Discussion
Guys, i was looking some opinions on this car. I drive currently drive a Saab 9-3 TTiD Aero, and was looking for something that will excite my senses a bit more.
What is the VXR like on fuel, now i mean when not thrashing it to within an inch of its life, i mean just normal driving to work etc. Is it really bad or is it livable?
Also would putting a louder exhaust on the car affect the MPG much? again with normal driving.
I know it will be dire on fuel when thrashing it, that goes without saying. I want to know, what is it like to live with as a daily driver?
What is the VXR like on fuel, now i mean when not thrashing it to within an inch of its life, i mean just normal driving to work etc. Is it really bad or is it livable?
Also would putting a louder exhaust on the car affect the MPG much? again with normal driving.
I know it will be dire on fuel when thrashing it, that goes without saying. I want to know, what is it like to live with as a daily driver?
They are usefully quick in a straight line, and not all that bad of a handler considering the guff that is usually spouted about them. Torque steer will rear it's ugly head as you might expect, but not enough to spoil the car or make it undriveable.
Day to day, probably the worst in class among it's contemporaries. The awful, low-rent Vauxhall interior is what really spoils it. Naff door cards, poor quality leather and shoddy stitching on the steering wheel, rubbish plastic everywhere. Not your greatest concern in a hot hatch either, but it's alarmingly similar to an Astra 1.3CDti inside...
You also seem concerned about the fuel costs 'when thrashing it'. That's all you'll want to do with it, so if you can't afford that, I wouldn't bother. You only grow to hate cars you can't afford to run.
Day to day, probably the worst in class among it's contemporaries. The awful, low-rent Vauxhall interior is what really spoils it. Naff door cards, poor quality leather and shoddy stitching on the steering wheel, rubbish plastic everywhere. Not your greatest concern in a hot hatch either, but it's alarmingly similar to an Astra 1.3CDti inside...
You also seem concerned about the fuel costs 'when thrashing it'. That's all you'll want to do with it, so if you can't afford that, I wouldn't bother. You only grow to hate cars you can't afford to run.
30mpg on a run, 25 round town. Exhaust makes little or no difference, at least not that I have seen.
There are a couple of cheap mods to improve handling, not that its bad to begin with.
Stock pedal map is a bit naff and some remaps make it worse. A good remap improves it no end.
Other issue is rear visibility, its pretty crap in car parks etc, fine on the road though.
Completely disagree with the comments about the interior, its certainly no worse than focus/golf/megane etc and at least has some variation instead of acres of grey plastic like an a3.
My car has done over 70k, leather is still in great condition and stitching on the wheel is pretty much as good as new. No rattles or squeaks either. Maybe the previous poster saw a bad example. It's much better built than the Leon I had before it.
Engines are pretty strong, service every 20k, cambelt at 80k. Listen for whining diff bearings, they got revised about 57 plate iirc. Engine is very torquey which makes it a good drive.
Arden blue most popular, there are two reds, early silver was replaced by a metallic grey later on, black was also available.
Nurburgring edition fetch a premium, they had carbon trim inside, leather as std and 18" multispoke wheels, only available in white. The vx racing ones (red with black bits) less so. Last of the line were called arctic, white with black wheels.
There are a couple of cheap mods to improve handling, not that its bad to begin with.
Stock pedal map is a bit naff and some remaps make it worse. A good remap improves it no end.
Other issue is rear visibility, its pretty crap in car parks etc, fine on the road though.
Completely disagree with the comments about the interior, its certainly no worse than focus/golf/megane etc and at least has some variation instead of acres of grey plastic like an a3.
My car has done over 70k, leather is still in great condition and stitching on the wheel is pretty much as good as new. No rattles or squeaks either. Maybe the previous poster saw a bad example. It's much better built than the Leon I had before it.
Engines are pretty strong, service every 20k, cambelt at 80k. Listen for whining diff bearings, they got revised about 57 plate iirc. Engine is very torquey which makes it a good drive.
Arden blue most popular, there are two reds, early silver was replaced by a metallic grey later on, black was also available.
Nurburgring edition fetch a premium, they had carbon trim inside, leather as std and 18" multispoke wheels, only available in white. The vx racing ones (red with black bits) less so. Last of the line were called arctic, white with black wheels.
I'll be brief and to the point.
- Chav image and owners generally seem to be knuckledraggers nailing it everywhere, mostly around towns.
- Rubbish headroom.
- Interior and dash not particularly nice.
- Understeer by the JCB full.
- Turbo is on/off, great fun mid corner, NOT!, then when it comes in as you feed in the power you just understeer wide of wherever you want to be.
- Didn't feel particularly when driving, turning in etc.
- Was quite fun though
Drove mainly Astra and Corsa VXR's around Brands and then Thruxton a few years ago for 1/2 day sessions. Hated the Astra and thought the Corsa was better, although could have done with a little more power. FYI I drive a DC2.
- Chav image and owners generally seem to be knuckledraggers nailing it everywhere, mostly around towns.
- Rubbish headroom.
