Discussion
Hi, I’m a new member on here and thought it best I post up my car, no doubt I will get some obligatory comments about how I should be hanging out in McDonald’s or that I must hold on for dear life as I torque steer my way around Kent.. Luckily I have heard them all so nothing will surprise me or change my mind on the Astra VXR as despite what a minority of people say these are good handling cars and if treated well are reliable.
Here she is..
Anyway a bit of history, way back when I was a wee teenager I was brought up around fast (ish) motors.. BMW 3 litres, Mondeo V6’s etc.. then my dad decided he wanted more exciting stuff so I ended up being carried around in an E46 M3 and E60 M5.. if you’ve never been in one yes that V10 is epic!
As I’ve grown up I haven’t been in a situation to afford luxury fast cars (still not in a situation either tbh) but I decided last year that I can no longer do tho whole Honda Civic and Focus Cmax malarkey..
So in November I bit the bullet and started looking at Hot Hatchbacks.. a suitable market considering my age of 29 and status as a family man with 2 kids.. first up Golf GTi (well built but too samey as normal Golf), Focus ST (amazing engine but seating position felt awful and fuel economy shocking), in the end I test drove the Astra VXR I eventually purchased.. fell in love with it and that was that..
Spec:
- 3” Scorpion turbo back exhaust with sports cat
- AEM Filter
- Courtenay Sport Stage 2 Map
- Uprated LUK Clutch
- Courtenay Tophat
- Forge Recirc Valve
- 18” Team Dynamic Pro 1.2 Alloys with Eagle F1s
- Lowered on Eibach Springs
Currently running 292bhp & 337lb ft
My plan was to use her as a weekend car, occasionally using for work however situation changed and the wife needed the Derv Focus so she is now used as my daily driver. Since I bought the VXR in November it’s done 7,000 miles had 2 services (the 2nd of which was today, I’m OCD about reliability) and in that time it has not missed a beat..
Also have to say that i’ve had a few friends/colleagues want to see if it’s as fast as I bragged about... so to date I’ve scalped a few cars (straight line acceleration tests on a private road)
- Nissan 370z
- Porsche Boxster S - 986
- BMW 535d
- Focus ST - 2.0T 250 version
Yes I know I sound like a boy racer but I don’t care haha..
Currently looking to upgrade the Mrs car to something a bit nippier than her 1.6 TDCI Focus (think she has Hot Hatch Fever too) and my plans are to get past Xmas then look at getting another car as my daily to use the VXR for weekend and track.
Anyhoo that’s me and my motor, feel free to post love or hate comments, even negative feedback is feedback nonetheless..
Also would appreciate any advice for running 3 cars, is it worthwhile etc? Should just run the weekend/track car 6 months of the year?
Thanks for reading..
Here she is..
Anyway a bit of history, way back when I was a wee teenager I was brought up around fast (ish) motors.. BMW 3 litres, Mondeo V6’s etc.. then my dad decided he wanted more exciting stuff so I ended up being carried around in an E46 M3 and E60 M5.. if you’ve never been in one yes that V10 is epic!
As I’ve grown up I haven’t been in a situation to afford luxury fast cars (still not in a situation either tbh) but I decided last year that I can no longer do tho whole Honda Civic and Focus Cmax malarkey..
So in November I bit the bullet and started looking at Hot Hatchbacks.. a suitable market considering my age of 29 and status as a family man with 2 kids.. first up Golf GTi (well built but too samey as normal Golf), Focus ST (amazing engine but seating position felt awful and fuel economy shocking), in the end I test drove the Astra VXR I eventually purchased.. fell in love with it and that was that..
Spec:
- 3” Scorpion turbo back exhaust with sports cat
- AEM Filter
- Courtenay Sport Stage 2 Map
- Uprated LUK Clutch
- Courtenay Tophat
- Forge Recirc Valve
- 18” Team Dynamic Pro 1.2 Alloys with Eagle F1s
- Lowered on Eibach Springs
Currently running 292bhp & 337lb ft
My plan was to use her as a weekend car, occasionally using for work however situation changed and the wife needed the Derv Focus so she is now used as my daily driver. Since I bought the VXR in November it’s done 7,000 miles had 2 services (the 2nd of which was today, I’m OCD about reliability) and in that time it has not missed a beat..
