Astra VXR or Focus ST
#1
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Astra VXR or Focus ST
My dads dues to change his car in august (MkIV V6 4 Motion). Just looking at ideas at the moment, guy he works with has just bought the ST (in orange!) Now my dad bought the V6 2 weeks after he bought one, in the same colour!!! so isnt too keen on buying the same car as him again!
What are peoples opinions and what else should he consider? The fuel consumption of Imprezas has always put him off!, although the Golf isnt too good!
What are peoples opinions and what else should he consider? The fuel consumption of Imprezas has always put him off!, although the Golf isnt too good!
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Well, if he ain't changing till August, wait till at least June to start thinking about what to get. Newer cars will be launched by then, so his choice should be bigger.
Of the 2 you mention, I'd go for the ST3 in Blue. So what if another guy has one, every member of a company can't all have different cars. At one point in the car park where I live, we had 3 M3's, all in Black, and all with optional 19" wheels.
I once Bought a 106GTI after my mate bought one, because he gave me a go of his, I liked it so I bought one. He didn't mind at all, but his Girlfriend (now Wife) went ******* off it. He had a red one & I had a Black one.
Of the 2 you mention, I'd go for the ST3 in Blue. So what if another guy has one, every member of a company can't all have different cars. At one point in the car park where I live, we had 3 M3's, all in Black, and all with optional 19" wheels.
I once Bought a 106GTI after my mate bought one, because he gave me a go of his, I liked it so I bought one. He didn't mind at all, but his Girlfriend (now Wife) went ******* off it. He had a red one & I had a Black one.
#3
thinking about an st myself once ive sold me sti ppp
read loads of reports and the best models are the st 1 or 2not the 3
others are golf vr32 but way dearer or the astra vxr
focus came out best on all reports
im getting orange by the way
read loads of reports and the best models are the st 1 or 2not the 3
others are golf vr32 but way dearer or the astra vxr
focus came out best on all reports
im getting orange by the way
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Originally Posted by steppers
read loads of reports and the best models are the st 1 or 2not the 3
cant see how this makes the ST1 or ST2 better models as everything else is exactly the same.
Mark
#6
Get a VXR, will be less common,and looks the nuts, ST looks ****, especially in gay orange, and its slower. Estimated 0-60 is 6.5 slower than VXR but autocar siad they could only get 7.2.
The ST does seem to come out top in surveys, but for reasons such as smoother or comfy. Do you want to buy a ST only to be overtaken by a vxr and console yourself with well mine is smoother?
The ST does seem to come out top in surveys, but for reasons such as smoother or comfy. Do you want to buy a ST only to be overtaken by a vxr and console yourself with well mine is smoother?
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Originally Posted by VXRBOY
Get a VXR, will be less common,and looks the nuts, ST looks ****, especially in gay orange, and its slower. Estimated 0-60 is 6.5 slower than VXR but autocar siad they could only get 7.2.
The ST does seem to come out top in surveys, but for reasons such as smoother or comfy. Do you want to buy a ST only to be overtaken by a vxr and console yourself with well mine is smoother?
The ST does seem to come out top in surveys, but for reasons such as smoother or comfy. Do you want to buy a ST only to be overtaken by a vxr and console yourself with well mine is smoother?
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Saw a VXR the other day (girlie driving) - first one i've seen on the road. Had something about it Not seen an ST yet - or maybe I just didnt notice it if i did (well it wont have been orange then...)
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Originally Posted by VXRBOY
Get a VXR, will be less common,and looks the nuts, ST looks ****, especially in gay orange, and its slower. Estimated 0-60 is 6.5 slower than VXR but autocar siad they could only get 7.2.
The ST does seem to come out top in surveys, but for reasons such as smoother or comfy. Do you want to buy a ST only to be overtaken by a vxr and console yourself with well mine is smoother?
The ST does seem to come out top in surveys, but for reasons such as smoother or comfy. Do you want to buy a ST only to be overtaken by a vxr and console yourself with well mine is smoother?
I think both cars are so close on performance that it's the other aspects that will swing it either way for people. I personally would need to drive both before being able to say which is best.
