robby

Ok before anyone says it i know they look a bit chavvy
I'm looking for a hot hatch again after the 2 weeks of Abarth 500 ownership (previously posted about) and can't decide what to go for.
I looked at Clio 200s but there seem to be too many problems with them which has put me off.
I've had Astra VXR, Focus ST, Audi TT, Scoobs, ED30, etc,etc and wnat another turbo'd car.
The Corsa VXR seems to be (well in write ups) a good buy - cheaper to run than other hot hatches, cheap to service and VX are better built than Fords.
There does seem to be a few problem areas (rads, rear wheel bearings) and on the forums there doesn't seem to be many owners mentioning the piston problems so i guess if it's still in warranty then it should be cheap to run?

Anyone on here own 1 in the past and can give a honest opinion?
I've seen a low mileage Racing edition or a blue standard for £1k less and can't make up my mind

Cooper-44

I've had one before and I think I'm in a good position to comment, my list of cars is below

Fiesta st (185bhp)
Fabia vrs
Ep3 type r
Corsa vxr
Integra dc2 type r
Rx8
Clio 182 cup
And now my scooby sti

In all honesty I loved my ownership of my vxr, it had a good presence, looked well and we t well. Their easy to get up to 230bhp and do really shift at that.

In my first 2 months of ownership it had to go vauxhall on about 5 seperate occasions for window regulator, wheel bearings, new rear struts, another wheel bearing and a new radiator. It was all under warranty however so I wasn't to fussed.

The piston problem isn't as big of an issue to be honest asking as you allow it to warm up and cool down properly, the only problem is you don't know how it was driven by the previous owner.

All in I would have another definitely, the fuel economy is like a diesel compared to the rx8 and scooby haha

Danny

robby

Thanks Danny
The previous cars i've had have all given around the 23mpg figure which is why i went sensible with a Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S (38mpg) but the Corsa owners reckon they're getting around the 35+ mark so that sounds good.
The 2 cars i'm looking at are both in warranty till april/ may next year so most problems should be covered.
I've had problems with most of my previous cars (especially VAGs) so no car is perfect although in the 7-8 months of having the Fiesta nothing has gone wrong (apart from a couple of rattles)?
What's the paint like on the Corsas (thin/ easily chipped?)
Are they rattly/ creaky or feel solid? (Astra VXR was very solid)

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

I quite like the look of the Corsa VXR`s

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

why not do summat a bit different like a ep3 type r with a supercharger bolted to it?

robby

Got to be something reliable, modern (ish), in warranty, economical (ish), not too old, not too big
I did look at FN2s but all the ones i saw were covered in chips, had rust (windscreen top/ door tops) and there seem to be a lot going wrong with them

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

the fn2 shape is a real let down mate

robby

Yeah - didn't like the dash, couldn't see the speedo for the s/wheel, seats were comfy but bolsters seemed to wear, paint too thin, etc

Seems facelifted cars these days are built cheaper so quality suffers

the shreksta

iTrader: (20)

yep

honestly mate you should try a charged ep3 type r,i know there is no warranty etc but they are so much fun and the standard block is over-engineered so running one at 270+ bhp wont bother it,you can get one for around 6-7k these days,and you know you will love the whine of the charger

Cooper-44

Yeh a supercharged ep3 would be a nice toy!!

The paint isn't too bad, not the best I've seen but certainly no Honda rizzla thin paint. From memory it was a solid build, I don't think anywhere near as well built or as solid as an Astra vxr though and mine was a couple years old and had no squeaks or rattles,

With just a panel filter you can properly hear that turbo spool and the recirc valve dumping it. I used to waste a lot of fuel just too listen to that (first turbo car )

The only thing that lets it down abit is the gear change for me oh and the actual gear ****, but the recaros and the steering wheel make up for that, (especially the steering wheel)

Don't get a Remus either as you won't get 35+ mpg due to listening to the pops and bangs haha

Danny

nizmo80

iTrader: (2)

Hi robby


the honda k20 engine " type R " is one extremely reliable engine and in my opinion
is best in the ep3 model the FN2 is very ugly and slower than the ep3
the ep3 civics were made upto 2006 so not to old for a 2006 car.
and not alot goes wrong with them TBH.
I had one then bought a impreza then ended up getting rid of it to get another civic type r ep3 which I still drive.

As shreksta said you can get a good supercharged ep3 for between 6-8k
and when supercharged is still extremely reliable when running 300 bhp
I was speaking to the mechanics at TDI North " main civic tuner " about charging my civic ep3 and they were saying the k20 engine will handle around 400 bhp on a stock engine and even told me they done a 500 bhp ep3 running on stock internals and it has been running fine for a couple of years as that power as crazy as that seems.

also if a civic has a jackson racing supercharger it will have the same fuel consumption as a standard civic if not better with good mapping of course
the supercharger does not use extra fuel until the accelarator is pushed right down but them it will suck the fuel right up
so when driving normaly fuel consuption is normal.

dibbleyuk

iTrader: (1)

I test drove one (corsa Vxr) and it was a horrible car! Torque steered all over the road and was not a nice drive. The Astra Vxr felt a lot better but neither compared to the jdm impreza STi I brought in the end.

