Clayton Whitacre yes they do hahah, half my family have owned one and they’ve all done the same. My mother had a 16plate VXR and it did the same. Then a year later needed a new engine. Only had 3k miles.
My father bought me a few years ago an Opel Astra 2011 for university and I swear it is the fastest small car I have ever to date. It would go 220kp/h easily and even though it was a 1.7 would beat all 2.0 bmw, mercs and vw.
@@NeedMoarRage I definitely love the Astra's styling. The alternatives aren't bad, but I doesn't look as good as the Astra, especially the latest gen Civic Type R. God, it's so fugly!
Astra VXR has got it all, good looks, nice sound, cheap price and its crazy rapid! who cares about a little torque steer? i would still put a astra VXR before a Focus ST or a Renaut Megane anyday
The astras are 15 year old cars now its pretty impressive! Im just wanting 300 out of my astra vxr when i rebuild it never selling it i dont care if its slower because its so much fun to drive!
@@humanperson4605 a good example of power to weight. Something manufacturers overlook when chasing numbers as per. I do like how the new swift sports look, I bet they're fun to hoon about.
Back in 2007 I test drove all 3 of these, a Civic Type R and Focus ST, and eventually ended up buying a new Focus ST3, for me it was the best all rounder and had the best engine (2.5 5cyl) but I have to say the Astra was the most fun car of the lot to drive, the Civic was a disappointment, the Megane felt like it would fall apart and the Golf felt the slowest and was a bit boring.
I wish it had better steering feel, my chevy cobalt (basically the same car except sold in america and without a hatchback) doesn't have much at all. I have the base model engine though, and can't really tell how much grip is has compared to other cars because my tires are a bit old (too expensive to buy new tires for a car I don't like that much)
goes to show a good chassis is timeless. They are always sought after years later for track cars and modding. a weak chassis will be cumbersome even with a better engine.
Exactly......Renault Sport use a separate chassis for the performance cars than what the rest of the range have Almost all other manufacturers just stiffen, lower and tweak the standard chassis Upshot is, anybody who thinks a VXR is a well sorted car just has no clue.........they won't know what a Megane is Well, it's more often than not the best drivers car in it's class by a country mile Only a Civic Type R approaches the game with a similar rawness
@@specialops9710 VXR are extremely overrated yes.........as for the 225.......wonder if they will become highly sought after, now that the Renault Sport brand is virtually dead? The 225 started the brand......they were Williams before then..........the R26 was very good, had a LSD fitted
@@thetwincams6252 ye i can see them becoming sought after soon from what I can gather online there's less than 500 on the road to date so I'm keeping mine just in case 😂 I would love an r26 but abit out my price range so got my self a 225 brilliant cars a pig to work on but brilliant especially on b roads through country sides
@@specialops9710 Well, with numbers like that, definitely worth keeping......this car loving band has similar ideas......lead singer Matt won't let his S2000 go........however, Tim has decided to let his Clio 200 go........but is being replaced with a Megane 265
The time when 240 HP on a Hot Hatchback is like puting 1000+ HP on a Supercar. And yet today, Hot Hatchback are creeping the power to 400+ HP. Basically just under the original Gallardo
Got an 05 2.0 SRi with a K04 vxr turbo in. My engine isn't happy haha. Need the head repairing. Amazing power difference without tuning. Can't wait to see what she does with a stage 2 remap.
MK6 revolution? what the hell? The MK6 was little more than a facelift of the MK5 line. Mechanically and structurally very, very similar. It was the MK5 that was the total do-over from the MK4 and 3. Trust me, I've worked on them. MK5 and MK6 are nearly identical, whereas there's virtually nothing in common between the MK4 and 5.
mk1 looked very good mk2 looked incredible mk3 could look ok (with minor modifications) mk4 looked awful (except r32) mk5 looked ok at the time but is now dated mk6 looks good mk7 looks good
Kenneth Hymering that's why the vauxhall 59 plate insignia that I bought fell victim to a very common fault after 2 months where the oil pump fails 😂😂 I bought it November 2017 and it died January 2018. Vauxhalls answer when questioned about why there were no recalls on the vehicle were because they "were unaware of the fault and it's an old car so what do you expect" meanwhile all the CDTi engines seem to have same oil pump common fault. I would never drive a vauxhall again after that. Cheaply made.
@@czrptr6849 yours is the 1.9 his the 2.0 , the problem that destroys the engine is a few ££ oring from the pickup to the oil pump, once it fails you loose oil pressure and destroy the engine. And regards Vauxhall it's like meeting a stunning lady but when she wakes up in the morning she looks rough as a dog, on the surface it seems you get a lot for your money but you soon realise the materials are poor, fit and finish is not up to the standard of the Germans, and overall quality, you test drive a 200k bmw / vw and then a 200k vauxhall, the latter will be falling apart. No hat on Vauxhalls I've owned many and only when moving to a German car I seen why there cheap.
one of my cabs is a vectra sri diesel with the ex pack on it with the snow flake 19" alloys on it. and it still looks and goes really great . matches are insignia's too. love my vauxhalls .
