Where are the VXR owners?

[Paul Cordingley]

I'd love to hear a review from an owner ...

 

[Smitty]

.. there are not any!

coz it is a pile of shite!

have had several test drives
(inc 2 days over a weekend)
and
it is one terrible auto! Seats are crap
( a park bench is more comfortable)
auto not fantastic despite Holden's claims
suspension belongs on a 17T truck
rear view is terrible, the only thing
I liked was the Brembos

worth it or value for money??? nope...

 

[Holden17]

.. there are not any!

coz it is a pile of shite!

have had several test drives
(inc 2 days over a weekend)
and
it is one terrible auto! Seats are crap
( a park bench is more comfortable)
auto not fantastic despite Holden's claims
suspension belongs on a 17T truck
rear view is terrible, the only thing
I liked was the Brembos

worth it or value for money??? nope...

Don’t hold back Smitty, tell us what you really think.

I thought most reviews at least praised the seats and generally said the ride & handling, acceleration, equipment levels etc were superior to VF 6s?? (wouldn’t be fair to compare it to an 8 as that would be comparing apples with lemons).

That said, I don’t doubt your years of experience Smitty nor your test drive in this case (which I haven’t)...I’m just a bit surprised seats, suspension etc is that bad.

 

[Smitty]

Don’t hold back Smitty, tell us what you really think.

I thought most reviews at least praised the seats and generally said the ride & handling, acceleration, equipment levels etc were superior to VF 6s?? (wouldn’t be fair to compare it to an 8 as that would be comparing apples with lemons).

That said, I don’t doubt your years of experience Smitty nor your test drive in this case (which I haven’t)...I’m just a bit surprised seats, suspension etc is that bad.

in my opinion... Holden have tried too hard with the specs to make it the 'sort of' SS we are not getting with ZB.

In each of the VXRs I have driven ...
The seats are the worst things I have ever encountered (think sitting on a brick fence or park bench)
The suspension may work in Germany on the autobahns but not here. Join strips in the bitumen jolt
badly (made worse by the unforgiving seats) and handling is affected as the suspension is far too stiff
A SV6 is a far better handler .. with a suspension set up that works in Australian conditions
There is no way I would drive a VXR from say.... Melbourne to Adelaide (or Sydney to Brisbane) as you
would want to get out and torch it after a couple of hours .... it really is that uncomfortable. An SV6 will do these
trips in a doddle and you will get out at the end, quite fresh, not so in a VXR

Yes, It probably accelerates faster than a VF SV6 (it is over 300 kg lighter) but how often can you
use that these days ?

The auto trans in a VXR (unlike the unit in the 4cyl ZBs) works against it. Super fast in changes
but it is super sensitive and it 'hunts'. Travel slowly in traffic at say 35-40kmh and it changes up,
changes down, changes up, changes down.. continually. All versions I drove did this... and it did my
head in

It does have better brakes than a SV6 (it should with the Brembos)

The previous INSIGNIA VXR (on which it is based) had a bad rep here ... and did not sell
( I know some dealers who still have new car stock 3 years later) The ZB VXR is modelled
on that and Holden have just got it wrong

 

[Pablito]

Add to that the fact they want $60,890 drive away for it.........

The reality is it has 10kw more than a Camry and is more expensive than a VF2 Redline which was about 59K drive away pre 2017 inflated prices.
Over priced and under powered basically.

 

[Holden17]

in my opinion... Holden have tried too hard with the specs to make it the 'sort of' SS we are not getting with ZB.

In each of the VXRs I have driven ...
The seats are the worst things I have ever encountered (think sitting on a brick fence or park bench)
The suspension may work in Germany on the autobahns but not here. Join strips in the bitumen jolt
badly (made worse by the unforgiving seats) and handling is affected as the suspension is far too stiff
A SV6 is a far better handler .. with a suspension set up that works in Australian conditions
There is no way I would drive a VXR from say.... Melbourne to Adelaide (or Sydney to Brisbane) as you
would want to get out and torch it after a couple of hours .... it really is that uncomfortable. An SV6 will do these
trips in a doddle and you will get out at the end, quite fresh, not so in a VXR

Yes, It probably accelerates faster than a VF SV6 (it is over 300 kg lighter) but how often can you
use that these days ?

The auto trans in a VXR (unlike the unit in the 4cyl ZBs) works against it. Super fast in changes
but it is super sensitive and it 'hunts'. Travel slowly in traffic at say 35-40kmh and it changes up,
changes down, changes up, changes down.. continually. All versions I drove did this... and it did my
head in

It does have better brakes than a SV6 (it should with the Brembos)

The previous INSIGNIA VXR (on which it is based) had a bad rep here ... and did not sell
( I know some dealers who still have new car stock 3 years later) The ZB VXR is modelled
on that and Holden have just got it wrong

Cheers for the added explanation Smitty...I’m not likely to have an opportunity to drive one myself - certainly not going to waste time with a test drive when I have no intention of trading what we have & I can’t think of anyone I know that is likely to buy one either.

 

[ratsmow]

Nice, hang on to your VE/VFs gents. My wife has a VE sv6, I reckon it's a great car, and for the money you can't beat it.

 

[_R_J_K_]

Add to that the fact they want $60,890 drive away for it.........

The reality is it has 10kw more than a Camry and is more expensive than a VF2 Redline which was about 59K drive away pre 2017 inflated prices.
Over priced and under powered basically.

And that the sticker price for the latest gen STI or Evo was about 57k... Or that price and engine against a Mustang or a Stinger. And the fact that most of these have much better aftermarket support. Making it auto only didn't work in it's favour either. Coulda been exciting but Holden bought the most boring variants in.

Say what you want about the base 4cyl models, but even on paper the VXR AWD trim represents pretty bad value with those numbers.

 

[VS 5.0]

Coulda been exciting but Holden bought the most boring variants in.

GM not Holden.

 

[Tezza's ZB]

interesting to read these older posts.. then read about my car that in another thread went viral and degenerated .. My ZB is the real flagship...with an engine praised big time, and not much slower than the vxr ..Its the 4 cyl 2 litre petrol turbo.. the entry model the LT you don't need to buy the RS ...save 3 grand. i got a demo for 28k b4 my trade in Apr 2019 with 3years free servicing and 5 year warranty...brilliant say the motoring reviewers. brilliant says me .. so quick, so solid, so agile etc