Comments on: 2007 HSV VXR Turbo Road Test

By: 2008 Holden Astra Review &raquo Australian Car Advice | News Blog

2008 Holden Astra Review &raquo Australian Car Advice | News Blog — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:28:10 +0000

[...] only Astra I’ve driven in the last twelve months is HSV’s sizzling VXR Turbo three-door hatch, which I labelled “a point-to-point weapon” due to its ferocious in-gear [...]

By: Simon

Simon — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:30:09 +0000

Thanks Phil, I must be one of those people who don’t like driving and have an over-priced bland car.
Actually I love driving my very reliable and classy VW. You don’t like them obviously. I promise no one will ever hold a gun to your head and make you buy one.
Debate specs all you like, but car preference is subjective and bashing a brand tends to get you labled ingnorant.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:45:25 +0000

Hold on, it gets better. 0-60 of 5.1 seconds? Jesus. Newsflash, your speedo isn’t accurate. You may think you’re doing 60, you’ll be closer to 55. You’d need well over 300bhp to get near 5 secs in a FWD car, DSG or not, and even then you’d struggle due to the lack of traction. Oh and by the way, VW ain’t nowhere near Audi quality. They have terrible reliability, living off past reputation. Seriously, Golf GTI owners have such vast delusions of grandeur. You drive overpriced, bland cars. Cars for people who don’t like driving.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:35:59 +0000

^^^ Golf GTI at 250bhp doing 1/4 mile in 13 seconds flat? Hahahaha!! It would seriously struggle to hit 14 seconds, even with DSG, at that power. Dream on fella.

By: smashdaddy

smashdaddy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:50:56 +0000

Kurt, it is indeed very true that golf GTI can be tuned for very cheap, APR tuning upgrades, stage one gives about 188kws or 250 Horsepower to the car, and it becomes blisteringly fast, we are talkin about flat 13.0 quarter mile times, thats as fast as the New BMW M3. or the well thought after 135i twin turbo. stage two take thing even further and this is where the true potential of the car is just about starting to be released, massive torque and horse power increases make the golf GTI giant v8 eater. however this article is about astra vxr turbo- the car is absolutely brilliant on lighter 18 inch wheels , 19 inches are too heavy and cause torque steer, however having more boost then Mazda 3 MPS still doesnt help it to beat it in a straight line or even on track, when driven properly mazda 3 MPS outperformed a golf R 32 around a track, now thats japanese engineering, there s an article about it on the net. I personally choose a civic type R over all of the hothatches because it is by far the most brilliantly engineered car of them all. to be more precise if the New holden clubsport r 8 was as well engineered it would put out 443Kws in the engine, its hard to explain how but thats what my calculations concluded. my civic type R is 2007 model and does quarter mile in 11 seconds flat. ferrari enzo territory. 0-100km=3.1 seconds, 0-160=6.8 seconds. the reason the car is this fast is because its been modded to rev to 14 000 revs, and torque is healthy 400 Nm , while power is just below the torque 378kws, very nice car indeed.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:44:41 +0000

I purchased a 2007 MkV GTI with 2,200 miles on it for $19,100 US dollars. DSG, 17″ stock wheels on stock rubber. I spent $750 for an APR93 chip and $40 for a K&N panel filter. So for a grand total of $19,890 I have a daily driver with a useable, tractable 252hp/303tq and I still average 27mpg.

On dry pavement with hot tires, I have smoked Mustangs, obliterated Mazdaspeed 3’s and utterly embarrassed dozens of 350Z & G35 owners. As my good friend has said, “This car is frighteningly fast.” He owns a new MkV R32 and a 2005 S4. I’ve clocked a 0-60 run of 5.1 seconds using DSG’s launch control.

Point to all this ranting & raving being two-fold:

1) You don’t have to spend much money to get a ‘poor mans Porsche’ — literally! Look around, buying brand new is a waste.

2) When you buy a Vauxhall–you get a Vauxhall. The build quality, fit and finish of the GTI is superb and I’d put it up against vehicles 2 price segments higher. It’s Audi quality at Honda prices.

