I have owned a few Gas guzzlers in the past and managed ok. Now i,m on more money with virtually no living costs so it should be ok. I dont drive every day only when i,m off shift so the usage will not be massively high...
Anyone have a VXR8...
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I have owned a few Gas guzzlers in the past and managed ok. Now i,m on more money with virtually no living costs so it should be ok. I dont drive every day only when i,m off shift so the usage will not be massively high...
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
what are the servicing costs on the 335i like out of interest (assuming similar independent specialist)
I was expecting them to be quite expensive compared with : http://www.monkfishperformance.co.uk/VXR8servicing.html
I was expecting them to be quite expensive compared with : http://www.monkfishperformance.co.uk/VXR8servicing.html
I like the VXR8, I like it a lot. It's certainly true that it's not what I would call a high quality product when it comes to fit and finish and the styling is ...ok, not bad ...decent ...but nothing special.
It's the engine that makes it though, it's just awesome, a big comfortable cruiser that's not too hard and not too soft but can bellow like a 'vette and has that wonderful V8 Chevvy engine, there is just something about V8s for me ...the way they feel, the way they sound ...the character they have (especially these Chevvy push-rod units) ....you just can't get it anywhere else ...and when you consider this point, and you start looking at V8 BMWs and such ...the price difference gets quite large ...the Holden is pretty damn cheap really for what you get. A l6 BMW turbo or not will not deliver the same experience ...although it'll be a better car
I don't know if I would buy one or not though, I'd need to try one for myself to figure that out, I would certainly buy a Monaro though which I have tried and loved, on the face of it though, the Monaro actually has a better quality interior albeit it older and lacking the big display ...but weather or not you can do without the rear doors is what makes or breaks this of course.
It's the engine that makes it though, it's just awesome, a big comfortable cruiser that's not too hard and not too soft but can bellow like a 'vette and has that wonderful V8 Chevvy engine, there is just something about V8s for me ...the way they feel, the way they sound ...the character they have (especially these Chevvy push-rod units) ....you just can't get it anywhere else ...and when you consider this point, and you start looking at V8 BMWs and such ...the price difference gets quite large ...the Holden is pretty damn cheap really for what you get. A l6 BMW turbo or not will not deliver the same experience ...although it'll be a better car
I don't know if I would buy one or not though, I'd need to try one for myself to figure that out, I would certainly buy a Monaro though which I have tried and loved, on the face of it though, the Monaro actually has a better quality interior albeit it older and lacking the big display ...but weather or not you can do without the rear doors is what makes or breaks this of course.
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My mate has one on a 57 plate and is the 420 ish BHP stock, and it is definately the only one I have ever seen myself and I have never seen one anywhere else at all. It's a lovely looking car but even he says that the biggest let down is the stupidly high fuel consumption. He didn't realise this before he got the car but he said if he knew it would have been like this he wouldn't of got the car. Most of the time during his town driving he only averages around 14mpg.
I'm a bit suprised myself that the build quality is regarded as very poor. The only issue he has had with it was something to do with the windscreen washer stopped working and it turned out that the windscreen washer tank had totally cracked on one side and kept leaking washer everywhere but vauxhall replaced this under his dealer warranty.
I've never driven the car myself even though he has offered for me to but I'm not covered on the insurance to drive it but he has took me for a spin in it & on the motorway... just breathless, what a car it really is and it sounds immense. He wants to get that custom upgraded exhaust system as well but he hasn't got the £1400 for it at the moment
Liam
I'm a bit suprised myself that the build quality is regarded as very poor. The only issue he has had with it was something to do with the windscreen washer stopped working and it turned out that the windscreen washer tank had totally cracked on one side and kept leaking washer everywhere but vauxhall replaced this under his dealer warranty.
I've never driven the car myself even though he has offered for me to but I'm not covered on the insurance to drive it but he has took me for a spin in it & on the motorway... just breathless, what a car it really is and it sounds immense. He wants to get that custom upgraded exhaust system as well but he hasn't got the £1400 for it at the moment
Liam
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[TW]Fox;16879737 said:
Really?
I'd be very disappointed if the interiors were the same. I'd expect a much nicer interior if I bought an M5 over a bog standard 520i...
Fox is talking about perceived build quality here i think.
All % series will have dashboards made from the same material which gives that same feeling of good perceived build quality. No flex, no rattles, good quality materials etc..
This is very different to actual build quality which defines how often its down the garage needing a repair. The VXR8 seems to be poor on the former, better on the latter.
All % series will have dashboards made from the same material which gives that same feeling of good perceived build quality. No flex, no rattles, good quality materials etc..
This is very different to actual build quality which defines how often its down the garage needing a repair. The VXR8 seems to be poor on the former, better on the latter.
