheaper one.....
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![[FnG]magnolia](/styles/overclockers/avatars/9.png){kind=avatar}
Caporegime
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Well, that's a mistake you only make once [TW]Fox 
[FnG]magnolia;16879262 said:
thats down to 2 things. First is the weight, its a heavy old beast, i think its 1900 kilos + kerbweight
Second is the poor rear traction. Not particularly wide rears (only 275 wide) and lack of fancy electronic diff, traction control type gubbins. Clarkson praised the R8 for its honest no nonsense approach to power delivery, but it does have its drawbacks.
best thing to do is take a look for yourself, but bear in mind my points above that A) to honour the warranty only certain vauxhall dealers can service them. If you're looking at an 09 plate one - you'll need to take it to one of these to keep your warranty
http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=58941&highlight=approved+service
and B) the "poor build quality" applies to things like the crap satnav and crap radio. No RDS and only 0.5mhz increments on the FM scale. Its 97.5 or 98.0 for example ! no medium wave either i dont think. Many have taken to fitting an aftermarket headunit in the satnav space in the glovebox to resolve the problem.
And the rest of the interior.
Well I didnt think so. Sure it wasn't a VXR8, it was a lowly rental V6, but the interior quality of a 520i is the same as that of an M5, so I'd see no reason why it would be any different.
It just felt like a cheap car, which over there it was, but at £26k it doesnt seem to be here..
It just felt like a cheap car, which over there it was, but at £26k it doesnt seem to be here..
its not that bad as a whole. Its typical vauxhall, which being a vectra owner wont bother him. I know its never going to be as good as a BMW, but what BMW costing £20,000 can you find with an engine like that and can be serviced at a main dealer for £350 for a major service.
The crap radio probably would bother him however. That you dont expect from a £20,000 + car
The crap radio probably would bother him however. That you dont expect from a £20,000 + car
Not bothered about the Radio TBH as long as i can get Radio 2 i,m not bothered.
I,m not looking to spend £26k just looking at that one tomorrow as its close and at a vauxhall dealer so will be able to play and do what i want without to much bother.
I have owned quite a few cars and TBH the vectra interior is not that bad. I had a subaru, an Evo 5 and a 3 series BMW all i would say had worse more uncomfortable interiors than the vectra so this should be good for me....
Not forgetting this is going to be used as a family car so the interior is going to be used and abused. 3 car seats in the back, crumbs, baby sick and god knows what else... If its as good as the vectra then it should survive ok...
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as said already give it a try and see what you think. mechanical build quality seems to be alright as the owners section on VXRonline is surprisingly bereft of "omg my car has broken X what now" posts, unlike the astra and corsa forums. But then the VXR8 is assembled in OZ and shipped over here for some tweaks to convert it for UK roads (eg rear foglight)
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My mate has one!
Got it brand new whilst the dealership in South Hampton were offering them for 23k on the road, incredible value for money for a brand spanking new one.
Road presence is immense, way more than an M3 due to aggressive styling and the soundtrack. The engine is truly fantastic, so much torque and great power, the let down is the rest of the car.
OK its built quite well actually, the build quality is superior to general Vauxhall cars, maybe thats the Holden influence.
Performance wise well they won't set the world on fire as they are just too heavy and the handling is average at best. An M3 will out accelerate one and handle better, but if your into tuning/modding then the engine can develop some serious power for little money, remember this is the same engine found in the C6 corvette, with some bolt-ons and tuning 500 horses is easily possible.
MPG wise, he averages 11-13MPG into work, on a run it can see 25ish if you drive it like a granny, but generally don't expect to average more than 15MPG due to how heavy the car is.
If I was spending 20-25k on a 4 door saloon, I'd not be buying a VXR8, there are faster and better handling cars for similar money that also cost less to run.
You once had an EVO 5, why not re-visit the EVO with X model, it will devastate the VXR8 on any of UK roads, apart from motorways past 100mph, but you can solve that by either getting an X 360 or just buy a base X and tune it too 400BHP for the sum of circa £2500. The X is a huge improvement from EVO's of old when it comes to interior quality and drivability so go and test drive an X 360, though you will miss the soundtrack of a V8.
