Tell me about Saxo VTRs?

EddScott

EddScott

EddScott

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,434
Location
Pembrokeshire
I'm looking to change the GFs car in the near future. I would love to get her a 205 GTI 1.6 so I can cure this ongoing want I have for getting another 205.

However, it is really her car and TBH I'm not 100% that a 205 will be reliable enough for her and indeed our daughter. So we've decided to look for a Saxo VTR.

Has to be a VTR due to insurance issues and we are looking at about £1500. Quite surprised how cheap some 98/99 VTR are on Autotrader and Ebay etc.

We are going to look at a 98 VTR tomorrow and I could do with a few pointers as to what to look for. The good news with this particular one is that I know the brother of the car dealer who is a dealer himself so we might be in for a half decent deal.

Any pointers and opinions welcome :)
 
A hoot to drive, but REALLY don't expect a decent build quality. Clutch release bearings seem to be a common fault (listen for a squealing when the clutch is released), and listen out for vibrating exhaust note at around 3000rpm (mine has had to go back twice for that!).
 
Muncher said:
Impossible to drive if you have even remotely normal sized feet.
Click to expand...

Negative. They are fine, just take getting use to and this is for a girl, who shouldnt have size 10 feet ;)

A good drive, get one which is unmodded.
 
Again, I agree with the above, Muncher is WRONG.

I have size 12 Feet, and can work the pedals fine, even in my uber wide vans! Just takes a few days to get fully used to.
 
cracking fun, finally getting rid of mine after about 2 years of fun!

Be aware that earlier than 2000 (i think) basically older front ends only had 90-odd BHP, whereas the newer ones had 100HP.

Mine never let me down, ever, and was a chunk more reliable (and refined believe it or not) than my 205GTi it replaced.
 
1996-P -> 1999-V - Mark 1 Saxo
1999-V -> 2003-53 - Mark 2 Saxo

1996-P -> 1998-R - Black rocker engine, not as refined, nosier, keypad immobiliser, slatted front grill

1998-R -> 1999-V - Silver rocker engine, immobiliser transponder built into key, wider mouth grill. If you get a mk1 try and get one of these.

1999-V -> 2001-X - Mark 2 front end, different seat pattern, nicer dials with digital odo. Still 90bhp.

2001-X -> 2003-53 - Newer 98bhp engine design (difference negilable on road), cat built into manifold, different seat pattern again.

Watch out for squeeling when clutch is out, probably clutch release bearing but could also be thrust bearing in the gearbox. Engines are pretty solid and can cope with a thrashing, tapping noise is normal (injectors). If exhaust rattles at 3000rpm its usually the mount where the downpipe is has come loose from the gearbox - cost me a fiver to get sorted. Normal for gearbox to crunch into reverse. Gearstick wobbling is also common especially if the car has been driven hard, its a worn bottom engine mount.

Obviously a lot of these are gonna be thrashed so you may look at quite a few before you find a good one, look for lexus lights etc :p
 
probally going to bore people with this but..... sod the VTR and get a old school mk2 fiesta XR2!

more or less same speed and if you try a insurance qoute you will be suprised :)

pic up a spotless example for under a grand :D


more on topic my friend is selling his vtr now, strangly he prefers his fiesta 1.25 zetec he had before it 0_o.
His vtr was nippy and fun just dont expect better build quality than the pug...if anything it will be worse on a earlier one.
 
My missus has a mk2 VTS and it's an absolute load of carp.

She bought it eighteen months ago and we looked around for ages to get a 'good' one. It was totally standard with 40k on the clock.

In the eighteen months we've had the following problems:

Front drop links - easy to replace, about fifteen quid a pop if I remember rightly.
Front struts - both needed replacing due to having too much play, big knocking noise, can't remember exactly how much but approx fifty quid each
Heater matrix - dash out replacement, matrix was forty quid, three days work though!
Front ABS sensor - failed recently, thirty five quid
Airbag light constantly comes on - Dodgy pretensioners - require almost constant attention.

Brakes are absolutely horrendous, terrible. Replaced ours with 306 GTi calipers and discs and they're now about right. Three hundred quid upgrade.

If you're eighteen (like when I had my Renault 5 Turbo) then you'll probably love it. Just don't say I didn't warn you. :)
 
Not had ANY of those issues, and mine has had a HARD life (as said in other thread 25K miles/year, and those 25K miles are hard driven once warmed up!).
 
Avoid anything thats been modded or had a hard early life and you should be fine. I had two and the only problem was the maintenance indicator light coming on once. In saying that I did look after them well.

If you can go for the newer Phase II 98bhp version then do so, its got quite a few small interior changes that make it a lot nicer than the previous generation.

Muncher said:
Impossible to drive if you have even remotely normal sized feet.
Click to expand...

Managed quite well with my size tens ;).
 
Arc said:
If you can go for the newer Phase II 98bhp version then do so, its got quite a few small interior changes that make it a lot nicer than the previous generation.
Click to expand...

What, cheap cloth seats instead of velour, non tilt-adjustable headrests, solid plastic rear doorcards instead of trimmed ones, rooflining is more flimsy and prone to the fabric coming away near the sunroof, removal of map reading light and a dodgy bronze/gold coloured centre console :p

Admitidly a nicer gearknob and dial-set though ;)
 
guys guys, lets move on from the saxo.

there common,badly made and not such a great image not that image ever bothers me..mind you they are fun :D

or a car with a bit of history that i think has lost the bad image...and maybe getting to cult status! :p

I think mrs Eddscott would look much better in :

xr2!.jpg


:D

its the truth and you all knows it :p
 
maybe but i cant imagine it to be any worse than a vtr? :)

also insurance is cheap as chips on these(for my friend half the price of the saxo) and I think clean ones are going to start to go up in price. :)

probally to old for what is being looked for i guess tho :(
 
Cryfreeman said:
maybe but i cant imagine it to be any worse than a vtr? :)
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with saxo reliablility tbh. Not had to replace anything other than consumables on my 7 year old one that I've done well over 20k in this year and I hardly drive like a granny in it :p
 
GT3 said:
Nothing wrong with saxo reliablility tbh. Not had to replace anything other than consumables on my 7 year old one that I've done well over 20k in this year and I hardly drive like a granny in it :p
Click to expand...


yeah sorry didnt mean it as saxo's being unreliable :)


just ment I cant imagine the xr2 being less reliable.
 
GT3 said:
What, cheap cloth seats instead of velour, non tilt-adjustable headrests, solid plastic rear doorcards instead of trimmed ones, rooflining is more flimsy and prone to the fabric coming away near the sunroof, removal of map reading light and a dodgy bronze/gold coloured centre console :p

Admitidly a nicer gearknob and dial-set though ;)
Click to expand...

wtf are you on about, you should have gone to specsavers ;).

Even my early 90bhp Phase II had the non tilt adjustable headrests. The rooflining was the same in both my Phase II's and didnt come away at all. Map reading light (honestly dont know about that one but I never used a map, TomTom on a pda). The later phase II had plastic sound deadening installed on both the rear pillars, much thicker parcel shelf (those two cut out a lot of noise). And the centre console was silver in mine :).

Dial set and gearknob were much improved, the newer dial set actually had proper sized numbers on it unlike the fisher price style early dial set.
 
Chap at work had one from new and when ever it was wet it would refuse to start. The dealer was unable to fix it and he ended up selling at a loss though it was for an S2 Elise 135R :D

Sure there will be lots of VTR owners who can vouch for their reliability but it's going to be worth spending a bit of time finding a good one.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom