Astra VXR

alexisonfire

alexisonfire

alexisonfire

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Joined
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I know a few regulars on here own one and was after a bit of advice for anything in particular to look out for problem wise when i view one on wednesday?

I've heard the new astra can suffer quite bad from clutch judder, i've no idea if this is apparent in the VXR though. Its fairly new and low mileage so i would expect not a lot to be wrong tbh, but it would be nice to get a heads up before seeing it, cheers! :D
 
There is no VXR in the new Astra. Only the old Astra has a VXR variant.

If you want a hot hatch, unless you particularly want to just shout WHOA POWER!!!! everywhere whilst your crappy plastic interior rattles itself to death, there are numerous better hot hatchbacks.

In my opinion the Golf GTI, Focus ST, later Megane Renaultsport's are all considerably better cars in different ways.

The Focus drives better and has a better put together interior. The Golf is a better all rounder, is better made, and is less ridiculously chav than the Astra. The Megane is the better drivers tool. Depending on how much this car is there are potentially even more cars that are just... better.

Just say NO to a Mk5 Astra.
 
I looked at the Astra VXR, Golf GTI and R32, and Seat Cupra K1 before I bought my current car. I went for a focus ST in the end.

While the VXR does accelerate faster (at stock) it feels rough. The turbo seems either ON or OFF, so makes it a jolty drive. It also torque steers like mad. For me it was the cupra or the ST in the end, but the ST won it because it had the better interior and felt nicer to drive :)
 
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MrFunex said:
If you do get a VXR Astra, for God's sake don't tweak it! It ALWAYS seems to end in tears.
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Based on?

We have a 300BHP VXR and a MK5 SRiT 280BHP in my family, both modified/tuned using good proven parts and the vxr has done 30,000 miles whilst tuned over 2 years and the SRiT has done 13,000 since March this year including a 3,400 mile round trip to Italy, Germany, Belgium and Switzaland.

Both are still going very well, no mechanical problems at all other then regular servicing :D
 
NasherUK said:
The GTI is obviously the better built of the lot, but their to common.
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Not really. I suspect there isnt much in it sales figures wise between it and the Focus ST - although I must admit I see many more Focus ST on the road than I do Mk5 Golf GTI.

I can't help but laugh at considering a Golf 'too common' and then buying... a Focus, the UK's best selling car. I just dont really get that school of thought. Sure if you are buying something reasonably exotic you'd be miffed if every where you went somebody else had one but a hatchback!?
 
[TW]Fox;17934364 said:
Not really. I suspect there isnt much in it sales figures wise between it and the Focus ST - although I must admit I see many more Focus ST on the road than I do Mk5 Golf GTI.

I can't help but laugh at considering a Golf 'too common' and then buying... a Focus, the UK's best selling car.
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The Golfs are probably just less noticeable, from many angles they look like a normal one
 
I've considered the competition, but the astra still appeals to me the most at the moment, although bare in mind i've not test driven any of them yet. I don't want a golf, doesn't interest me in the slightest, ideally i would go for an R26 but the insurance is just ridiculous compared to the others so thats that one out too. I get the same feeling about the ST3 as the golf, it just doesn't appeal to me, i don't look at one i think i want to own that. I've always had a soft spot for the vxr, i just guess i need to get in one and then compare it to the ST3.
 
Forgot to mention, look at the mk2 mazda 3 mps as well...If you can actually find one. They come with a huge amount of kit as standard.

But Mazda now demand that dealers pay them extra dues for the privilege of being able to sell them, so they just don't sell them :/
 
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alexisonfire said:
I've considered the competition, but the astra still appeals to me the most at the moment, although bare in mind i've not test driven any of them yet.
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These cars are ALL about the drive. You have to pick them based on how they drive. Thats the point. If you ignore the drive its just a practical hatchback so its no wonder half of them don't excite you.

I don't want a golf, doesn't interest me in the slightest,
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Whereas a Vauxhall Astra does :confused:

I get the same feeling about the ST3 as the golf, it just doesn't appeal to me, i don't look at one i think i want to own that. I've always had a soft spot for the vxr, i just guess i need to get in one and then compare it to the ST3.
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It would be a shame to buy a crap car because you've decided from a few photos on the internet that all the good ones 'Just dont appeal to me'.

The Mk5 Astra is not very good. Numerous much better cars exist for similar money. Do not spend a small fortune on an Astra!