Kevin_STI

iTrader: (57)

I had a brand new 2010 Corsa VXR on lease for 2 years, great little cars fun to drive and surprises a lot of people especially between from 0 - 100mph..

However I had the usual problems, such as creaky / knocking drivers door (after 8 months), windscreen misting up big time and paint coming off the side skirt, all these are a few of the common problems on the Corsa .

Check out www.vxronline.co.uk for loads more info

Kev

carl555

iTrader: (7)

Robby, I had a 2011 Corsa VXR from brand new for 18 months. It was a brilliant little car, lots of fun (especially in the twisties!!) and never had any problems with it whatsoever.

Looking at your previous cars, I’ve also had an Astra VXR. For some comparison for you between the two, I thought the Corsa was the better handling car, felt much more planted and feels all round more modern.

However, from your statement you want another turbo car, this is where I think you need to go and have a test drive of the Corsa, as the Astra has loads more torque and is far and away the better drive power wise.

jonc

* * * KEV * * *

iTrader: (5)

I had a brand new VXR Racing Edition for 12 months and for what it is, it was a great car. Never had any reliabilty issues or anything like that BUT after owning 3 scoobs previously i quickly got fed up with it, sold it and got straight back into a Scoob.

Probably the wrong time of year to be buying one too with the snow coming because you won't get anywhere in it

greg320

iTrader: (15)

My brother had one from new, never driven that hard and that blew piston 4 through the block and destroyed the head aswell in the process, go on vxronline and have a look at how many have had trouble with them, I'd stay well clear of them, engines made by cadburys and shipped to vauxhall.

carl555

iTrader: (7)

To be fair to the Corsa, just about every piston failure I read about at the time came down to after market modified or mapped cars.

Vauxhall upped the power slightly on the Corsa VXR Nurburgring, but I read somewhere that they were being especially keen on checking for modifications on warranty claims on the Nurburgring suggesting that the engine was pretty much at its reliable limits, so I wouldn't really consider buying a Corsa to modify.

zip106

Ah, the good old Vauxhall Clitoris.

robby

Did he have it repaired under warranty or was it void because of any mods?
I've read if you let them warm up before a sprinted drive and let them cool down before switching off then there shouldn't be a problem?

greg320

iTrader: (15)

It was just out of warranty, it had only done 26,000

SPEN555

This sounds better;

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=26629

robby

Well picked up the Corsa today - not as fast as i thought but nippy and at above motorway speeds it was still showing 37mpg
Not a bad little car, comfy, quiet (apart from the ****ty Federal tyres), fsh, warranty till next year - just hope this lasts longer than previous 61 cars as changing is costing too much

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Nice, Revitup is a good dealer

I have an Astra VXR. Nice combo with the Arden paint and gloss wheels

robby

Cheers Lsherratt
Did you buy your off Mark as well? - looks stunning, hopefully next week mine will be as good as i have a 3 day weekend so it'll be getting a full machine polish, etc
This is the 4th car i've bought from him, think he's slacking a bit these days as the cars don't seem to be valated properly, not serviced (not even levels checked going by my last 2) - he does make sure the wheels are refurbed but thats about it?
Prices are nudging towards main dealer prices on some of the cars where when he started he was £1k+ cheaper
Yet with him being so helpful and good aftersales i'll be going back again

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

No I've never bought from him, but I am a member on VXROnline.co.uk and Revitup is highly rated and always gets good comments. The only reason I knew you got from there is because I recognised the background/garage of your picture

Thanks for the positive comment Mine isn't machine polished, just a hell of a lot of elbow-grease, however I do intend to buy a beginners DA polisher at some point in the future and to give it a go!

Matteeboy

Cracking finish on that Astra! Bit of a detailing nerd myself; I'd be well happy with that!

Corsa looks good too - only driven the (pretty poor) base models as courtesy cars but the VXR looks way more fun. Enjoy!

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Cheers mate. Yeah Im a detailing nerd as well and have used a lot of products on it to achieve that finish Mainly the Werkstat Acrylic Sealant kit, but I'd like to have a go at machine polishing eventually because the swirl marks bug me...

Here's one more



Want to get a full turbo 3" Piper exhaust system, Courtenay remap, and grooved brake discs (for looks) but funds don't allow...

PS: Sorry for thread hi-jack

robby

I bought a DAS-6 DA kit a couple of years ago and have used it on several of my cars - easy to use for a novice (me) as you can't really go wrong?
It's great for getting the swirls/ scratches out when you find the correct pads (i've got pads for soft paint/ hard/ medium) and have only ever used merenza compound which does the job.
Not sure which polish to use on the Arden paint as i want a wet gloss look? i do have the Jetseal sealant to go over the top.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I've read you can't really go wrong with a DA machine kit, especially if you are only going for minor correction to remove swirls and minor scratches.

www.detailingworld.co.uk is the place to look for advice on what to use for different paints and colours.