Its a Thorney subject.
Astra VXR
- Thread starter alexisonfire
- Start date
Its a Thorney subject.
Saw the ST bit but regarding the others I forgot to mention that you should look at quotes elsewhere. Don't take internet quotes as the gospel as brokers can sort you out for a lot less with performance cars. I'm with brentacre and they seem ok (not had to claim), also no admin fee for mods added or extra costs.
Tryied the gold myself (mkV) and it was quite nice, but there was just something that didn't light my fire. only spent a breif period driving it around an airfield so didn't have enough time to really test it out.
Loads of brokers just have a search. Try brentacre, keith michaels, a-plan, flux to start with, but there are plenty more.
Ye, found the turbo coming on quite strong when I was cornering at thruxton, then inducing understeer, then when coming off throttle the turbo felt like a switch going off, thus inducing oversteer. learned to cope with it, but wasn't fun tbh.
Headroom issue was when wearing a helmet (I'm 6'2) and I actually had to crane my neck to fit, even with the seat at the lowest setting. Not sure about VXR seats being higher, never been in a normal astra, but on the trackday it wasn't pleasant.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Ignoring the interior for a moment what I didnt like about the VXR was the on-off nature of the power delivery. The turbo comes in very strong and whilst this makes it feel bonkers fast - faster than most other cars of its type - it's also quite a handful and really currupts the driving experience. If you are anything other than very careful with the throttle the whole thing just turns into massive understeer. It was a hugely frustrating car to drive, even if the straight line rush was quite fun.
Meh vauxhall haters will hate... I had an Astra VXR for a while was good fun. They are generally quite reliable when left as they come.
If you want more advice on buying etc then PM me as i cant be bothered dealing with all the vauxhall hatred here....
Evo test review..
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolongtermtests/209305/vauxhall_astra_vxr.html
I'd have an astra VXR................... for the right price.
As in, a substantial saving over its rivals.
Lets not forget the advice on here is based on nothing but personal opinion, If paid any attention to a lot of the advice on here I'd be stuck with £700 for a set of tyres, £800 for servicing, not being able to drive in the snow, breaking down, having to continually go back to the dealers for problems to be sorted, getting sub 30mpg, replacing exhausts and clutches with great regularity and spending 5 times more to by my car in the first place.
The Astra VXR is built down to a price, its a bit ropey round the edges in every respect, how it looks, how it handles, how it lays down its power and how it is built.
If you can find one at the right price and accept you are not going to be driving with the same finesse as other hot hatch drivers and that the car will be worth sod all when you come to sell it, then go for it.
Look at it subjectively and dont let your heart rule your head.
As in, a substantial saving over its rivals.
Lets not forget the advice on here is based on nothing but personal opinion, If paid any attention to a lot of the advice on here I'd be stuck with £700 for a set of tyres, £800 for servicing, not being able to drive in the snow, breaking down, having to continually go back to the dealers for problems to be sorted, getting sub 30mpg, replacing exhausts and clutches with great regularity and spending 5 times more to by my car in the first place.
The Astra VXR is built down to a price, its a bit ropey round the edges in every respect, how it looks, how it handles, how it lays down its power and how it is built.
If you can find one at the right price and accept you are not going to be driving with the same finesse as other hot hatch drivers and that the car will be worth sod all when you come to sell it, then go for it.
Look at it subjectively and dont let your heart rule your head.
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Forget what you dislike about the looks of the Golf GTI, drive that first just to get an idea of how a hot hatch should handle and then test drive the others that you do like the look of.
Simples.
Ps: I hate Vauxhalls but I'd still try one in the same class as others that I would be considering if only to provide good benchmarks for my decision (and to inevitably reinforce my hatred, but I'm ready to be surprised by one if not expecting it).
I've driven cars I hate the look of before and loved the drive if only because I wanted to find out what I was, or wasn't, missing about them that made some peeps love them.
