vectra vxr

[[TW]Fox]

I drove the Astra VXR extremely hard at the VX trackday overtaking pretty much everything out there and didn't have any of the problems Fox describes.

Indeed, this is because I am entirely unique. I am the only person to have found the Astra VXR is overpowered for its drivetrain layout and difficult to modulate throttle wise as a result.

It’s not Astra’s power and torque per se that give the front wheels a problem, it’s the throttle’s response. The smallest applications of throttle get the turbo spinning and delivering a big gob of power and torque. And if you think it’s difficult to modulate normally, wait until you hit the Sport button that sharpens both steering and throttle response.
...
But the fact remains that it would be a better car, and an easier one to drive, if it the engine’s response was more manageable.

Steve Sutcliffe cannot drive either.

On top of that, considerable power - 240bhp - and its sudden arrival means the Vauxhall relies heavily on its traction control

Basically, it just dumps loads of power through the front wheels at all once. I'm with a more linear power delivery style it would be far better despite still being FWD - Type-R Honda's are not a world away power wise but have nothing like the same issues, neither does the Golf GTI nor the Focus ST.

It's pretty well accepted that it's difficult to modulate the throttle on the Astra, and this + big power = mess. Once you've got through this it's really fast, and some will love the way the whole mad throttle + huge dollop of power thing makes the car feel, but personally it annoyed me.

 

[iaind]

When I was looking at saabs, I had driven a remapped one with iirc 250ish bhp. While it's a very different sort of car, i don't think it's entirely unfair to use it as a frame of reference.

While nobody expects a 93 to corner well, they do the straight line thing quite well - but the remapped one was too much. Torque steer and lack of grip were the main problem, any sort of moderate throttle in first or second tried to steer you into a crash and flickered the ESP light

 

[Smokey26]

Why are people talking like the Vectra VXR is totally rapid?

It's 276BHP, and weighs almost 1600KG and it's FWD. Sure ive not driven one, but ive been behind one when it nailed it, and it's not as quick as people are making out here...........

 

[Howard]

When I was looking at saabs, I had driven a remapped one with iirc 250ish bhp. While it's a very different sort of car, i don't think it's entirely unfair to use it as a frame of reference.

While nobody expects a 93 to corner well, they do the straight line thing quite well - but the remapped one was too much. Torque steer and lack of grip were the main problem, any sort of moderate throttle in first or second tried to steer you into a crash and flickered the ESP light

I had a 9-5 Aero HOT as a hire car once, mashed the pedal at 80mph, gearbox kicked down and sent me almost into the central reservation. That was exciting

 

[Biohazard]

Why are people talking like the Vectra VXR is totally rapid?

It's 276BHP, and weighs almost 1600KG and it's FWD. Sure ive not driven one, but ive been behind one when it nailed it, and it's not as quick as people are making out here...........

Its fast for a vectra?

 

[Adz]

The throttle is super sensitive but it's like that in every hot hatch I've ever driven - it makes the car feel faster. Ever driven a Mazda 3 sport? It's only got 140bhp or so but it just wants to wheelspin everywhere unless you're gentle with the throttle and clutch. It's by design.

With a turbo charged car when it comes on boost there's going to be a surge of torque which will break traction so you modulate the throttle mid-corner and nail it on the exit. That's the price you pay for the mid range clout of a turbocharged engine compared to a high revving VTEC or similar.

I really think you have to take press opinion with a pinch of salt. It's bound to be fully of hyperbole. If you read in the Sun* "Britney Spears in anorexia shocker" you know she probably just skipped lunch.

* Nobody on this forum reads the Sun I'm sure, it's just an example

 

[ScottehBotteh]

Ive never had any bother 'modulating' a vxr's throttle.


Evo gave their Long term Vectra a decent write-up. If it suits your requirements and you like it, its worth a look. Or you could go with the Mondeo and be like every other grandad / sales rep.