I spanked a few VXR8's around a track on the last VXR day and whilst it sounded nothing short of freakin' awesome, you could feel every single one of those 1800kg's. It was heavy, imprecise and difficult to drive quickly. I'd say that the Astra VXR's that were driving around were quite easily moving away from it.
If they made a lightweight version of it, i think it would be amazing fun.
If they made a lightweight version of it, i think it would be amazing fun.
.i managed to lap a VXR8 driving the Astra VXR.
I commented to the instructor how surprised i was, and he responded it was completely normal - the astra is faster round the track.
Its the same thing as with the straight line speed, it can do it, just its compromised by the weight.
I commented to the instructor how surprised i was, and he responded it was completely normal - the astra is faster round the track.
Its the same thing as with the straight line speed, it can do it, just its compromised by the weight.
And you'll get it, but the fundamentalls are the same. We are talking quality not specification.
The basic dashboard is the same in a 520i as it is in an M5. It has the same window switches, the same dashboard, etc etc. There isnt a special box of wonder switchgear for the M5. It's all the same. It's the same car - just a higher model.
Where they will differ is in specification, the M5 will have more kit, it will have parts trimmed in leather - but the fundamental build is the same car.
The same is the case with the VXR8. It's still a Commodore, a car designed at its heart to do in Austalia what a Vectra does in the UK. Sell by the bucketload to fleets and rental firms.
That said it seems the OP is not concerned at all with this and with this in mind it seems like a good choice of car with him.
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[TW]Fox;16885000 said:
I think we've been talking at cross purposes, but you've answered my question. I didn't think the 'mechanics' of the interior would be different, but obviously, as you say, the M5 would have trimmed leather, more functionality etc. The point you made highlighting the difference between 'quality' and 'specification' is an interesting one. I suspect an ordinary man in the street would consider a high 'specification' interior to be of higher 'quality', but you're right, the two issues are separate.
I had a play with the car yesterday and i,m very very immpressed.. I,m not sure about all the reviews about poor build quality but this one had none of that it was very well built very solid, nice clunky doors no rattles or squeeks.. Its the perfect size three car seats fit perfectly in the back. I found the seats very comfortable and they adjust all over the place.
Performance wise it shifts is the simple way to explain it. I had a lotus carlton a while ago and i would say this is as quick as that. Its a very meanigfull power its not darty like an Evo or impreza just huge amounts of torque. As its such a big car you dont notice the speed a few times i was going a hell of a lot quicker than i thought.
I averaged around 19mpg on the test drive over 20 mins or so.. The Radio worked fine no problems tuned into all the local stations and it seemed to have RDS as well. The satnav is similiar to the vectra which has served me well so no issues there either.
The noise is suplime when you plant the pedal it roars to life even in standard form it has a gorgeous engine note with a nice burrble from the back there is no doubting its a big engined V8..
My only dissapointment is the boot is not as big as it looks its quite low so getting the double buggy in was a bit of a hassle but it did go in so thats good enough for the wife..
Overall its the perfect car for me, the sales people were very helpfull and basically let me do what i wanted. I,m going to ponder it for a few days now and work out the finances and then i will start looking...
Performance wise it shifts is the simple way to explain it. I had a lotus carlton a while ago and i would say this is as quick as that. Its a very meanigfull power its not darty like an Evo or impreza just huge amounts of torque. As its such a big car you dont notice the speed a few times i was going a hell of a lot quicker than i thought.
I averaged around 19mpg on the test drive over 20 mins or so.. The Radio worked fine no problems tuned into all the local stations and it seemed to have RDS as well. The satnav is similiar to the vectra which has served me well so no issues there either.
The noise is suplime when you plant the pedal it roars to life even in standard form it has a gorgeous engine note with a nice burrble from the back there is no doubting its a big engined V8..
My only dissapointment is the boot is not as big as it looks its quite low so getting the double buggy in was a bit of a hassle but it did go in so thats good enough for the wife..
Overall its the perfect car for me, the sales people were very helpfull and basically let me do what i wanted. I,m going to ponder it for a few days now and work out the finances and then i will start looking...
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Unless your driving one somebody has changed the tuner on it doesnt
http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=95689&highlight=radio
http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=95689&highlight=radio
Not sure then it looked standard i.e nothing in the glovebox as the forums suggest just the head unit. It came up with the Radio names i.e Radio 1... ??
Maybe they have programmed in presets and named then ? you can do that without RDS.
RDS you just press forward, and it automatically tunes and names the next station in the list. That would be the way to test, what happens when you ask the tuner to go up a frequency.
RDS you just press forward, and it automatically tunes and names the next station in the list. That would be the way to test, what happens when you ask the tuner to go up a frequency.