Astra VXR

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 10:22

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!

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 10:43

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.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:02

iaind said:
Yet another person basing their car purchasing decisions based on looks alone

I forgot that when purchasing a car the appearance is completely irrelevant :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:

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:09

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.

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:

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:22

Has anybody got some useful information about the vxr please? Any problems i should look out for?

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:25

Ashleyrobinson said:
I think basing a car purely on looks is idiotic, especially if you haven't driven either of them.

I have driven the VXR and must agree the turbo is ON or OFF and does drive rough, and a lot more uncomfortable than the ST.

Haven't driven a Golf GTI so couldn't comment on that,

If the car is a a big upgrade isnt it worth spending the time to test drive all the ones in class and see which one puts a smile on your face? Im sure you will be pleasantly surprised and you may even change your mind.

Look buddy its your money, but don't spend it and regret.

Ash

I'm not basing my purchase purely on looks, that would be ridiculous. I'm not going to bother with the R26 as the insurance is out insane, no idea why. I don't really like golfs, whats so hard to accept about this? And i am going to test drive both the ST and VXR.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:31

[TW]Fox;17934592 said:
You really are like talking to a brick wall. It's like your thread where your car got written off where telling you that you had parked in a completely stupid place and should be careful not to do it again was met with similar response. You know best, everyone else is wrong, you are not interested in anyone elses opinion.

I'm just not interested in yours for the majority of your posts. No matter what i say you will ignore it, and continue to twist my words to make me look like im in the wrong. I've managed in life so far without the glorious advice from you, so new plan is just to ignore the bordom that is your posts.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:36

dale1uk said:
Again, is this the R26.R or the Team F1 you have been getting high quotes for? The Team F1 shouldn't be any different than the VXR or ST to insure.

Not got a phone quote from my insurer on the ST yet, but the VXR was £1600 and the F1 was £3000. But based on internet quotes, the ST was considerably less than the VXR

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:40

Ashleyrobinson said:
ASTRA VXR

- Cheap Interior
- Horrible Ride
- Noisy Ride
- Doesnt handle corners great

+ Quick
+ Looks sportier then rest (or chavvier)

my 2 cents.

Are the interiors really that bad in the astra's? Like i said i haven't driven one yet, so this is something im yet to experience. Remember i am used to french cars

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 11:44

[TW]Fox;17934683 said:
Look at this thread.

EVERYONE has the same opinion as me. It isnt just me at all.

I came into this thread with decent and sincere advice. I spoke openly and honestly about the cars and my experiences of them with a view to helping you buy the best car. And what do you do? You thank me by insulting me. You are a lovely person. Really lovely. If my posts are 'boredom' what does that make yours!

Buy the Astra - such a crap car would suit you down to the ground. You can then tell us how great it is like you did with that awful C2 you had, and we can laugh.

Also, can I just LOL at your £1600 insurance quote for a Vauxhall Astra? You are 24 years old and prepared to pay £1600 to insure an Astra? Bwaahahahahaha.

Hows that for boredom?

Ha

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:03

I think i'll be best taking this thread to a owners club forum where i will get some factual answers, rather than personal opinions about people who hate the car. Thanks for every ones input

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:16

Jez said:
You will not get an objective answer within an owners club forum. You will here, and you have it above. The car is not a good one.

People who have owned a car will know the problems they have, and because its an owners club, they are all willing to share it with other owners. Its the ideal place to find real world information about a car. I was just hoping the few members on here would be able to give me some information to save me from registering on a forum for a car i might not even end up owning. In hindsight, i should have expected the results i got from this thread. This isn't an owners club so theres going to be a large amount of people on here that don't like the car. People don't refrain on here from expressing there opinions, asked or not. Its annoying at times, but my own fault for forgetting once again. Fox, one question, do you act this way in real life too?

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:26

[TW]Fox;17934938 said:
What, give up my time to offer people advice in the hope they get the best possible car for the money? Absolutely. It's like a public service!

Do you act your way in real life as well? You must look pretty odd shouting I KNOW BEST at people giving you advice in good faith, so I guess not.

