Any PH'ers got a 2012/2013 Vauxhall Astra VXR?
Discussion
As title, anyone got/had one and able to share their experiences?
Currently got a 2012 Focus ST-3 that I have never quite 'gelled' with, I was idly browsing Autotrader + PH Classifieds today and there seem to be ex-demo's with low mileage for considerably lower than list.
Currently 42 yrs old, never owned a Vauxhall before. I don't fancy the Megane, the car previous to the Focus ST was a MK2 Focus RS so the VXR is a bit closer performance-wise to the RS.
Currently got a 2012 Focus ST-3 that I have never quite 'gelled' with, I was idly browsing Autotrader + PH Classifieds today and there seem to be ex-demo's with low mileage for considerably lower than list.
Currently 42 yrs old, never owned a Vauxhall before. I don't fancy the Megane, the car previous to the Focus ST was a MK2 Focus RS so the VXR is a bit closer performance-wise to the RS.
Would also love to know this, I don't have a vxr but do have a gtc, handles great when you need it to and not a bad place to sit either, huge step up from previous model inside. VXR had good reviews on fithgear when put up against rivals, although it did only come second, can not for the life of me remember what to though. Trip to a dealer and tell him you are interested in a PX to get behind the wheels of one?
Yup, seems to me like it's a bit of a gamble tbh - they're nice cars but I didn't want to take the risk.
Btw, if you take the plunge, and even although I have a strong dislike for the Arnold Clark group, you should be able to secure a significant discount.
There are a lot of tasty options within that price bracket though!
Good luck.
Btw, if you take the plunge, and even although I have a strong dislike for the Arnold Clark group, you should be able to secure a significant discount.
There are a lot of tasty options within that price bracket though!
Good luck.
From what little I have read it seems that the respray work is being done under warranty, I did read that the paint issues were meant to be sorted out now but who knows.
What puts me off is the stupid 20" wheels and the fact that the car is much wider than my mk5. My car with its long doors and a fairly deep door pocket means it can be a pain to get in and out if parking spaces are a bit small. The new car is nearly 90mm wider so will be worse in this respect.
I believe if you buy an ex-demo you get the lifetime warranty, so if you get to the point of buying make sure this is correct.
What puts me off is the stupid 20" wheels and the fact that the car is much wider than my mk5. My car with its long doors and a fairly deep door pocket means it can be a pain to get in and out if parking spaces are a bit small. The new car is nearly 90mm wider so will be worse in this respect.
I believe if you buy an ex-demo you get the lifetime warranty, so if you get to the point of buying make sure this is correct.
I've got a friend who traded up his previous gen Astra VXR for a new gen one, the new on is an enormous step up in terms of interior quality, like lightyears ahead of the old one. The engine is good too, not as obviously boosted as the old one, which is a good trick considering they've upped the power another by another 15% or so over the last model, it does feel more like a bigger naturally aspirated engine, rather than a smaller turbo engine using a lot of boost pressure to make power. It even sounds quite nice, especially on the inside, for a 4 cylinder turbo, with a warm, bass-heavy exhaust note at lower revs and a loud, turbine-esque whoosh at higher revs on full throttle. Of all of the new hot hatches, if I was buying I'd get the Astra. However, the tyre prices for the 20" wheels are ridiculous, but gone are the days of hot hatches being relatively inexpensive to run, so you'll have to take that in your stride.
Well, a Vauxhall dealer fairly local to me has an ex-demo in stock, a white one with the Aero pack.
Went to see it this afternoon, and went out for a short-ish test drive. I've yet to decide whether to go for it, but if I do then I would like another drive first. I was quite impressed with it though, the exhaust note is WAY better than my Focus ST, the ride is a fair bit harder but I don't mind that, but one thing I can't quite get my head round, and another poster on this thread mentioned it, is the car is quick without feeling quick.
With my car you can feel a good shove into the back of your seat whereas the VXR that shove is almost nonexistent.
The car has done just a shade over 5K and is up for nearly £21K. It is being used by the sales manager for the dealership and when I called this morning to see if the car was still available they said it was but they would need to go & fetch it from the sales manager's house as he was on a day off! So the interior & exterior were in need of a good clean, there has been a sticker stuck to the top of the dash that hasn't been removed properly and it needs a good vacuum. The only big-ish issue is that one the 20" wheels has been kerbed, pretty badly. The salesman said they would send the wheel off to be repaired, I wasn't particularly happy about this and said if I was going to get the car I would want a new alloy, but we'll see.
