RE: Vauxhall Insignia VXR: Spotted

[1Addicted]

dme123 said:

I've only ever seen one Insignia VXR and it was covered in tasteless modifications and being driven in a very twuntish manner around a McDonalds car park by a rat faced chav. Vauxhall really ought to start featuring these people in their adverts, for the sake of honesty. 18 stone pasty white looking women shrieking at their kids for the Zafira advert, clueless MLM merrily blocking lane 3 at 55mph for the Corsa and of course the rat faced chav spunking all of his disposable into some sort of VXR for the "performance" range.

Shame that the Insignia gets tarred with the Vauxhall brush really, I've had a couple of hire cars and 1.8 petrol aside they have been fine.

This is it sadly. There are a certain kind of person who are drawn to the Vauxhall brand and none of them do any favours for it. I've driven a few Vauxhall's and none have offended me so, it's not the vehicles themselves.

Take the first Astra VXR, way back when over 200hp from a hot hatch was a new thing. I actually liked the lairy style as it stood out from the competition but, clearly that was my inner Chav speaking as so did every monkey from council estates around the country. Cue limo-black window tints, "Because BASSSSSS" with the windows down and overly loud exhausts constantly made heard by some ape called Chad with four teeth. The same goes for the Corsa VXR and, they're always goading for a race. You've then got the Mokka, which can only be best known for dithering, lane wandering and clogging up retail outlet car parks, driven by the 60yo+ kind of person. The Zafira I couldn't have put better myself to be honest and ironically I was actually smashed in the side by said fat pasty skinned woman with three kids, when she decided to run a cross roads, whilst screaming at her delightful offspring, likely names Kaylan, Jayron & Tanisha. I honestly don't think that there's a Zafira on the planet that isn't damged x1 day after purchase, as that doesn't have an interior full of festering old jelly sweets, mud and nappies.

I'm sure that there are exceptions, probably those owned by you lot on here but the general Vauxhall buying public just ruin the brand.

[sidesauce]

1Addicted said:

the general Vauxhall buying public just ruin the brand.

People need and have a right to have cars. What brand would have them buy instead?

[1Addicted]

sidesauce said:

eople need and have a right to have cars. What brand would have them buy instead?

I really don't mind what people buy. Kia, Mercedes, Chrysler...whatever, that's up to them but you can't argue, a certain type of person in multiple numbers tend to buy Vauxhall. This is how they've become stereotyped (and in the most case, the cap fits), as one or two knuckle-draggers in a VXR every once in a while isn't going to leave an impression, but three thousand of them will.

[MDMA .]

KarlMac said:

Who orders an R36 in bloody silver?! Ruins it.

don't shout, but I quite like them in silver. where is the link ? is it the one in Bedford ?

[Dion20vt]

I Like it, but can't help thinking you could get 95% of this car for nearly half the price in the form of the Saab Turbo X, as it is 95% the same car??? all be it down on power and slightly older compared to the Insignia, but just as quick if the figures are to be believed?! A Hirsch remap would sort that out!

Here's one for under £9k... tempting indeed!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

[AH33]

I love this reputation VXRs have, particularly the Corsa. It means nobody tries to cut me up or overtake cos they're worried i'll get out and stab them or set my 5 staffies on their mum. Which I totally would.

[milu]

I had a Vectra vxr estate,in bright red no less, and always got positive comments about it. It was obviously rare and didn't really fit in with any pre conceived ideas I thought.
Anyway I think the same applies to the insignia,too rare to be judged.

I'm not sure if the Saab turbo x is a fair comparison. They did a 2.8 Saab at the same time as Vectra. Then Saab went 4wd but I don't know if the Insignia was a more significant update.

[sidesauce]

1Addicted said:

I really don't mind what people buy. Kia, Mercedes, Chrysler...whatever, that's up to them but you can't argue, a certain type of person in multiple numbers tend to buy Vauxhall. This is how they've become stereotyped (and in the most case, the cap fits), as one or two knuckle-draggers in a VXR every once in a while isn't going to leave an impression, but three thousand of them will.