Also have to say that i’ve had a few friends/colleagues want to see if it’s as fast as I bragged about... so to date I’ve scalped a few cars (straight line acceleration tests on a private road)
- Nissan 370z
- Porsche Boxster S - 986
- BMW 535d
- Focus ST - 2.0T 250 version
Yes I know I sound like a boy racer but I don’t care haha..
Currently looking to upgrade the Mrs car to something a bit nippier than her 1.6 TDCI Focus (think she has Hot Hatch Fever too) and my plans are to get past Xmas then look at getting another car as my daily to use the VXR for weekend and track.
Anyhoo that’s me and my motor, feel free to post love or hate comments, even negative feedback is feedback nonetheless..
Also would appreciate any advice for running 3 cars, is it worthwhile etc? Should just run the weekend/track car 6 months of the year?
Thanks for reading..
Edited by 5mileofdeath on Thursday 6th September 20:45
Underrated cars usually slated by those who’ve not been near the drivers seat of one, or those who regurgitate the usual crap about torque steer etc etc.
I enjoyed mine, sadly it being stolen kind of shagged the fun of it after a few months so it got sold within a year of buying it. Mine was a similar spec,
Remus exhaust
Stage 2 remap
Diesel airbox conversion
Eibach springs
Whiteline RARB
Compomtive CXT wheels
XYZ 6 pot brake conversion
289bhp/350lb/ft
They’re really good at covering ground quickly and surprisingly not too bad on juice.
I enjoyed mine, sadly it being stolen kind of shagged the fun of it after a few months so it got sold within a year of buying it. Mine was a similar spec,
Remus exhaust
Stage 2 remap
Diesel airbox conversion
Eibach springs
Whiteline RARB
Compomtive CXT wheels
XYZ 6 pot brake conversion
289bhp/350lb/ft
They’re really good at covering ground quickly and surprisingly not too bad on juice.
Always thought these where quite cool, a local lad used to own one (around 10 years ago now) and I can remember trying to overtake him late one night as he was just bumbling along.
Got level with his car and heard the angriest noise ever from the left of me followed by some brutal acceleration that left me like I was standing still. For young me it was the fastest thing I'd seen in my driving career and it had me wanting a c20xe/c20let swapped corsa b for about 3 years haha.
I reckon they're a bit less chavvy (not that would put me off) now then they were then, can't be too many left as I don't think I've seen one of the road for a couple of years now? There was also the 888 diesel version of this shape vauxhall which I recall was quite quick too, 190hp I believe. Bet they're ever rarer.
Yours looks pretty good OP, probably best color as well
I'm also thinking about trading my daily in for something a bit more fun. Just weighing up if the MPG loss to ~30mpg is worth it (can currently get 65mpg on a sensible warm weather run in my current car - closer 53mpg as I like to make progress).
Got level with his car and heard the angriest noise ever from the left of me followed by some brutal acceleration that left me like I was standing still. For young me it was the fastest thing I'd seen in my driving career and it had me wanting a c20xe/c20let swapped corsa b for about 3 years haha.
I reckon they're a bit less chavvy (not that would put me off) now then they were then, can't be too many left as I don't think I've seen one of the road for a couple of years now? There was also the 888 diesel version of this shape vauxhall which I recall was quite quick too, 190hp I believe. Bet they're ever rarer.
Yours looks pretty good OP, probably best color as well
I'm also thinking about trading my daily in for something a bit more fun. Just weighing up if the MPG loss to ~30mpg is worth it (can currently get 65mpg on a sensible warm weather run in my current car - closer 53mpg as I like to make progress).Thanks all appreciate the kind words.. I guess they have grown on people and yes what with the current Civic Type R and Focus RS having bigger spoilers and fins etc they have become nicer looking!
