Astra GTC VXR or BMW 130i
Discussion
Looking at getting a cheap hot hatch to spice up the limited driver down the an and b roads I have to use. Currently doing them in a Landcruiser which really isn’t the most enjoyable or cost effective.
Have seen the VXR GTC recommended on here a lot, wondered what are the issues to keep an eye out for?
Same with the 130i with it being older.
Open to other options that people may have sub 10k. No real requirements other than having a boot that can fit sports bags into.
Thanks
Have seen the VXR GTC recommended on here a lot, wondered what are the issues to keep an eye out for?
Same with the 130i with it being older.
Open to other options that people may have sub 10k. No real requirements other than having a boot that can fit sports bags into.
Thanks
All I can say is the 130i will have the N52 engine, which is a peach and very reliable. Had one in my last 330i and there was not a single trip it did not make me smile.
From a very quick look on Autotrader the 130i is a lot less money for a nice one, and with a manual box and a set of good tyres on would drive well.
From a very quick look on Autotrader the 130i is a lot less money for a nice one, and with a manual box and a set of good tyres on would drive well.
Massively biased as I’ve just bought one.
130i is a brilliant little thing. The n52 is fantastic.
They are older cars now. Nothing majorly troublesome from my research. Water pumps are a 100k consumable but parts aren’t horrendously expensive if you avoid bmw.
Biggest expense on these will be rust prevention or treatment. Rear subframes are a rust point. Front wings like to rust.
Budget £1k on rear subframe and £170 each for wings painted.
£400 for water pump job.
You can get a mint jap import for your budget. Or for less than half that you can pick up a high mileage uk car.
Only negative I have of the car is the pedal position in relation to the driver seat. Pedals are offset to the right and it’s nearly impossible to heel and toe due to the floor mounted accelerator and brake pedal position.
You don’t sit square to the pedals so you sit slightly twisted. Ive not done any long journeys in it yet so can’t comment if its an issue or not.
My other car is an impreza and the driving position of that is the best of any car I can remember so that might highlight it more.
Can’t comment on the vauxhall as the last one I owned was an astra vxr back in 2009.
130i is a brilliant little thing. The n52 is fantastic.
They are older cars now. Nothing majorly troublesome from my research. Water pumps are a 100k consumable but parts aren’t horrendously expensive if you avoid bmw.
Biggest expense on these will be rust prevention or treatment. Rear subframes are a rust point. Front wings like to rust.
Budget £1k on rear subframe and £170 each for wings painted.
£400 for water pump job.
You can get a mint jap import for your budget. Or for less than half that you can pick up a high mileage uk car.
Only negative I have of the car is the pedal position in relation to the driver seat. Pedals are offset to the right and it’s nearly impossible to heel and toe due to the floor mounted accelerator and brake pedal position.
You don’t sit square to the pedals so you sit slightly twisted. Ive not done any long journeys in it yet so can’t comment if its an issue or not.
My other car is an impreza and the driving position of that is the best of any car I can remember so that might highlight it more.
Can’t comment on the vauxhall as the last one I owned was an astra vxr back in 2009.
130i is very stiff and not good for broken B-roads.
N52 is a cracking engine when working, but at that age you might end up with bills for sorting water pump, oil leaks etc, plus everything else on a car getting to 15 years like suspension etc.
Wonderful cars but be prepared for bills.
For something a bit more supple I'd look at a Clio 1x2, Megane RS in various forms, you'd get a nice EP3 Civic Type R as well, Focus ST Mk2, R53 Cooper S, Mk5 or Mk6 Golf GTI.
N52 is a cracking engine when working, but at that age you might end up with bills for sorting water pump, oil leaks etc, plus everything else on a car getting to 15 years like suspension etc.
Wonderful cars but be prepared for bills.
For something a bit more supple I'd look at a Clio 1x2, Megane RS in various forms, you'd get a nice EP3 Civic Type R as well, Focus ST Mk2, R53 Cooper S, Mk5 or Mk6 Golf GTI.
RandomCarChat said:
If its b road fun you want i'd buy the best Clio 197/200 you could find.
Never really been into the French hot hatches. I know they are a good blast. But I was hoping for something more reliable/less prone to issues. Have had a few friends have the 197/200/265 rs in various years and guises and they warned me off them.
Worth widening the search to 125i Coupés as well - pretty much the same car as the 130i with slightly smaller front brakes and a different engine map, both of which can be changed quite easily. Boot is bigger than the hatch as well - mine's always full of golf clubs, so sports bags shouldn't be an issue.
