Vauxhall VX220 (2000 - 2005) 2.0 Turbo 2d (2004/04) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I love the rare cars, performance, and want to stand out from the BMWs, Lotus and other cars on the road.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Love/Hate. The performance is fantastic, the handling is fantastic, and the styling is fantastic. The noise, rattles, vibrations, and gymnastic manouvres needed to get in and out arent so loved..

Would you buy this car again and why?

Easily; It ticks every box. The ONLY thing is I sometimes wish I spent a little more on a Lotus for the styling; however if I did that, Id lose so much power, and become 'common' in comparison to the VX. I've passed Lotus in the area at 5am in the morning. In two months, i've not seen a single VX.

What are you likely to buy next?

Lotus; but only when the VX becomes a scrapheap.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£11,000

When did you buy the car?

November 2012

Did you get a good deal and why?

Relatively. Whilst not the best time of year to buy (Just as theyre starting to drop in price...impatience of youth...), it was certainly a good price for the milage and condition compared to others at the time.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Previous car was a Smart Roadster; the VX220 Turbo was the next step on the path of uncommon, fun, performance(ish) cars.

What was the dealer like?

Friendly (as theyre trained to be!), but not a huge amount of knowledge of the car; didnt know how to open the boot at first, nor any knowledge on the overall VX220T querks and pitfalls. However better than others I experienced on the look for a VX220T.

What's it like to drive?

Point and it goes. Stunning performance, with little turbo lag. It grips to the road as though its on rails with very little effort; however the VX220T is prone to lose its backend. The turbo provides too much power for the weight, and with no traction control aswell, you can sometimes be caught out; I was at 20mph coming off a roundabout. I saved it, but certainly an eyeopener.

What's it like to park?

Suprisingly easy. The issue is getting out; the doors are large, as are the door sills that you need to climb over. A large space is needed to get out of the car looking special. A larger space is needed to get out of the car normally. :D.

Have you had any problems with the car?

I believe the headgasket might be going; but thats all I know of currently. Everything with these cars can be fixed with a screwdriver it seems. The boot kept popping open the other week; two twists of a screwdriver, and solved. BMW would charge several hundred for the same repair on most of their cars. The build quality is not to the same extent as most cars; but that also means less can go wrong. Rattling hard-top? Homebase silicon spray. Solved for £6. Rattling windows? Homebase plastic runners. Solved for £4.

What's most practical about your car?

I use mine as a daily drive; having lived with the Smart Roadster, there wasnt much to get 'reaquainted' to. Flexible back is nessesary however. The boot size is good enough for any normalities; however if you're picking up anything large or heavier than 50kg (as per the boot weight limit), its an issue. Most practical bit is its basic nature; accelerate and point it in the right direction. No power steering to go wrong; no electric windows to break; no electric roof to break.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Wiper. The car has zero gadgets beyond the legal indicators etc :) However the single wiper-blade certainly makes my day. Simple mind.