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  1. #1
    OpelAus Participant Poogene2001's Avatar
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    Focus XR5, makes you think twice when buying an astra VXR

    Just read the Ford Focus XR5 review in this month's Wheels magazine. As everyone has been saying, the wheels team found it to be a great handler and capable when compared to an XR6 turbo and a WRX. Not as quick in a straight line as either of the above (or the VXR) but a well built and polished fun machine. I dont think that $36990 is a bargain for a compact hatchback, but when compared to mid $40K's for a VXR it seems to be money well spent.
    Also the lack of an Auto option puts a smile on my face. Learn to drive a car properly you automatic hippies!
    If my Astra CDX suddenly increased in value to $36990, id definitely trader her in for a bright orange XR5.
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  2. #2
    OpelAus Participant Vampire's Avatar
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    quite a dilemma indeed

  3. #3
    OpelAus Post Whore MatsHolden's Avatar
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    Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by Poogene2001
    Also the lack of an Auto option puts a smile on my face. Learn to drive a car properly you automatic hippies!
    If my Astra CDX suddenly increased in value to $36990, id definitely trader her in for a bright orange XR5.
    Both the VXR and SRi Turbo come in manual only too, the way it shoul be. If you were going to buy an Orange XR5, add another $1800 and if you want the leather/heated seats it's something like another $2000 option. So when you start speccing it up to what the VXR and even the SRi Turbo come with standard then your XR5 will be getting into at least the 40k mark. Doesn't matter what they say about the XR5, i'm a Holden/GM man so VXR or SRi Turbo would be on my list. Just comes down to where your brand loyalty sits.
    Last edited by MatsHolden; 19th May 2006 at 11:16 PM.
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    OpelAus Forum Addict R3N's Avatar
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    that and the fact i was told all the cars that are coming here (perth) are all pre-ordered. which makes me think, why are people buying a car they haven't test drove?
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    OpelAus Forum Addict SSS_Hoon's Avatar
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    apparently the xr5 has really bad torque steer.

    a golf gti member test drove both and found that the DSG GTi to be the better car and was worth the xtra cash.


    as for auto hippies once you drive a dsg car you will not look back at a manual again.

    in the future all cars will be dsg or similar.

    and the focus is very limited on options that come standard on most cars like cruise control.

    SSS_Hoon
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    ......all that work and still not enough killer wasps, So i'm in the hunt for more.....

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  6. #6
    OpelAus Participant Poogene2001's Avatar
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    Im not here to defend the focus.
    I already own an astra so lets not get into "brand loyalty". I will always buy the best car I can. One that fills my needs and impresses me in terms of quality and performance will always be the one I choose, regardless of the badge that is stuck onto the front.
    All im saying is that if leather seats and cruise control are not important factors for you (and for me they certainly are not) then an XR5 makes alot of sense. As far as torque steer is concerned, any car putting out over 150kw thru the front wheels would have trouble getting it to the ground. This forum's beloved VXR has been criticised for exactly the same thing.
    Finally, its a bit rich comparing it to a golf Gti considering the price difference. For a DSG transmissioned Gti you could pay upto $48000, plus the months and months of waiting associated with the high demand for the car. That makes it almost 25% more expensive and as far as I can see, not quite in the same league.
    The point is this: If your happy to have cloth seats, change the gears yourself, and keep an eye on the speedo instead of allowing electrics to control your velocity (oh and drive a car with a blue oval on the nose) then the XR5 is going to be hard to beat.

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    OpelAus Enthusiast
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    Exactly...

  8. #8
    OpelAus Forum Addict Red AH SRI T's Avatar
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    VXR will be low 40's not Mid 40's Click here to enlarge

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    OpelAus Post Whore MatsHolden's Avatar
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    Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by Poogene2001
    Im not here to defend the focus.
    I already own an astra so lets not get into "brand loyalty".
    Reason I mentioned brand loyalty is because the VXR and XR5 are pretty evenly matched cars, so comes down to whether you prefer Holden or Ford.
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    Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by SSS_Hoon
    apparently the xr5 has really bad torque steer.

    a golf gti member test drove both and found that the DSG GTi to be the better car and was worth the xtra cash.


    as for auto hippies once you drive a dsg car you will not look back at a manual again.

    in the future all cars will be dsg or similar.

    and the focus is very limited on options that come standard on most cars like cruise control.

    SSS_Hoon
    I'd be surprised to see a FWD with a lot of power that didn't suffer from torque steer - and I'd expect the XR5 to suffer more than the Golf because it's packing a reasonable amount more power, and is reportedly quicker.

    Personally, I'd go the XR5 over the GTi - quicker car, less cash, and looks better to my eyes.

    As for the DSG, it's a great thing (when the car's rolling), and is a major improvement over conventional autos, but I still wouldn't buy one because it's very vague at takeoff, and you're still not in full control of the transmission (the 'tiptronic' function will override your selected gear if it decides you're stupid, for example). The DSG is a gem, but I can't see it replacing the old fashioned manual for a while yet.
    Astra SRiT

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