I find it perfectly amusing on a B road and haven't noticed the offset pedals be an issue on longer drives - in fact in a way it's more comfortable than my F20 Auto for long drives as my left leg doesn't go dead after 90 minutes
I find it perfectly amusing on a B road and haven't noticed the offset pedals be an issue on longer drives - in fact in a way it's more comfortable than my F20 Auto for long drives as my left leg doesn't go dead after 90 minutes
Krikkit said:
130i is very stiff and not good for broken B-roads.
N52 is a cracking engine when working, but at that age you might end up with bills for sorting water pump, oil leaks etc, plus everything else on a car getting to 15 years like suspension etc.
Wonderful cars but be prepared for bills.
For something a bit more supple I'd look at a Clio 1x2, Megane RS in various forms, you'd get a nice EP3 Civic Type R as well, Focus ST Mk2, R53 Cooper S, Mk5 or Mk6 Golf GTI.
I think most of the 130i I’ve seen have been relatively well looked after. Most things that you mentioned would be diy which is good. N52 is a cracking engine when working, but at that age you might end up with bills for sorting water pump, oil leaks etc, plus everything else on a car getting to 15 years like suspension etc.
Wonderful cars but be prepared for bills.
For something a bit more supple I'd look at a Clio 1x2, Megane RS in various forms, you'd get a nice EP3 Civic Type R as well, Focus ST Mk2, R53 Cooper S, Mk5 or Mk6 Golf GTI.
French hot hatches are ruled out as I’ve had a few friends battle those cars. Amazing when working, but nightmare when not. Same for the mini. Had two in for work and both were just bottomless pits. Focus ST is too boy racer, (especially in NI)
Civic type r is a contender, just wanted to get something abit more unusual. I have a k24 build in the works in a 996.
I had a 130i, 135i coupe then a M135i so I'll give my thoughts. All can be had for under £10k.
I personally found the 130i so underwhelming after all I'd heard. Mine had the carbon intake and M per exhaust and sounded nice outside but inside the cabin I didn't feel it sounded all that great. I found it a very very dull car. The N52 is a good engine but doesn't have that much power.
Then I got a 135i (N55 engine), much nicer and heavier steering. Sounds better, looks miles better, basically everything about it I preferred.
Then an M135i, which shared the same N55 engine which is an absolute peach and to my mind, much better than the N52. The auto is great and it's a brilliant car. The achilles heal of the M135i is just that the steering is electric and just not very good.
Personally I'd avoid the 130i and get the 135i or M135i.
I actually think the 130i looks a bit crap now too.
I personally found the 130i so underwhelming after all I'd heard. Mine had the carbon intake and M per exhaust and sounded nice outside but inside the cabin I didn't feel it sounded all that great. I found it a very very dull car. The N52 is a good engine but doesn't have that much power.
Then I got a 135i (N55 engine), much nicer and heavier steering. Sounds better, looks miles better, basically everything about it I preferred.
Then an M135i, which shared the same N55 engine which is an absolute peach and to my mind, much better than the N52. The auto is great and it's a brilliant car. The achilles heal of the M135i is just that the steering is electric and just not very good.
Personally I'd avoid the 130i and get the 135i or M135i.
I actually think the 130i looks a bit crap now too.
Edited by rotaryjam on Tuesday 7th July 13:19
I have quite a varied experience with hot hatches, from standard examples to full racecar spec R53 MCS etc
Hands down the 2 best I've owned is an E81 130i Le and Mégane 250/265 Cups. Mégane edges it and is the more capable car.
I still run a 130i as a track car and it gets properly used. It's on 150k and only basic maintenance is required. N52 is a solid unit, properly nice thing.
The Mégane is a different beast altogether, unbelievable out the box with Cup chassis and I've ran several for many miles and never had any issues with mine. Look after either and they'll serve you well.
No experience with the GTC but the Renaultsport would be my pick for sure. There is a reason I've had 4!
Hands down the 2 best I've owned is an E81 130i Le and Mégane 250/265 Cups. Mégane edges it and is the more capable car.
I still run a 130i as a track car and it gets properly used. It's on 150k and only basic maintenance is required. N52 is a solid unit, properly nice thing.
The Mégane is a different beast altogether, unbelievable out the box with Cup chassis and I've ran several for many miles and never had any issues with mine. Look after either and they'll serve you well.
No experience with the GTC but the Renaultsport would be my pick for sure. There is a reason I've had 4!
stedaley said:
Looking at getting a cheap hot hatch to spice up the limited driver down the an and b roads I have to use. Currently doing them in a Landcruiser which really isn t the most enjoyable or cost effective.
Have seen the VXR GTC recommended on here a lot, wondered what are the issues to keep an eye out for?