- Interior and dash not particularly nice.
- Understeer by the JCB full.
- Turbo is on/off, great fun mid corner, NOT!, then when it comes in as you feed in the power you just understeer wide of wherever you want to be.
- Didn't feel particularly when driving, turning in etc.
- Was quite fun though
Drove mainly Astra and Corsa VXR's around Brands and then Thruxton a few years ago for 1/2 day sessions. Hated the Astra and thought the Corsa was better, although could have done with a little more power. FYI I drive a DC2.
-Ad- said:
Drove mainly Astra and Corsa VXR's around Brands and then Thruxton a few years ago for 1/2 day sessions. Hated the Astra and thought the Corsa was better, although could have done with a little more power.
Agree the Corsa is the better drivers car, however add more power and it will become the Astra VXR, thats the problem, too much power.They look great, I like the interiors also. The engine is quite good aswell, but I must admit to finding the standard handling quite dull. The steering is very lacking in feel, which isnt so bad in a communicative chassis (EP3 was lacking in steering feel, but you could feel a lot of what the car was doing through your seat) but the VXR isnt very communicative.
After_Shock said:
-Ad- said:
Drove mainly Astra and Corsa VXR's around Brands and then Thruxton a few years ago for 1/2 day sessions. Hated the Astra and thought the Corsa was better, although could have done with a little more power.
Agree the Corsa is the better drivers car, however add more power and it will become the Astra VXR, thats the problem, too much power.-Ad- said:
I'll be brief and to the point.
- Chav image and owners generally seem to be knuckledraggers nailing it everywhere, mostly around towns.
.
- Chav image and owners generally seem to be knuckledraggers nailing it everywhere, mostly around towns.
.
MOST are but not all. Interstingly a chap in his late 50's has a red astra VXR down the road from me. Next to him is another chap of the same age in an Alfa 147 GTA!Something quite cool about men of a certain vintage driving hot hatches!
-Ad- said:
I'll be brief and to the point.
- Chav image and owners generally seem to be knuckledraggers nailing it everywhere, mostly around towns.
- Rubbish headroom.
- Interior and dash not particularly nice.
- Understeer by the JCB full.
- Turbo is on/off, great fun mid corner, NOT!, then when it comes in as you feed in the power you just understeer wide of wherever you want to be.
- Didn't feel particularly when driving, turning in etc.
- Was quite fun though
Drove mainly Astra and Corsa VXR's around Brands and then Thruxton a few years ago for 1/2 day sessions. Hated the Astra and thought the Corsa was better, although could have done with a little more power. FYI I drive a DC2.
Sounds like you are describing the previous gen car. The GTC based VXR is a much better package.- Chav image and owners generally seem to be knuckledraggers nailing it everywhere, mostly around towns.
- Rubbish headroom.
- Interior and dash not particularly nice.
- Understeer by the JCB full.
- Turbo is on/off, great fun mid corner, NOT!, then when it comes in as you feed in the power you just understeer wide of wherever you want to be.
- Didn't feel particularly when driving, turning in etc.
- Was quite fun though
Drove mainly Astra and Corsa VXR's around Brands and then Thruxton a few years ago for 1/2 day sessions. Hated the Astra and thought the Corsa was better, although could have done with a little more power. FYI I drive a DC2.
Steve
Chicane-UK said:
ben_h100 said:
Focus ST as an alternative?
Agreed if you want something that's got an exciting exhaust note... the 5 cylinder lump in the previous model Focus ST is hard to beat, and I'm sure would sound even better with a sports exhaust system on! Don't get it. There awful. Have you seen the centre console? Ugh.
Pretty forgetful engine, a freind had one in red, and was boasting about it's power and torque, except when my little CTR had no trouble in keeping up as he was wrestling the wheel most the time.
Get a Focus ST, or a Golf GTI or a Civic Type R lol.
Pretty forgetful engine, a freind had one in red, and was boasting about it's power and torque, except when my little CTR had no trouble in keeping up as he was wrestling the wheel most the time.
Get a Focus ST, or a Golf GTI or a Civic Type R lol.
Ok, so we are talking the 2005-10 (or so) car here, not the GTC. Lots of people follow the herd and slag the early car off, equally I've met plenty of people who went on the track days and were quite surprised when they actually got to drive it.
If you don't like turbo cars you won't like it, if you don't like high torque spread over the rev range, you won't like it. If this is you, go buy a VTEC.
I don't understand the "omg it torquesteers so much you'll crash and die" stuff. All you need do is hold the steering wheel, it really is that simple. There are plenty of cars running over 300lb/ft.
Forgot to say the nurburgring got the remus exhaust as stock.
Far as the "competition" of the same era goes (imho):
Golf GTI - You'll fall asleep in it. Its not a hot hatch.
Golf R32 - Didn't feel very urgent, to be honest my old Leon drove better.
Focus ST - heavier on fuel, feels like an old boat due to massive body roll. It does start to pull nicely but just then dies off and stops pulling, shame really because the hardware is capable.
