vt or vx calais

[SAV_117]

hey fellas soon i will have a new car either a vt or a vx calais wat would u guys suggest???? pros and cons of both and average prices please and yes a V6 thanks for ya time fellas

[stevesvx2001]

i think vx calais are kinda ugly id go for a vx s pack

[SAV_117]

deffinetly want a calais mate i just wanna know the main differences

[50LTRv8]

In your case the engine won't matter because they are both the same, I would just try and find a good clean one of either model.

[SAV_117]

wat about the little options and stuff like that and wat did they fix vt to vx?

[chargedvx6]

Options were much the same from VT- VX Calais. Depends what you prefer. A VT series 2 is a very nice car and they go for around $8000- $11000 in the V6 variant.

VX2 did get adjustable rear toe link from the factory so if you plan to lower the car that's a sweetner but only a small one. It comes down to cosmetics.

You can only get side airbags with leather seat afaik so that's one more reason to select a leather optioned car.

[mwb235]

You can only get side airbags with leather seat afaik so that's one more reason to select a leather optioned car.

You can get Calais seats that have side airbags in both the VTII and VX, that are just velour. I have velour VX Calais seats in my VT Calais 50th Anniversary (which also have side airbags), also last week i saw a VTII Calais wreck with velour trims too.

deffinetly want a calais mate i just wanna know the main differences

If it were me i'd look at a VTII or a VX doesn't really matter, but perhaps try to buy the latest year you can (say a 2000 VTII or a VX) only because these will most likely be less problematic. Unless of course you can find a good low-km VT series 1. If you're getting a Gen III V8 get a VX, as the first VT2 Gen III models had lots of issues.

There isn't really a lot of diference between the VT and VX Calais models. All the features like ABS, IRS, factory stereo with CD stacker, auto headlights on, climate control, etc are all the same.

There are probably a few i've missed, but here are some of the differences between VT and VX Calais that i can think of at the moment (most of these are minor differences only):

Manufacture years:
VT1 - 1997 to 1999
VT1 50th Anniversary - 1998
VT2 - 1999 to 2000
VT2 Calais International - 2000 (?)
VX1 - 2000 to 2001
VX1 Calais International - 2001 (?)
VX2 - 2001 to 2002

Engines:
VT1 - V6 Ecotec 3.8L, V6 Supercharged 3.8L, V8 5.0L
VT2 and VX - V6 Ecotec 3.8L, V6 Supercharged 3.8L, V8 Gen III 5.7L

Airbags:
VT1 - 2 airbags
VT1 50th Anniversary, VT2 and VX - 4 airbags

Traction Control availability:
VT1 - V6 Ecotec and V6 Supercharged only
VT2 and VX - all engines

Factory Wheel sizes:
VT1 - 16 x 7 / 215
VT2 and VX - 16 x 8 / 225
(VT2 and VX1 Calais International have 17 x 8 / 235 [not 100% sure on the rating but])

Other minor differences:
* Different grilles between VT1, VT2 and VX
* Different head lights between VT and VX
* Different tail lights between VT and VX
* VT2 has a chrome strip on the rear bootlid garnish, VT1 does not
* VT has chrome strips in front & rear bumpers, VX do not
* VT2 and VX have the PRND321 display in dash cluster, VT1 does not
* VX2 has upgraded wiper & cruise/indicator stalks, VT and VX1 have the older style stalks
* VX2 has control-link IRS, VT and VX1 do not
* VT2 and VX have a leather handbrake lever, VT1 do not
* VT2 and VX have remote deadlocking (by pressing remote "lock" button twice), whereas VT1 this is done manually with the key in the driver's door lock. When car is deadlocked with remote the indicators flash for three seconds (VT1 doesn't do this).
* VT2 and VX have an upgraded BCM (Body Control Module) that disables the boot release button in glovebox when car locked, and turns on interior lighting when key turned off (does this at night but not in the daytime - controlled by light sensor on dash).
* VT has a keyhole in the bootlid, VX do not (VX instead have an emergency boot release pull cord in boot, next to the ski hatch etc)
* VT2 and VX have a slightly different rubber front windscreen seal to VT1
* VT2 and VX have a woodgrain dash surrounds, VX2 has silver surrounds, VT1 has woodgrain on two map pockets and t-bar surround only
* VT2 and VX have a boot carpet anchor point on the bootlid (to attach the boot floor carpet's pull-cord onto, so it stays up, when removing spare wheel etc), VT1 have a plastic clip attached to the boot floor carpet which breaks/bends easily.
* VT2 and VX have wider chromed exterior side window surrounds, on VT1 these are thinner.

