AH SRI-T....Will I be happy with one?

[deviant]

Hey guys,

At the moment I drive a 03 TS 2.2 SRI.

Its just gone through its 90,000km service and I want to upgrade in to the hot hatch sector. I will be selling the car shortly.

So when my car was in for its service I took an AH SRI-T out for an hour.....but I fear I am being a bit harsh in my judgement of the car because after I took the car back I promptly went to the Ford place next door and took an XR5 out for an hour....

A few questions and observations on the Astra..

Interior fit / finish seems to be massively improved...what will it be like in 50,000KM though?

Is the central screen, control centre easy to get used to?

The engine felt very sluggish and unwilling to rev so it barely felt any quicker than my 2.2....however the car has less than 100KM on it and the salesman filled the tank with 91? It also sounded very thrashy?

The gear shift quality is vastly improved...until I went for 5th and it kept baulking. I guess it could be me not being used to the new shift pattern or it could be normal?

Tyre noise was horrendous...not sure on the tyres fitted but I assume they were the OE, anybody else suffer with the noise?

I'm not sure about the front seats...they felt very hard and not very generous in their support. They also felt like the lumbar support was pushing in my back even though it was wound right out. I didnt discover the seat tilt handle until I returned the car though.

The salesman said they can get a brand new car in my chosen spec in 3-4 weeks or they can get an ex-demo from anywhere in the country in 1-2weeks.....is this true?

Other than that I did like the car....its refinement and build quality seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of the TS and believe it or not it is slightly better equipped than the Focus (leather, climate control, cruise control) and has a favourable price tag....but then the Focus....My god its a stunning car!!!
It felt like an $80K Audi inside and the engine, transmission and brakes are stunning....but I still wonder if I am being to harsh on the Astra:confused:

Oh another question...anybody ever take their Astra out on track? I would be aiming to do maybe half a dozen trackdays a year. I used to have an MR2 for that but just purchased a house so can only afford one car now!

[EL BURITO]

So when my car was in for its service I took an AH SRI-T out for an hour.....but I fear I am being a bit harsh in my judgement of the car because after I took the car back I promptly went to the Ford place next door and took an XR5 out for an hour....


Probably on of the best things you could have done



salesman filled the tank with 91? so it would not have been adjusting to the tune right, what a great way to sell a car

Remember too with the XR5 is is due for replacement at the end of the year so you would be killing your resale even more. If you can hold off if you want the ford I personally would as with the SRIT if might be worth looking at a 2nd hand one cos the re-sale on these have gone to shit

[Ishley]

I dont really think that the SriT and XR5 are in the same class. I would put the XR5 against the VXR. As the SRiT has considerably less power for a cheaper price too. But you do get climate control, and full leather in the SRiT like you said. I dont really have a preference to the looks of either, I think they both look really good.

My AH SRiT has just clicked over 50,000k's and my interior is fine, no abnormal rattles, or complaints about the car in general. She runs like a dream.

As for the seats, I too find that they are kinda laid back and I feel as though you sit lower in the car. Like the window feels like it is almost at shoulder level.

[GreyRex]

Hey guys,

At the moment I drive a 03 TS 2.2 SRI.

Its just gone through its 90,000km service and I want to upgrade in to the hot hatch sector. I will be selling the car shortly.

So when my car was in for its service I took an AH SRI-T out for an hour.....but I fear I am being a bit harsh in my judgement of the car because after I took the car back I promptly went to the Ford place next door and took an XR5 out for an hour....

A few questions and observations on the Astra..

Interior fit / finish seems to be massively improved...what will it be like in 50,000KM though?

Is the central screen, control centre easy to get used to?

The engine felt very sluggish and unwilling to rev so it barely felt any quicker than my 2.2....however the car has less than 100KM on it and the salesman filled the tank with 91? It also sounded very thrashy?

The gear shift quality is vastly improved...until I went for 5th and it kept baulking. I guess it could be me not being used to the new shift pattern or it could be normal?

Tyre noise was horrendous...not sure on the tyres fitted but I assume they were the OE, anybody else suffer with the noise?

I'm not sure about the front seats...they felt very hard and not very generous in their support. They also felt like the lumbar support was pushing in my back even though it was wound right out. I didnt discover the seat tilt handle until I returned the car though.

The salesman said they can get a brand new car in my chosen spec in 3-4 weeks or they can get an ex-demo from anywhere in the country in 1-2weeks.....is this true?

Other than that I did like the car....its refinement and build quality seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of the TS and believe it or not it is slightly better equipped than the Focus (leather, climate control, cruise control) and has a favourable price tag....but then the Focus....My god its a stunning car!!!
It felt like an $80K Audi inside and the engine, transmission and brakes are stunning....but I still wonder if I am being to harsh on the Astra:confused:

Oh another question...anybody ever take their Astra out on track? I would be aiming to do maybe half a dozen trackdays a year. I used to have an MR2 for that but just purchased a house so can only afford one car now!

It's a good point you bring up comparing the two, as I was in the exact same position one year ago.

I ended up going for an AH Astra SRi Turbo in black. I didn't want to pay retail for the Astra, so I ended up finding a Dec 06 build one, but i purchased it 'brand new' with only 60kms on the clock in June 07 for 32K driveaway. The 3 year warranty started from date of registration in June (which I also had them write on the contract), so I was pretty happy. Obviously when it comes to selling, it will be sold as an '06' car... but i've only done 13,000kms in one year, so i'm not too fussed.

At the same point last year (and basically the same now), an XR5 will cost you around 39K on the road (without leather). For me, the XR5 was the car I wanted, but i couldn't afford almost 40K at that time. The new LV XR5 arriving in about two months has optional leather with heated front seats for $2500 i think, optional metallic orange ($1800!!), optional sunroof ($2000), and optional stripes ($350)... and of course no cruise contol or climate control. To recommend one over the other is hard. It depends on how much you want to spend, and what features you deem as being important. You'll get a new Astra Turbo on the road for about 34 - 35K i'd say. Another thing to consider is that there's now plenty on the used car market... with quite a few with under 10,000kms on the clock. Considering the type of car both are, you should be lucky to find an owner who's an enthusiast who's taken care of it.

In the first couple of months of owning mine, I honestly started to regret my decision. I had a rattle in the electric mirror switch, a squeak from the rear seat, creaking rear suspension (which is quite common on the AH), and the engine (while fairly quick) just didn't sound right or have that proper feel. A year later... all I can say is, it is now near perfect. Mirror switch replaced, rear seat squeaking was because it wasn't pushed back properly and 'locked' in, rear suspension creak has been fixed as per Holden's service bulletin and has now completely gone... and the engine has now opened up. At around 10,000kms i started to realise it sounded a little better, made it's power better, and it now pops on the overrun!!(flooring it to about 2500rpm and then letting it slow down). I'd say a year on... this is how the car should have felt when I bought it. It's literally like the car's 'grown into itself'. Oh... and I also had the ECU flashed... which i'd say makes it basically VXR quick.

One thing i'm not too happy with is the handling. This is where the XR5 would have it. To tackle this, i've ordered the Eibach Pro-Kit springs and a Whiteline rear sway bar. Judging from the numerous comments overseas, these are the first two (and probably) the best two mods to make on the Astra. These get installed on the weekend. All things going well i'll let you know how I go.

Fit and finish is (as you say) very good. Everything shuts properly and solidly. Even the glovebox lid drops slowly to stop it from dropping on your knees!!

For me the whole info screen/lots of button stuff is pretty easy. I have worked it out that if you have CDs with text, you can first view the list of all CD names that you have inserted... choose your disc, then once the disc is playing, search by song name. This is all without even taking either hand off the steering wheel. It's pretty awesome.