Steve
#10
Oh god not you again sgcooby, now don't throw your toys out the pram again, but
your opinion is based on ****, drive them and you will see, all this lack of grip rubbish is exactly that rubbish. And you must have seen very few reviews.
your opinion is based on ****, drive them and you will see, all this lack of grip rubbish is exactly that rubbish. And you must have seen very few reviews.
#11
Originally Posted by VXRBOY
Oh god not you again sgcooby, now don't throw your toys out the pram again, but
your opinion is based on ****, drive them and you will see, all this lack of grip rubbish is exactly that rubbish. And you must have seen very few reviews.
your opinion is based on ****, drive them and you will see, all this lack of grip rubbish is exactly that rubbish. And you must have seen very few reviews.
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Butting in if I may I've just got back from a test drive in the ST. All the reviews I seen about it are correct, it's a very fine car. Lovely noise, poise and go. Not the prettiest car ever though.
#13
It was a little boring, first impressions of the look do not help, inside the tacky bost guage looks bad (but i never like them anyway). Don't get me wrong, it was a nice car to drive, but that was it nice, nothing else. The steering was a little dull, and the seats were not a patch on the VXR's. Feels sort of fast but again not as quick as the VXR. Did not seem to have the sharp turn in that the VXR has. The engine did sound a little better though on the ST, but i'm getting the miltek exhaust for the VXR so that will change. And the interior was good, but i was driving my 53 plate wrx at the time, so propably a badly drawn conclusion on that.
And your going to think that i'm a bit of a tart here, but noone seemed to notice the ST.
And your going to think that i'm a bit of a tart here, but noone seemed to notice the ST.
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Originally Posted by VXRBOY
Oh god not you again sgcooby, now don't throw your toys out the pram again, but
your opinion is based on ****, drive them and you will see, all this lack of grip rubbish is exactly that rubbish. And you must have seen very few reviews.
your opinion is based on ****, drive them and you will see, all this lack of grip rubbish is exactly that rubbish. And you must have seen very few reviews.
#15
I was refering to your other posts last week when you were clearly getting flustered by Gutmann pug and other people were laughing at you for the reaction you gave, i was just stating facts from my experience. And on another thing i saw a post from you that talked about the cars your dad has, i gather from this that the teachers in your school are not keeping an eye on you in lessons. And as for limited experience you must be joking.
#16
Originally Posted by VXRBOY
And your going to think that i'm a bit of a tart here, but noone seemed to notice the ST.
#18
Originally Posted by Steve Sherwen
Not a particularly good summation.
I think both cars are so close on performance that it's the other aspects that will swing it either way for people. I personally would need to drive both before being able to say which is best.
Steve
I think both cars are so close on performance that it's the other aspects that will swing it either way for people. I personally would need to drive both before being able to say which is best.
Steve
#19
go on sgcooby get yer pennies worth in on vxrboy
eh vxrboy dosent the astra take 6.3 0-60 against 6.5 for the st
if im not mistaken that aint a trail blazin difference
as for turning in sharper you must be colin macrae the 2nd to notice that difference
i havent got either by the way just a humble sti with 4.6 0-60 before you say im taking sides
for the record i like both
eh vxrboy dosent the astra take 6.3 0-60 against 6.5 for the st
if im not mistaken that aint a trail blazin difference
as for turning in sharper you must be colin macrae the 2nd to notice that difference
i havent got either by the way just a humble sti with 4.6 0-60 before you say im taking sides
for the record i like both
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Originally Posted by VXRBOY
I was refering to your other posts last week when you were clearly getting flustered by Gutmann pug and other people were laughing at you for the reaction you gave, i was just stating facts from my experience. And on another thing i saw a post from you that talked about the cars your dad has, i gather from this that the teachers in your school are not keeping an eye on you in lessons. And as for limited experience you must be joking.
23 posts and each one a classic.
I had just written a reply fitting your pathetic response but I deleted it as your really arent worth wasting any more of everyones time over. Please kindly though explain what anything you previously posted has to do with this topic? and I think you hve to get off the whole Father thing as Ive just got of your Mother but i dont go on about as it wasnt worthy of a post on here.