Trade-in value for my 17-month old ST was pretty much where I was expecting it, was still a kick in the teeth though when I think what I paid for it in Sept. 2012.
Went to see it this afternoon, and went out for a short-ish test drive. I've yet to decide whether to go for it, but if I do then I would like another drive first. I was quite impressed with it though, the exhaust note is WAY better than my Focus ST, the ride is a fair bit harder but I don't mind that, but one thing I can't quite get my head round, and another poster on this thread mentioned it, is the car is quick without feeling quick.
With my car you can feel a good shove into the back of your seat whereas the VXR that shove is almost nonexistent.
The car has done just a shade over 5K and is up for nearly £21K. It is being used by the sales manager for the dealership and when I called this morning to see if the car was still available they said it was but they would need to go & fetch it from the sales manager's house as he was on a day off! So the interior & exterior were in need of a good clean, there has been a sticker stuck to the top of the dash that hasn't been removed properly and it needs a good vacuum. The only big-ish issue is that one the 20" wheels has been kerbed, pretty badly. The salesman said they would send the wheel off to be repaired, I wasn't particularly happy about this and said if I was going to get the car I would want a new alloy, but we'll see.
Trade-in value for my 17-month old ST was pretty much where I was expecting it, was still a kick in the teeth though when I think what I paid for it in Sept. 2012.
Have you looked at the Impreza hatch? It was only in a mini-feature the other day, but for the money a WRX would destroy a VXR, doesn't have the 20" wheels or the cap-backwards image (unless it's blue with good wheels I suppose).
Could be completely wide of the mark but £21k seems crazy to spend on something not too dissimilar from what you already have (ST)!
Could be completely wide of the mark but £21k seems crazy to spend on something not too dissimilar from what you already have (ST)!
Don't get me started on the wheels - my vxr had the same wheels but 18s and the hassle I had to get them repaired...they had to be sent off to England because they're diamond cut. I believe that the required machines are slowly making their way into allow refurb companies in Scotland.
As much as I'm starting to love my M135i more and more, had I known subaru and Mitsubishi were about to bring back their rally offerings, I would have held off...I can see me trading my current car in for one of the above in 3 years!
As for the car not feeling as fast as it is, I reckon the 135i is the same. The corsa was nowhere near as quick but in comparison it was like a go-kart and I could chuck it about which was great fun. I'll be interested to see what the next generation corsa vxr is like.
As much as I'm starting to love my M135i more and more, had I known subaru and Mitsubishi were about to bring back their rally offerings, I would have held off...I can see me trading my current car in for one of the above in 3 years!
As for the car not feeling as fast as it is, I reckon the 135i is the same. The corsa was nowhere near as quick but in comparison it was like a go-kart and I could chuck it about which was great fun. I'll be interested to see what the next generation corsa vxr is like.
The new Astra VXR is a massive step forward. Putting the rare and exciting Megane to one side for a second, I think the Astra VXR is the best hot hatch for sale now, and it has come on leaps and bounds. The new Focus ST just doesn't seem good enough. So not only has the Astra VXR improved the most out of every current hot hatch between this model and the previous model, it's also a bloody fantastic thing. Okay, so the 20" wheels are excessive; they look great but the tyre costs are insane. For a car that you can have for a few hundred quid a month from Vauxhall, over £300 a corner for tyres seems pretty eye opening. Considering that my 1999 A8 with S8 18" wheels on 245 section tyres on could be shod for about £150 a corner!
Plus, the car with the 19" wheels and no aero-pack has nowhere near as much visual impact (and the 19" wheel design is awful), a clever move by Vauxhall to boost options sales on their cars. Frankly, I don't think any car manufacturer has improved as much as Vauxhall over the past year or so. The new Insignia looks great, the Astra VXR is a triumph, the Adam is pretty funky looking for a girl's city car, and this is coming off the back of a few years were they were making the worst cars they have ever made (of which I still get to drive at work
)
Plus, the car with the 19" wheels and no aero-pack has nowhere near as much visual impact (and the 19" wheel design is awful), a clever move by Vauxhall to boost options sales on their cars. Frankly, I don't think any car manufacturer has improved as much as Vauxhall over the past year or so. The new Insignia looks great, the Astra VXR is a triumph, the Adam is pretty funky looking for a girl's city car, and this is coming off the back of a few years were they were making the worst cars they have ever made (of which I still get to drive at work
)
Baryonyx said:
evolved from this hokey piece of rubbish...
