monaro
 

ANyone got ownership experience of a 5.7 V8 Monaro? Took one for a test drive (when i was looking for an ST or a VXR!) and loved it. Few things scare the life out of me,
1. MPG
2. Resale
3. General running costs.Tax increases.

As for VXR/ST/STI debait. VXR is a wild child, felt out of control, ST feels more planted and of higher quality but slower and mpg is awful!
There is no doubt that my STI is quicker but i really dont want another one so its time for a change!

ps my budget is 13k the monaro is £10500

Vauxhall : 2005 Vauxhall Monaro V8, Black with LPG

This could help with 1. and 3.

1. MPG: Bad but not not really any worse than an old Impreza. 21 to 22mpg is realistically achiveable in town, and 27mpg on a cruise if kept below 1500rpm in 5th and 6th (yes, 1500rpm ;) ). Hoof it about and start using the revs and it'll drop to 16mpg :D


2. Resale: Poor; thus their depreciation. Although I think most have lost the biggest chunk of the resale value now so less of an issue these days. Its a niche car so whilst there will always be people who'd like one, there are only a small number of people out there who would commit to buying one.

3. Running coasts: Road tax=owch. Insurance on par with Scooby, Basic servicing at the Vauxhall dealer suprisingly not much more than a Astra. Not sure on other wear and tear stuff - never kept the car long enough.

One thing to note of is the variations: Depending on year and engine which ranges from 330bhp for an early CV8 to 400bhp for a 6.0VXR )

The 6.0 VXR has the better LS2 engine, better brakes and suspension and no boot.
CV8 arguable has the worst brakes and suspension
The 5.7 VXR is inbetween
(not to forget the supercharged conversions and special editions by Green's Vauxhall :cool: )

Then there is the issue of a boot: For all intents, the 6.0VXR doesn't have one (its filled by the relocated fuel tank leaving little room for anything else). The earlier pre2006 cars had a huge boot (and thus plenty of space for an LPG tank).

Had I known this I wouldn't have bought a late model 6.0VXR as a daily drive. And would have bought an older pre-2006 VXR which still had a usable boot. :(

These cars are also fussy on tyres (lots of weight and too much power), Factory fit Pirelli Rossos are lethal in anything damp or cold; Something to keep in mind if using the car as a daily driver and the LSD and engine braking will easily catch one unaware even when tottering about. Continental Sport contact 3s worked much better. Looking at past salvage auctions there are literally loads of Cat D and C low mile Monaros with trashed suspension from a spin/ unexpected trip off road, and it makes me wonder if the factory tyres have a bit of blame in this.

With that in mind, I'd advise giving the car a thorough check over (including underneath and behind trim panels in the boot etc). Whilst it could be HPi clear, it may have been the one of many that has had an "off" at some point in its life, but not recorded. Mine had been involved in "something" before I bought it (I only found out later on) and it was only 6months old with 6000miles and was Hpi clear. :(

Either way, I still loved it. Its a car that every petrolhead should try at least once : enjoy :D

thanks, great info.
I think ill give this one a miss. its an 04 5.7 with 33k on it. was serviced in 05 then again in 06 and thats it. just been serviced this month, so nothing for 3 years (although its only done 16000 miles in that time). Still put me off it. Got a really long test drive, its a great car, not particularly quick but so smooth and seems to have the same poke at 15mph and at 90mph!

looks like a hot hatch after all or yet another bmw