Also should point out I love the look of my current shed but absolutely detest the way it handles if I'm actually in the mood to press on. As a result I have a car that gets me from A-B perfectly well, but is incapable of putting a smile on my face and I won't be making the same mistake on my next purchase. Instead I'll take the advice I've just given you
Simples.
Ps: I hate Vauxhalls but I'd still try one in the same class as others that I would be considering if only to provide good benchmarks for my decision (and to inevitably reinforce my hatred, but I'm ready to be surprised by one if not expecting it).
I've driven cars I hate the look of before and loved the drive if only because I wanted to find out what I was, or wasn't, missing about them that made some peeps love them.
Also should point out I love the look of my current shed but absolutely detest the way it handles if I'm actually in the mood to press on. As a result I have a car that gets me from A-B perfectly well, but is incapable of putting a smile on my face and I won't be making the same mistake on my next purchase. Instead I'll take the advice I've just given you
Dear OP
please read the following article.
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/255229/vauxhall_astra_vxr_arctic_edition_review.html
fond regards
Saytan
please read the following article.
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/255229/vauxhall_astra_vxr_arctic_edition_review.html
fond regards
Saytan
Last edited:
You do realise they are all heavily modified examples used in that article?
EDIT: too slow
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Nice selective quoting there. Why not finish off that paragraph ?
' It’s rather at odds with the impressive amount of traction (hence speed) you can take out of bends. '
We can all paint good and bad pictures. It does a job and offers something different from the competition. No hot hatch is perfect.
No need for another big thread about vauxhalls/vxrs really, been about 5 already with both biased and unbiased opinions in all of them and they all end the same way.
' It’s rather at odds with the impressive amount of traction (hence speed) you can take out of bends. '
We can all paint good and bad pictures. It does a job and offers something different from the competition. No hot hatch is perfect.
No need for another big thread about vauxhalls/vxrs really, been about 5 already with both biased and unbiased opinions in all of them and they all end the same way.
The thread is primarily about the sense (or otherwise) of looking at all the cars in the class before making your mind up - rather than deciding there are only 4 cars in the class, 2 are no good and you really like one of them...when you havent driven any
even with that, it doesnt sound a lot better. it sounds to me like it has no feel, despite having plenty of grip. Why spend money on a hot car, only for it to have no feel?
Aesthetics are high on the list of my priorities too. I too wouldn't buy a car I didn't like the look of regardless of its capability, I'd get the best performing car I could within the scope of my aesthetic preferences. Don't see the big deal with that? You're the one that comes out of your house every day and look at your car on the drive - you want to be happy with it right?
As for the VXR I thought it was pretty capable when taken off the conti 2's. The seats were very supportive, dash not too bad - especially if it had the nav. The dash top was massive and a bit cheap though. The steering wheel was also great, comfortable and chunky. Nice stalk feel etc. It really wasn't that bad in my experience.
As for the VXR I thought it was pretty capable when taken off the conti 2's. The seats were very supportive, dash not too bad - especially if it had the nav. The dash top was massive and a bit cheap though. The steering wheel was also great, comfortable and chunky. Nice stalk feel etc. It really wasn't that bad in my experience.
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Wow. an entire thread trolled completley by one person.
I feel sorry for the OP!!
At least the previous to current generation of Astra VXR is better than all of the current range.
The latest Astra is nasty to drive, so at least the older VXR is better from that respect.
Ive never thought of the interior as being THAT bad. Certainly not as bad as an Impreza for instance.
Its screwed together ok for the money, what are some people expecting? A bentley ffs?!
I feel sorry for the OP!!
At least the previous to current generation of Astra VXR is better than all of the current range.
The latest Astra is nasty to drive, so at least the older VXR is better from that respect.
Ive never thought of the interior as being THAT bad. Certainly not as bad as an Impreza for instance.
Its screwed together ok for the money, what are some people expecting? A bentley ffs?!
Please learn to read. Pretty much everyone but the OP shared the same opinion. Having an opinion contrary to that of the OP is not trolling. We having a debate about cars. It's not trolling, its what the forum is for!
A Golf or a Focus?