This review convinced me to buy one aaaaannnnndddd.....i love it. it looks even better in the flesh, those flared wheel arches are so lush it sits beautifully. powerful with hardly any torque steer tho there is turbo lag unless kept in rev range which is fair enough. gear box isnt the best tbh. it always turns heads and leaves a lot more expensive cars trailing. definitely a great hot hatch.
Claire Freestone do you still have one? I’m looking to buy but I’ve not seen any about where I live and Vauxhall site doesn’t even show them. They show the normal Astra and you just use a drop down to get the VXR. Very strange...
ExpectedEvil I’m looking at getting one don’t know if to bite the bullet or not , the reason there not on the website is because they are now discontinued as of 2018 which is a shame I think
What a super looking car.I have one of these babys and they handle superb in dry and wet conditions.Maybe a bit bumpy in VXR mode but thats the name of the game with hot hatchs :)
All well and good but they still use the chocolate M32 box even after all the failures in the previous VXR's! Why you ask well they're obviously aware of it! So then can try and charge 2k + at the stealers for a new box!
i work at vauxhall plant, we build OPEL and VAUXHALL, we badge our cars opel for the european market and vauxhall for the uk, its the same car but badged differently but still built at the same factory. I have the astra GTC 1.6 16v 180hp which is great, gonna get the VXR if i have the cash.
I've a corsa d facelift VXR which is so fun to drive and a pleasure to own , I definitely want that Astra VXR in Aredn blue , I love all things Vauxhall/Opel 😎👍👍👌👌👌👌👌
I absolutely love driving mine, got this exact car on a 13 plate. Not had any problems with it. Only get 24 mpg doing a 50 mile round trip as my daily commute in rush hour though. It's been reliable all through an English winter. The only thing I don't like is the incredibly small turning circle but its not a massive downfall because the 20 inch wheels sort of fill the wheel arch anyway. All the equipment is easy to use, its got tons of leg room and it certainly turns heads. It eats through the front wheels like you couldn't believe and they're £160 brand new but overall it's a really enjoyable car. Expensive but enjoyable. I don't regret buying it.
Also head of Vauxhall/Opel design operations,Mark adams (who's from the UK) was instrumental in the design of the Astra GTC he had responsibility for the design of all Opel/Vauxhall vehicles and heads the GM Europe Design organisation, so saying the UK has nothing to do with the production is slightly unfair.
Got one amazing car, owned the previous H VXR for 5 years before, and this has refined the formula in every way, nice sports cat and it sounds amazing, stage 1 tuned 300+ BHP
Was a VETEC fan for many years... Went from a Type R EP3 back in 2005 which I had for 9 years to a Championship White Edition FN2 that I had for just over 3years.. EP3 was a much better car in terms of how it drove, VTEC, looks..etc. Didn't quite like the look of the new 5 door Type R so went for a Summit White GTC VXR, bought 9mths back fully loaded, and I love it.. I can't fault it on it's looks, or more importantly, performance. Switch it to VXR mode and bury your right foot through the gears, and you get a loud whooshing jet engine sort of sound from the exhaust that fills the cabin.... If I had to be critical... it would have to be the MPG. Early to mid 20's around town if your lucky. Mine's saying 18 MPG at present with a K&N Panel Filter. But then again, you don't buy a VXR to then complain about the MPG... If you can look past the badge, the GTC VXR is a cracking motor that would give a lot of other more expensive cars out there a run in the performance department....
If you want to buy this car i suggest waiting a few months after its been on market for around 6 months because lets face it VAUXHALL market in UK isn't great it drops alot.
I have the old one. Stage 3, lots of extras.... The old ones pisses this... But I have bought a new one and wont be tuning it. The Vauxhall offer atm you can not beat it. I may go to a Vauxhall approved tuning dealing and have stage 2 upgrade.
A car that only seems to look good in a city, not anywhere you could have fun in it. I'm not a fan of all this fat arsed 'modern art rims' discreet sounding stuff that's come out recently.
