Vectra VXR - opinions please

[RB CV8]

I am thinking about buying a Vectra VXR and would appreciate the opinions from current or former owners of this model, particularly those that have 'traded up' from a lower-powered Vectra.

I have previously owned a 2.2 SRi, and although I now have a Monaro, I still like the Vectra (I'd get slaughtered on the Monaro forum for that remark!). The RWD vs FWD arguement doesn't bother me; my everyday transport is an Astra SRi, so I am used to both, though I would be interested to hear if torque-steer is an issue on the Vectra VXR.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[CatherineJ]

Fantastic car. I had an early model when they were first launched. I did 10,000 miles in total and to this day it is one of the best cars i've had.

Torque Steer is no where near as bad as the dire Astra VXR we also had at the same time.

[dannytherev]

CatherineJ said:

Fantastic car.

Torque Steer is no where near as bad as the dire Astra VXR we also had at the same time.

All I can say is get one ,a mate of mine has one as a company car (well a vectra with the VXR lump in, he prefers it to his other driver an evo 8)

[Dizeee]

CatherineJ said:

Fantastic car. I had an early model when they were first launched. I did 10,000 miles in total and to this day it is one of the best cars i've had.

Torque Steer is no where near as bad as the dire Astra VXR we also had at the same time.

I don;t know why you hate the Astra so much, torque steer as nowhere near the issue you claim it to be, as is agreed by the vast majority of any of the Astra drivers.

If it was, then howcome the Astra VXR is leaps ahead on the track than the Vectra, and I am not only talking Top Gear laps but the Nurburgring and other tests that have all been done.

As for the Vectra, it has more power through thr front wheels than a standard Astra and so would definatly understeer more, it's science! My Astra was running at 292bhp for a year, less than some others, and torque steer was never an issue unless on very rugged roads.

[downhuman]

If you're tracking it, get ready for UNDERSTEER from HELL

If not, they're comfy and very quick, sound nice and will bother people in their BMWs...

[CatherineJ]

Dizeee said:

CatherineJ said:

Fantastic car. I had an early model when they were first launched. I did 10,000 miles in total and to this day it is one of the best cars i've had.

Torque Steer is no where near as bad as the dire Astra VXR we also had at the same time.

I don;t know why you hate the Astra so much, torque steer as nowhere near the issue you claim it to be, as is agreed by the vast majority of any of the Astra drivers.

If it was, then howcome the Astra VXR is leaps ahead on the track than the Vectra, and I am not only talking Top Gear laps but the Nurburgring and other tests that have all been done.

As for the Vectra, it has more power through thr front wheels than a standard Astra and so would definatly understeer more, it's science! My Astra was running at 292bhp for a year, less than some others, and torque steer was never an issue unless on very rugged roads.

Must have just been mine then, which had to have constant corrections to the steering, a dreadful seat position and constant issues requiring many trips to the garage. The Vectra on the other hand was pretty flawless.

Edited by CatherineJ on Monday 3rd August 11:42

[Harry Muff]

I have a Vectra VXR and have had a 1.9 CDTI SRI 150 with a 180 bhp remap.

The specs vary quite a bit, so be sure to get as many toys as you can, mine has had a Thorney Motorsport remap and makes the car MUCH better than a standard one.

To be honest, I cannot find a car, that can offer 300+ bhp and 400+ ib/ft with the extras I've got, for the money I paid, oh and they go round corners much better than some idiots that have never driven them would have you believe.

Comfortable, rare, spacious, smooth, nice grumble to the exhaust and can be economical - so why you waiting, or you could always buy mine!

And torque steer really isn't an issue, even with mine it grips very well, is easy to drive round down and lovely on the motorway, all in all, a very nice car to own.

Edited by Harry Muff on Monday 3rd August 13:44

[dannytherev]

Harry Muff said:

I have a Vectra VXR and



To be honest, I cannot find a car, that can offer 300+ bhp and 400+ ib/ft with the extras I've got, for the money I paid, oh and they go round corners much better than some idiots that have never driven them would have you believe.

Comfortable, rare, spacious, smooth, nice grumble to the exhaust

Edited by Harry Muff on Monday 3rd August 13:44

Well said ,my mates Vectra is in fact an SRi model but with the VXR engine (over 300hp),brakes,suspension,etc
have travelled in it many times always brings a smile to my face (more so on this one as it looks like an ordinary SRi with larger wheels)go ahead and enjoy

[RB CV8]

Thanks for all the contributions.

I have a few things to consider before deciding whether to take the plunge, such as which of my current cars I would replace, or whether they both go. In addition, I presume that any warranty work required on a Vectra VXR would have to be carried out by a VXR dealer, though I will check with the local outfit. This is a concern after the grief I had with the Monaro; the 'approved' Monaro dealers are few and far between and in my experience a waste of time. If I'm right, this may be the deciding factor.

[Dizeee]

Vauxhall dealers are a waste of time - I have dealt with numerous of them over 8 years of VX ownership and each and every one of them are truly shocking. I don't know why I go back to be honest.

The best things if your nearby is to use VXPRC in Banbury, they are experts in the range, their work is second to none and they will often undercut dealer prices as their labour charges are less. They also fully service all VXR's and nothing is beyond them. They were too far for me to use regularly but when tuning the car and doing other things, if dealers can be likened to a small phut phut byplane these guy were like Concorde.

[Harry Muff]

Have you bought one yet?