[rch-13z]

Go the VX... looks alot more modern with the updated tailights, headlights and bumpers

[SAV_117]

thanks for your time fellas deffinetly seems like i will be going with a VT series 2 or above no series 1 one more question do all the calais have fe2 suspension?

[MikesCalais]

DONT get a series 1 VT.

and I wouldnt really get a series 1 vx either.

Where abouts are you from? Near my uni there is a White VTII supercharged calais for I think 8,000.. if your in melb, and want me to go in and check out kms etc etc i can as its literally on my way to uni, and ive wanted to check it out anyway

I couldnt be happier with my VT2 calais.. the only problems I have had are due to idiotic truck drivers and taxi drivers.

If you can find a VX2, i'd go for that though.

Depends also if you like the woodgrain dash or not? The VX2 has the black piano finish

Interior wise, other than that, theyre pretty similar... main diff i would say is the exterior, just the lights really... oh, and the vt has a chrome strip around the front and rear bumper where the vx doesnt... I like that too

Either car, very nice choice

[MikesCalais]

oh.. and no, not all calais have the fe2... i think the v8 calais have it.. but im not certain

[SAV_117]

im in adelaide mate but thanks anyway yeah i deff want all leather as well

[SAV_117]

i really want it to have fe2's as well would anyone know?

[mwb235]

i really want it to have fe2's as well would anyone know?

I doubt the VT/VX Calais have FE2 standard - they were marketed as cruisers not sports models. Maybe it was on V8's as mentioned above?

I don't have my original VT Calais sales brochure so i can't check for you.

[Vt_vic]

fark all came with leather.why not the v8??

[club255]

not much diff between the two, the vx has diff headlights grille and rear lights, but would def buy a series two.

[Calaber]

Leather trim was not standard on Calais until the VZ. The FE 2 suspension was an option for all Calais (V6 and V8)from VT to VZ. V8's will have slightly firmer suspension to cope with the increased weight of the V8 engines, but it is not FE 2. VY 2 and VZ Calais had their own suspension settings called FE 1.5. This was firmer than the standard suspension but not as firm as FE 2.

[chargedvx6]

i really want it to have fe2's as well would anyone know?

You would be hard pressed to find one with FE2. FE1.5 is the norm but I was unluck enough to find one that didn't even have that level of firmness. Pedders all round with new meaty sway bars fixed that though lol

[SAV_117]

well soo far its looking VT Calais Series II or above, Leather Seats, hopefully fe2 if it came as an option, woodgrain hopefully and in price range lol is there anything im currently forgetting???

[Full Spectrum]

They changed the Computer ?. That was about it. VX maybe ran a tad more efficient and smoother then the VT series. But you would be hard pressed to noticed a difference driving them.

[S.T.K.E]

well soo far its looking VT Calais Series II or above, Leather Seats, hopefully fe2 if it came as an option, woodgrain hopefully and in price range lol is there anything im currently forgetting???

i'd say good luck finding on with leather. honestly i had leather in my alfa, and in terms of crusing, leather gets hot, sticky, it dosn't breath. The velour is a lot nice been that it dosn't get hot in the sun our legs don't stick to it after long trips, and i'll tell you what it's alot more comfortable. i have the VT 2 VS s/c, fully factory kitted (thanks to your tax payers dollars) mate i would recommend it to anyone.

[SAV_117]

hmm ive wanted leather for awhile my dads car has leather its not to bad

[dijm8]

take my calais sav u knw u want it

[SAV_117]

ohh god yes but not for that much lol

[graemevb]

You can only get side airbags with leather seat afaik so that's one more reason to select a leather optioned car.

Dont think that is correct. Afaik, the vx berlina came with side air bags, actually apart from the option of leather seats and woodgrain on the dash, slightly different wheels,fog lamps, whats the diff between a vx calais and berlina, apart from 3 or 4$K