Astra turbo's..How good?

[blueraven]

Ok.. i am looking at buying something alot newer to replace my aging(yet beautiful) calibra next year.


Astra turbo is looking good...maybe a corolla sportivo..maybe a renault clio club(hate the look, but the drive is superb). i know htis is a bias place, but since i am in the market for a small yet quick car..and dont want to spend much more than 20-25k (have seen a few astra turbo's kicking around for under 25k).

any suggestions for other possible cars?

those with astra turbo's..what problems/complaints do you have etc?.. what gains do you get from simple engine mods etc? i am looking for something quick, reliable that can outperform my calibra significantly..


(have been on a cruise or two with lightly modded turbos..they were quicker..but i dunno about the handling...)

[Adrian]

lower the astra t slightly and a rear sway bar and that will make any clio sport jump out of its socks, stock standard the clio is a good match, however once you mod the astra t, they fly.

for that price range your looking at the clio sport, which is non turbo, the srit and maybe a 2000 model wrx,just off the top of my head...

[Mr T]

Corolla sportivo isn't really much chop in my view.

Under 6000rpm it drives like any other 1.8l...then you get 2 seconds of furry and then back to normal when you change the gears...have a look at a power curve that says it all. I have raced a few, 1st gear only get a lead by about 1/2 - 1 car...but change gears and its all over for the corolla...

low 14's should be acheivable with a spend of about $2-3K if you want 13's you'll be needing at least $4K

[macquered]

Theres no bias from me, I've looked at stacks of various hot hatchs over the years.

The 2ZZ motor in the Corolla Sportivo has quite a flat torque curve. I've heard a lot a of criticism of this engine but it really is sensational. Of course it is limited by its physical capacity but it does very well for a NA motor. It is also quite light which is why Lotus use it. Whilst the Corolla isn't known to handle well off the showroom floor, there are stacks of aftermarket bit available if that is your thing.

The Astra SRiT is a good bet. I don't think it excels especially in any particular area from a driving perspective, but it offers a fantastic compromise between daily driver and some occasionally fun driving. They offer awesome value for money on the used market. I wouldn't pay over 25K for one regardless of condition.

The Cliosport? Fantastic engine, stacks of grip. French car resale means you can get a a bargain on a near new example. It seems I am alone in thinking they don't quite have the chassis balance that everyone raves about though.

Focus ST170: Looks great. Horrid interior. Goes better than I thought. I drove one for 6 weeks while a mate was overseas. Stunning car to drive, stacks of fun. It's for sale currently;

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsales/!cs_content.private_vehicle?vehicle_id=2521068

You could probably pick up a late Peugeot 206 GTi or a Citroen Xsara VTS for around your budget.

If you want bang for buck modifications though, get an SRiT.

[Rhino]

Hey Nik... I'm selling up mate!

Let's talk :)

You know you want one...

[Namus]

skyline; lol; astra-t is good

[CateO]

Astra Turbo For Sale .... Msg JPDyno if you get interested !!!!! Nice Nice Nice Car to drive and to ride in ... much quicker than my baby Astra TS

[blueraven]

ryan...maaaaate ;)


i am only lookin to buy in a few months at the earliest... but would definately like to check yours out and if possible take it for a spin just to get a feel for it. (dont worry, i respect cars, it wont get a hammering...since i am sure you will be right next to me :D )


yeh..would be good to catch up.

oh and of course it helps if the astra is in wa :P

[Rhino]

For sure bud.

Let me know when you'd like to have a gander and we'll sort something out.

The timing will be awesome because I'm looking at letting it go in the next month or 2.

I'll actively advertise around then but if there's interest I might sell quicker.

With my mods though, I'll be looking for a *bit* more than you want to pay.

[auzvectra]

i would say clio is good, but sri-t definately for the go.
as mine says 14.6 stock, so is a bit quicker already, just do a few mods, boost, fmic, pod or panel, or just comp.
comp only, good for low 14's, with a cooler and exhaust might see the 13's.
not talkn from personal experience but, mine is still pretty stock, but am gonna head up to willowbank sat nite (maybe), then i'll see how it's goin now.

[zoidberg]

Corrolla Sportivo is a bit boring, a bloke a work with has one, the engine just doesn't invite you to drive it.

[blackSRi]

I disagree, the Tivo was a great test drive for me, kind of like fine to do 50km/hr in, in normal traffic, cornering was good, suspension firm and sporty - I took some corners quickly and it was excellent (but I remember wondering why it has the beasty reputation??!!).
Then I remembered - yes, not flash at low revs, but as soon as you start holding the revs higher, it would go ok, ahh yes the 6000RPM Lift! And so it invited me to give it a bit of schtick (and boy it was fun - just it didn't last long though :-( ).

So much better than the SP23 Mazda for example, but for overall city driving, I like the 2.0 Zetec, you can gun it for extra punchy pickup and take-offs (but people do turn around and notice that sound in the street, bit like when i rev my 2.2 SRi Astra). Not an Astra T, but good nonetheless (I so wish I had changed to a G Turbo last year before they ceased).

[180HOA]

I'd have to agree with most of the comments about the Sportivo already posted... If you're after something that offers a bit of a stand-out experience, an SRiT, Clio, or similar would offer a bit more substance. My folks just bought a Turbo Diesel Golf with the DSG (auto) transmission - these are known for having plenty of pep, which got me wondering... Anyway, they're apparently quicker (according to Wheels' figures) than the Sportivo manual to 100 kays, and match it over 400m. I dunno about you, but if I were driving something with sporting pretensions, I'd like to be able to get away from an automatic diesel VW hatch.

Also, I had an SRiT for just over a year, sold it to pay for my education. Was a brilliant car, damn good at just about everything, and never missed a beat. If i were spending $20-25k on a car now, I'd buy another one without a second thought.

[Namus]

yeah, agree with 180HOA