#21
Indeed (sgcooby) you really are about 12 aren't you. Come on, come clean.
Steppers Autocar said they could not get more than 7.2 from the focus 0-60 that is a second off the VXR. And no you don't have to be macrae, there is a difference, have a go and see for yourself. Its like theres a difference between the wrx and sti, it is there you can notice it.
Steppers Autocar said they could not get more than 7.2 from the focus 0-60 that is a second off the VXR. And no you don't have to be macrae, there is a difference, have a go and see for yourself. Its like theres a difference between the wrx and sti, it is there you can notice it.
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Originally Posted by 16vmarc
My dads dues to change his car in august (MkIV V6 4 Motion). Just looking at ideas at the moment, guy he works with has just bought the ST (in orange!) Now my dad bought the V6 2 weeks after he bought one, in the same colour!!! so isnt too keen on buying the same car as him again!
What are peoples opinions and what else should he consider? The fuel consumption of Imprezas has always put him off!, although the Golf isnt too good!
What are peoples opinions and what else should he consider? The fuel consumption of Imprezas has always put him off!, although the Golf isnt too good!
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Originally Posted by VXRBOY
Indeed (sgcooby) you really are about 12 aren't you. Come on, come clean.
Steppers Autocar said they could not get more than 7.2 from the focus 0-60 that is a second off the VXR. And no you don't have to be macrae, there is a difference, have a go and see for yourself. Its like theres a difference between the wrx and sti, it is there you can notice it.
Steppers Autocar said they could not get more than 7.2 from the focus 0-60 that is a second off the VXR. And no you don't have to be macrae, there is a difference, have a go and see for yourself. Its like theres a difference between the wrx and sti, it is there you can notice it.
#24
I did not say the all reviews were ****, i said not all of them favour the ST or Golf, and the ones that do, do so for reasons that normally a person buying a hot hatch would think are not important, eg, red piping around the grill, easier radio to figure out, round gear **** like the original GTI, smoother (being honest you dont care about smooth if you drive a scooby) slightly better fuel economy, bigger back window.
And after having read all the reviews of these cars since last june, when the first one came out, then driving the ST and VXR i made my decision,(well i actually ordered the car in June and kept an eye out just in case, in the meantime driving both).
Do you really have to be paid for driving cars and writing about them to be able to assess it? You seem to have not seen the ones in which the VXR comes out top.
And after having read all the reviews of these cars since last june, when the first one came out, then driving the ST and VXR i made my decision,(well i actually ordered the car in June and kept an eye out just in case, in the meantime driving both).
Do you really have to be paid for driving cars and writing about them to be able to assess it? You seem to have not seen the ones in which the VXR comes out top.
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Originally Posted by VXRBOY
I did not say the all reviews were ****, i said not all of them favour the ST or Golf, and the ones that do, do so for reasons that normally a person buying a hot hatch would think are not important, eg, red piping around the grill, easier radio to figure out, round gear **** like the original GTI, smoother (being honest you dont care about smooth if you drive a scooby) slightly better fuel economy, bigger back window.
And after having read all the reviews of these cars since last june, when the first one came out, then driving the ST and VXR i made my decision,(well i actually ordered the car in June and kept an eye out just in case, in the meantime driving both).
Do you really have to be paid for driving cars and writing about them to be able to assess it? You seem to have not seen the ones in which the VXR comes out top.
And after having read all the reviews of these cars since last june, when the first one came out, then driving the ST and VXR i made my decision,(well i actually ordered the car in June and kept an eye out just in case, in the meantime driving both).
Do you really have to be paid for driving cars and writing about them to be able to assess it? You seem to have not seen the ones in which the VXR comes out top.
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Originally Posted by sgcooby
If im 12 your Mum is in serious ****. Im curious, i thought you spoke from experience, so you keep saying, and when i refer to renowned publications for their opinions you state that these type of opinions mean **** unless ive driven the car myself. Not sure why I have to drive the car when Im quoting various proffesional roadtesters opinions but then youve got the cheek to use Autocars opinions to back your argument up. Consistent.
At the end of the day, an Autocar review is generally one or two testers' personal opinion.