Gear shift quality also improves. It's quite tight and notchy when new... but the shift quality improves (although it can feel a little rubbery between gears)

Tyre noise is pretty shocking as you say. I honestly can't comment on them because i'm not an expert. They're loud, and I don't feel they have the best grip. Guess you can make up your own mind there.

Seats are similar to the gear shift, in that they become a little softer. The seat warmers are absolutely fantastic, and I haven't had any complaints from anyone else about the seats being uncomfortable. Obviously they aren't the Recaro's of the XR5, but that's personal preference.

When it comes to track stuff... the Astra has a torsion beam, the XR5 fully independant suspension. If you're taking the Astra on the track, i'd suggest the suspension mods. If you don't want to mod... look at the XR5


Probably on of the best things you could have done


so it would not have been adjusting to the tune right, what a great way to sell a car

Remember too with the XR5 is is due for replacement at the end of the year so you would be killing your resale even more. If you can hold off if you want the ford I personally would as with the SRIT if might be worth looking at a 2nd hand one cos the re-sale on these have gone to shit

Spot on the with the replacement info. You can only order the new LV XR5 now. How important resale is to you will determine whether you look at the brand new one, or are happy with the LS/LT model. Mechanically, they're identical.

If you're looking to flash tune both, that can be done easily. Most common for the XR5 is Dreamscience (about $1000). I had my tune done for the Astra by Wayne (who used to be on this forum, but now runs a business tuning cars), for around $900. The Astra's tune is from an Italian company Piasini (who also do many others including the Mazda MPS range)

I hope all this helps...

Let me know if i've left anything out:D :D

[deviant]

Some brilliant replies there guys. Thanks a heap.

Yes it does feel a bit unfair compairing the 2 cars...I guess the Focus is more in the 'superhatch' class :cool:

There is no way I could afford a brand new Focus...so I was comparing a brand new Astra with a 3500KM Focus that had a driveaway prive of $35,000. Most dealer cars I have seen are normally around the $38,000 mark which is where the Astra wins. The Astra gets even further ahead on the used market.

Re-sale value is not really something of interest to me to be honest. We have just bought our own house so the car is definately going to be a long term thing and I am looking for at least 5 years and 150,000KM with it.

Mizled_SRi-T...what is it about the handling you dont like?
With such noisy tyres and going from the way the test car drove I suspect the tyres were over inflated, very low profile with stiff sidewalls and probably covered in 'tyre shine'.

Its so hard comparing cars....Especially when they are brand new because they are rattle free and still smell nice and its all to easy to get carried away with emotions and the "want" factor of having the fastest/biggest/shiniest car and ending up with something that doesnt really suit your needs.

In a way cars like the Golf GTI and the Focus XR5 have ruined hot hatches...read reviews of the TS SRI-T and the press were full of praise for a car with a turbocharged engine and 180BHP even though the interior was not THAT special.
Now if a car has less than 200BHP, no Recaro seats and a sprint to 100KMH above 7sec its classed as a failure and is not counted as anything more than a shopping car.
Hot hatches were always supposed to be a shopping car with a big donk and a few extra badges and a sensible price tag.

[USC]

Get a golf Gti or even a GT if you cant afford a Gti mate. You will never regret it.

Focus interior sucks bad..when I test drove one, the gear boot popped off.:eek: . Plastics looked ultra cheap inside. sure, power is not bad for a 5 cyclinder turbo, but should have been more, given a VXR can produce 177KW on a 4cylinder. Not a fan of the back of the focus.

Sri-T is ok. Really depends on you. what somebody thinks is high quality might actually be the opposite for someone else.(same applies for focus though). handling is not too bad for a front wheel drive but I find the exhaust note quite annoying. I liked the seats but did not like the feel of the gear knob(the stitching on top did not feel the best after a long time.. a bit rough..). Also, interior has too much silver bits(whole centre console) and need to be careful as it will get very ugly over the years if scratched everywhere. No cup holders also.

[GreyRex]

Some brilliant replies there guys. Thanks a heap.

Yes it does feel a bit unfair compairing the 2 cars...I guess the Focus is more in the 'superhatch' class :cool:

There is no way I could afford a brand new Focus...so I was comparing a brand new Astra with a 3500KM Focus that had a driveaway prive of $35,000. Most dealer cars I have seen are normally around the $38,000 mark which is where the Astra wins. The Astra gets even further ahead on the used market.

Re-sale value is not really something of interest to me to be honest. We have just bought our own house so the car is definately going to be a long term thing and I am looking for at least 5 years and 150,000KM with it.

Mizled_SRi-T...what is it about the handling you dont like?
With such noisy tyres and going from the way the test car drove I suspect the tyres were over inflated, very low profile with stiff sidewalls and probably covered in 'tyre shine'.

Its so hard comparing cars....Especially when they are brand new because they are rattle free and still smell nice and its all to easy to get carried away with emotions and the "want" factor of having the fastest/biggest/shiniest car and ending up with something that doesnt really suit your needs.

In a way cars like the Golf GTI and the Focus XR5 have ruined hot hatches...read reviews of the TS SRI-T and the press were full of praise for a car with a turbocharged engine and 180BHP even though the interior was not THAT special.
Now if a car has less than 200BHP, no Recaro seats and a sprint to 100KMH above 7sec its classed as a failure and is not counted as anything more than a shopping car.
Hot hatches were always supposed to be a shopping car with a big donk and a few extra badges and a sensible price tag.

Take reviews with a grain of salt. They're someone else's opinion; not yours.

Use them as a guide... and if your opinion is different... so be it!!

If we all worried about what everyone else thought we'd never do anything!!:) :)

The handling to me is crap without sport on. If you drive over a long speed hump, you can literally feel the delay of the car going up over it, then the suspension actually telling you what it's doing.

Sport on seems to be rock hard for little bumps, yet feels like it wallows when having a bit of a go still. Not sure if I said that correctly... lol

Id say the rest of the market (GTi XR5 etc)... haven't ruined it. They've needed to improve because everything else has. In Aus, your standard falcon will do 0 - 100kms in 7.5 seconds!! I'd say to be 'hot'... that time or better would be necessary (even if they're better through the corners).

[Black Nugget]

Get a golf Gti or even a GT if you cant afford a Gti mate. You will never regret it.o.

absolutely agree, I drove a mates Gti with 165kw atw and all i can say is wow. The way the chasis handles power and how it could easily handle more is astounding.

In pictures i think the Vw interior looks crap. In real life its a different matter, the wheel is fat and you sit snug and low and OMG the seats are just brilliant!

[USC]

absolutely agree, I drove a mates Gti with 165kw atw and all i can say is wow. The way the chasis handles power and how it could easily handle more is astounding.

In pictures i think the Vw interior looks crap. In real life its a different matter, the wheel is fat and you sit snug and low and OMG the seats are just brilliant!

agree. interior looks much better in flesh. GT is also a good car (both turbo charger and supercharger) and fuel economy is not bad either. It will do 0-100 in 7.9 secs --manual gearbox( very similar to sri-t) and even faster with a DSG gearbox,

[deviant]

Hehehe loving the loyalty to the Astra :D

So I guess the general consensus is that if I got an SRI-T I wouldnt be getting a bad car per se...just that you can do much better for $35K and to look very carefully at how much I am paying for an Astra.

[SSS_Hoon]

I dont really think that the SriT and XR5 are in the same class. I would put the XR5 against the VXR.


I find that funny.

You say the SRiT shouldnt be compared to the XR5 but instead the XR5 should be compared to the VXR due to power and what not.