Same with the 130i with it being older.
Open to other options that people may have sub 10k. No real requirements other than having a boot that can fit sports bags into.
Thanks
The VXR is the better A/B road car, like the Megane the gearbox can be a weak point but overall they're a reliable car.Have seen the VXR GTC recommended on here a lot, wondered what are the issues to keep an eye out for?
Same with the 130i with it being older.
Open to other options that people may have sub 10k. No real requirements other than having a boot that can fit sports bags into.
Thanks
The 130i has the better engine but wouldn't keep with the Astra down the lanes.
The 130i is a good base car but you have to carry out mods to get the best from them, there's no bad option but the GTC VXR is the better car & the fact it has adjustable shocks means it can be a comfortable daily too.
Like others that have already posted, I have had a few of this type of car over the years:
130i - The N52 is great but you already know that - mine needed a fair few things doing (Idrive replacement, steering rack etc) and that was 7 or 8 years ago, they are getting on a bit now.
Mini - had an F56 Cooper S until recently, brilliant on the twisty roads, brake upgrades are a must, felt like it needed more noise - would be quite keen to try a JCW one day as that would solve both problems. (I think you can just about get a JCW under £10K) - one thing that always annoyed me with the mini was the lack of ability to fit roof bars - there was an option for rails but seemingly almost no-one got them.
M135i - Have just picked up a manual one for around your budget - loving it so far, obviously its very different to the Mini, the N55 adds the bit of drama the Mini was lacking, it feels more planted on the road than the Mini did. Personally I prefer the Pre-facelift looks too
130i - The N52 is great but you already know that - mine needed a fair few things doing (Idrive replacement, steering rack etc) and that was 7 or 8 years ago, they are getting on a bit now.
Mini - had an F56 Cooper S until recently, brilliant on the twisty roads, brake upgrades are a must, felt like it needed more noise - would be quite keen to try a JCW one day as that would solve both problems. (I think you can just about get a JCW under £10K) - one thing that always annoyed me with the mini was the lack of ability to fit roof bars - there was an option for rails but seemingly almost no-one got them.
M135i - Have just picked up a manual one for around your budget - loving it so far, obviously its very different to the Mini, the N55 adds the bit of drama the Mini was lacking, it feels more planted on the road than the Mini did. Personally I prefer the Pre-facelift looks too
I can highly recommend the FN2 Type R. If you go for the GT spec, it comes with cruise control. Whilst the FN2 isn't as revered as the EP3, its still an excellent B road blaster. All i did to mine was uprate the pads all round to EBC Yellow Stuff, and fit Michelin Pilot Sport 4's. The grip and the handling were always entertaining, the eager K20 just loves to rev, and when you're done attacking the road and just want to cover the motorway miles it'll be docile and (relatively) economical too.
Too many people get hung up on that one Clarkson review where he points out the Torsion beam rear suspension and the fact it only has 1HP more than the old car. Almost nobody outside of a track will notice the difference, even then, few could tell you in a blind test which car has torsion beam and which has McPherson. The point of the FN2 was to cure the only negative when it came to the EP3, it felt quite sparse and cheap compared to it's rivals.
The FN2 fixed that.
Too many people get hung up on that one Clarkson review where he points out the Torsion beam rear suspension and the fact it only has 1HP more than the old car. Almost nobody outside of a track will notice the difference, even then, few could tell you in a blind test which car has torsion beam and which has McPherson. The point of the FN2 was to cure the only negative when it came to the EP3, it felt quite sparse and cheap compared to it's rivals.
The FN2 fixed that.
Edited by Vsix and Vtec on Tuesday 7th July 21:09
I've had 4 cars with the N52 engine because it is a fantastic unit and seems pretty bulletproof, it's only ancillaries that fail at this sort of age. My current one is a 130K mile 330i and I love it, but keep wishing I had upped my budget and got a 130i!
The pre-facelift models also have Hydraulic PAS which has more feel than the Electric set up on later models. If you found one with a Birds suspension kit and an LSD fitted it ought to address some of the issues of the standard car.
No idea how it compares to a VXR Astra though, it's like comparing an apple to a pear really. One is RWD and N/A and the other is a FWD turbo!
Probably both fun but it depends what sort of fun you like.
The pre-facelift models also have Hydraulic PAS which has more feel than the Electric set up on later models. If you found one with a Birds suspension kit and an LSD fitted it ought to address some of the issues of the standard car.
No idea how it compares to a VXR Astra though, it's like comparing an apple to a pear really. One is RWD and N/A and the other is a FWD turbo!
Probably both fun but it depends what sort of fun you like.
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