You will be amazed at how many are being sold so cheap or for parts now, usually where they haven’t been looked after..
Bought mine for £3900 which I felt was a bargain.. it’s got Cruise Control which is a nice touch and with the Bluetooth I’ve installed too it’s nice to drive long distance too..
As for the sound here’s a video I just uploaded from my service yesterday, included a dyno run to check all running ok..
https://youtu.be/Ay-YE8PAUYk
The exhaust is great reasonably loud when you hit the go pedal yet no drone on the motorway..
You will be amazed at how many are being sold so cheap or for parts now, usually where they haven’t been looked after..
Bought mine for £3900 which I felt was a bargain.. it’s got Cruise Control which is a nice touch and with the Bluetooth I’ve installed too it’s nice to drive long distance too..
As for the sound here’s a video I just uploaded from my service yesterday, included a dyno run to check all running ok..
https://youtu.be/Ay-YE8PAUYk
The exhaust is great reasonably loud when you hit the go pedal yet no drone on the motorway..
This is of special interest to me as the 3 cars I'm considering next are the GTi, ST & VXR 
Only driven the GTi so far and must admit I really liked it. At the moment preferring the idea of an ST because it has the biggest boot. But something about these Astras still calls me
looks really good mate, liking the mods too.
Only driven the GTi so far and must admit I really liked it. At the moment preferring the idea of an ST because it has the biggest boot. But something about these Astras still calls me
looks really good mate, liking the mods too.Being honest running costs are ok.. As I use mine daily I put £50 a week in (Momentum 99) and it gives me about 280 miles with mixed driving.. if your doing purely motorway you may get more..
My cars mileage is 110k she has been fully serviced and had new turbo back in 2016, other than that the receipts I have from previous owners are just bits here and there..
As I said previously if they are well looked after they will be fine, just make sure it has plenty of receipts and service history.. check for smoke from exhaust (for turbo and stem seals) and whining whilst driving (for gearbox)
As for the GTi vs ST vs VXR... I went VXR as I was going to use it as a weekend car, although now I use as a daily it’s fine too, you will get more refinement from the other 2 but the VXR is much more fun, especially when you hit the sports button, mine has the IDS+ suspension which tightens it up along with the sharper throttle response!
My cars mileage is 110k she has been fully serviced and had new turbo back in 2016, other than that the receipts I have from previous owners are just bits here and there..
As I said previously if they are well looked after they will be fine, just make sure it has plenty of receipts and service history.. check for smoke from exhaust (for turbo and stem seals) and whining whilst driving (for gearbox)
As for the GTi vs ST vs VXR... I went VXR as I was going to use it as a weekend car, although now I use as a daily it’s fine too, you will get more refinement from the other 2 but the VXR is much more fun, especially when you hit the sports button, mine has the IDS+ suspension which tightens it up along with the sharper throttle response!
Quite like these tbh. I think they're less shouty than their predecessors. Never been in one, never driven one, so cannot comment on their ability etc, but I did think about one as a run around a few years ago. One of my neighbours has one (he's a retired gent by the looks of it). Until I saw him driving it I thought it was his sons 
*update*
So a quick update on the car.. just before Xmas eve she developed a boost leak, no EML on and no problems with any smoke etc just had no power above 2k rpm which was quite annoying seeing as I use the car daily and cover around 300-400 miles a week!
Anyway after a hectic Xmas day and Boxing Day I decided to try and resolve myself by checking all the vac pipes etc, found a slight split in one thinking that would resolve it but alas no..
Left it a week until after the New Year so I could take it to my local garage, as the specialist I go to was closed until the 14th Jan, they diagnosed as front Boost Control Solenoid Failure, so I ordered the part from Courtenay Sport and after an hour of fitting it in the freezing cold, with very faint rain and it nearly getting dark I thought all was well and it had resolved the issue, to my surprise.. it hadn’t..