Had a 2014 Astra diesel with still the old 1.7, but it was a rocket with 'only' 130 HP. Had to sell it as I wasn't driving long enough distances anymore. Apart from the shait DPF (that every diesel post 2010 has) it was a great car, fast, comfortable, roomy and nice (enough) looking.
Yeah I love GTI's & Golf R's, they're still the best all-rounder Hot Hatch & best for everyday usability, but I think this year I'll have to give the pure performance factor to the Astra. Quite a bit more tasty looking than the other hatches & has the MOST mature & stylish interior. But....end of the day....I would always fall back on the Golf :) Check out a Focus ST as well, you'll be pleasantly suprised
in fairness clarkson does like the astra vxr and as standard it is abit crap i was disappointed with it but after getting rid of the 19" wheels for 18" toyo proxies r888 dropped 30 mm on ebiach pro sport springs and a whiteline adjustable anti roll bar it handles really well and a decent remap to get rid of the crap standard vauxhall map add in piano black surround blue smd conversion and nice touch screen radio its a nice place to be (and remove all vauxhall badges) wouldnt swap it for any other hatchback asides a new focus st
@@hegamer4372that’s weird, cus everyone I’ve known with a Vauxhall, including my parents and my older brother, had endless problems, while the people i’ve known who’ve had Fords (including myself in the past) rarely have problems. The Mk2 Focus handled better than the Astra H too.
I have Opel Vauxhall Astra GTC.....It's a great machine....on the Road Is a fantastic car....fast and agile!!!!....never a problem , great reliability!!!!
vauxhall rock!! The mrk5 shape will hold it's style for a good few years to come but the new Astra mrk6 shape tho not great but the mrk6 with a pack looks good
This video was actually published 1 day before I was born! My dad owns an Astra. He got it in 2007. I sometimes drive it in an empty parking lot. Turns out that manual transmissions aren't difficult to drive!
"if you see one of these cars burning rubber and slewing round the estate where you live, don't call the police, it won't be a yobbo, it'll be your next door neighbour just trying to drive to work" i've got an astra and he really isn't kidding hahah
i own a vxr and i do agree with top gear to a certan extent it does understeer but only when u give it to much to handle i mean i put it into a corner i would take in a car at 35mph but i put my vxr in at 70 mph !!! and it did understeer a bit but i was going far to fast for the car to handle .ive had a race with a magane and i blew it into next week going through some lanes a few corners and i was gone and for the golf not worth the fuel lol ps bridgestone tyres is a must on the vxr
the astra is the fastest, best looking and most affordable...that makes it the best hot hatch... would love to see how it would perfom against the Ford Focus RS
I know its a different STIG but, the MKV GTI did a 1:35.1 while the latest MKVII did a 1:28.6. I know it has a limited slip diff and a few more hp but ~7sec quicker!? I own a MKV and that seems odd to me. Any thoughts guys?
The new GTI is faster than evo VIII and imprezas with 300-320PS round that track. And less than half a second slower than an Evo X. Let that sink in...
Astra OPC/VXR was a really fast hothatch! It was so fast like some cars of a "higher level" and you expected to turn like those cars... That's why some people who are "normal" drivers can not turn it like they fantasize it 😂! Astra proved back then that it was fast and was not as shit as these guy here want to show us it is, in Nurburgring laps
The engine progress they refer to is amazing. But since then it's only got more impressive. Now the latest rs3 produces a similar power to the Ferrari 360 and that car only went out of production 14 years ago. This 308 in the clip was far older when this was filmed.
To drive the OPC H, or VXR H, you have to be handy! Between these 3 hatches, yes, I would choose it with eyes closed! Is not as bad as this guy says. It was faster than golf R32 in the track
I just bought the astra vxr on a 10plate an I love it,I'm not going to be joyriding it all over some estate like the stig was so I don't need to worry about how its going to handle at high speed in corners,as long as I have the power to smoke someone on a striaght at the lights its all good,and it does pull to the left a little but that's just the rar power:)
Pure bonkers every timeni jump in my Arctic edition🤣 it's handling was never perfect but b14s, rarb, 24mm farb, poly bush some bits and good tyres solves everything and it isn't the most expensive stuff to buy for them
Had a VXR for 6 years with a few added extras like Quaife LSD, Suspension, Swaybar, Decent Tyres, Bolt ons They can get moving and alot nicer to drive and understeer will be gone
@@NeedMoarRage Megane RS undoubtedly better for the track, but getting more power out of the Megane is a big hassle as well, so on the normal road with those modifications an OPC will be faster.