Nothing shocking about it. Mitsubishi gets 400hp out of a 2 liter. And I bet you that this car doesn't have 275hp on the dyno. It would probably meassure under 240 on the wheel, same as all hot hatches appart from megane RS. Megane RS was actually meassured on dyno, I think by Evo TV, and they found it has almost 280hp, MORE than Focus RS500, which is supposed to have 300.
why do you think race cars are rwd? Yes, it would possibly be more tail happy, but you would certanly eliminate 70% of the understeer you get from an fwd.
@beefycol I thought the same. I was under the impression that the hot hatches were lead by the Focus Rs closely followed by the (forgotten) Mazda 3 MPS.
Having read a few motoring mags lately ...they say the new VXR has more grip than any other hot hatch on sale today but it is no fun? Something isn't right....I think the motoring world are just as corrupt as the banks!!!! Pounds and bucks are being exchanged for good reviews!!!! Honestly these car journalist guys are just as bad as the bankers! favours will be returned!
Top Gear has already proved with less horsepower that this car is dangerous. Now we have more horsepower and still no all wheel drive system. Oh Vauxhall... Its still an amazing car though
Thats the old fucking astra, I don't care about the 10 year old car reliability. And why would RS fans be afraid to hear about new Astra? The entire car world knows that Megane RS is by far the best hot hatch, every car journalist or reviewer that matters said that. And RS is by far the fastest...look at times around tracks...its faster than BMW 1M around Nurburgring, and thats has 350hp and RWD. Its almost a minute faster per lap than old Astra OPC, and will be 30 sec faster than new one.
Not so true bro, vauxhal the name is british. It is a brand sold only in britain. However under the badge it is a car made by general motors (American) the same car is sold around europe as a left hand drive with the branding of Opel. Opel is not sold in britain. Same car different name, owned by americans, not german. Although it's design and built in europe
And its very interesting how a 12 year old Opel fanboy would insult someone who likes a much BETTER car (and thats a fact, nothing about liking it or not liking it) and who actually drove the megane RS, while you probably never touched a steering wheel in your life.
yes, i really want to know why the hell they made in front wheel drive??? they could have boosted their sales tenfold if they made it AWD OR RWD.... VAUXHALL/OPEL/GM TAKE NOTE!!!
Nothing good to say about his car... engines in Opels are known to be laggy and unresponsive. Spoiler at the back is too much and rear visibility is crap. Too bad, it could be a good car.
The amount of people who bang on about FWD cars like these, it's utter crap. These cars are all about being affordable and going quick in a straight line, simple.
After reading all that I still don't understand why you are making such a big deal. Are you having some obsessive national pride disorder or something?
It isn't RWD, because it would be slower through the corners. And don't mention any top gear-style bullshit, like driving pleasure, or balance, because the fact is, that on rally stages, which are basically roads like you drive every day, rwd cars are pretty much completly absent. RWD is nice on the track, when it's dry and smooth. Only when those two conditions are met, FWD can be slower. For everyday use, on bumpy, dirty, snowy or narrow roads, FWD is faster. Sorry for my bad english :).
I disagree with 00kirbyd, but I prefer making my point on specific statements within the comment I am replying to; I don't judge people because there is not enough info (let alone skills or will) to do so. Opel has bought Vauxhall (not viceversa) and Vauxhalls are now clones of Opel developed models (it wasn't the case in the past). You are entitled to your opinion on other users and I won't criticise you, but my advice (provided you want or need one) is to ignore comments you don't like.
This is a UK channel promoting the 'Vauxhall Astra VXR' (a British brand for UK buyers - my point orignally). Arrogant fools like yourself thinking I've never heard of Opel rebadging is hilarious, so I'm expressing my opinion, to which I'm totally allowed. And if you and the other people didn't like my comment (mainly foreigners of the channel) I'd like to give you all a big two fingers salute because I don't like your pessemistc and pointless opinion either.