So fast forward nearly 2 weeks and I finally get it booked in, 5 minutes with the car and my specialist finds the culprit, split pipe from the intercooler, it was so noticeable when he pointed it out I couldn’t work out if I was angrier with myself or angrier with my local garage for charging me £70 to diagnose the wrong thing and also miss an obvious leak!
Anyhoo.. time to make myself feel better.. opted for a new Airtec intercooler system.. hour or so later and she was right as rain! And hopefully freed up a few horses in the meantime.
Another annoyance was that whilst it was up on the lift I noticed the front tyres were worn to almost the limit, so an extra £170 for 2 front Goodyear Eagle F1’s was also done today..
Oh well, all in all she is working again
so I can continue using her as a daily, however I am seriously considering getting a cheap car to run daily and leave the VXR for the weekends.
Anyone else done this? Interesting to know if it is worth owning 2 cars..
So a quick update on the car.. just before Xmas eve she developed a boost leak, no EML on and no problems with any smoke etc just had no power above 2k rpm which was quite annoying seeing as I use the car daily and cover around 300-400 miles a week!
Anyway after a hectic Xmas day and Boxing Day I decided to try and resolve myself by checking all the vac pipes etc, found a slight split in one thinking that would resolve it but alas no..
Left it a week until after the New Year so I could take it to my local garage, as the specialist I go to was closed until the 14th Jan, they diagnosed as front Boost Control Solenoid Failure, so I ordered the part from Courtenay Sport and after an hour of fitting it in the freezing cold, with very faint rain and it nearly getting dark I thought all was well and it had resolved the issue, to my surprise.. it hadn’t..
So fast forward nearly 2 weeks and I finally get it booked in, 5 minutes with the car and my specialist finds the culprit, split pipe from the intercooler, it was so noticeable when he pointed it out I couldn’t work out if I was angrier with myself or angrier with my local garage for charging me £70 to diagnose the wrong thing and also miss an obvious leak!
Anyhoo.. time to make myself feel better.. opted for a new Airtec intercooler system.. hour or so later and she was right as rain! And hopefully freed up a few horses in the meantime.
Another annoyance was that whilst it was up on the lift I noticed the front tyres were worn to almost the limit, so an extra £170 for 2 front Goodyear Eagle F1’s was also done today..
Oh well, all in all she is working again
so I can continue using her as a daily, however I am seriously considering getting a cheap car to run daily and leave the VXR for the weekends. Anyone else done this? Interesting to know if it is worth owning 2 cars..
Nice VXR man I always liked these and almost got one about 8 years ago but in the end the Cupra R just pipped it for me in the looks department.
I do run two cars so can offer some insight although my second car is an E92 M3 so not exactly what you are asking about.
Running two cars is never going to make financial sense and when you have a pair to tax and insure it can really suck but personally I think it is worth it to keep your fun car that much more special.
I did think of chopping in the Leon for a cheap DD when I got the M3 but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I do run two cars so can offer some insight although my second car is an E92 M3 so not exactly what you are asking about.
Running two cars is never going to make financial sense and when you have a pair to tax and insure it can really suck but personally I think it is worth it to keep your fun car that much more special.
I did think of chopping in the Leon for a cheap DD when I got the M3 but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
4+ years ago I bought a BMWZ4C - a car I had always fancied.
But I had to buy something vaguely practical for elderly parent taxi duties! Got a cheap Mazda 323f, but I got bored with it in 6 months!
So I got a BMW 325ti Compact - much better!
Swapped that last year for a BMW 325i Touring that is even more practical.
It doesn't really make economic sense, but it's the only way I can run the Z4C and not using it all the time does make it feel a bit more special when I do!
But I had to buy something vaguely practical for elderly parent taxi duties! Got a cheap Mazda 323f, but I got bored with it in 6 months!
So I got a BMW 325ti Compact - much better!
Swapped that last year for a BMW 325i Touring that is even more practical.
It doesn't really make economic sense, but it's the only way I can run the Z4C and not using it all the time does make it feel a bit more special when I do!
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