I'd take a GTI/R any day over anything else that's practical. Before the "What about the ST or WRX" comments, the interior is atrocious on the Subaru, it isn't mature looking enough to be a daily driver for a functioning adult, and the ST looks like a high-schooler's car and I wouldn't buy any American car made later than the 1960s. Different strokes I guess. My GTI is the best all around car I've ever driven. Others are faster, and others are more attractive and/or comfortable. None are a better combination of all of those things for similar price.
+Ride The Lion I know what you mean you make a very good point the quality of gti/r golf is just amazing as I am owning one i would not change to anything else
The Craves absolutely spot on thought of going with the wrx for abit but couldn't get over how ugly it is inside and out and the focus well it looks like an everday cheap economy which its based on so basically im sticking with the germans
Why not a Mercedes A45 AMG, BMW 188d, Mini John Cooper Works, Audi S1, Seat Leon Cupra, Ford Fiesta ST or Renault Megane RS? There are more subtle hot hatches than the GTI or the Vauxhall.
now the Civic Type R has 330hp through the front wheels and it’s a handling dream. the A45s is a 2L and has 421hp. engineering has come a long way in such a short amount of time.
Bulshit... Stig is driving like an amateur. No one drives full throttle on hammerhead... there you have it 0.5seconds slower then the Reno. Biased as shit...
Some say that it causes 30 of accidents on our road a year, by the same driver and that the sat nav has no use because you'll be somewhere on a field in Dorset. All we know is it's called the Vauxhall Astra VXR.
They've actually made an even more stupid car: a regular Astra with the same engine tuned down to 200hp (Z20LER). Without any of the performance suspension, wheels etc, so it handled even worse. Was my first car, absolutely idiotic and I loved it.
The Astra was really a good car. I had it with a 1.6 16V engine (105hp) and I was using it for 230.000km. Often I miss the car. I changed it for a Toyota Auris Hybrid. The Hybrid drive is great. But the rest on the car the Opel was better. :(
I had one for 2 years, bought it second hand with 128k km for 5500€, it was tuned to 220hp, had eibach suspension and a Friedrich motorsport exhaust. I so loved it until something in the front axle broke at 150k km and a new one cost a whopping 1000€.... Now drive an Abarth Esseesse but I still miss that Astra to this day!
Harry Mitchell, here's the correct answer to your question , both focus st and astra vxr torque steer.the only cars Jeremy Clarkson will not slag off are ford and volkswagen.if you put a vauxhall badge on a ford,i bet he'd give it a good review.when he reviews brands he likes, he will miss out the bad points but cars he doesn't like he will gladly tell the viewer of them.i read top gear magazine,they mention some parts of cars which aren't so good, which Clarkson would never tell you. only take notice what the REAL CAR JOURNALIST TELL YOU,they have no loyalty to certain brands.sadly top gear is a comedy these days, 3 old men playing i want to be a teenager.
I used to feel the same about the 205 GTI. My parents got rid of it for a 1.4 Clio which went on to be my first car. The Clio was still a great car but I always wanted to have a 205 GTI.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
"It's understeering like a shopping trolly full of logs"
I NEVER get enough of Jeremy's analogies !
Or like a fat cow on ice
9 years ago loll
11 years
@@hughthompson4846 And I still can't get enough of his analogies.
@@AymanB You were quick to reply! And I agree, hope you are doing well
Stig: *spins golf off the track a bit*
Jeremy: “He nearly DIED!”
that car is so planted though, he wasn't gonna roll it.
the Vauxhall is perfect for NASCAR since all they do is turn left.
wild bill lol ha
😂
wild bill They don’t though..
Clayton Whitacre yes they do hahah, half my family have owned one and they’ve all done the same. My mother had a 16plate VXR and it did the same. Then a year later needed a new engine. Only had 3k miles.
wild bill lol
"There are many options available for this car but there's only one it really needs: a strait jacket."
Or a limited slip diff.
The later Opel/C`Vauxhall sporty models have LSD, so they learned from it.
@@redevilrrr Yep, my favorite one, the 2013 Astra OPC/VXR had one, so they definitely learned from it!
A straight jacket gives you limited slip.
Or any general attempted movement, really.
I though you were dead
A rear roll bar has totally transformed my standard vxr, b14s made it even better on top of that👌🏻
Car: almost kills stig
Jeremy: so you see it's a great car. Brilliant.
that car is so planted though, he wasn't gonna roll it.