Yet most ppl compare the GTI to the VXR instead of the SRiT yet the power of the GTI is the only 147kw the same as the SRiT hehehe.

I got a little laught out of that.


From those seeing and being in them i would say get the GTI or the GT if you can afford them that is (not being biased or anything here either).

But betwee the SRiT and the XR5 the XR5 wins hands down that is for sure. As already said the new one is coming so either hold off and wait for that or wait for a dealer bargain on old stock when the new one comes in.

Or you could get a VXR 2nd hand or even a SRiT 2nd hand. There is 2nd hand GTI's selling for around the 30k mark now too.

SSS_Hoon

[sooty]

I find that funny.

You say the SRiT shouldnt be compared to the XR5 but instead the XR5 should be compared to the VXR due to power and what not.

Yet most ppl compare the GTI to the VXR instead of the SRiT yet the power of the GTI is the only 147kw the same as the SRiT hehehe.

I got a little laught out of that.


From those seeing and being in them i would say get the GTI or the GT if you can afford them that is (not being biased or anything here either).

But betwee the SRiT and the XR5 the XR5 wins hands down that is for sure. As already said the new one is coming so either hold off and wait for that or wait for a dealer bargain on old stock when the new one comes in.

Or you could get a VXR 2nd hand or even a SRiT 2nd hand. There is 2nd hand GTI's selling for around the 30k mark now too.

SSS_Hoon

Maybe the GTi and VXR are compared cos they are both 2.0T aren't they?
Whereas the XR5 is a 2.5T, so comparing it to a lower spec 2.0T (in the range) would be unfair? that's how i'd justify it anyway:D
However i'd agree that the GTi vs SRi-T is prob fairer due to almost identical quoted figures...i have no idea on prices :)

[USC]

The XR5 is a 2.5L 5 potter...should not be compared to a low output sri-t 2L 4 potter..not fair.

[deviant]

IIRC the Golf GTI starts at nearer $40K and can very quickly head towards the $50K mark by the time you tick some options and pay your on road costs.

Talking of VW...not much quicker than any other hot hatch but man I would love an R32 Golf...mind you the new R36 Passat Wagon looks rather tasty!!

I think the GTI, VXR and XR5 are all compared with each other because of their price bracket, equipment levels and performance. I know the Golf lags a touch in the 0-100 and outright power pub talk but the GTI is the original "new school" hot hatch and is so good at what it does that everything else is going to be compared to it.

I have had a look at $30K GTI's but in all honesty I would be dubious about going near one. They have very high KM's for an urban based, 2 or 3 year old car and the service history is often missing...I guess the people who do lots of KM's dont feel like doing more than one service every 12 months :(

[deviant]

The XR5 is a 2.5L 5 potter...should not be compared to a low output sri-t 2L 4 potter..not fair.

Seems the engine type never figures in to the comparison tests of the various hot hatches.
I'm not sure the XR5 really gains anything from having a 5cyl engine so it cant really be excluded from any comparisons...still has the same power and torque output as the rest...Same with the Golf R32, hugely expensive but no quicker than a GTI.
I think its mostly there as some very clever marketing and looking at the tuning results people are getting it is hugely unstressed and in a state of de-tune...probably originally installed that way to allow for more powerfull 'special edition' cars later or to allow Ford to use the engine in other more powerful cars.

[poita]

it all comes down to personal preferance mate.
i would never own a gold r32, i just dont like them.
i would have an xr5 or vxr anyday of teh week.
buy wat makes you happy, and wat you feel drives better.
wat interior you like better, wat features you like more
also wat you can afford.

like they say mate, opinions are like assholes ;)

this post is prob no help at all, but its just an opinion :)

[deviant]

A much apreciated opinion to poita!

I agree its got to come down to personal choice and I do like the Astra...but I dont want to be driving it and thinking "I wish I had...." So I thought it would be good to see if any of you guys regretted your choice.

[Greg K]

buy an Epica... :)

[SIMid]

I loved the looks of the Astra Coupe more than the XR5 or GTi. Mechanically the later 2 are better in execution as the SRiT has the previous engine. But after having mine for nearly 1 & 1/2yrs, she still looks fantastic and no regrets at all. Power wise, lacks a little but she's aint no rally basher. Perfect for cruising and still turns heads.

Flash tune would solve your power deficit. :p If that's your issue.

[Ishley]

I find that funny.

You say the SRiT shouldnt be compared to the XR5 but instead the XR5 should be compared to the VXR due to power and what not.

Yet most ppl compare the GTI to the VXR instead of the SRiT yet the power of the GTI is the only 147kw the same as the SRiT hehehe.

I got a little laught out of that.


From those seeing and being in them i would say get the GTI or the GT if you can afford them that is (not being biased or anything here either).

But betwee the SRiT and the XR5 the XR5 wins hands down that is for sure. As already said the new one is coming so either hold off and wait for that or wait for a dealer bargain on old stock when the new one comes in.

Or you could get a VXR 2nd hand or even a SRiT 2nd hand. There is 2nd hand GTI's selling for around the 30k mark now too.

SSS_Hoon
I try to compare car's in price brackets more then anything. I mean when it comes down to it, a car that you pay $40,000 for should have more feature's then something that you pay $30,000 for.

It was just the big difference in power that was one of the main difference's between the two.

IIRC the Golf GTI starts at nearer $40K and can very quickly head towards the $50K mark by the time you tick some options and pay your on road costs.

Talking of VW...not much quicker than any other hot hatch but man I would love an R32 Golf...mind you the new R36 Passat Wagon looks rather tasty!!

I love the R32 Golf too! Or even the R50 Tourag that should be coming......

[GreyRex]

I love the R32 Golf too! Or even the R50 Tourag that should be coming......

I saw one:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

If that doesn't scream %@#& off, I don't know what does:D :D :D

[USC]

it all comes down to personal preferance mate.
i would never own a gold r32, i just dont like them.
i would have an xr5 or vxr anyday of teh week.
buy wat makes you happy, and wat you feel drives better.
wat interior you like better, wat features you like more
also wat you can afford.

like they say mate, opinions are like assholes ;)

this post is prob no help at all, but its just an opinion :)

I can smell a lot of assholes from this thread.

What can you afford mate? what is your budget?

[deviant]

I'm in the $30 - $35K budget range...of course we would all like to spend as little as possible though :D

I keep seeing most of the hot hatches fall in to that price bracket....just need to sift for the good ones!

[USC]

At the end of the day, its really up to you? Are you after japanese or european? do you care about resale value (holden is the worst)? do you care about service from dealer? are you buying based on looks, quality or power/handling?

[deviant]

At the end of the day, its really up to you? Are you after japanese or european? do you care about resale value (holden is the worst)? do you care about service from dealer? are you buying based on looks, quality or power/handling?

Yeah it ultimately has to come down to me...but its always good to get other owners views of their own car for a more candid opinion.

I'm not that fussed on where the car is made but I do want the euro quality and refinement.

Resale value is of no importance as this car is going to be with me for 5 years minimum.

Main stealer customer service is important...but I have yet to be truly impressed by any particular one so its not really something that will turn me off a particular car. I will just use a different dealer if the one I buy the car from turns out to be poo.

I will be buying based on build quality and refinement (I spend 2 hours a day in the car) but I am a petrolhead at heart so power and handling also feature very highly...I guess I want it all!! See there is that WANT factor again :D
I dont really care about looks because all of the hot hatches are pretty good looking cars.

[USC]

Do you currently have a car?

[bornwild]

XR5 Turbo gets my vote :)

[bornwild]

buy an Epica... :)

ahhaahahhahahhahahahahhhahahah :D:D

[USC]

ahhaahahhahahhahahahahhhahahah :D:D

yeh...give holden some business...