 

[Amoeba]

If I 'exploit' my cars potential in damp conditions then I end up upside down in a ditch backwards with children on fire and dead nuns littering the scene .

I am curious as to why the VXR and Scooby/Evo are LOL SO DIFFERENT though (apart from the fact one is awesome and the other not so awesome).

 

[[TW]Fox]

Or you could go with the Mondeo and be like every other grandad / sales rep.

Did you seriously just say that in the context of a Vauxhall Vectra? Really?

'Yea dont be like all the sales reps and grandads in a Ford Mondeo... buy.. a Vauxhall Vectra!'

 

[[TW]Fox]

I am curious as to why the VXR and Scooby/Evo are LOL SO DIFFERENT though (apart from the fact one is awesome and the other not so awesome).

The Vectra is, at least in theory, a large, comfortable, family saloon or hatch with a high level of strandard equipment, in theory a 'decent interior', 'excellent' cruising ability and whatnot.

The Impreza and Evo are 4 wheel drive nutcase rally-reps where everything other than going bonzai fast in the wet is an afterthought.

Drive 400 miles in an Evo or an Impreza and you need some Nurofen. The same is not the case of a Vectra.

The flipside, though, is that the Evo and Subaru are thus far better at being nutcase quick performance car B road weapons.

 

[Fr0dders]

Why are people talking like the Vectra VXR is totally rapid?

It's 276BHP, and weighs almost 1600KG and it's FWD. Sure ive not driven one, but ive been behind one when it nailed it, and it's not as quick as people are making out here...........

It still manages to be top 20 for both 0-60 and 1/4 mile on this forum

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17357377

Dont get me wrong, i'm not implying that i'm going to go giant killing with it, but the in gear acceleration of 5.0 seconds 30-70 isnt exactly slow.

If I 'exploit' my cars potential in damp conditions then I end up upside down in a ditch backwards with children on fire and dead nuns littering the scene .

I am curious as to why the VXR and Scooby/Evo are LOL SO DIFFERENT though (apart from the fact one is awesome and the other not so awesome).

the Scooby / Evo are both 4x4 Jap nutter rally reps

The Vectra ... isnt. Its a family car with a big turbocharged engine in the front. meaning you can have fun in it, whilst still taking the kids to school in it. And when you've dropped them off, you can put your foot down and grin like a school kid, but without having the hard edged aspect of the rally reps.

The throttle is super sensitive but it's like that in every hot hatch I've ever driven - it makes the car feel faster. Ever driven a Mazda 3 sport? It's only got 140bhp or so but it just wants to wheelspin everywhere unless you're gentle with the throttle and clutch. It's by design.

With a turbo charged car when it comes on boost there's going to be a surge of torque which will break traction so you modulate the throttle mid-corner and nail it on the exit. That's the price you pay for the mid range clout of a turbocharged engine compared to a high revving VTEC or similar.

I really think you have to take press opinion with a pinch of salt. It's bound to be fully of hyperbole. If you read in the Sun* "Britney Spears in anorexia shocker" you know she probably just skipped lunch.

* Nobody on this forum reads the Sun I'm sure, it's just an example

agreed, but there is no disagreeing with the fact that if you provoke a RWD car, it will oversteer that you can then catch and exploit. Do this in the vectra, it understeers. It reacts completely different to being provoked, and some dont like the way it reacts when provoked when compared with a RWD car.

 

[Amoeba]

The Vectra is, at least in theory, a large, comfortable, family saloon or hatch with a high level of strandard equipment, in theory a 'decent interior', 'excellent' cruising ability and whatnot.

The Impreza and Evo are 4 wheel drive nutcase rally-reps where everything other than going bonzai fast in the wet is an afterthought.

Drive 400 miles in an Evo or an Impreza and you need some Nurofen. The same is not the case of a Vectra.

The flipside, though, is that the Evo and Subaru are thus far better at being nutcase quick performance car B road weapons.