My father bought me a few years ago an Opel Astra 2011 for university and I swear it is the fastest small car I have ever to date. It would go 220kp/h easily and even though it was a 1.7 would beat all 2.0 bmw, mercs and vw.
bro that was my b class car of choice back in motorsport 4 haha
The Astra VXR will always be my favourite hot hatch, both this version and the latest one.
Why is that? The Megane, Honda Tyre R and and the Hyundai i30 N are better alternatives
@@NeedMoarRage I definitely love the Astra's styling.
The alternatives aren't bad, but I doesn't look as good as the Astra, especially the latest gen Civic Type R. God, it's so fugly!
Astra VXR has got it all, good looks, nice sound, cheap price and its crazy rapid! who cares about a little torque steer? i would still put a astra VXR before a Focus ST or a Renaut Megane anyday
Europeans get the best compacts
lolz 4 us
Americans get the best Muscle Cars
Nothing Here 😂😂
the only other ones who produce compacts are Japanese..
@@nothinghere7391 well we get the VXR8 and I guess you can call the C63 AMG a muscle car
Love Opel!❤️👍🏻🙏
"IT NEARLY KILLED HIM!... so you see, it's BRILLIANT"
The times when 240 hp in a hot hatch was a lot 😂 you can get around 450hp in the new a45s 😂
0-60 in 3.9 seconds aswell.
The astras are 15 year old cars now its pretty impressive! Im just wanting 300 out of my astra vxr when i rebuild it never selling it i dont care if its slower because its so much fun to drive!
Not proper hot hatches in my opinion. Too much technology taking the raw feel and fun away..and too much power it can't put down around a B-road
@@baker6928 I agree, I think you'll like the new Suzuki swift sport, 140bhp, front wheel drive, and it weighs less than a tonne.
@@humanperson4605 a good example of power to weight. Something manufacturers overlook when chasing numbers as per. I do like how the new swift sports look, I bet they're fun to hoon about.
Back in 2007 I test drove all 3 of these, a Civic Type R and Focus ST, and eventually ended up buying a new Focus ST3, for me it was the best all rounder and had the best engine (2.5 5cyl) but I have to say the Astra was the most fun car of the lot to drive, the Civic was a disappointment, the Megane felt like it would fall apart and the Golf felt the slowest and was a bit boring.
Golf Mk5 Is 💩
Yet the megane is the best on track
I wish it had better steering feel, my chevy cobalt (basically the same car except sold in america and without a hatchback) doesn't have much at all. I have the base model engine though, and can't really tell how much grip is has compared to other cars because my tires are a bit old (too expensive to buy new tires for a car I don't like that much)
Funny that the vxr made it round the track yet the golf spun and nearly killed stig. So how the golf be a better car.
rebelrickb lol XD
rebelrickb it's a classic name
That's why
Because he is against Vauxhall
Because Jeremy thinks purely based on his biases and prejudices and never looks at anything logically or objectively.
I would pick either the Astra or Golf, the Megane is just too ugly
goes to show a good chassis is timeless. They are always sought after years later for track cars and modding. a weak chassis will be cumbersome even with a better engine.
I've got a VXR and it doesn't understeer like that at all, does torque steer but heres a tip to defeat it.. HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL.
You never go fast enough or turn hard enough to see it
@@Akkbar21 coilovers would solve the problem
Obviously you should be the new stig
Adds character imo
Your car is still shit though
I miss having them on the show.
"On the show" ? They Are the show
0:11 The exhaust looks like a mini usb port
Just got myself a megane rs 265, and I couldn't be happier! It blew my mind when I first drove it
Exactly......Renault Sport use a separate chassis for the performance cars than what the rest of the range have
Almost all other manufacturers just stiffen, lower and tweak the standard chassis
Upshot is, anybody who thinks a VXR is a well sorted car just has no clue.........they won't know what a Megane is
Well, it's more often than not the best drivers car in it's class by a country mile
Only a Civic Type R approaches the game with a similar rawness
@@thetwincams6252 I have the 225 the amount. Of people it surprises is very funny vxrs are. Over rated
@@specialops9710 VXR are extremely overrated yes.........as for the 225.......wonder if they will become highly sought after, now that the Renault Sport brand is virtually dead? The 225 started the brand......they were Williams before then..........the R26 was very good, had a LSD fitted
@@thetwincams6252 ye i can see them becoming sought after soon from what I can gather online there's less than 500 on the road to date so I'm keeping mine just in case 😂 I would love an r26 but abit out my price range so got my self a 225 brilliant cars a pig to work on but brilliant especially on b roads through country sides
@@specialops9710 Well, with numbers like that, definitely worth keeping......this car loving band has similar ideas......lead singer Matt won't let his S2000 go........however, Tim has decided to let his Clio 200 go........but is being replaced with a Megane 265
The time when 240 HP on a Hot Hatchback is like puting 1000+ HP on a Supercar. And yet today, Hot Hatchback are creeping the power to 400+ HP. Basically just under the original Gallardo
They're barely reach 300hp atm
@@martythemk3fiesta59 both the Focus RS, Civic Type R and the Golf R have 310+ horses.