These guys are, and always will be be writers first, petrolheads second.
What matters is that your own personal opinion, not those of someone writing in a magazine.
From time to time the magazines, even the well known ones, produce opinions that are somewhat removed from those of the general public.
I used to know a guy who was a freelance motoring correspondant for the national press. An ex racer, he was an excellent driver and his opinion was one I would trust. There was more than one occasion when his review of a given vehicle was way off the opinions of Autocar and the like.
Autocar has a history of not knowing its **** from its elbow. Some of the writing is very good, some of it is simply laughable.
The ONLY way to pass judgement is to drive the car yourself and experience it first hand.
Evo mag hated the Focus RS. And yet now they have gone full circle.
Now, I'm not for one moment saying that Autocar is wright or wrong here, just that you cannot rely on the views of someone who covers limited mileage and produces an extremely subjective report. One man's poor turn in is another man's stability. Handling is very much a personal thing at this level, turn in cannot be measured by equipment.
The only thing I would place any reliance on in the magazines is the test data. And even that is sometimes iffy.
Autocar always launch a 4wd car by holding max revs and side stepping the clutch. Not always the quickest launch technique, but the one they always employ.
I recently read a review by clarkson which concluded that a car he was driving was "crap".
The reason? not the great engine, good build, fantastic handling. The reason it was crap was because it had restricted space in the back seats. Ok, so there is an element of sensasionalism in that review, but you get the point.
Many of the mags slated the Vectra Gsi when it was launched. Many on here did as well. And yet having ragged one half to death across varied roads in west central scotland I could find no fault with the performace or handling at insane speeds. A truly excellent allrounder. But you would never have even looked at the car based on many magazine reviews at the time.
I recall that the facelifted one was given much more favourable reviews. And yet despite what the magazines may have written, I was assured by someone at GM that the chassis was unchanged.
Thats not what they told the testers, of course, and surprise, surprise, the car was now much better.
It's laughable. The last generation Golf was said to be the class leader because of build and quality feel, yet it was perhaps the least inspiring handling car in its class. The new focus is said to be the class leader because of its handling...or is it the golf....tell me, what day is it again?
The inconsistencies are laughable and believeing all that you read just demontrates a certain naivety on your part.
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Originally Posted by Diablo
The inconsistencies are laughable and believeing all that you read just demontrates a certain naivety on your part.
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Originally Posted by sgcooby
An interesting point of view but I dont think its naieve to take anything from car reviews after all that is what they are carried out for. If you havent got access to various cars, not just exotica like ferraris but any type of car then really the easiest way to get an idea of a car is to read reviews. I do agree with you that some times a review of a car can be down to the reviwers personal tastes but my point was that there was a lot of reviews from different sources all saying a similar things about the VXR and it would be too much of a coincidence to assume they all had the same agenda or same tastes.
No, its not what they are carried out for. They are carried out by the likes of Autocar to make money for the publishers.
Supply and demand mate, supply and demand.
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Originally Posted by Diablo
LOL
No, its not what they are carried out for. They are carried out by the likes of Autocar to make money for the publishers.
Supply and demand mate, supply and demand.
No, its not what they are carried out for. They are carried out by the likes of Autocar to make money for the publishers.
Supply and demand mate, supply and demand.
Autocar is just one mag. There are plenty other publications im sure who are run by or have people working for them who are car enthusiasts. If a journalist wanted to make money they could do so by writing for anyone but i dare say they write for car mags because they are genuinley interested in cars. Its a very cynical (spelling) attitude to claim they all do it for money and nothing else. I dont believe for a minute that and that does not make me naieve. Obviously the mag has to make money otherwise its fruitless running the business but i dont even think you believe that a lot if not most of them are not enthusiastic about cars. Just for arguments sake even if they are not that enthusiastic they are still more experienced in driving different cars than you or I are as thry must drive hundreds of different vehicles every year and for this reason alone their opinions do hold more validity than someone who has ,say, only ever owned and driven a handful of vehicles and is biased as he / she owns the vehicle they are commenting on.
Not everything is about money and supply and demand and nothing else. Hopefully you are not so cynical about everything in life.