Astras are for when you have £400 to spend and need the first car you can find with 12 months MOT.

Given that you obviously dont mind small French hatchbacks what about a RenaultSport Clio 200? Another car thats absolutely brilliant.
 
iaind said:
Yet another person basing their car purchasing decisions based on looks alone :(
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I forgot that when purchasing a car the appearance is completely irrelevant :rolleyes::rolleyes: . I don't like the golf, and tbh not overly fussed about the focus, but liked i said above, i need to compare the VXR and ST in real life, i might be pleasantly suprised after actually driving both. This upgrade would be a big deal to me, so i'll get the car im most happy with not what someone on the internet said was better :rolleyes:
 
Woah there, put the roll eyes away unless you understand my point...which you don't.

Of course looks are at least partly relevant, but dismissing best in class cars becacuse the bottom of class car looks a bit better is stupid.
 
Appearance isn't irrelevent - it's an important factor and anyone who says it isnt is wrong. However it's just that - a factor.

You dont go and buy a crap car because it looks good when there are numerous far better cars which you dont think look as good. Thats just nonsensical. Especially when we are talking about stuff like Vauxhall Astras and VW Golfs. I mean come on, lets get a bit of perspective here. It's a Vauxhall Astra not an Aston Martin. It's not as if the styling snaps knicker elastic at 10 paces or is the sort of thing you'd hang a poster on your wall, is it?

It's.. an Astra. Sure it looks quite good with its skirts and blue paint, but it is just an Astra.

I guess it comes down to what you want in a car. Do you want a drive ornament? If so, buy the Astra. Actually don't, buy a Porsche 911 and dont drive it. Do you want a great car? If so, buy something that isn't an Astra.

You've done zero practical research and are already slagging off pretty much the rest of the class - a class of cars seperated by things like handling, power, ride and quality - things you can't judge on the internet.

We might be 'someone on the internet' but the difference between you and us is that some of us have actually driven these cars (and then bought none of them, showing that our opinions here are therefore truely impartial and not biased towards what we eventually picked).

The Astra is a one trick pony.

Trouble is I guess you'll drive the others and still buy the Astra - because on a spin around the block the first time you've ever driven a car like this you probably wont have the confidence (or it wont be appropriate) to test them in a way that will quickly reveal the inadaquecies of some and the strengths of others.

A Focus ST and an Astra VXR feel much of a muchness on the 0.5 mile test route around Evans Halshaw Vauxhall, so you'll probably declare the Astra is still better.

Still, I guess it's academic if you'll park the new one at the bottom of a snowy hill on a junction :D
 
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iaind said:
Woah there, put the roll eyes away unless you understand my point...which you don't.

Of course looks are at least partly relevant, but dismissing best in class cars becacuse the bottom of class car looks a bit better is stupid.
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Why would i bother testing a car i don't like? I certainly wouldn't say the golf was the best in its class either. :confused:
 
Rizo-UK said:
Based on?
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Based on a few people on here that had VXR Astras and Vectras that played with them, had problems, then hurriedly put them back to stock before selling on...

I'm sure there are the odd stories of success, but from reading on here and on PH, smooth sailing with tweaked VXRs doesn't seem that common.
 
Because you've only decided you don't like it because of the appearance *facepalm*

Fox has explained pretty much what I was getting at. To be honest it makes no difference to anyone's life which car you buy, so why do you think anyone is even bothering?

You need to open your mind a bit more and not dismiss them until you've evaluated the factors that really matter
 
When you say that the Megane R26 insurance is ridiculous do you mean the R26.R? If so have you looked at the Megane Team F1 R26? Prices start at around £8k and that's where my money would go if I was looking for a replacement hot hatch for my CTR.

The Astra VXR that I test drove did nothing for me. Yes, in a straight line drag it will be quicker than most of the others, but where is the fun in that? The interior looks cheap, more so on the older models with the silver dash than the newer ones with the piano black dash, and its just not, imo, an enjoyable drive compared to its competitors.

What is it you're wanting from a hot hatch and what is your budget? Going off looks alone is not the way to pick one of these cars, go test drive them all and your view of the Astra WILL change.
 
All the cars mentioned here have a subtley different take on what constitutes a hot hatch.

I'd certainly go and test drive the Astra, the Focus, the Golf and the Mazda 3 before I discounted any of them.
 
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