VX220 2.2 Costs
Discussion
Evening all basically ive managed to get quoted on two cars which i love S1 Elise 111s and VX220 2.2 (also the turbo but not interested in paying the extra on insurance)
As i really love both cars im struggling what one i would like to have next, both have their pros and cons but im slowly becoming more and more drawn to the VX although i have a few questions...
What are the running/servicing costs like? Any major items which i should look to have done before buying?
How many dealers in the uk know what they are doing when they see a VX220?/ Wheres the nearest to Birmingham?
When they do go wrong what are the parts like? and do you have to drop the engine to do most things or is there enough room to work your way around for many jobs?
What are the recommended service intervals?
Is there anyoe who makes body pannels for these in the event of a crash or is it a case of hunting one down being broken? because (correct me if im wrong) i understand that a bump in one can be quite major as its a whole new clamshell which needs replacing?
Whats the boot space like? can you get 2 bags/hold alls for a weekend away?
Thanks in advance!
Andy
As i really love both cars im struggling what one i would like to have next, both have their pros and cons but im slowly becoming more and more drawn to the VX although i have a few questions...
What are the running/servicing costs like? Any major items which i should look to have done before buying?
How many dealers in the uk know what they are doing when they see a VX220?/ Wheres the nearest to Birmingham?
When they do go wrong what are the parts like? and do you have to drop the engine to do most things or is there enough room to work your way around for many jobs?
What are the recommended service intervals?
Is there anyoe who makes body pannels for these in the event of a crash or is it a case of hunting one down being broken? because (correct me if im wrong) i understand that a bump in one can be quite major as its a whole new clamshell which needs replacing?
Whats the boot space like? can you get 2 bags/hold alls for a weekend away?
Thanks in advance!
Andy
Overall costs are very reasonable for the fun/performance you get, there are few vx specialists in the midlands for servicing etc at reasonable prices. I use sports car services in Halesowen, the guy Mike has a good reputation with these cars. I've got the turbo and haven't had any realiability issues in nearly 5 years of ownership, just wear and tear items really. Engine mounts tend be be weak but not an expensive fix. Don't think many jobs require the engine lifting out, i've certainly not had to have any work on it that required that anyway. They are probably a little awkward to work on but i no many owners get stuck in and tackle jobs on their own vx's. Servicing is every 12k or 12 months whichever comes first. Prices from £100 upto £400 for the cambelt service although if your getting an n/a it's chain driven. The boot is deceptively useful i find and can easily hold enough bags for shopping/weekends away. Can't say what costs of clams etc are but would guess it's the most expensive part to replace, clams can probably be picked up on ebay and vx220.org to name a couple.
yep these are cheap to run, servicing less than £200 for a normal service and engine parts are easy to come by (its an astra engine at the end of the day).
The 2.2 engine is chain driven but the chain has been known to get a bit noisey and fail (not very common in the vx). This can be changed (in fact there is a guy in birmingham area called Benny who does it at very good price see vx220.org) which will cost around £500.
Never heard of anyone having to remove the engine to do work on them. The rear clamshell comes off and then you have loads of lovely access (although it can be a bit of a pig to get it off the first time). The engine is pretty robust and it is rare for anyone to have anything major go wrong. Standard exhaust manifold can crack but its easy to replace and after market replacements are available.
Boot will easily fit a weekend away worth of kit in it but its a bit of a funny shape so soft bags are a must. (and don't leave anything meltable in there!)
You can easily get mid 30s mpg if thats an issue.
Broken clamshells are an issue, front and back are seperate pieces and are quite fragile. They are only fibreglass though so people do repair a suprisingly large amount of damage. Elise clams are much easier to get hold of. Just don't crash!
The 2.2 engine is chain driven but the chain has been known to get a bit noisey and fail (not very common in the vx). This can be changed (in fact there is a guy in birmingham area called Benny who does it at very good price see vx220.org) which will cost around £500.
Never heard of anyone having to remove the engine to do work on them. The rear clamshell comes off and then you have loads of lovely access (although it can be a bit of a pig to get it off the first time). The engine is pretty robust and it is rare for anyone to have anything major go wrong. Standard exhaust manifold can crack but its easy to replace and after market replacements are available.
Boot will easily fit a weekend away worth of kit in it but its a bit of a funny shape so soft bags are a must. (and don't leave anything meltable in there!)
You can easily get mid 30s mpg if thats an issue.