The Merc AMG A45 has almost 450 horsepower.
Around the same power as the Ferrari 360 too
but they're all awd.
Stig's a consummate professional. I like how he backed over the finish line.
vw gti more dangerous than some supercars around the top gear test track
I have a normal Astra and it was built in 2009 and it's still as tight as a drum
Randoms mandoms mine was built in 2007 and the previous one in 2006. Both solid considering theyre over 100k miles
Mine is made in 2007 over 300k km... Never had major engine problem
Got an 05 2.0 SRi with a K04 vxr turbo in. My engine isn't happy haha. Need the head repairing. Amazing power difference without tuning. Can't wait to see what she does with a stage 2 remap.
I’ve got an Astra SXI 1.7 CDTI 56 plate and it’s on 175k. Still drives like new
However the engine seized up at 60k miles and bought a 2011 astra instead
"So if a butterfly flaps it's wings in China, you're going into a tree." ROFL
That only happens in China
Is it just me or is the MKV better looking than the MKVI? MKVII is pretty hot, though..
it's just u
Woody Ridenour Mk3-Mk5 is a bad looking car. Mk6 just made a revolution on the golf line. Mk7 is the better version of Mk6.
MK6 revolution? what the hell? The MK6 was little more than a facelift of the MK5 line. Mechanically and structurally very, very similar. It was the MK5 that was the total do-over from the MK4 and 3. Trust me, I've worked on them. MK5 and MK6 are nearly identical, whereas there's virtually nothing in common between the MK4 and 5.
mk1 looked very good
mk2 looked incredible
mk3 could look ok (with minor modifications)
mk4 looked awful (except r32)
mk5 looked ok at the time but is now dated
mk6 looks good
mk7 looks good
MK1 & MK2 are the best.
Why the word "Logs" was edited at 5:12?
What did he say instead? :)
Everybody always talking about the GTI and in the mean time you get more for your buck with a Vauxhall. Every time and in every way that counts!!!
Kenneth Hymering that's why the vauxhall 59 plate insignia that I bought fell victim to a very common fault after 2 months where the oil pump fails 😂😂 I bought it November 2017 and it died January 2018. Vauxhalls answer when questioned about why there were no recalls on the vehicle were because they "were unaware of the fault and it's an old car so what do you expect" meanwhile all the CDTi engines seem to have same oil pump common fault. I would never drive a vauxhall again after that. Cheaply made.
@@ChaseEverything it's common? had a astra cdti for 10 years engine is strong, the gearbox isn't as good
@@czrptr6849 yours is the 1.9 his the 2.0 , the problem that destroys the engine is a few ££ oring from the pickup to the oil pump, once it fails you loose oil pressure and destroy the engine. And regards Vauxhall it's like meeting a stunning lady but when she wakes up in the morning she looks rough as a dog, on the surface it seems you get a lot for your money but you soon realise the materials are poor, fit and finish is not up to the standard of the Germans, and overall quality, you test drive a 200k bmw / vw and then a 200k vauxhall, the latter will be falling apart. No hat on Vauxhalls I've owned many and only when moving to a German car I seen why there cheap.
You mean other than handling and practicality?
I really like this OPEL Astra H OPC !
one of my cabs is a vectra sri diesel with the ex pack on it with the snow flake 19" alloys on it. and it still looks and goes really great . matches are insignia's too. love my vauxhalls .
Had a 2014 Astra diesel with still the old 1.7, but it was a rocket with 'only' 130 HP.
Had to sell it as I wasn't driving long enough distances anymore.
Apart from the shait DPF (that every diesel post 2010 has) it was a great car, fast, comfortable, roomy and nice (enough) looking.
the song in the beginning is the theme from van helsing :D
Then thing is red cars just fade so badly. Especially Vauxhaulls do it quickly. Just look at it 4:39 it already looks faded
The mk2 astra GTE was the bollocks back in the day
Ashton Worth my dad had 2 of them
@@225M3RCR 16v's?