[Dowie]

Do you currently have a car?


Hey guys,

At the moment I drive a 03 TS 2.2 SRI.


;)

[deviant]

^^ what he said :D

[Black Nugget]

Is the yet to be released updated XR5 come with cruise control?

For people who use it regularily, I think a lack of cruise control is a major flaw in a 35k plus car.

[rjastra]

If you are after a car to spend hours a day in then a rough ride and tyre noise would be a turn off

Go check out the Golf GT (not GTI). It's available with a petrol (1.4TSFI) or hipo diesel engine.

Golf prices can escalate if you add options. But honestly they are very well specced as standard.

[btm]

I think a lack of cruise control is a major flaw in a 35k plus car.
agreed. after having cruise control i dont think i could ever go back to a car without it!

[EL BURITO]

agreed. after having cruise control i dont think i could ever go back to a car without it!
only reason I don't have it was due to VW being unable to provide and Ford being able to do so

[USC]

If you are after a car to spend hours a day in then a rough ride and tyre noise would be a turn off

Go check out the Golf GT (not GTI). It's available with a petrol (1.4TSFI) or hipo diesel engine.

Golf prices can escalate if you add options. But honestly they are very well specced as standard.

+1

power/economy/technology/built quality/comfort/resale value/reliability/brand

[JohnBu]

If you are after a car to spend hours a day in then a rough ride and tyre noise would be a turn off

Go check out the Golf GT (not GTI). It's available with a petrol (1.4TSFI) or hipo diesel engine.

Golf prices can escalate if you add options. But honestly they are very well specced as standard.


i think the new Golf mark V range should be coming out in the not too distant future (resale value)..

but in any case, get the GTi, kinda pointless opting for the GT, if economy is what you're after, then the diesel makes sense, but i dont think you can go past the GTi as a good all round performer..

just make sure you're aware of the servicing cost of VW

[sooty]

i think the new Golf mark VI range should be coming out in the not too distant future (resale value)..


fixed :)

[rjastra]

but in any case, get the GTi, kinda pointless opting for the GT, if economy is what you're after, then the diesel makes sense, but i dont think you can go past the GTi as a good all round performer..


GT (petrol) is 5K cheaper than the GTI. A signficant difference

[USC]

GT (petrol) is 5K cheaper than the GTI. A signficant difference


+1

and Holden Astra is not that much cheaper to service, considering they dont stock many parts here...specially for the sri-t.

[deviant]

I have thought about a diesel but the price of buying the fuel is getting silly so does away with any real advantages. I dont really like the power delivery of a diesel either.

Yep Golf MK VI is coming soon...but I doubt it will be in aus within 2 years and I wouldnt trust that the GTI is going to be here within a resonable time.

Cruise control or lack of is not really a worry to me....though you do have to wonder why Ford left it off the XR5? I'm guessing some conflict with the engine management.

[Dowie]

I dont really like the power delivery of a diesel either.


Ha im sure there are a few people that would love to argue that :p
Not me tho :D

[deviant]

Ha im sure there are a few people that would love to argue that :p
Not me tho :D

Hehehe yeah no doubt.

If there was a good tuner in Perth then a diesel Golf could be nice...the VAG turbo diesel is a very impressive bit of kit in a tweaked form.
I love the balance of power and torque spread right across the rev range that a petrol offers though....the latest low pressure turbo engines found in the hot hatches all make mazimum torque at 1500RPM whcih when you think about it is really very impressive!

Just not sure I can live with GRAANK KLANKA KLANKA GRANKA KLANK everytime I rev it :P

[rjastra]

Funny isn't it..... modern turbo petrol engines give you the torque curve of a diesel with the rev range of a good petrol engine. Win Win.

[sooty]

Funny isn't it..... modern turbo petrol engines give you the torque curve of a diesel with the rev range of a good petrol engine. Win Win.

had to say something...
sure if you don't mind only having less than 2/3 of the torque...and 1.5 times the fuel use...:rolleyes:

[rjastra]

had to say something...
sure if you don't mind only having less than 2/3 of the torque...and 1.5 times the fuel use...:rolleyes:

Really? at the moment my Polo has 153kw and 330Nm from a 1.8L turbo. Doesn't sound like 2/3rd the Nm of a 1.8L turbo diesel ;) And it sure as hell doesn't use 50% more fuel than a TD of similar performance.

[USC]

Really? at the moment my Polo has 153kw and 330Nm from a 1.8L turbo. Doesn't sound like 2/3rd the Nm of a 1.8L turbo diesel ;) And it sure as hell doesn't use 50% more fuel than a TD of similar performance.

how does ur polo produce so much power?:eek: did u modify it? i didnt know that the polo gti was turbo charged.

[sooty]

Really? at the moment my Polo has 153kw and 330Nm from a 1.8L turbo. Doesn't sound like 2/3rd the Nm of a 1.8L turbo diesel ;) And it sure as hell doesn't use 50% more fuel than a TD of similar performance.

150kw, 400nm, 6L/100km driving hard, around 4.8 on a highway cycle. i know which i'd pick...and i did. but each to their own :) we'll never all agree

p.s sounds like one killer watercooled pogo...

[USC]

150kw, 400nm, 6L/100km driving hard, around 4.8 on a highway cycle. i know which i'd pick...and i did. but each to their own :) we'll never all agree

p.s sounds like one killer watercooled pogo...


I would chose your turbo diesel over any turbo polo or corsa:) .

[bornwild]

Yes I think you'll find that what Ain(Diesel145) said is rather true...you only get a fraction of Diesel torque(sometimes power too) and you pay more at the bowser(1.5x roughly as Ain stated).

You don't like the power delivery of a Diesel? Shame about that...it's taking over the racing world.

[bornwild]

+ the Golf GT TDi is one tricked out Diesel in stock form but also be aware that the recent Audi Sport TDI concept which puts out 500Nm is based on exactly the same engine....just the turbo is different. :)

[rjastra]

LOL.. don't you people actually ever read any relevent articles?

The cost effectiveness of diesel in Australia is diminishing as the price of diesel rises. You are looking at nearly 10yrs as a payback figure compared to an equivalent petrol model (medium car). Move up to a large car and the payback can be 15yrs. Pointless really. We wont mention the extra pollution that a diesel car makes (NOX, particulates etc) simply beause it is so hard to make them comply to petrol standards. We focus too much on C02 yet all the toxins that make people sick (NOX, Particulates) are produced in greater amounts by diesel cars!

You only have to see the upcoming range of small turbo petrol engines. The new 1.4L turbo for the next astra will provide more performance than the outgoing 1.8L NA engine yet return 8% better economy. Makes the diesel option even less appealing here!

[rjastra]

how does ur polo produce so much power?:eek: did u modify it? i didnt know that the polo gti was turbo charged.

Polo Gti has the 1.8L turbo they used in the previous model Golf GTi etc.

Stage 1 ecu reflash gives you 153kw and 330Nm. Stage 3 is up around 220kw/400Nm. Remember this is essentially an old boat anchor engine thats been around since 1994.

[Dowie]

LOL.. don't you people actually ever read any relevent articles?

The cost effectiveness of diesel in Australia is diminishing as the price of diesel rises. You are looking at nearly 10yrs as a payback figure compared to an equivalent petrol model (medium car). Move up to a large car and the payback can be 15yrs. Pointless really. We wont mention the extra pollution that a diesel car makes (NOX, particulates etc) simply beause it is so hard to make them comply to petrol standards. We focus too much on C02 yet all the toxins that make people sick (NOX, Particulates) are produced in greater amounts by diesel cars!