Hows the trashed C2? Bet you wished you'd asked for some common sense advice on parking, eh!

No seriously, im curious, would you walk up to me at a meet, bare in mind this would be the first time you've met me, and then mock me over the fact my car just got written off?

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:38

[TW]Fox;17934989 said:
Could you possibly miss the point any more than you just did?

My first reply about your car being written off contained no mocking at all. I said I felt for you as you liked the car, and then mentioned where it was parked.

The mocking started only when it became abundantly clear that not only could you see nothing wrong with where you parked, you also felt totally wronged and that it was a totally great place to park. That just made it amusing.

So, if I met you at a meet, you said your car had been written off, I said 'oops, maybe not a great place to park' and you said 'BUT I LIVE THERE OMG', then yea, I probably would

You are being mocked for your attitude not the fact your car got written off.

I actually said i was unaware of the law against parking opposite a junction and that i was only planning to park there for a short period of time. This doesn't mean i didn't accept it was a silly place to park, i was explaining why i did it, not trying to justify that it was ok. Its easy to call someone an idiot WHEN the worst happens, but you can't tell me you've never parked illegally? It's just you've gotten away with it.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:46

Wait, let me get this straight, your idea of good advice is that i shouldn't bother viewing a car because 5 people that hate vauxhalls said a car is ****, and that i should buy a car i don't like?

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:51

iaind said:
Where on earth did you get "don't try the vauxhall" from?

[TW]Fox;17934325 said:
Just say NO to a Mk5 Astra.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:54

Tute said:
To be fair, if he bought a C2, he sounds like exactly the kind of guy that goes for looks over substance when choosing a car.

Hence I think many people are wasting their breath in this thread.

I chose the C2 because it was the most economical, cheapest tax, cheapest insurance and best valued car for the age and mileage in its class. It suited me perfectly for what i wanted in a car at the time and fit perfectly into my budget.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:56

iaind said:
Fox had tried fo explain perfectly rationally before that but you wouldn't listen, so he obviously was just trying to ram the point home in case you would.

He said that in his first post?

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 12:59

Ben-Irvine93 said:
+1

Out of this whole thread, you asked for advice about which car to get

I didn't ask for any advice on any other car, i asked if there were any known problems to look out for on the astra vxr.

alexisonfire · 5 Dec 2010 at 13:10

-Ad- said:
I have driven them for 2 mornings straight, once around Brands and the other around Thruxton.

Car has good power, but understeerlolkthnx is there in abundance and the turbo comes on like a massive surge which doesn't inspire any confidence in corners on a track and could be quite dangerous on the road.

Also headroom is rubbish.

There are my experiences and in direct comparison to my old school DC2, I have to say that I was extremely happy to get back into the Teg for the drive home. I would love to try out the megane/clio and even an ST to see how hey feel, but I haven't.

Go try them all and stop being blinkered towards the astra, it really isn't THAT amazing. What harm will trying the other cars have? If it opens your eyes and makes you realise that your gut feeling/ preference towards aesthetics is a bit misguided, and you get a better car you enjoy more, then +1 to us for pushing you that way.

The majority on here don't have a grudge against vauxhall, they just have real world experience of certain cars in question and are giving you their honest views, not pushing opinions. You see these opinions as being pushy as you are being difficult and ignoring them because 'I want a a VXR ner ner ner ner'.

I'm not blinkered, i've already said i am going to give the ST a shot, the r26 isn't really an option due to insurance quotes, unless i can save some money on buying the actual car, but theres no way im spending £3k on insurance. The golf is really rather expensive, about 2k more for similar age/mileage VXR's, and given the fact im not keen on the golf at all, and that from what i've read it is the worst performaning out of the 4, im not interested.

EDIT: forget to say thanks for the advice about the VXR, the turbo spool does seem to crop up quite a bit in reviews, its certainly something to bare in mind. I've sat in a mk5 astra before (my boss owns one) and i've never had a problem with head height and im 6'3. What makes the VXR so bad, are the seats higher?