Mk5 GTi comprehensively beaten..

..by the new Astra VXR. Interesting reading in this week's Autocar, Astra VXR v Golf GTi v Megane Cup.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/

I am not surprised the Astra comes out on top. The VXR is the best handling FWD car I have driven on the road (the VX220 better on the track). The throttle response is instant, the damping control excellent. It is extremely quick, much faster than the Golf or Megane. Superb looks and build quality and all for ?19k (the Golf is ?1k dearer). Sure the Golf has some nice detailing (retro seats, VW in the headlamps, footwell lighting) but none add to the driving experience.

If you fancy a "modern Mk1 Golf GTi" and have the money, get down to your nearest Vauxhall dealer. You will not be dissapointed!

Cheers
Rajan

I saw that one. 220+bhp for a hot hatch! :shock:

Oddly enough, I predicted exactly this about nine months ago when rumours of the new Golf and Vauxhaul were coming out.,

I said

"Golf will be about 200bhp, which won't be quite enough, whereas I imagine Vauxhaul with come out with 220-225, and beat them at their own game."

Shame I was right!  :roll:

Cheers,

Drew.

saw it on top gear and it handles like poo

aye he wasnt to impressed, still quicker round track tho

'course it's quicker round the track - it's aboout a second quicker to 60 than the MkV! That amount of torque steer is plain lairy though!

Brilliant!

Why's it a shame you were right Drew?

Good news all round surely, VW have made a quality GTI, with all the toys, nice plastics and 'brand' status for those that are bothered and Vauxhall have made a faster car which costs less.  Everyones a winner  

Out of interest, when are the hi-spec focuses coming out?

I think I mean 'shame' in the sense that VW never quite seems to put quite enough go in their cars. They are always just that little bit down on power compared to other comparable cars.

Obviously you've got the class and the reliability and the 'Golfness', and I know you can tweak them etc, but its always feels like a missed opportunity to me. It wouldn't take much to just edge them out in front!

Mk1 Golf GTI 1.8 112bhp, Mk1 Astra GTE 1.8 115bhp
Mk2 Golf 16v 134bhp, mk2 Astra 16v 150bhp,
Mk3 Golf 16v 150bhp, Peugeot 306 GTI6 170bhp,
Mk4 Golf GTI 150bhp, pretty much anything was quicker!
Mk5 Golf GTI 200bhp, Mk5 Astra 240bhp

It's going to be a bit disappointing to buy a 200bhp Mk5 GTI and, once again, watch the Astra disappear over the horizon… atleast, until you get to the next corner. Like the mk2 Golf and Astra all over again! :wink:

Cheers,

Drew.

I see the Stig came off the track in the Golf and almost rolled it  8O

TG's tests were proof again that if you comedy TG provides, if you want a proper, unbiased opinion then test drive them yourself or read a decent car mag like Evo, etc

Cheers
Rajan

TG's tests were proof again that if you (value the?) comedy TG provides, if you want a proper, unbiased opinion then test drive them yourself or read a decent car mag like Evo, etc

They both came to the same conclusion though! :wink: Astra kicked butt.

Cheers,

Drew.

I guess its down to aesthetics too for some people?

I haven't driven the GTi or the VX, but have hired lesser new Astra's, a new Ford Focus,  and am currently trialling one of those city car share schemes which uses low end MkV Golfs.

Personally, (and of course everyone has their own opinion on this). I prefer the look of the Golf and I liked the quality of the interior trim and general build quality on the car over the Astra or the Focus. The Astra looks good too, and both are streets ahead of the Focus which just looks pants IMHO :wink:

I wasn't really expecting to like any of them that much as most lower in the range modern cars are pretty much of a muchness these days - i.e. pretty characterless! However the Golf impressed in quality and drive (even with a weedy 1.6 engine). Nice gearchange, clear well placed controls and a big car inside, with lots of nice details / thoughtful touches.

Still, I hope VW are listening and competition like this will hopefully improve the product.

I doubt the Mk1 would have developed as it did without competition from other manufacturers.

