Astra VXR

[TW]Fox;17937900 said:
Please learn to read. Pretty much everyone but the OP shared the same opinion.



A Golf or a Focus?
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No, the Astra.. Lets be honest, its hardly a trabant inside, even though there are more "solid" interiors for the money.

Come on though, youve pretty much ruined the guys thread single handedly!

He said he wasnt interested in the Golf, so im not sure why you kept pushing the subject, continually.

The only positive is that you shared your opinion of how the VXR drives, which was obviously the only bit he was interested in!!
 
Single handedly? Loads of people replied with the same point. He's written off a load of cars you buy for the way they drive - ie hot hatches - without driving them. People were trying to make him realise why its important he drives them all.

Why do always seem to spend so much time arguing about who ruined a thread and who didnt with people with 12 posts? Why cant we just stick to arguing about cars and how to buy them!?
 
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Nobody "pushed" a golf, he was pushed to try all the alternatives, which happen to include the golf. He's made his mind up without trying anything, no wonder there were so many posts of despair. He hasnt even yet aknowledged that there are more than 4 hot hatches on the market.
 
iaind said:
Nobody "pushed" a golf, he was pushed to try all the alternatives, which happen to include the golf. He's made his mind up without trying anything, no wonder there were so many posts of despair. He hasnt even yet aknowledged that there are more than 4 hot hatches on the market.
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What happens when somebody who is apparently the biggest Golf hater ever gets accused of pushing a Golf? Is that like dividing by zero?
 
[TW]Fox;17937997 said:
What happens when somebody who is apparently the biggest Golf hater ever gets accused of pushing a Golf? Is that like dividing by zero?
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Thats what such an irrational and unjustified hate of all things Vauxhall will do to a man, clearly.

I'm getting really dismayed with the way this forum is going. OP asks for specific help, he gets better advice than he wanted but decides he knows everything so wont listen. It's then kept alive by people using words like "troll" and "vauxhall haters" without having properly read the thread. Maddening.

Yes, there were threads like this in the old days, but ever since that stickied post they are always full of people (mostly fairly new people) jumping to the defense of people who have been shown up. Where were they in the threads where Ive been torn to pieces!
 
What I dont get is how the sentiment in this thread was unanimous - everyone was saying the same thing, then apparently I've single handedly ruined the thread :confused:

Then we all have to spend ages having a big argument about whether we are or are not nasty with somebody who most of us know signed up here purely to cause arguments anyway :confused:
 
I have just bought a Focus ST and to be honest i would have thought that your initial research would have put you off the VXR. It certainly did when i was reading reviews.:confused:

The VXR seems flawed where as if you read almost every motoring review of the Golf GTI or Focus ST you will find that they are almost faultless ( or at least very hard to fault).

The R26 is good as well but was a bit too much of a track racer for me.

Seriously, listen to people in this thread.
 
[TW]Fox;17935593 said:
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.
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Did you notice if they had the Sport button engaged ? This makes the throttle very sensitive with this off the throttle response is OK and I found it managable. I turned this off when I got in them and I was lucky enough to be driving the fresh cars on the second day of use and they didn't understeer too badly with new tyres and unabused suspension/bushes. I was suprised how good they were on a smooth track compared to on the road where torque steer is excessive compared to all the rivals.

I do still think the Astra was the best looking 3 door hot hatch it is just a shame they never did a bit more with the suspension.

The best handling hot hatch to buy today is a Megane R26 or a Clio Sport 200. I would have these at the top of the test drive list.
 
Ok genuine things to look out for on the VXR:

- Ignition trouble due to the keyless entry and go (the car can decide it doesn't recognize the key anymore completely at random).
- Battery draining itself potentially causing the problem above
- Damage to the nose of the car - it is VERY low (even when the suspension is stock) so it's easy to catch on kerbs / inclines if you aren't careful.
- If fitted with an after market exhaust it is quite possible that it will fail the MOT due to emissions. This is especially a problem for the Burg as it comes with a Remus as standard.
- Clutch judder due to a poor map or a map with too much torque.