Nobody seems to give the 2.0T enough credit for whatever reason, it’s an absolutely brilliant sports hatch with an astonishing transmission. Note that almost NO head-to-head comparison tests have been done with a GTI equipped with DSG. I wonder why that is? Perhaps because the other car would always be at a disadvantage? Hmmmm…

I love the VXR, don’t get me wrong. It’s just a shame I’d slay it.

With a trunk full of groceries.

And the A/C on full-blast.

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:41:48 +0000

I agree Phil its one poor quality car [in comparison to its rivals] which should never have made it off the drawing board let alone make it to Oz… A bit like Ford with the [90s] Capri; the Probe the Taurus and the Cougar.

I am also glad to hear that the new CEO at Holden is planning to bring back the Opel Barina instead of the Daewoo variety

By: Phill

Phill — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:27:43 +0000

Reaily its more then a chink in holdens armour(epica) its more like a massive dent

By: Phill

Phill — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:20:17 +0000

It does have the power of a 6 and the economy of a 4(sarcasism).A true epic car

By: Phill

Phill — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:09:54 +0000

Sorry wheelnut.Epica its a chink in holdens armour that i cant stop making fun of.Luckly for you holden fans there getting rid of them

By: FORD

FORD — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:06:26 +0000

Easy Phill, all holden has to do is put an HSV badge on it, then hey presto one fast Epica hahahaha :-)

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:00:41 +0000

HSV have no plans to build a Epica..
Infact the new GM at Clayton is more interested in an Enhanced version of the upcoming Vectra…. which could possibly have an AWD system similar to that in the new Saab – which was derived from Subaru.

Therefore I’d say the days of the Epica are numbered

By: Phill

Phill — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 07:54:02 +0000

Whens HSV epica coming out?

By: VXR Owner.

VXR Owner. — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:16:44 +0000

As a Onwer of a HSV VXR let me clear up an item that many of you have spoken about.
Opel Blitz on the Steering wheel is to do with COST. Cost of conducting an Airbag test for limited import is going is extremely high .

HSV wanted a HSV Logo on the wheel with a Cluster with VXR on it that reads in KM/H. However The cluster for the VXR is in MP/H as in the UK they run on MPH measurements still.

As for understeer. I have had the car for 8months and put 22,000km on it since delivery and have yet to experience any understeer like Clarkson have shown on Top Gear. Someone here said before about driving foot flat and turn the T/C off and pull the wheel round hard… well then any car including a Barina could understeer….

Great Review on of the most librial ones i have read todate.

By: VXRFAN

VXRFAN — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:32:13 +0000

Why is there a random WRX interior, and a random rear door shot in this article?

The VXR only has 2 door, not a set of rears like has been shown in the photo?!?!!?

By: natty

natty — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:47:09 +0000

aweome review i have an ‘03 astra sri turbo, had it about 2 1/2 years just doesn’t feel fast enough anymore really would love to get vxr anyone wanna give me one in red please.

By: Grant

Grant — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:09:06 +0000

jeremy clarkson = idiot… he turns esp off, hammers a car into a corner and expects a car to keep its line.

and astro boy.. the vxr clocked a faster time around top gears test track than the golf gti.

opel is gm’s german company, who make astras, vectras, corsa’s etc
vauxhall is the name of gm’s english company, which mainly sell opels and some holdens

the hsv vxr should then be considered a opel astra OPC (although it does borrow the vauxhall grill)

its a simple rebadge job.. hsv has nothing to do with its developement… but who cares

By: Naughtyius Maximus

Naughtyius Maximus — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:32:09 +0000

Yes Siree there is Subaru picks up.

By: Masynee

Masynee — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:44:45 +0000

Nice article. But there seems to be a couple of Subaru pictures included by mistake.

By: tony

tony — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:50:00 +0000

that’s it real life – pre-conceived opinions mostly always change once you’ve been behind the wheel. They are very different styles of car, the way they drive of course

I’ve driven both as well and I’m pretty sure the REX would be easier to live with on a day to day but I’m also pretty certain that it doesn’t shove you back as far in the seat as the VXR – nor does it have those seats or wheels.

If you don’t mind a bit more effort when driving, I’d go for the VXR. If you want to take it easy mostly but have that juice when you need to overtake a selfish right lane hog, go for the Suby.