@@ashtonworth6288
Belive it or not, spoke to him he had 3 a black 1.8 8v then a 2.0 white 8v then a 2.0 16v In red that was the c20xe
I had a white 16v and now have a vxr .astra is underrated for price
the GTI and it always will be
I think I wrote it wrong
***** So sad
Yeop i agree, Peugeot GTi all day
astra opc
Astra is better
the GTI is my fav and I will be getting one this coming January
Yeah I love GTI's & Golf R's, they're still the best all-rounder Hot Hatch & best for everyday usability, but I think this year I'll have to give the pure performance factor to the Astra. Quite a bit more tasty looking than the other hatches & has the MOST mature & stylish interior. But....end of the day....I would always fall back on the Golf :)
Check out a Focus ST as well, you'll be pleasantly suprised
Outdoor Aesthetics still have it?
Boring cars and handle like jellies
0:00-0:14 squat squat squat squat
in fairness clarkson does like the astra vxr and as standard it is abit crap i was disappointed with it but after getting rid of the 19" wheels for 18" toyo proxies r888 dropped 30 mm on ebiach pro sport springs and a whiteline adjustable anti roll bar it handles really well and a decent remap to get rid of the crap standard vauxhall map add in piano black surround blue smd conversion and nice touch screen radio its a nice place to be (and remove all vauxhall badges) wouldnt swap it for any other hatchback asides a new focus st
Chris Stickland focus st i would never get because
Ford stands for
Found
On
Roadside
Dead
Simple ford
@@hegamer4372 fix or repair daily I think is the quote
Huh
@@hegamer4372that’s weird, cus everyone I’ve known with a Vauxhall, including my parents and my older brother, had endless problems, while the people i’ve known who’ve had Fords (including myself in the past) rarely have problems. The Mk2 Focus handled better than the Astra H too.
I still wish they offered a VXR package for the Saturn version... even if it was a DIY kit...
@SPECTRE Yes. Saturn got the 2005(?)-2008 Opel Astra as a 3 or 5 door hatchback. XE was the base trim. I had the XR with optional "Sport Handling"
@SPECTRE I LOVED mine. Unfortunately I was rear ended and after the ordeal of finding parts was complete, it got sold to a neighbor.
The astra still looks the most modern, unlike the megane and golf which look really dated now.
shaun cross I disagree, I think the Mk5 GTi has aged the best but I'd still have the Mégane by far
@@TheStigHCE09 the megane looks great in fact I’ve bought one last week
@@TheStigHCE09 the GTi looks bland and terrible
The vaux looks like a sandero 1 in the front
I have Opel Vauxhall Astra GTC.....It's a great machine....on the Road Is a fantastic car....fast and agile!!!!....never a problem , great reliability!!!!
vauxhall rock!! The mrk5 shape will hold it's style for a good few years to come but the new Astra mrk6 shape tho not great but the mrk6 with a pack looks good
This video was actually published 1 day before I was born! My dad owns an Astra. He got it in 2007. I sometimes drive it in an empty parking lot. Turns out that manual transmissions aren't difficult to drive!
"if you see one of these cars burning rubber and slewing round the estate where you live, don't call the police, it won't be a yobbo, it'll be your next door neighbour just trying to drive to work"
i've got an astra and he really isn't kidding hahah
They are leaving out two major players in the Hot hatch market. MazdaSpeed 3 and Subaru WRX STI
Focus RS/ST?
Brent Gibala
There have been RS models since the first generation of the Focus
lyianx There was no STI hatch back when this was filmed
Which was when? They have had hatchbacks since 08
lyianx This episode was filmed in 2005
The golf is the perfect teenager's car
You can flip it without much effort
an average teenager couldnt insure a golf tbh
4:58 Ohhhh Lionel Messssiiiiii
i own a vxr and i do agree with top gear to a certan extent it does understeer but only when u give it to much to handle i mean i put it into a corner i would take in a car at 35mph but i put my vxr in at 70 mph !!! and it did understeer a bit but i was going far to fast for the car to handle .ive had a race with a magane and i blew it into next week going through some lanes a few corners and i was gone and for the golf not worth the fuel lol ps bridgestone tyres is a must on the vxr
No you didn't
Did someone else hear the dark knight theme from 3:06?
the astra is the fastest, best looking and most affordable...that makes it the best hot hatch... would love to see how it would perfom against the Ford Focus RS
Actually a pretty decent little car that Vauxhall
How far things have come, with the incredible Civic Type R pushing 316bhp through the front wheels so well!
Because its newer
@@MrRohanThomas imdeed. And the amount of progress during that time I find impressive!
There was a 3.7L alfa 147 with 330hp that did 1:30 round the track
"I got torque steer when i accelerate, i got understeer when i turn into a bend, and if i lift off, i got oversteer"
BUY A RARB
What's the music at the beginning of the drag race?
+Hasan Bahja Is the main theme from the Van Helsing movie.