Chris

See what your saying Drew, the mk5 is clearly a good car, i'm not knocking it.  Trouble is, all VW seem to put in is 'enough'.

Question is, people on here excluded, how many people do you think genuinly chose their car on thr basis of how it drives?

I would say not many.

Next corner? Theres a reason why VW poached the guy that sorted out the first gen Focus's sups from Ford.

Lucky for them all that Ford messed up the styling on the new Focus.

Its still a vauxhall - it doesn't even turn an eye lash never mind heads….


I drove down a seaside promenade one summer evening in my wee mk3 polo coupe in that nice light blue colour with black bumpers all gelled up and new red stripe piping in the bumper recess nice set of 15 rims and the car was polished to the max


there was big buck cars driving too and numerous vauxhalls and these guys all bent their necks to take a peak at mine and one guy even said to his wife - ahhhh look at the wee g40 aww that look so right"  i smiled and kept lookin straight ahead….


VW's are just different from the rest and at the end of the day tracks are not roads and big hp nonsense isn't everything….. ok it helps but whats 20 brake between the corners…. tight fast corners too at that!

Well to Some extent i agree that there is nothing like the VW

However if you looking better value for money & the performance the Vauxhall is definately the one according to me.

VW has the reputation only coz they have built cars like the MK1 but these days other manufacturing companies are making quality cars.

I guesss for most its more of the Badge than anything else

I guesss for most its more of the Badge than anything else

Exactly. And the sad thing is many VW fans are blinkered enough not to buy a Skoda which shares exactly the same main components for a good deal less money.

Cheers
Rajan

i have worked for both vauxhall and vw dealerships and i would stick with vw.  general quality of both car and staff much higher than vauxhall.the vauxhall dealership where i worked had numerous staff off their heads on drugs, stealing parts from customers cars, driving like tossers , bodged valets charged at ?200 !!!! when i questioned this the responce was like it or lump it, so i left. i would never trust my car to a cowboy outfit like vauxhall…a one day test report doesn't mean alot 12 months down the line.

Everyone has a bad story to tell from a dealer. I have had cars back from both Citroen and VW delears in an unroadworthy dangerous state (I have been paid compensation in both cases before going to court). Fact is the quality of the work varies a lot because all dealers are franchises not directly run by the manufacturer at all.

true in what you are saying but in my experience vw do set higher standards and train staff theirselves  to achieve these standards otherwise the dealership cannot sell their product if these standards are not reached by every department within that franchise.

I think as Rajan said in a post further up this thread you really have to decide for yourself by actually driving all the alternatives and deciding what YOU like best. Cars are a very personal and subjective things, and its a lot of money to cough up based just on a few motoring journo's views.

These days with all expenses jollies paid for my manufacturers to locations like Hawaii and who knows what kind of advertising revenues at stake its hard to see how any mainstream motoring press can be unbiased.

The badge / image thing is not something that particularly bothers me - after all I am a self confessed MX-5 lover, and image wise thats a mixed blessing at best  :wink: . Quality wise I don't think there is much between VW, Vauxhall and Ford these days. I do thing that VW still have the "edge" with the details that really finish off a car, but thats subjective.

I have to say though that the MkV Golf is the first golf I have warmed to since the Mk2, and is definitely a step in the right direction for VW. I think they lost their way with the Mk3&4 a bit.

Chris

20 years down the line which one will still be working? as i may be about to afford one then

true in what you are saying but in my experience vw do set higher standards and train staff theirselves to achieve these standards otherwise the dealership cannot sell their product if these standards are not reached by every department within that franchise.

If you take the latest 2005 JD Power as an indicator of customer satisfaction there is little to choose between VW (16th, 79.1%) and Vauxhall (20th, 77.8%) at the moment, both being pretty average. However, VW have been dropping in the league table and Vauxhall rising over the last 5 years. The once legendary reliability and satisfaction of VW is becoming a myth these days.



It is the Japanese manufactures that have consistently done well. And what did I say about Skoda again (2nd, 84.7%)?!