I've never driven either, but I know the interior / comfort in my friends Vectra is absolutely terribly dire (and I drive a 90s jap mobile so I am not one to be fussy), so I wouldn't imagine a sporty version being any more comfortable.

Never been in an Evo / Scooby but are they really that bad? For how long did you drive when you had a go?

 

[ScottehBotteh]

Did you seriously just say that in the context of a Vauxhall Vectra? Really?

'Yea dont be like all the sales reps and grandads in a Ford Mondeo... buy.. a Vauxhall Vectra!'

The VXR is not a sales rep Vectra is it, in the same way a 530 is not an M5.

Ending line from Evo's long term review :

' Depreciation apart, the only downside to having owned the Vectra has been the constant chore of having to tell the badge snobs just how good it is. Well, that and having to give the keys back. '

 

[[TW]Fox]

The VXR is not a sales rep Vectra is it

Neither is a Mondeo ST220 - your point about reps and grandads was completely irrelevent, wasn't it?

In 2004, Aston Martin sold more DB9's than Mondeo sold ST220's.

 

[Fr0dders]

MrLOL thanks for the useful information!
Insurance on a evo is very expensive the vectra aint that bad not much more than the mondeo really...

I watched the video of clarkson but end of the day im not going to be driving the car like a total *****, I want something big half decent and a bit different than the mondeo.
I should have got rid of mine when it started to go wrong.. everything that goes wrong with them has and I have spent a fortune on the car!

Went to the dealership before and took it on a test drive, I noticed the sport button on the dashboard, what exactly does this do when pressed? more power??

Your welcome, if you have any more questions just shout

The clarkson video does look terrible, and if you attempt to drive it on a track at maximum attack with the T/C off, yes it will do that. But back in the real world where you dont drive like that, its fine. I took people out at the rolling road day and drove like a maniac, and managed to make everybody cling on for dear life, without sending us understeering into a ditch of certain doom or anything like that. So in the real world its not as bad as its made out to be.

As for the sport button, it increases the throttle response. So 20 % of pedal travel will now apply 40 % of throttle travel, it also stiffens up the electronically controlled IDS+ dampers and changes the steering weight. Still produces the same power, just a more responsive (some would say too responsive) throttle.

 

[ScottehBotteh]

Neither is a Mondeo ST220 - your point about reps and grandads was completely irrelevent, wasn't it?

In 2004, Aston Martin sold more DB9's than Mondeo sold ST220's.

And the fact the OP has already ruled out the ST220 yet you still whittle on about it ?

You love your little Topgear quotes dont you.

 

[[TW]Fox]

And the fact the OP has already ruled out the ST220 yet you still whittle on about it ?

You are the one banging on about old men and sales reps

 

[Fr0dders]

The VXR is not a sales rep Vectra is it, in the same way a 530 is not an M5.

Ending line from Evo's long term review :

' Depreciation apart, the only downside to having owned the Vectra has been the constant chore of having to tell the badge snobs just how good it is. Well, that and having to give the keys back. '

theres no doubting it looks like one. Given a quick glance it could easily be mistaken for the 1.9 CDTI as there are loads of them out there with the VXR appearance pack, which only has subtly different front + rear bumpers.

 

[Howard]

In 2004, Aston Martin sold more DB9's than Mondeo sold ST220's.

I like this fact

 

[Gaijin]

Drive 400 miles in an Evo or an Impreza and you need some Nurofen. The same is not the case of a Vectra.

Simply not true. I drove mine over 300 miles home with aftermarket suspension, and merely got out, stretched and went and made a cup of tea.

No aches, no pain at all. I wasn't actually surprised. The seats make you sit properly for the whole trip - its nearly impossible to slouch or have any sort of bad posture in them.

Sure, pretty much anything else is more comfortable, but it wasnt uncomfortable in the slightest.

Never been in an Evo / Scooby but are they really that bad? For how long did you drive when you had a go?

Indeed Fox, how long did you drive when you had a go?