Broken clamshells are an issue, front and back are seperate pieces and are quite fragile. They are only fibreglass though so people do repair a suprisingly large amount of damage. Elise clams are much easier to get hold of. Just don't crash!
Hmm i really would like one and this probably isnt the place to ask the question as im going to get a bias answer but i cant decide between an early S2 and one of these, so many pros can cons with both. Its finding one the right spec, condition, miles for the right price within my budget im finding hard and i cant help but think and elise would be easier to resell but having said that the VX seems a stunning car and i do like to be a bit different. So many options and so much reading to do! Seems to be a really bad time to be in the market to buy a VX?
I've had both and I'd happily have another Elise tomorrow where as I'd never touch another VX!
The Vauxhall's bodywork is prone to bubbling from osmosis which is expensive to properly repair.
The parts the VX shares with the S1 or S2 Elise are far cheaper from Lotus than they are from Vauxhall and the Vauxhall specific parts are expensive (engine) to horrendously expensive (Bodywork).
The Lotus's handling is far better than the VX, changing the VX's 17inch wheels to 17/16 combo helps but it isn't a total solution and is an expense you wouldn't have with the Elise.
And petty I know but at the end of the day which would you rather own, a Vauxhall or a Lotus?
The Vauxhall's bodywork is prone to bubbling from osmosis which is expensive to properly repair.
The parts the VX shares with the S1 or S2 Elise are far cheaper from Lotus than they are from Vauxhall and the Vauxhall specific parts are expensive (engine) to horrendously expensive (Bodywork).
The Lotus's handling is far better than the VX, changing the VX's 17inch wheels to 17/16 combo helps but it isn't a total solution and is an expense you wouldn't have with the Elise.
And petty I know but at the end of the day which would you rather own, a Vauxhall or a Lotus?
Roberty said:
I've had both and I'd happily have another Elise tomorrow where as I'd never touch another VX!
The Vauxhall's bodywork is prone to bubbling from osmosis which is expensive to properly repair.
The parts the VX shares with the S1 or S2 Elise are far cheaper from Lotus than they are from Vauxhall and the Vauxhall specific parts are expensive (engine) to horrendously expensive (Bodywork).
The Lotus's handling is far better than the VX, changing the VX's 17inch wheels to 17/16 combo helps but it isn't a total solution and is an expense you wouldn't have with the Elise.
And petty I know but at the end of the day which would you rather own, a Vauxhall or a Lotus?
There is arguably more lotus content in the vx220 than the elise, I believe lotus had a role in the design of the 2.2 engine where as the k series was just a bought in lump.The Vauxhall's bodywork is prone to bubbling from osmosis which is expensive to properly repair.
The parts the VX shares with the S1 or S2 Elise are far cheaper from Lotus than they are from Vauxhall and the Vauxhall specific parts are expensive (engine) to horrendously expensive (Bodywork).
The Lotus's handling is far better than the VX, changing the VX's 17inch wheels to 17/16 combo helps but it isn't a total solution and is an expense you wouldn't have with the Elise.
And petty I know but at the end of the day which would you rather own, a Vauxhall or a Lotus?
Just wanted to counter Robertys post, it sounds a bit fanboy ish I know but the VX does get beaten up a bit by Elise owners and it seems a bit harsh, Roberty has had both though so maybe he has a point...
Either way my thoughts...
Either way my thoughts...
Roberty said:
I've had both and I'd happily have another Elise tomorrow where as I'd never touch another VX!
The Vauxhall's bodywork is prone to bubbling from osmosis which is expensive to properly repair.
Sadly this is correct but not all suffer from this...The Vauxhall's bodywork is prone to bubbling from osmosis which is expensive to properly repair.
Roberty said:
The parts the VX shares with the S1 or S2 Elise are far cheaper from Lotus than they are from Vauxhall and the Vauxhall specific parts are expensive (engine) to horrendously expensive (Bodywork).
Don't buy the common parts from Vauxhall, they are indeed more expensive but there is plenty of support out there to help you know which are common parts and best places to buy from. I never found vauxhall engine parts expensive and the engine is reliable and in thousands of vectras and astras anyway. There are suppliers of vuaxhall parts which are mcuh cheaper than delaers (Autovaux is one) As already discussed if you do have a crash and need a clamshell they indeed are expensive.Roberty said:
The Lotus's handling is far better than the VX, changing the VX's 17inch wheels to 17/16 combo helps but it isn't a total solution and is an expense you wouldn't have with the Elise.