You only have to see the upcoming range of small turbo petrol engines. The new 1.4L turbo for the next astra will provide more performance than the outgoing 1.8L NA engine yet return 8% better economy. Makes the diesel option even less appealing here!

+1
My thoughts exactly. I couldnt of put it better myself
:clap:

[bornwild]

You people keep mentioning Diesels are dirtier than petrols due to some particles....ever heard of DPF??

Jeez...move on with times people :)

[poita]

didnt realise the AH SRI-T came out in a diesel.......

[bornwild]

didnt realise the AH SRI-T came out in a diesel.......

+1

hahaha:D

...wayyy off topic

But yeah back to SRi-T.....have you driven one yet?

[rjastra]

your polo gti and my Astra CDTI cost the same to buy....and mine has about 30% more torque...and is cheaper to run...
I'm not seeing ten years...i'm seeing it right now...:rolleyes:

As for polution....try comparing carbon monoxide outputs of a petrol and diesel....

BUT...as i said..this argument comes round over...and over...and over again...
Just choose what you want people.... :)

LOL... how much more is the CDTI than a CD/CDX? ;) That's the real test.

[95' GSI]

LOL.. don't you people actually ever read any relevent articles?

The cost effectiveness of diesel in Australia is diminishing as the price of diesel rises. You are looking at nearly 10yrs as a payback figure compared to an equivalent petrol model (medium car). Move up to a large car and the payback can be 15yrs. Pointless really. We wont mention the extra pollution that a diesel car makes (NOX, particulates etc) simply beause it is so hard to make them comply to petrol standards. We focus too much on C02 yet all the toxins that make people sick (NOX, Particulates) are produced in greater amounts by diesel cars!

You only have to see the upcoming range of small turbo petrol engines. The new 1.4L turbo for the next astra will provide more performance than the outgoing 1.8L NA engine yet return 8% better economy. Makes the diesel option even less appealing here!

Some people would prefer a diesel simply for better economy and the fact that it doesnt effect performance
and who gives a f*ck about 15 years... most people wont have their cars then, it'll be something else

[sooty]

hmmm...i deleted my post cos this was way off topic lol....that was slow...

Remember kiddies, fighting on the internet is like competing in the special olympics, even if you win...you're still retarded....

[bornwild]

LOL... how much more is the CDTI than a CD/CDX? ;) That's the real test.

The real test is how much cheaper the CDTi is than the SRi-T...btw, the price for the CDX and the CDTi is similar, just goes to show how much bang for buck you get when buying a CDTi :)

CDTi FTW! :D

[USC]

didnt realise the AH SRI-T came out in a diesel.......
in the uk, i think they have the vxr diesel:D

[rjastra]

The real test is how much cheaper the CDTi is than the SRi-T...btw, the price for the CDX and the CDTi is similar, just goes to show how much bang for buck you get when buying a CDTi :)


$3000 or about 10% more expensive ;)

[DaveM]

Coming in a bit late on this, but I have been through the same thing as the OP of late and heres my story.


Was time to trade in the trusty 7yo corolla levin with a whopping 57,000km on the clock. Awesomely reliable car, it just wasnt exactly inspiring to drive. And no cruise control was a real pain for highway driving.

Havinig been a car enthusiast since childhood, and now in the age bracket where turbo cars arent insane to insure (29 :boohoo:) plus no kids on the horizon, I was in the market for something new and somewhat impractical if need be.

I did the maths and worked out my best way to run my cars was to turn them over every 3 years, so if the car did work out to be impractical then it would only be relatively short term.


So, I made a shortlist. Firstly, I was buying new, so that ruled out japanese imports etc. Secondly, I wanted quality build. Doors that closed like bank vaults, door trims that didnt move when pushed, that sort of thing. And 0-100 at or under 7 secs with fuel economy at under 10L/100km. This would be my daily driver to the office and back and so economy was somewhat important.

I ended up with the following cars on my list...

* VW Golf GTI
* Focus XR5 Turbo
* Mazda MPS3
* Golf R32
* Audi S3


So I set out to drive these cars and make an informed decision. Heres a summary...

* Golf GTI - fantastic to drive, though a little too "coddling". No matter what you did, the electronics would sort out the mess. Felt fast but not that fast. Came to almost 48k on the road with leather and DSG.

* Focus XR5 - handled great, bucketloads of torque, felt slow and heavy. And ford dealers were real morons... one told me "the only way you will get a test drive is if you sign a contract to buy it first". Lack of cruise sucked.

* Mazda MPS - Wickedly quick. Wickedly torque steery. Wickedly painful clutch. Couldnt be bothered fighting it as a daily driver. And interior fit and finish was rubbish.

* Golf R32 / Audi S3 - awesome to drive, couldnt justify the expense.


So I was all set on the Golf GTI. Was walking back from Mazda to VW to start haggling the deal and stopped just out of fairness to look at the SRi Turbo and the VXR. I have to admit, I had watched the Top Gear review of the VXR and based on that, I had discounted anything holden, so the VXR wasnt on my list of things to drive.

So I drove the SRi-T. I was amazed at the build quality and finish and the level of equipment. Performance was OK too... it had a bit of turbo lag but pulled nice and strong, handled pretty well and brought a smile to my face. It felt fast enough, about the same as the Golf GTI or Focus.

Did some informal chats on numbers, and was offered a new SRiT in power red that was in stock for 32k drive away. Very tempting for getting the car with leather and everything for 16k less than the Golf.

I then drove the VXR. Compared to it, the SRi-T is the poncy half brother. The grin on my face lasted about an hour after the drive... whether it was put there by the acceleration and gforces or the excitement was undetermined. But I knew I had found my new car.

It behaved NOTHING like Top Gears review. It went straight ahead with no hand on steering wheel and foot hard on throttle. It cornered very well and flat, twinges of torque steer in 3rd when hard on boost, but nothing I couldnt handle within milliseconds.

So I bought the VXR, it was on the showroom floor in power red, with 100km on the clock, for 38k drive away. Great value. Although the insurance was $1600 a year vs $700 for the SRi-T.


So getting back to the OP's question about will be be satisfied with the SRi-T. If you drive a VXR afterwards, then no you wont. It just doesnt stack up to it.

But compared to the Golf GTI and the Focus XR5, the SRi-T holds its own well at a price point thats hard to beat. Is it as fast as a golf gti? Marginally slower (tenths of a second). It was just as fun to drive, and a dream as a daily driver with an easy to use clutch (cough, MPS on/off switch for a clutch, cough).

If I hadnt driven the VXR or my price limit wasnt going to accomodate some of the other cars listed, the SRI-T would have been my purchase over the others that I drove. Add a flash tune and you will smoke GTI's.

Hope that helps with your decision making, and sorry for the long post!

[95' GSI]

Nice post DaveM.
I think its all about how you feel driving the car.
But forget what other people say because ultimately the decision is up to you.

[kabel]

Well written DaveM
The Golf was on my shortlist also but adding the options put it out of my price range and I was also after a 3 door which had not quite reached the Oz market when I purchased my car.
I also drove the SriT but despite pressure from the Holden rep that the HSV would be a badge upgrade only and I should sign `today` I decided to wait for the VXR....glad I did !

PS
I do like the S3 and R32 though...but the price..............
There has been an orange S3 sitting at the Audi centre here in Perth
since they were released....guess that says something !

[SIMid]

Although the insurance was $1600 a year vs $700 for the SRi-T.


Was wondering what the difference was between them. I think I'll stick with my SRiT a little longer then. :)

[bornwild]

Why is the premium so much more for the VXR?!?!?!?!

[DaveM]

Why is the premium so much more for the VXR?!?!?!?!