That's all I can think of at the moment.

As for the car itself it is quick, handles well enough when it isn't on the 19" wheels. It is quite a frustrating car to drive as it *can* handle well if you get it just right, get it wrong and it turns into a torque steering mess.

Out of the Focus, VXR and R26 I would choose the R26 every time.

The Focus *feels* too heavy (thanks to the heavy 5 pot up front) and VXR is a handful to drive fast .... well. The R26 manages to mix the speed of the Astra with the all round ability of the Golf. It will suffer electrical problems and it will go wrong but on the right road it makes all other hot hatches in its price bracket look a bit soft.
 
I would imagine that 99% of people who slate the VXR have never owned one tbh. Opinions of motoring reviews are ok but can be a bit biased. The Astra VXR is agreat car in my opinion but i,m vauxhall through and through. I have owned a fair few and sometimes get a little fed up with all the hatred to the Griffin, especially when most is based on other peoples opinions and not from ownership etc...
 
Sounds to me like anyone "slating" the VXR have had experience of one? That's the other classic vauxhall defensiveness line right there though, think we've had connect 4 in this thread!
 
MOOGLEYS said:
I would imagine that 99% of people who slate the VXR have never owned one tbh.
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Of course we havn't. Why would we buy a car we admit we strongly disliked after driving? That would be a ridiculous thing to do.

I'm amazed you even think thats a 'point'. Do you often buy things you dont like as well? Seems odd you are suprised others don't buy things they dont like.

Generally the idea is that you drive as many cars as you can and buy the best one, rather than buy the one you didnt like. Which is why the VXR dislikers have never owned one!
 
[TW]Fox;17938540 said:
Of course we havn't. Why would we buy a car we admit we strongly disliked after driving? That would be a ridiculous thing to do.

I'm amazed you even think thats a 'point'. Do you often buy things you dont like as well? Seems odd you are suprised others don't buy things they dont like.

Generally the idea is that you drive as many cars as you can and buy the best one, rather than buy the one you didnt like. Which is why the VXR dislikers have never owned one!
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I agree with what you are saying but the point is some people do like the VXR, and that is the car they want so a thread of telling them other cars are better is a little pointless.
I understand this is a forum and thats the point but if the guy was looking to get a VXR then surely the thread should be about helping him to get a decent VXR and not just say they are crap and buy something else..

The Astra VXR is a decent car and if the O/P gets a good one then he will not be dissapointed with his purchase.

It seems the usual Vauxhall hatters jump on the "Dont buy its crap" bandwagon and the O/P fails to get the advice he was looking for which is he is going to look at one and wants to know what to look out for...
 
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What we want the guy to do is experience ALL of the hot hatches. We want him to go out there and have a great time driving the Golf, the Focus, the Megane, a Mazda3 MPS, maybe an Impreza hatch, etc etc.

Then, at the end of all that, if he STILL loves the VXR, then I guess its the right car. But currently, he's no idea how good the others are, so he doesnt really know for sure that the VXR is the best car.
 
[TW]Fox;17938629 said:
What we want the guy to do is experience ALL of the hot hatches. We want him to go out there and have a great time driving the Golf, the Focus, the Megane, a Mazda3 MPS, maybe an Impreza hatch, etc etc.

Then, at the end of all that, if he STILL loves the VXR, then I guess its the right car. But currently, he's no idea how good the others are, so he doesnt really know for sure that the VXR is the best car.
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Fair point he should deffinately try a selection of cars and buy which he feels suits him best.
But the thread was about him asking for advice on buying an Astra VXR so thats what it should be about really, If the thread was titled "which hot hatch is best" then this is the way it should have gone..
 
iaind said:
Do people get annoyed in real life when conversation drifts from the original starting point?
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I was talking to a mate the other day about his holiday, conversation drifted onto christmas when suddenly the guy next to him shouts OMG TOPIC OMG DERAILED YOU ARE SUCH A TROLL.
 
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