@@InfamousTub wondered where i recognised that from
Replicant Battyman One of my favorite movies growing up! I'd recognize that theme anywhere :)
I know its a different STIG but, the MKV GTI did a 1:35.1 while the latest MKVII did a 1:28.6. I know it has a limited slip diff and a few more hp but ~7sec quicker!? I own a MKV and that seems odd to me. Any thoughts guys?
the latest mk 7 gti has similar performance to the mk5-mk6 golf r. The mk7 golf r has 300+ bhp. So that would explain the huge drop in lap time
torque sensing electric controlled differential
Actually the GTI MKV did 1.33.7 later
The new GTI is faster than evo VIII and imprezas with 300-320PS round that track. And less than half a second slower than an Evo X. Let that sink in...
Well now it would've been interesting comparing these against a Mazda 3 MPS and a Seat Leon Cupra.
Astra OPC/VXR was a really fast hothatch! It was so fast like some cars of a "higher level" and you expected to turn like those cars... That's why some people who are "normal" drivers can not turn it like they fantasize it 😂! Astra proved back then that it was fast and was not as shit as these guy here want to show us it is, in Nurburgring laps
1:12 track id anyone?
Plug n play by the scammers
I’ve been in the back of an Astra VXR down country roads, and man, it’s quick.
Wait, hold everything.
The Vauxhall has a 1:33:0.
The Bugatti Veyron has a 1:18:3.
I don't know about you, but I think that is a little too close.
When it comes to hot hatches there is nothing better than the Renault Sport division.
The engine progress they refer to is amazing. But since then it's only got more impressive. Now the latest rs3 produces a similar power to the Ferrari 360 and that car only went out of production 14 years ago. This 308 in the clip was far older when this was filmed.
Miss this old good times
ford focus RS :D
To drive the OPC H, or VXR H, you have to be handy! Between these 3 hatches, yes, I would choose it with eyes closed! Is not as bad as this guy says. It was faster than golf R32 in the track
That's the old MKIV R32...not the MKV. The MkV did it in 1.30.4
Yeah you'd have to have your eyes closed to choose the Astra, you'd never choose it if they were open.
seems like people still do not understand that the GTI pack in VWs doesnt add power it only adds weight
What on earth are you talking about?
The Van Helsing soundtrack is a good fit for motor races!
Megane......🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝start roket
Remember when there was EDM in the backround of Car Shows? Reminds me of Grand Tourismo on the PS1.
I just bought the astra vxr on a 10plate an I love it,I'm not going to be joyriding it all over some estate like the stig was so I don't need to worry about how its going to handle at high speed in corners,as long as I have the power to smoke someone on a striaght at the lights its all good,and it does pull to the left a little but that's just the rar power:)
I love the Astra VXR. A future classic. In my opinion beats an Golf GTI anyday on looks, quality and excitement
Pure bonkers every timeni jump in my Arctic edition🤣 it's handling was never perfect but b14s, rarb, 24mm farb, poly bush some bits and good tyres solves everything and it isn't the most expensive stuff to buy for them
astra is so good looking mayn
You're joking right?
NakariNova it’s his opinion. Let him have it.
How is the vxr not good looking 😂 megane in liquid yellow does look good aswell the just looks boring
@@andy110492 Haters gonna hate, Astra is good looking
Its great looking but the ENGINE IS SHITE
Had a VXR for 6 years with a few added extras like Quaife LSD, Suspension, Swaybar, Decent Tyres, Bolt ons
They can get moving and alot nicer to drive and understeer will be gone
The fact you have to do all that to make it handle well says something.
Whereas a Megane RS will handle brilliantly in standard form.
@@NeedMoarRage Megane RS undoubtedly better for the track, but getting more power out of the Megane is a big hassle as well, so on the normal road with those modifications an OPC will be faster.
Opel The Best!
The second generation Honda Odyssey for North America, form the years 2002-2004, also had 240 horse power.
get a grande punto abarth esseesse, gtech upgrade and there you go. rallye car sick
wew
I have the 1.9 diesel astra sport Sri with exterior pack, it's no vxr but it's definitely not slow either 🤣
They are slow it's the torque that's fun I had the same car sold it because they handle like a long boat 😂
I'd take a GTI/R any day over anything else that's practical. Before the "What about the ST or WRX" comments, the interior is atrocious on the Subaru, it isn't mature looking enough to be a daily driver for a functioning adult, and the ST looks like a high-schooler's car and I wouldn't buy any American car made later than the 1960s. Different strokes I guess. My GTI is the best all around car I've ever driven. Others are faster, and others are more attractive and/or comfortable. None are a better combination of all of those things for similar price.