According to the insurers, being a HSV branded vehicle makes it a lot higher risk from theft

[USC]

Coming in a bit late on this, but I have been through the same thing as the OP of late and heres my story.


Was time to trade in the trusty 7yo corolla levin with a whopping 57,000km on the clock. Awesomely reliable car, it just wasnt exactly inspiring to drive. And no cruise control was a real pain for highway driving.

Havinig been a car enthusiast since childhood, and now in the age bracket where turbo cars arent insane to insure (29 :boohoo:) plus no kids on the horizon, I was in the market for something new and somewhat impractical if need be.

I did the maths and worked out my best way to run my cars was to turn them over every 3 years, so if the car did work out to be impractical then it would only be relatively short term.


So, I made a shortlist. Firstly, I was buying new, so that ruled out japanese imports etc. Secondly, I wanted quality build. Doors that closed like bank vaults, door trims that didnt move when pushed, that sort of thing. And 0-100 at or under 7 secs with fuel economy at under 10L/100km. This would be my daily driver to the office and back and so economy was somewhat important.

I ended up with the following cars on my list...

* VW Golf GTI
* Focus XR5 Turbo
* Mazda MPS3
* Golf R32
* Audi S3


So I set out to drive these cars and make an informed decision. Heres a summary...

* Golf GTI - fantastic to drive, though a little too "coddling". No matter what you did, the electronics would sort out the mess. Felt fast but not that fast. Came to almost 48k on the road with leather and DSG.

* Focus XR5 - handled great, bucketloads of torque, felt slow and heavy. And ford dealers were real morons... one told me "the only way you will get a test drive is if you sign a contract to buy it first". Lack of cruise sucked.

* Mazda MPS - Wickedly quick. Wickedly torque steery. Wickedly painful clutch. Couldnt be bothered fighting it as a daily driver. And interior fit and finish was rubbish.

* Golf R32 / Audi S3 - awesome to drive, couldnt justify the expense.


So I was all set on the Golf GTI. Was walking back from Mazda to VW to start haggling the deal and stopped just out of fairness to look at the SRi Turbo and the VXR. I have to admit, I had watched the Top Gear review of the VXR and based on that, I had discounted anything holden, so the VXR wasnt on my list of things to drive.

So I drove the SRi-T. I was amazed at the build quality and finish and the level of equipment. Performance was OK too... it had a bit of turbo lag but pulled nice and strong, handled pretty well and brought a smile to my face. It felt fast enough, about the same as the Golf GTI or Focus.

Did some informal chats on numbers, and was offered a new SRiT in power red that was in stock for 32k drive away. Very tempting for getting the car with leather and everything for 16k less than the Golf.

I then drove the VXR. Compared to it, the SRi-T is the poncy half brother. The grin on my face lasted about an hour after the drive... whether it was put there by the acceleration and gforces or the excitement was undetermined. But I knew I had found my new car.

It behaved NOTHING like Top Gears review. It went straight ahead with no hand on steering wheel and foot hard on throttle. It cornered very well and flat, twinges of torque steer in 3rd when hard on boost, but nothing I couldnt handle within milliseconds.

So I bought the VXR, it was on the showroom floor in power red, with 100km on the clock, for 38k drive away. Great value. Although the insurance was $1600 a year vs $700 for the SRi-T.


So getting back to the OP's question about will be be satisfied with the SRi-T. If you drive a VXR afterwards, then no you wont. It just doesnt stack up to it.

But compared to the Golf GTI and the Focus XR5, the SRi-T holds its own well at a price point thats hard to beat. Is it as fast as a golf gti? Marginally slower (tenths of a second). It was just as fun to drive, and a dream as a daily driver with an easy to use clutch (cough, MPS on/off switch for a clutch, cough).

If I hadnt driven the VXR or my price limit wasnt going to accomodate some of the other cars listed, the SRI-T would have been my purchase over the others that I drove. Add a flash tune and you will smoke GTI's.

Hope that helps with your decision making, and sorry for the long post!


congrats on the new car..but seriously, u thought the vxr didnt have torque steer and the interior of the astra was better than a golf or mazda...LOL... I think the cheaper price tag somehow influenced your decision by a fair bit...(and the sri-t is cheaper than a gti for a reason)

Hope you enjoy the car though! The AH coupe looks really sexy.

[DaveM]

congrats on the new car..but seriously, u thought the vxr didnt have torque steer and the interior of the astra was better than a golf or mazda...LOL... I think the cheaper price tag somehow influenced your decision by a fair bit...(and the sri-t is cheaper than a gti for a reason)

Hope you enjoy the car though! The AH coupe looks really sexy.

Torque steer? It has a bit when hard on boost in 2nd and 3rd. Happy to prove all the "omg jeremy clarkson said it ams teh torque steerz lol" brigade wrong with a hands off steering wheel video if it will stop them going on about a review that contradicts just about every other review of the VXR out there.

VW golf interior was nice. No doubt. Is the overall car worth 8k more than the VXR... nope. VXR finish is pretty close, it whoops the Golf in every other aspect that counts apart from cargo space.

MPS interior was rubbish. Door panels that moved when touched, nasty plastics, cheap leather on seats, dark and boring. Its the same interior with different seats to the SP23. My business partner has a SP23 with leather, he can see the obvious quality difference between the SP23 as can I.

For me it was the VW Golf vs the VXR. Price was a factor sure, but I was also looking in the 70k mark with the R32 and S3 so its not like I only had 40k to spend and all I could afford was a SRi-T.

The SRi-T is a budget hot hatch, and for what it is, its a great car. Not as good as a golf as a package,but not far off the mark.

To put this in perspective, I have owned in the past a holden, a ford, a mazda and two toyotas. I wasnt even considering a VXR until I drove it, it won me over regardless of price.

[USC]

Torque steer? It has a bit when hard on boost in 2nd and 3rd. Happy to prove all the "omg jeremy clarkson said it ams teh torque steerz lol" brigade wrong with a hands off steering wheel video if it will stop them going on about a review that contradicts just about every other review of the VXR out there.

VW golf interior was nice. No doubt. Is the overall car worth 8k more than the VXR... nope. VXR finish is pretty close, it whoops the Golf in every other aspect that counts apart from cargo space.

MPS interior was rubbish. Door panels that moved when touched, nasty plastics, cheap leather on seats, dark and boring. Its the same interior with different seats to the SP23. My business partner has a SP23 with leather, he can see the obvious quality difference between the SP23 as can I.

For me it was the VW Golf vs the VXR. Price was a factor sure, but I was also looking in the 70k mark with the R32 and S3 so its not like I only had 40k to spend and all I could afford was a SRi-T.

The SRi-T is a budget hot hatch, and for what it is, its a great car. Not as good as a golf as a package,but not far off the mark.

To put this in perspective, I have owned in the past a holden, a ford, a mazda and two toyotas. I wasnt even considering a VXR until I drove it, it won me over regardless of price.


I think the interior of the sri-t or VXR has LOADS of plastic and leather on the driver`s seat gets wrinkles very easily. The centre console is squared and boringly silver everywhere. The interior of the astra is also dark and very claustrophobic...dash lights look like street lights... everytime, u move ur seat, it loses its position. my sri-t also had rattles in the dash board that resonated with exhaust note! the gear knob was NOT comfortable to hold. there is no cup holder. door is EXTREMELY heavy. sports button was a gimmick as i couldnt drive without it on...too slow throttle response. squeaky suspension at times. rubber trims around windows looks cheap. the centre console is a pain in the ass to use. NO aux in for radio, no MP3 support, audio trebble will change for no reason at times.. rear lights loves getting foggy... centre console computer went crazy at times...rear visibility sucked for me...had defects in paint finish...chassis of the sri-t felt way too stiff for me (no real engineering there just electrics)....