It didn't "evolve" from the Mk5 at all, the J is a completely new car, there is literally nothing shared.And the Mk5 was far from rubbish, but thanks to the usual clarkson bulls
t everyone will have you believed it'll torque steer you off the road. Its actually a good b-road car with a great torque curve. I bought one over every other hot hatch, don't regret it for a second. I can remember test driving Mk5 golfs at the time and being utterly bored stless by them inside 10 minutes.I've read various accounts of the new car being somewhat dulled over the earlier car to satisfy the "zomg teh torquesteer will kill us all !!!!" crowd.
If you still don't believe me look at what Bo Neilsen was doing with his on stock shocks & a set of lowering springs around Spa & the ring. He took the car further and won his class in time attack with it. I've done a few VXR track days in them too
Apologies if this is a bit of a rant but there was nothing wrong with the Mk5, other than people's preconceptions and a whole lot of bulls
t from armchair experts.OP: Just thought of something else on the J - check maintenance costs, if I remember rightly the replacement discs & pads for the front will stand you into four figures...
ETA: You're criticising Astras and drive a Peugeot 106 ? f
ks sake man..Yes, but then the 106 Rallye will be remembered as one of the best handling hot hatches of all time. The first Astra VXR will be remembered for precisely nothing. But yeah, feel free to sling an insult at my car, if it makes you feel better about picking a 'last in class' hot hatch.
Not saying the Astra H VXR was a total shonker. It wasn't up to much, but it did have a considerable punch from it's slightly characterless engine. The handling wasn't great, the interior was dire, it looked st, though it could storm up and down a slip road with aplomb, which was about it's only party trick. To say it wasn't up to the competition at the time wasn't saying much at all. It was thoroughly outclassed by the competition in pretty much every area, though I'll admit the Arden Blue colour was fetching. And that same general aura of failing to meet the required standard could be seen in pretty much every Vauxhall car of that era, even comparing the base spec Astra H to a Focus, a Civic or a Golf, it feels shockingly bad. Vauxhall were brave to build a hot hatch on such a poor foundation but then, their reputation was already in it's nadir at the time and I doubt they felt they had anything to lose.
When I say that the new Astra 'evolved' from the Astra H, it's a fairly loose use of the term. It 'evolved' because it's the next performance Astra, in the same way as the boxy Astra GTE E 'evolved' into the Astra GSI F, namely because the 'F' became the new car in the segment for Vauxhall. Oh, don't worry, no-one would mistake the new Astra VXR as a car that had anything to do with the old one, in any sense. The new Astra is a genuinely good car, and really feels up to scratch with the competition. Unlike the Astra H VXR, it feels like a complete package rather than the 'typical' Vauxhall effort of dumping a tuned engine in a slack shopping car.
Again, like I say, the old Astra VXR isn'tbad beyond measure and if your idea of motoring fun is more akin to dumping the throttle down a sliproad and listening to Drum and Bass in a disused car park then you'll probably love it. Whatever you do though, don't touch those awful door cards.
Not saying the Astra H VXR was a total shonker. It wasn't up to much, but it did have a considerable punch from it's slightly characterless engine. The handling wasn't great, the interior was dire, it looked s
t, though it could storm up and down a slip road with aplomb, which was about it's only party trick. To say it wasn't up to the competition at the time wasn't saying much at all. It was thoroughly outclassed by the competition in pretty much every area, though I'll admit the Arden Blue colour was fetching. And that same general aura of failing to meet the required standard could be seen in pretty much every Vauxhall car of that era, even comparing the base spec Astra H to a Focus, a Civic or a Golf, it feels shockingly bad. Vauxhall were brave to build a hot hatch on such a poor foundation but then, their reputation was already in it's nadir at the time and I doubt they felt they had anything to lose.When I say that the new Astra 'evolved' from the Astra H, it's a fairly loose use of the term. It 'evolved' because it's the next performance Astra, in the same way as the boxy Astra GTE E 'evolved' into the Astra GSI F, namely because the 'F' became the new car in the segment for Vauxhall. Oh, don't worry, no-one would mistake the new Astra VXR as a car that had anything to do with the old one, in any sense. The new Astra is a genuinely good car, and really feels up to scratch with the competition. Unlike the Astra H VXR, it feels like a complete package rather than the 'typical' Vauxhall effort of dumping a tuned engine in a slack shopping car.
Again, like I say, the old Astra VXR isn'tbad beyond measure and if your idea of motoring fun is more akin to dumping the throttle down a sliproad and listening to Drum and Bass in a disused car park then you'll probably love it. Whatever you do though, don't touch those awful door cards.