Got it brand new whilst the dealership in South Hampton were offering them for 23k on the road, incredible value for money for a brand spanking new one.
Road presence is immense, way more than an M3 due to aggressive styling and the soundtrack. The engine is truly fantastic, so much torque and great power, the let down is the rest of the car.
OK its built quite well actually, the build quality is superior to general Vauxhall cars, maybe thats the Holden influence.
Performance wise well they won't set the world on fire as they are just too heavy and the handling is average at best. An M3 will out accelerate one and handle better, but if your into tuning/modding then the engine can develop some serious power for little money, remember this is the same engine found in the C6 corvette, with some bolt-ons and tuning 500 horses is easily possible.
MPG wise, he averages 11-13MPG into work, on a run it can see 25ish if you drive it like a granny, but generally don't expect to average more than 15MPG due to how heavy the car is.
If I was spending 20-25k on a 4 door saloon, I'd not be buying a VXR8, there are faster and better handling cars for similar money that also cost less to run.
You once had an EVO 5, why not re-visit the EVO with X model, it will devastate the VXR8 on any of UK roads, apart from motorways past 100mph, but you can solve that by either getting an X 360 or just buy a base X and tune it too 400BHP for the sum of circa £2500. The X is a huge improvement from EVO's of old when it comes to interior quality and drivability so go and test drive an X 360, though you will miss the soundtrack of a V8.
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As said i,m really not buying one for the balls out speed. I like the idea of a V8 and have always wanted one but i,m not into modding anymore it will be plenty quick enough for my needs. Fuel economy i,m not overly bothered about i dont smoke or drink so fuel is my way of wasting a bit of cash..
Likewise handling 99% of the time i will have 3 kids in the back and a wife in the front so wont be going sideways around any roundabouts anytime soon. I,m sure the handling is more than enough for my everyday driving style...
Likewise handling 99% of the time i will have 3 kids in the back and a wife in the front so wont be going sideways around any roundabouts anytime soon. I,m sure the handling is more than enough for my everyday driving style...
Soldato
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I had the displeasure of driving a VXR Insignia which was pretty horrible inside to be honest, might not have much of a bearing on the VXR8 as it's an earlier thing though and the interior looks more sensible.
I did sit in one ages ago but can't really remember anything about it, wasn't in it for long
I did sit in one ages ago but can't really remember anything about it, wasn't in it for long
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They handle fine, its not that they are bad but if like me you love on a Sunday finding some of your favourite country roads and going for a hoon you might start to find the VXR8 dissapointing in that area.
Don't dismiss fuel too quickly, a VXR8 could see you spending 2x or 3x more on fuel per month than you do now.
Get a nice 5 series or an E class.
If you want a nice fast cruiser, why put up with a Vauxhall.
I like the style, 5 series and E class just look boring also an 09 one of these in a decent spec is 30k+. I also quite like Vauxhalls i trained as a Vx mech after leaving school so kind of makes sense for me to stick to what i know ish....
Or
Easily my Vectra is a diesel and does 55mpg....
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I like the style, 5 series and E class just look boring also an 09 one of these in a decent spec is 30k+. I also quite like Vauxhalls i trained as a Vx mech after leaving school so kind of makes sense for me to stick to what i know ish....
Or
Easily my Vectra is a diesel and does 55mpg....
I wouldnt get hung up on the age of the vehicle, but if you dont like something you dont like it.
How about an XJ Jag?
Not for me...
I,m 100% going to go for the Vxr8 it suits me and meets all my needs. I,m buying it as a big family car with a bit of sportyness as well.
It may just be a bigger Vectra but that to me is ideal and exactly what i,m after...
the VXR8 has a lot of flaws to put up with if you're just going to treat it like a family kid carrying mobile.
Trouble is, once you start mentionning other brands such as Jag, BMW, Merc etc.. these all have phenomenally higher running costs.
The VXR8 is by far the best value car in this segment when you consider the engine you get for this price, coupled with the practicality.
Only you know if you can put up with 10mpg etc.. for it though.