The whole point of Car Buyer posting on RU-vid is reaching people to promote their channel etc. As many other channels on RU-vid do. No one really cares what you say and it's pessimistic at best also judging by the amount negatives votes your comment got it proves this is true. As someone pointed out Opal is majority-stake subsidiary of the General Motors Corporation and Vauxhall is part General Motors Corporation too. Same cars just re badged.
I dont understand what is point of lying if you can check it on DEKRA official site. And the time on Nurburgring for Megane 8:07.97 and old Astra OPC 8:35 and if you can count this is not one minute difference but from old as you no one excepts you to do the math.RS is good on track and end.This Astra is good for everyday, space in the back, big trunk, etc. See the Top Gear and AutoExpress review of this car and then comment, and also AutoWeek review...
Matt Watson done alright for himself! Had this car and loved the sound when u pulled in 3rd in vxr mode ❤ was quite a rigid ride tho with the sports suspension
Yes Megan 265 Megan is the sportiest version of the sport, however, are often fully equipped Astrada. vxr even the lighter and with less equipment will already be taken lightly, or it can also be expected to create different versions of Astras nyrburgring Editon. Megan, however, it is the most rajum 265 version. and if it used the V rims and pre others will slikke
No, my point is Carbuyer reviews are biased and in favour of german makes. Vauxhall is the brand for the UK where Opel isn't sold. Would a german review of the Opel Astra OPC have Vauxhall VXR in brackets? Opel is a german brand so I expect this is why they are doing it (but people believe it's for foreign viewers, as if they think they wouldn't know).
DEKRA?...check out ADAC, topped reliablity over the BMW 1 seires and volkswagen golf last time i checked. oh an wow your sort of insane...this car is beautiful, much better looking then a megane rs250, but i do like the renaults more...and i watched this because i enjoy Mats reviews, i watch all of them.
These cars do not need rwd as most of yous are suggesting!! It has a LSD!! This makes the car go round corners like its on train tracks!! Plus it wouldn't be a hot hatch if it was awd or rwd because if would then be put in the same class as the Golf R or the Audi S3!!
what i am saying is that most of car channels are boring with dull presenters...whis channel has the same format-i admit it-but all of his presentations have something different to give to the possible new car owner...for example the new test's(Banana test) and some other tricks they make at times
Maybe some viewers are not from the UK and they may recognise the car better with the Opel name. Maybe somebody gets this video through a search engine and there is no good reason for them not to see such a great review just because there is no work Opel in the title...
why ford is the bench mark on any class in england ... if you watch any car review which comes from england ford is the best car in every class ... mondeo focus fiesta bla bla bla but ford doent do well in other countries ,,,, we know vw golf is father of all hotaches ...
the astra is beautiful....its an awesome car no doubt...ohh an btw if u knew anything you'd know that renaults new cars have scored better in reliability surveys then any vauxhall's
This is SWEET! Go figure we unfortunate Americans can't have one of these. What do we get instead? A chromed-up Astra sedan badge engineered to become a Buick for old people who think a Regal/Insignia is just too darn sporty...disappointing.
Well the RWD is only good for summer time,which is nice weather and dry road.but too dangerous to drive in snowing day and raining day,So they created FWD for all season.That mean more safety for car and driver.
This car was designed by Mark Adams.. Who is English.. But you're right it was designed in Germany, but the VP of Design is English but lives in Germany.. (Well not anymore as he's taken over Cadillac and Buick).
Vauxhall is a brand of GM.... The Opel cars are selled in UK like Vauxhall so the car is designed in German by germans, and only a few are made in britain, this car particulary is made in Poland, no much britain in there.
The VXR is the most powerful fwd hatch on sale by dealers at this current time, the Focus RS isn't being sold at the moment as there is no stock & they're making a new one! ... research!!
lol who cares....let him have it however he wants it...hes a car reviewer...stop commenting about his hair...if your looking at him and not the car..i might have some news for you lol