I've just passed 8000 miles in my new VXR so I feel like I know the car well now, so here's my summary..
Pro's:
Shockingly good grip, excellent manner when pushing the limits and LSD works well to keep you going where you want
Nice ride even in 'VXR' mode
Beautiful in all ways , Exterior, interior, seats
Gets a lot of compliments and not just from petrol heads
Still rare around here compared to ST' / RS'
Addictive whistle on throttle
Negative's:
Doesn't feel as fast as it is.
Tyres are pricey for good quality (£250 each fitted)
Cost of front discs currently around £500 EACH + pads
My car is due respray (Blue) seems a known problem but currently no problems with VX about it.
Overall, if you are happy with the running costs I doubt you will regret the purchase in any way, just be sure if you buy a Arden blue one to get mud flaps to protect the paintwork.
Pro's:
Shockingly good grip, excellent manner when pushing the limits and LSD works well to keep you going where you want
Nice ride even in 'VXR' mode
Beautiful in all ways , Exterior, interior, seats
Gets a lot of compliments and not just from petrol heads
Still rare around here compared to ST' / RS'
Addictive whistle on throttle
Negative's:
Doesn't feel as fast as it is.
Tyres are pricey for good quality (£250 each fitted)
Cost of front discs currently around £500 EACH + pads
My car is due respray (Blue) seems a known problem but currently no problems with VX about it.
Overall, if you are happy with the running costs I doubt you will regret the purchase in any way, just be sure if you buy a Arden blue one to get mud flaps to protect the paintwork.
Baryonyx said:
A whole loads of bks
Here you go, I made you a badge:ks
Its clear you've never driven a VXR, certainly not for any period of time (and have definitely never tracked one) and are relying on your keyboard warrior skills to criticise. Dire interior & poor build quality and you'll be driving to work in a late 90s french tin can ? Please.
Still, at least your close mindedness means you can have a good old anti Vauxhall circlejerk with the other idiots out there eh ?
What is Vauxhall thinking about with it's running costs at the moment? I remember thinking the Insignia VXR was a cracking buy, especially nearly new, until EVO needed new brake discs on their long termer. 2 grand if I recall correctly. Now we have an Astra VXR that has tyres that cost £1000 a set and front discs that cost the same. If you have to change those at service time and need road tax and an MOT you're knocking on 3 grand!
For me we're reaching the point where I can't be bothered to have a nice car. I'm just not interested in paying piss take running costs.
For me we're reaching the point where I can't be bothered to have a nice car. I'm just not interested in paying piss take running costs.
SonicHedgeHog said:
What is Vauxhall thinking about with it's running costs at the moment? I remember thinking the Insignia VXR was a cracking buy, especially nearly new, until EVO needed new brake discs on their long termer. 2 grand if I recall correctly. Now we have an Astra VXR that has tyres that cost £1000 a set and front discs that cost the same. If you have to change those at service time and need road tax and an MOT you're knocking on 3 grand!
For me we're reaching the point where I can't be bothered to have a nice car. I'm just not interested in paying piss take running costs.
How do the running costs stack up against competitors offerings (ST, Megane etc)?For me we're reaching the point where I can't be bothered to have a nice car. I'm just not interested in paying piss take running costs.
Crafty_ said:
Baryonyx said:
A whole loads of bks
Here you go, I made you a badge:ksIts clear you've never driven a VXR, certainly not for any period of time (and have definitely never tracked one) and are relying on your keyboard warrior skills to criticise. Dire interior & poor build quality and you'll be driving to work in a late 90s french tin can ? Please.
Still, at least your close mindedness means you can have a good old anti Vauxhall circlejerk with the other idiots out there eh ?
offspring86 said:
SonicHedgeHog said:
What is Vauxhall thinking about with it's running costs at the moment? I remember thinking the Insignia VXR was a cracking buy, especially nearly new, until EVO needed new brake discs on their long termer. 2 grand if I recall correctly. Now we have an Astra VXR that has tyres that cost £1000 a set and front discs that cost the same. If you have to change those at service time and need road tax and an MOT you're knocking on 3 grand!
For me we're reaching the point where I can't be bothered to have a nice car. I'm just not interested in paying piss take running costs.
How do the running costs stack up against competitors offerings (ST, Megane etc)?For me we're reaching the point where I can't be bothered to have a nice car. I'm just not interested in paying piss take running costs.
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