"door panels that move when touch":confused: ..sorry dont understand that one.

I could add heaps more to that list but i cant be bothered right now.

"a vxr whoops the golf in every other aspect"...LOL....and you also thought the VXR was better than a S3...LOL

Ive had this argument before and getting tired of it...if u go to a golf forum, u will get a different opinion, or if you go to a mazda/ford forum, they might tell you Holden is crap..blah blah

anyways..in the end, what counts is whether you are happy with it...looks like u really r:)

[DaveM]

*sigh*. Every car has its pros and cons. Where did I say the VXR is a better car than a S3. Dont make up stuff from stuff that isnt posted.

It sounds like you had a SRi-T and didnt like it, and by the looks of it, sold it. If you werent happy with it then thats fine, its a budget hot hatch as I have pointed out numerous times. But the SRi-T isnt a high end hot hatch, and isnt as a good as a golf or focus, which I have plainly stated. Bang for buck its not bad though.

I have had a few issues with the VXR... boot light didnt work, CD player died and had to be replaced, vacuum pump return line on the turbo came off which seems to be a common fault. The other stuff you have mentioned, I dont have any of those. No rattles, no treble issues, no crazy computer. And most cars with leather get wrinkles, its the nature of leather to form peaks and troughs, its a low tensile strength material. Car seats get it, sofas get it, clothes get it.

Numerous Mazda MPS and SP23 owners have reported poor quality interiors, especially leather on seats tearing and stretching. The mazda leather is known for being cheap and thin.

It all boils down to what you like and what makes you happy. I have been a long time VW and Audi fan and I surprised myself with the VXR purchase... I was 99% buying a GTI or R32 before I drove it. Having driven the SRI-T and the VXR one after the other, the SRi-T was not satisfying if you want a seriously fast hot hatch, as it seems you have found out. Its more of a friendly every day car that has power on tap if needed.

The VXR isnt perfect and I am the first to admit it. Its chassis isnt as refined as the Golf. Its a car that requires some level of skill and patience to drive, the golf doesnt. Which probably explains where there are so few VXR's out on the road and every second car is a GTI.

[poita]

*sigh*. Every car has its pros and cons. Where did I say the VXR is a better car than a S3. Dont make up stuff from stuff that isnt posted.

It sounds like you had a SRi-T and didnt like it, and by the looks of it, sold it. If you werent happy with it then thats fine, its a budget hot hatch as I have pointed out numerous times. But the SRi-T isnt a high end hot hatch, and isnt as a good as a golf or focus, which I have plainly stated. Bang for buck its not bad though.

I have had a few issues with the VXR... boot light didnt work, CD player died and had to be replaced, vacuum pump return line on the turbo came off which seems to be a common fault. The other stuff you have mentioned, I dont have any of those. No rattles, no treble issues, no crazy computer. And most cars with leather get wrinkles, its the nature of leather to form peaks and troughs, its a low tensile strength material. Car seats get it, sofas get it, clothes get it.

Numerous Mazda MPS and SP23 owners have reported poor quality interiors, especially leather on seats tearing and stretching. The mazda leather is known for being cheap and thin.

It all boils down to what you like and what makes you happy. I have been a long time VW and Audi fan and I surprised myself with the VXR purchase... I was 99% buying a GTI or R32 before I drove it. Having driven the SRI-T and the VXR one after the other, the SRi-T was not satisfying if you want a seriously fast hot hatch, as it seems you have found out. Its more of a friendly every day car that has power on tap if needed.

The VXR isnt perfect and I am the first to admit it. Its chassis isnt as refined as the Golf. Its a car that requires some level of skill and patience to drive, the golf doesnt. Which probably explains where there are so few VXR's out on the road and every second car is a GTI.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Apex]

Hey guys,

At the moment I drive a 03 TS 2.2 SRI.

Its just gone through its 90,000km service and I want to upgrade in to the hot hatch sector. I will be selling the car shortly.

So when my car was in for its service I took an AH SRI-T out for an hour.....but I fear I am being a bit harsh in my judgement of the car because after I took the car back I promptly went to the Ford place next door and took an XR5 out for an hour....

A few questions and observations on the Astra..

Interior fit / finish seems to be massively improved...what will it be like in 50,000KM though?

Is the central screen, control centre easy to get used to?

The engine felt very sluggish and unwilling to rev so it barely felt any quicker than my 2.2....however the car has less than 100KM on it and the salesman filled the tank with 91? It also sounded very thrashy?

The gear shift quality is vastly improved...until I went for 5th and it kept baulking. I guess it could be me not being used to the new shift pattern or it could be normal?

Tyre noise was horrendous...not sure on the tyres fitted but I assume they were the OE, anybody else suffer with the noise?

I'm not sure about the front seats...they felt very hard and not very generous in their support. They also felt like the lumbar support was pushing in my back even though it was wound right out. I didnt discover the seat tilt handle until I returned the car though.

The salesman said they can get a brand new car in my chosen spec in 3-4 weeks or they can get an ex-demo from anywhere in the country in 1-2weeks.....is this true?

Other than that I did like the car....its refinement and build quality seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of the TS and believe it or not it is slightly better equipped than the Focus (leather, climate control, cruise control) and has a favourable price tag....but then the Focus....My god its a stunning car!!!
It felt like an $80K Audi inside and the engine, transmission and brakes are stunning....but I still wonder if I am being to harsh on the Astra:confused:

Oh another question...anybody ever take their Astra out on track? I would be aiming to do maybe half a dozen trackdays a year. I used to have an MR2 for that but just purchased a house so can only afford one car now!

It comes down to you?? Im not sure if you will be happy.

I think they are fantastic cars for the money and ours has done us well as nothing has gone wrong. You get what you pay for. Had we had the budget we would have most likely gone for something different but at the time the Astra SRI-T was the best car in our price range.

I have tracked mine a few times and it has feared really well holding its own against some “impressive” opponents. If you are into track days I would say go for the Honda Civic Type-R.

[Wraith]

Coming in a bit late on this, but I have been through the same thing as the OP of late and heres my story.


Was time to trade in the trusty 7yo corolla levin with a whopping 57,000km on the clock. Awesomely reliable car, it just wasnt exactly inspiring to drive. And no cruise control was a real pain for highway driving.

Havinig been a car enthusiast since childhood, and now in the age bracket where turbo cars arent insane to insure (29 :boohoo:) plus no kids on the horizon, I was in the market for something new and somewhat impractical if need be.

I did the maths and worked out my best way to run my cars was to turn them over every 3 years, so if the car did work out to be impractical then it would only be relatively short term.


So, I made a shortlist. Firstly, I was buying new, so that ruled out japanese imports etc. Secondly, I wanted quality build. Doors that closed like bank vaults, door trims that didnt move when pushed, that sort of thing. And 0-100 at or under 7 secs with fuel economy at under 10L/100km. This would be my daily driver to the office and back and so economy was somewhat important.

I ended up with the following cars on my list...

* VW Golf GTI
* Focus XR5 Turbo
* Mazda MPS3
* Golf R32
* Audi S3


So I set out to drive these cars and make an informed decision. Heres a summary...

* Golf GTI - fantastic to drive, though a little too "coddling". No matter what you did, the electronics would sort out the mess. Felt fast but not that fast. Came to almost 48k on the road with leather and DSG.

* Focus XR5 - handled great, bucketloads of torque, felt slow and heavy. And ford dealers were real morons... one told me "the only way you will get a test drive is if you sign a contract to buy it first". Lack of cruise sucked.