+Ride The Lion I know what you mean you make a very good point the quality of gti/r golf is just amazing as I am owning one i would not change to anything else
The Craves absolutely spot on thought of going with the wrx for abit but couldn't get over how ugly it is inside and out and the focus well it looks like an everday cheap economy which its based on so basically im sticking with the germans
Why not a Mercedes A45 AMG, BMW 188d, Mini John Cooper Works, Audi S1, Seat Leon Cupra, Ford Fiesta ST or Renault Megane RS? There are more subtle hot hatches than the GTI or the Vauxhall.
DANK AARON the focus is made and designed by ford Europe for the European and American market, it's not American
now the Civic Type R has 330hp through the front wheels and it’s a handling dream. the A45s is a 2L and has 421hp. engineering has come a long way in such a short amount of time.
But they cost 50k new.
I still love my GTI :)
0:15 pretty sure that song is from van helsing
The megane has been my first car in gran turismo, great car like the astra. Golf not so good
So far I have seen 3 VXRs understeering themselves out of a corner while trying to overtake me.
Good old hedge sniffers eh 😂😂
the astra will be more reliable after 5 years and parts are easy to get
More than the Golf...? :D
biboKralle yup more than the golf
biboKralle the engine is easy capable for 400Hp
did you just assume a gm product will be more reliable than a volkswagen? BWAHAHAHA
Ivan Knježević VW are nlt reliable by reputation. My opel seems reliable till now.
Anyone knows the song at 1:49?
+Keisuke Takahashi I know it's the theme from Van Helsing.
Bulshit... Stig is driving like an amateur. No one drives full throttle on hammerhead... there you have it 0.5seconds slower then the Reno. Biased as shit...
What’s the song at the beginning of the video I’ve heard it her and there and I really want to know, cheers mates
Van Helsing movie
ruclips.net/video/qmHpLH05b0A/видео.html
Covert Person yes I mean like before that:
The nice ass saxophone that sounds like it could possibly be some Brazilian jazz song.
Its half a second slower than the renault cause stig throws it on purpouse out of the track all the time
Some say that it causes 30 of accidents on our road a year, by the same driver
and that the sat nav has no use because you'll be somewhere on a field in Dorset.
All we know is it's called the Vauxhall Astra VXR.
They've actually made an even more stupid car: a regular Astra with the same engine tuned down to 200hp (Z20LER). Without any of the performance suspension, wheels etc, so it handled even worse. Was my first car, absolutely idiotic and I loved it.
The Astra was really a good car. I had it with a 1.6 16V engine (105hp) and I was using it for 230.000km. Often I miss the car. I changed it for a Toyota Auris Hybrid. The Hybrid drive is great. But the rest on the car the Opel was better. :(
My father has had three opel cars and I currently own a corsa... they are cars with some bugs and flaws but somehow you love them
I had one for 2 years, bought it second hand with 128k km for 5500€, it was tuned to 220hp, had eibach suspension and a Friedrich motorsport exhaust. I so loved it until something in the front axle broke at 150k km and a new one cost a whopping 1000€.... Now drive an Abarth Esseesse but I still miss that Astra to this day!
you're wrong, it comes with adaptive indepent suspension, it is lowered, has bigger brakes and stiffened chassis
Ironic these Vxr astras are rare and desirable now prices are stupid.
My Astra vxr is now 350bhp 😂😬
Sell it to me
im picking up a vxr on sunday any other info you can give?? ie any faults to look for etc
Harry Mitchell, here's the correct answer to your question , both focus st and astra vxr torque steer.the only cars Jeremy Clarkson will not slag off are ford and volkswagen.if you put a vauxhall badge on a ford,i bet he'd give it a good review.when he reviews brands he likes, he will miss out the bad points but cars he doesn't like he will gladly tell the viewer of them.i read top gear magazine,they mention some parts of cars which aren't so good, which Clarkson would never tell you. only take notice what the REAL CAR JOURNALIST TELL YOU,they have no loyalty to certain brands.sadly top gear is a comedy these days, 3 old men playing i want to be a teenager.
I have a vauxhall and i made ir rear wheel drive now its sick
The vauxhall is perfect lift off the throttle and boom oversteer like an old Rally car but still the mk3 Astra is the best Astra
"The Golf is a great car....Brilliant" xD
P.d. Megane Rules!
what song is it at like 1:03? thanks in advance!
Darude Sandstorm
I miss Top Gear
The exhaust diameter is smaller than my cupholders
And you know, I would rather have a MK 1 Golf rather than all these modern hatchbacks.
Mk 1 is so rare though :/
Ma parents had one and I grew up with it. One day I'll get one myself :)
I used to feel the same about the 205 GTI. My parents got rid of it for a 1.4 Clio which went on to be my first car. The Clio was still a great car but I always wanted to have a 205 GTI.
My parents still have theirs...
Ill soon buy it off them :)
RUST in pieces.