What you're saying is anecdotal. In my (also anecdotal) experience, Insignia VXRs are not driven by knuckle-draggers - they tend to be cars driven by men wearing suits. As for non-VXR and other Vauxhall models, mostly I see young women and mothers with young kids in Corsas and Astras, and, in the case of the Zafira, taxi-drivers.

I'd like to see how you could empirically prove your point as I simply don't agree with what you're saying.

[1Addicted]

sidesauce said:

I simply don't agree with what you're saying.

Then we must agree to disagree, end this tearful event on the internet, and move on with our lives, no matter how hard that is.

[anonymous-user]

1Addicted said:

sidesauce said:

I simply don't agree with what you're saying.

Then we must agree to disagree, end this tearful event on the internet, and move on with our lives, no matter how hard that is.

[V8RX7]

I didn't know these existed with 324hp and 4WD - but now I see it takes 7 seconds to 60 - I no longer care.

[All that jazz]

A guy at work had one of these in Arden blue (estate) and apparently the fuel consumption is quite a lot worse than the figures suggest. He was struggling to get double figures out of his unless he drove like a granny on a motorway. That plus the £500 tax doesn't help residuals at all. I was looking at one myself but ended up buying a Focus ST estate instead and although it's missing the sweet V6 engine note it's certainly a better car in every other respect (apart from the power).

[Pesty]

V8RX7 said:

I didn't know these existed with 324hp and 4WD - but now I see it takes 7 seconds to 60 - I no longer care.

6.2 I thought

Anyway looking on their site I see you can get a maloo but not the estate vxr8 what mental,fool had that idea

[R400TVR]

An ex-police special might be worth a look. I've seen a few Vectra specials and the prices are great. They're full VXR spec but in an SRi body and interior. The mileage is often high, but the history is usually exceptional.

[sidesauce]

1Addicted said:

Then we must agree to disagree, end this tearful event on the internet, and move on with our lives, no matter how hard that is.

Why am I hearing 'Land Of Hope and Glory' played as I read this!?

[HairyMaclary]

A good mate of mine has one pretty much identical to the one in the story. He picked it up for £16.5k. One year old and 4000 miles iirc. Used the fact it's rare to get a deal done.

I thought he was mad at the time. I would have gone f11 535d but you can't pick those up for similar money and spec!

Not that it matters but this guy wears a suit to work, lives in a 5 bed house (other car is a Zafira) but wouldn't call him a chav.

The car had issues with the rear diff and key. Both fixed under warranty.

[405dogvan]

Passengered in a saloon a couple of times, comfy, quick, smooth, could hear the sound of money falling-off it as it drove.

Owner had an 18month PCP - Residual value was hilariously high so it had to go back at the end (about £6K more than it's realistic sale price) - he missed it - he now has a VXR8 supercharged ;0

[MrHooky]

ZX10R NIN said:

If you wanted a fast estate with 300+bhp for 12-15k you're limited in you choices.

335i
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

M5 Touring
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Audi S4
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

I bought a late 2009 E61 535d touring that has been remapped to c.340bhp for £13k. 30mpg with a heavy right foot and very quick. Admittedly an older car but to my eyes much better looking and a class above in terms of interior. That interior just looks naff.

If you want a heavy under steering AWD estate buy an Audi - at least the interior will be nice...

[C7 JFW]

I wonder how well these wear the miles. Be very interested to drive one and see if all the internet talk matches reality.

As others have said, an Insignia VXR would be a relatively expensive car to run (against the purchase price). I expect most owners to be those savvy enough to spot the relative merits of the car and platform and to wear a suit, have a family and so forth.

I'm a little tempted by one.

Edited by C7 JFW on Thursday 2nd June 17:07

[anonymous-user]

Funny isn't it? People slate Ford and Vauxhall whilst gushing over BMW and Audi. Every aspiring chav I see drive the German brands whilst unassuming mums drive the less prestigious ones. I like Vauxhall and Ford, both have made cracking, game-changing models in the not too distant past (e.g. MK 1 Focus) whilst Audi especially make stodgy, generic crap.