IainMilford

iTrader: (15)

I had one of those encounters a while back when someone pulls up next to you then floors it and pulls away (probably thinking he had beaten me) with a VXR, seeing what happenend I then floored it and was catching him but then had to turn off.

If you're looking for speed and economy then the SEAT Leon has to be a good choice, my other half has the 1.9tdi sport (model down from the FR) and it has about 150/160bhp and goes well, it is good on the juice and with a remap would go even a bit better!

Do you seriously do 80 miles a day in your scoob? thats around 400 a week/alomost 2 tanks of fuel. I do half that and think that is enough!

pcressie

A little off topic, but have you considered a Mondeo st tdci. Loads's of room and after a remap you should see 170bhp and still get good mpg. And in imperial blue (same colour as the escort cossie or focus rs) they look really smart.

stara

we went on a pistonheads run a while back, and the lead car was a lotus exige, followed closely, and i mean closely by a modded mondeo st tdi, then a huge gap and then a cerbera, then another huge gap then me, then a mr2 turbo, 200sx, another tvr and a few other decent motors. the mondeo driver was one hell of a driver though, had a racing backround apparantly, it was mostly winding a and b roads. there was a monaro vxr with us too, waaaaaaaay behind, he had just swapped his scoob for it and kept going sideways around corners kept scaring himself. my point is, the car is 70% of the performance, the driver can add 30% or 0% to that. (BTW astralips, a 2004 fat *** old scoob sti was 11s quicker than the 'nurburgring astra VXR' around the ........nurburgring)

Jimpreza

I think the MK5 GTI looks crap compared to the VXR though. However i'd love an R32 and I am sure someone said you can get a new one for less than 20k now. They sound awesome.

Moley

iTrader: (9)

If you like the Astra it'd be worth looking at the SRI 1.9 CDTI XP (the 150bhp model)

geesta

DTUK tuning box and you will keep up with the VXR once rolling, and see 40 - 50 mpg on cruise.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

The tuning box pushes the power upto around 206bhp i shall find that advert again! but the 150 is well worth getting and you cannot turn your nose up at 50+mpg!

Tony

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Thorney Motorsport Astra H - Diesel

Tony

Timwinner

iTrader: (3)

I know very little about cars in general but..... I had a run with a VXR the other day, down the M3 and onto an A road, let me tell you its one of the first cars I have been impressed with.
Most the time when you have a run with other cars they lack the mid range power that scoobs have, but this thing was like a rocket!!!!

I still did him on the windy bits but it was a good looking car.

PIE CJ

i would reccommend the Astra H 1.9CDTI 150 SRI XP

My vans got same engine, Tuning box = 200.4bhp & 317lb ft

My van can sit alongside a VXR 30-90 mph but returns 45-60mpg depending how its driven.

silverstrike

I'll cut to the chase with you,

I've owned 2 Impreza's and my current car is an Astra VXR, i've also driven many other variants of impreza aswell and the VXR is a modern day fast hatch, that will surprise an impreza, make no bones about it.

I'm looking to return to an impreza as i'm needing a bigger car, the only reason i'm selling the Astra VXR, other than that i'd keep it.

As for torque steer, every high powered FWD car has it, the focus st less so, but stick a Whiteline RARB, springs and an LSD (£1200) on the VXR, then most 300-400bhp cars (especially cars with transmission loss) have a hothatch to be very wary of, trust me

the only other modern hatch i'd own after the astra would be a 172cup or 182, i've owned both, great performance and unsurprising reliability..just need to put up with a few rattles tho, after all there renault


now if it's room your after, forget about the astra VXR, my wife has a Zafira VXR to take the kids about (still 240bhp lol). The astra is great if the child is self dependant getting in/out the car, but if you need to start taking a babyseat in/out, then it's alot of hassle, as the gap between the B-pillar and seats very restricting, even with the seat fully forward.

Tuning wise, speak to courtenay sport, i'd prefer a realtime roadmap, rather than any generic plug in unit, as your warranty is well out the window anyways, regardless if they say your covered, as you have to prove it wasnt the map that blew up your engine for any claim to be valid, which alone will cost you money.

hope this helps..


oh and thats me BACK lol!!!!!

Matteeboy

I have had a 150bhp 1.9CDTI Astra Estate (Design spec) for just over three years from new and as a quickish, nice handling but practical car, it's comes very highly recommended indeed.

Resisted tuning boxing mine as I want to keep hold of it and don't want it to blow up but it's a cheap way of getting a pretty fast car for very little money.