There is a lot of discussion like this, and it splits opinion a lot. I've never driven an elise so I can't comment on how they drive. However I can comment on the fact that my VX was very understeery until I had the shocks refurbished and it totally transformed the car. They are also quite sensitive to geometry set-up which again can have a major impact on how it drives. For me the VXs handling capabilities which much greater than my driving skills, particularly on the road where taking it near its limits would be distinctly risky anyway. It drove like no other car I have ever driven and will simply run rings around 95% of other cars on the road.Roberty said:
And petty I know but at the end of the day which would you rather own, a Vauxhall or a Lotus?
Didn't bother me in the slightest, I actually prefer the looks of the VX and the rarity...Roberty said:
And petty I know but at the end of the day which would you rather own, a Vauxhall or a Lotus?
Hmm vx for me everyday vauxhall had 3 engineers at hethal who cherry picked the very best chassis only. The rest well 1.8 k series engines went in those. I am not a badge snob as i like my cars to be very rare instead.As they say you pays your money you take your pick
Hi All
I have owned an S1 111s and currently own a VX220 N/A.
111s was a much more raw experience, lower gearing, engine that liked to be revved, most definitely noisier (it did have an elise parts SS sports exhaust). Running costs were low and insurance on a limited mileage policy sensible. Held its value well and in fact I sold it after 2 years ownership and got exactly what I paid for it
The VX220 is taller geared, torquier engine and quiter generally. My wife has used it as her daily commute for the last year and the car has been ultimately reliable. What I would say is the VX (IN BRIGHT YELLOW) does attract far more attention than the Elise did.
On the practicality front, The S1 roof was always a bit of a pig to get sealed properly, no issues with the VX roof which is more like the Elise S2 arrangement.
VX Boot is slightly larger but having said that neither are huge but large enough for weekends away
VX seems to be a little thirstier but still around the 35 MPG mark (elise around 40)
Either way both are great cars and as previous posters have stated, take a drive and see what you think and if you can get over the badge snobbery you may find you can buy a younger VX when comparing prices with similar age Elises.
I have owned an S1 111s and currently own a VX220 N/A.
111s was a much more raw experience, lower gearing, engine that liked to be revved, most definitely noisier (it did have an elise parts SS sports exhaust). Running costs were low and insurance on a limited mileage policy sensible. Held its value well and in fact I sold it after 2 years ownership and got exactly what I paid for it
The VX220 is taller geared, torquier engine and quiter generally. My wife has used it as her daily commute for the last year and the car has been ultimately reliable. What I would say is the VX (IN BRIGHT YELLOW) does attract far more attention than the Elise did.
On the practicality front, The S1 roof was always a bit of a pig to get sealed properly, no issues with the VX roof which is more like the Elise S2 arrangement.
VX Boot is slightly larger but having said that neither are huge but large enough for weekends away
VX seems to be a little thirstier but still around the 35 MPG mark (elise around 40)
Either way both are great cars and as previous posters have stated, take a drive and see what you think and if you can get over the badge snobbery you may find you can buy a younger VX when comparing prices with similar age Elises.
Roberty said:
The Lotus's handling is far better than the VX, changing the VX's 17inch wheels to 17/16 combo helps but it isn't a total solution and is an expense you wouldn't have with the Elise.
The basic components are the same in both cars, it is all about how you set them up.Yes, the VX220 out of the box was indeed slightly behind the Elise but after a few tweeks, the VX will easily match the Lotus. I guess Lotus could hardly build a car for another manufacturer that then went and beat their own product in the numerous back to back tests that were obviously going to happen.
Vauxhall I know asked for the VX to be softened a little to make it less prone to snap oversteer and therefore appeal to a wider audience than the more focussed Elise.
I have owned a vxt for 7years and now a lotus Exige S. I was always very happy with my vx (I would never of sold the vx, it was unfortunately written off in an accident), as others have said no massive issues, just a bit of wear and tear (things that tend to go at one point or another are radiator, coolant tank bottle, turbo).
The boot on the 2.2 is much larger then the turbo model, plenty of room
The bubbly paintwork is probably the most disheartening of issues as there is no real cure, if it happens, just respray it before you sell. (this does also happen to all other lotus, just not as much)
I was also put off by the lotus s1 roof, bloody awful design
The boot on the 2.2 is much larger then the turbo model, plenty of room
The bubbly paintwork is probably the most disheartening of issues as there is no real cure, if it happens, just respray it before you sell. (this does also happen to all other lotus, just not as much)
I was also put off by the lotus s1 roof, bloody awful design
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