With the warranty, it doesn't HAVE to be a VXR dealer, it can be any Vauxhall dealership and although the warranty could come in handy, I try not to use dealers, but should anything major go wrong, i obviously would, i prefer an independent specialist for servicing.

But, if you get one, ensure you get it mapped, by Thorney Motorsport or Courtenay, the transformation is really quite something.

[RB CV8]

Harry Muff said:

Have you bought one yet?

Not yet, but I'm giving it serious consideration. Followed up an ad for pre-registered delivery miles cars but they had all gone. Might go for something say 18 months to two years old with low miles as a replacement for the Astra as my everyday car. I notice no-one has tried to dissuade me from replacing the Monaro with a Vectra - interesting. Will keep my eyes open.

Thanks all for the input.

Richard.

[Havoc856]

Ah.. i didn't see this..

What Monaro?

Still a fair few Monaro VXRs kicking about at dealers

Have you considered the VXR8? It can be had for about £22,000 from dealerships new. A friend recently got his for £24,000 with some options on it.

Vectra VXR. Very understated and fast, if you're into aftermarket tuning, the market is starting to populate with tuning products from Thorney Motorsport and Courtenay Sport.

As standard,

Interior i found to be very love/hate, and the exterior is quite underwhelming. There are differences, but they are subtle. As such it's a great sleeper if not in Arden Blue. Engine is great.Boot is massive, rear legroom is great (not that you'll be there often) and the raft of options are brilliant.

If you want some more info on them www.vxronline.co.uk is a VX setup forum for VXR owners and has a whole section devoted to Veccys.

• Off Topic*

What a load of crap about the Astra VXR lol.. Constant steering corrections? Nope, never had that and i'm running 285PS! Torque Steer, Nope lol If you want to feel torque steer get the new RS, that yanks at your arms!! Reliability? Hell face, you must have had a duff or a badly kept example! I know of one 'Burg that isn't very well cared for (Turbo drills etc) and that is a problem with bits going pop. Most of the stuff about the Astra is Top Gear/Fifth Gear crud.

• Back On Topic*

Nice cars, a little big for me, hence i got the Astra VXR Burg. But saying that you are comming from a Monny, so you shouldn't see any size issues.

[RB CV8]

Thanks Havoc856 for your comments and the pointer to vxronline.

To clarify: I already have a Monaro - I have been running a CV8 for 3 years, and before that I had a Vectra SRi (now my Dad's), so I am familiar with the size/space of the Vectra. My everyday car is a 2007 Astra SRi. I have recently been thinking about buying a Vectra VXR, which seems to be good value, but one consideration was where it would fit in with my current cars or which one I would replace.

My brother has been trying to get the Monaro keys away from me, but my current thinking is to replace the Astra if a suitable Vectra turns up, though running two fast Vauxhalls (as well as my old 'uns) may prove a bit OTT for my needs. Only one way to find out!

I understand what you mean about the subtle appearance, but for me that is part of the appeal - I think it is called middle-age! One reason I run a Monaro CV8 and not a VXR.

With reference to the VXR8 - no, it's not for me. Good value on the face of it (though much more than I currently wish to spend), but the dealer/factory back-up on the Aussie Vauxhalls is hopeless, so no way would I buy another. The Vectra is about as big as I want to go for an everyday car in any case - the railway station car park doesn't cater for anything bigger!

[marcon]

I have owned a vxr vextra and vxr monaro for the last five years and have owned astra vxr if you want anyadvice you can call me and although i am in two minds would probably sell the vectra if it went to a good home oh and good news under 5k for a mint vxr vectra Tony 07909334044

[RB CV8]

marcon said:

I have owned a vxr vextra and vxr monaro for the last five years and have owned astra vxr if you want anyadvice you can call me and although i am in two minds would probably sell the vectra if it went to a good home oh and good news under 5k for a mint vxr vectra Tony 07909334044

Thanks for the offer - but I did eventually take the plunge and bought my Vectra VXR in 2010; perhaps I should have posted an update! I bought an '09 with a few extras in Arden Blue, which I have been very happy with. It still has only 10k miles on it.

[spaceship]

Does anyone have figures for real life mpg?

I know it's not exactly the car to be driven gently but I could get about 32mpg from my 9-5 Aero automatic on a run to work.

[djgritt]

spaceship said:

Does anyone have figures for real life mpg?

I know it's not exactly the car to be driven gently but I could get about 32mpg from my 9-5 Aero automatic on a run to work.

Around 17- 20mpg on a tank used under heavy throttle

Around 28-30mpg on a tank used under gentle throttle etc

I average around 250-280 miles / 23-25mpg from a full tank in mine

I've once achieved a smidge over 350 miles and just under 30mpg from a tank.

(all using trip computer figures)

[djgritt]

djgritt said:

spaceship said:

Does anyone have figures for real life mpg?

I know it's not exactly the car to be driven gently but I could get about 32mpg from my 9-5 Aero automatic on a run to work.

Around 17- 20mpg on a tank used under heavy throttle

Around 28-30mpg on a tank used under gentle throttle etc

I average around 250-280 miles / 23-25mpg from a full tank in mine

I've once achieved a smidge over 350 miles and just under 30mpg from a tank.

(all using trip computer figures)

Mine is a 280PS model on the standard Mapping btw.

[RB CV8]

My average is about 28mpg. That covers a mix of roads, driving briskly but not like a lunatic and not getting stuck in traffic. I recently achieved 34mpg on a swift 100-mile motorway run. With the amount of torque the car has it is easy to make rapid progress without hammering it.