* Mazda MPS - Wickedly quick. Wickedly torque steery. Wickedly painful clutch. Couldnt be bothered fighting it as a daily driver. And interior fit and finish was rubbish.

* Golf R32 / Audi S3 - awesome to drive, couldnt justify the expense.


So I was all set on the Golf GTI. Was walking back from Mazda to VW to start haggling the deal and stopped just out of fairness to look at the SRi Turbo and the VXR. I have to admit, I had watched the Top Gear review of the VXR and based on that, I had discounted anything holden, so the VXR wasnt on my list of things to drive.

So I drove the SRi-T. I was amazed at the build quality and finish and the level of equipment. Performance was OK too... it had a bit of turbo lag but pulled nice and strong, handled pretty well and brought a smile to my face. It felt fast enough, about the same as the Golf GTI or Focus.

Did some informal chats on numbers, and was offered a new SRiT in power red that was in stock for 32k drive away. Very tempting for getting the car with leather and everything for 16k less than the Golf.

I then drove the VXR. Compared to it, the SRi-T is the poncy half brother. The grin on my face lasted about an hour after the drive... whether it was put there by the acceleration and gforces or the excitement was undetermined. But I knew I had found my new car.

It behaved NOTHING like Top Gears review. It went straight ahead with no hand on steering wheel and foot hard on throttle. It cornered very well and flat, twinges of torque steer in 3rd when hard on boost, but nothing I couldnt handle within milliseconds.

So I bought the VXR, it was on the showroom floor in power red, with 100km on the clock, for 38k drive away. Great value. Although the insurance was $1600 a year vs $700 for the SRi-T.


So getting back to the OP's question about will be be satisfied with the SRi-T. If you drive a VXR afterwards, then no you wont. It just doesnt stack up to it.

But compared to the Golf GTI and the Focus XR5, the SRi-T holds its own well at a price point thats hard to beat. Is it as fast as a golf gti? Marginally slower (tenths of a second). It was just as fun to drive, and a dream as a daily driver with an easy to use clutch (cough, MPS on/off switch for a clutch, cough).

If I hadnt driven the VXR or my price limit wasnt going to accomodate some of the other cars listed, the SRI-T would have been my purchase over the others that I drove. Add a flash tune and you will smoke GTI's.

Hope that helps with your decision making, and sorry for the long post!

congrats Dave and enjoy your new car :)

That's a very good and interesting read above, I too have driven all those except the Xr5 and must say my end result/opinions are very different from yours, especially on the MPS 3, but at the end of the day, you've done the right thing - you've made a short list, you've tried em all out and made a decision based on those results and obviously what budget you have to spend, that's all that matters... ;)

IMHO the price you end up paying for the VXR is a top price !!! Holden/HSV is struggling to move VXR's so they're willing to come down on the price, a very different story to when they were 1st introduced...had it been the 'normal' drive-a-way price of anywhere between 46-48k I dare say that would've made you take another choice...maybe the Gti ;)

As for flash tunes, any of the above go into different performance regimes with that application ! Gti's with DSG run 13's with a flash ;)

As for the main topic, an AH Sri t for around 32k drive-a-way that's gotta be one of the best buys around if your looking for a 3 door hatch !!! good looks, good build quality and kit for the money, good performance and cheaper than the previous TS model turbo hatch before it too !!!

[Black Nugget]

you tried a Skoda octavia Rs (wagon) they look the biz and i think are 40k drive away. Also the Renault Sport Magne R26 F1 had a pretty good review(has LSD too)

[Apex]

As for flash tunes, any of the above go into different performance regimes with that application ! Gti's with DSG run 13's with a flash ;)



What?? 13's?? Are you sure :p

[Wraith]

What?? 13's?? Are you sure :p

Yep, unless some of the posts/threads and timeslips shown on their forums are fudged....which I highly doubt... ;)

FYI check out what the increases on those VW 2.0ltr DISI engines are with a flash...they are 'probably' the most de-tuned petrol engines that come over here from Europe - even the conservative powerchip Aust. flash tunes deliver a 33%+ increase in power (147-196kw) and a whopping 47%+ increase in torque (280-412nm) and I've seen other companies flash tunes that deliver well over 200kw and close to 450nm with just a flash - nothing else !

[Apex]

Yep, unless some of the posts/threads and timeslips shown on their forums are fudged....which I highly doubt... ;)

FYI check out what the increases on those VW 2.0ltr DISI engines are with a flash...they are 'probably' the most de-tuned petrol engines that come over here from Europe - even the conservative powerchip Aust. flash tunes deliver a 33%+ increase in power (147-196kw) and a whopping 47%+ increase in torque (280-412nm) and I've seen other companies flash tunes that deliver well over 200kw and close to 450nm with just a flash - nothing else !

I didn’t doubt you I just didn’t realise how quick and what potential they had!

That’s a second quicker than a VXR :eek:

[Wraith]

I didn’t doubt you I just didn’t realise how quick and what potential they had!

That’s a second quicker than a VXR :eek:

That's ok :)

With that kind of power and with that quick shifting and power efficient DSG, despite no LSD it's little surprise they can run 13's :)

[USC]

*sigh*. Every car has its pros and cons. Where did I say the VXR is a better car than a S3. Dont make up stuff from stuff that isnt posted.

It sounds like you had a SRi-T and didnt like it, and by the looks of it, sold it. If you werent happy with it then thats fine, its a budget hot hatch as I have pointed out numerous times. But the SRi-T isnt a high end hot hatch, and isnt as a good as a golf or focus, which I have plainly stated. Bang for buck its not bad though.

I have had a few issues with the VXR... boot light didnt work, CD player died and had to be replaced, vacuum pump return line on the turbo came off which seems to be a common fault. The other stuff you have mentioned, I dont have any of those. No rattles, no treble issues, no crazy computer. And most cars with leather get wrinkles, its the nature of leather to form peaks and troughs, its a low tensile strength material. Car seats get it, sofas get it, clothes get it.

Numerous Mazda MPS and SP23 owners have reported poor quality interiors, especially leather on seats tearing and stretching. The mazda leather is known for being cheap and thin.

It all boils down to what you like and what makes you happy. I have been a long time VW and Audi fan and I surprised myself with the VXR purchase... I was 99% buying a GTI or R32 before I drove it. Having driven the SRI-T and the VXR one after the other, the SRi-T was not satisfying if you want a seriously fast hot hatch, as it seems you have found out. Its more of a friendly every day car that has power on tap if needed.

The VXR isnt perfect and I am the first to admit it. Its chassis isnt as refined as the Golf. Its a car that requires some level of skill and patience to drive, the golf doesnt. Which probably explains where there are so few VXR's out on the road and every second car is a GTI.

yeh, every car has their pros and cons but Ive never had any of the issues youve had. But the astra turbo/vxr could have been better with a limited slip differential, all-alloy engine, direct injection and variable valve timing as seen on the mazda. Its the first time Ive heard people complaining about leather on a mazda. Try folding your rear seats in your vxr to carry something for a day and let me know how your leather looks the day after...hahaha!

I know an AH Astra owner who had his front seats retrimmed 4 times under warranty before he got rid of it...and he said it was the worst lemon ever (had heaps of other issues with engine as well) but then his wife bought a coupe without leather and it was fine...just seems that astras have more faults than others.
u didnt directly say the S3 was better but u mentioned money was not an issue but u still preferred the vxr over the s3...what was I supposed to think??

but the sri-t or vxr are not bad cars for the amount you pay..thats for sure. I am just a very picky person and like my car built to a certain standard without compromise to looks as well, and keep resale value.

anyways, back to the topic, have you test driven any of the hot hatches yet? any comments?