Civic Type R - fine if you want to drive around an eleventy billion revs.
I never got to drive the Mazda MPS thing.
Complaints about turbo being "on/off" usually come from drivers used to high revving N/A cars who tend to use the throttle like a switch (as you would in something like a VTEC). As I mentioned the stock pedal map isn't the best, but it only takes a few minutes to learn it, even on a track - I have to re-adjust from my car when getting in one.
If you don't like turbo cars you won't like it, if you don't like high torque spread over the rev range, you won't like it. If this is you, go buy a VTEC.
I don't understand the "omg it torquesteers so much you'll crash and die" stuff. All you need do is hold the steering wheel, it really is that simple. There are plenty of cars running over 300lb/ft.
Forgot to say the nurburgring got the remus exhaust as stock.
Far as the "competition" of the same era goes (imho):
Golf GTI - You'll fall asleep in it. Its not a hot hatch.
Golf R32 - Didn't feel very urgent, to be honest my old Leon drove better.
Focus ST - heavier on fuel, feels like an old boat due to massive body roll. It does start to pull nicely but just then dies off and stops pulling, shame really because the hardware is capable.
Civic Type R - fine if you want to drive around an eleventy billion revs.
I never got to drive the Mazda MPS thing.
Complaints about turbo being "on/off" usually come from drivers used to high revving N/A cars who tend to use the throttle like a switch (as you would in something like a VTEC). As I mentioned the stock pedal map isn't the best, but it only takes a few minutes to learn it, even on a track - I have to re-adjust from my car when getting in one.
AZZLES said:
Also would putting a louder exhaust on the car affect the MPG much? again with normal driving.
Got myself a Corsa VXR Arctic since it already comes with a remus exhaust- great noise/pops and 207bhp(ish). One thing i will say is the range is horrendous since it's only a 45 litre tank. The Astra's is 52 litres iirc(?)- Can't imagine that's much better. Probably get about 30mpg out of it with 'mixed' driving so to speak 
The biggest flaw of the Astra VXR is not it's torque steer, or it's tram-lining, it's the characterless engine that is free of charisma. It's quick in a straight line if you've got a fairly smooth, flat road, if that's your thing.
The problem with the Astra VXR is that there is nothing that it's particularly good at that isn't done better by something else on the market.
Sound - it sounds naff, even with a louder exhaust it's just a a blown 4. A VTEC it ain't.r
Cruising / relaxation - it doesn't seem to cruise as effortlessly as a Golf GTI or a Focus ST
Hardcore / thrills - it's nowhere near as raw as an EP3, it occupies an uneasy middle ground between being raw and being relaxing, it's good at neither. It's quick on a smooth enough road, but the engine is so joyless you won't be revving it just for the hell of it.
As a place to sit - If it were more hardcore, it would be excusable that the interior looks so similar to the bog spec Astra. As it is, if you care about that sort of thing, it looks a bit naff next to a lot of the competition.
As far as MPG goes, OP should not buy one if MPG is a concern. It's a hot hatch, it's meant to be driven briskly, if you have to drive it like a granny because you can't foot the fuel bill you'll just end up resenting the outlay over a standard version of the same car to drive the performance version, which has performance that you just don't use.
As I say, it's not a terrible car, it's not even really a bad car, it's just not as good in any one field as it's competitors, nor as it as good an all rounder as some of the cars it's up against.
The problem with the Astra VXR is that there is nothing that it's particularly good at that isn't done better by something else on the market.
Sound - it sounds naff, even with a louder exhaust it's just a a blown 4. A VTEC it ain't.r
Cruising / relaxation - it doesn't seem to cruise as effortlessly as a Golf GTI or a Focus ST
Hardcore / thrills - it's nowhere near as raw as an EP3, it occupies an uneasy middle ground between being raw and being relaxing, it's good at neither. It's quick on a smooth enough road, but the engine is so joyless you won't be revving it just for the hell of it.
As a place to sit - If it were more hardcore, it would be excusable that the interior looks so similar to the bog spec Astra. As it is, if you care about that sort of thing, it looks a bit naff next to a lot of the competition.
As far as MPG goes, OP should not buy one if MPG is a concern. It's a hot hatch, it's meant to be driven briskly, if you have to drive it like a granny because you can't foot the fuel bill you'll just end up resenting the outlay over a standard version of the same car to drive the performance version, which has performance that you just don't use.
As I say, it's not a terrible car, it's not even really a bad car, it's just not as good in any one field as it's competitors, nor as it as good an all rounder as some of the cars it's up against.
I had one on lease for two years easily achieved 28mpg, interior a bit low rent but never had any problems with rattles etc. Ran a bluefin on mine that was switchable on the sport button on dash and it was great fun to drive, yes it would torque steer but never really understood the hatred of this effect I always found a. I could control it with the right pedal and b. It reminded me i was driving something exciting!
Mine seemed very prone to stone chips, other than that I enjoyed the two years I had with it.
Mine seemed very prone to stone chips, other than that I enjoyed the two years I had with it.
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