Both are high performance estate cars. Both cost around £50,000. But can the big-hearted, rear-drive Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer possibly compete with the superbly-finished Audi RS4 Avant? Steve Sutcliffe tries them back-to-back to see which is best.
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Join the debate
owenmahamilton
Insignia V8
Could they not put the V8 engine in the Insignia estate?
Nobby Hightinkle
Insignia V8
FWD ?
Nah
Nobby Hightinkle
VXR 8 R.I.P.
Enough said.
audiolab
Audi : It just feels.........
expensive he says.........maybe.......... just maybe thats because they are
MikeSpencer
Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer
Steve nailed it when describing the long-standing appeal of a VXR8: lots of old-school performance for relatively little money. He was also correct when highlighting what the Audi RS4 does best: serious real-world performance, irrespective of the conditions. But when you're asked to pay £49.5k for a VXR8, you know the writing's on the wall for Vauxhall - it's game over. The conclusion said it all: the Tourer's a fun, honest car, but an Audi RS4 rival? Not a chance, not in Europe anyway.
artill
Another fun days at work
Another fun days at work Steve. It looked like you enjoyed it. I am sure everything you say about the 2 cars is correct, but my money would go on the Vauxhall. For me it would be more fun more of the time.
You cant go wrong with either car though, but if Sterling hadnt collapsed over the past few years though, we would be looking at a £35k Vauxhall and that would be much more appealing.
parsifal
VXR8 is far too expensive but
VXR8 is far too expensive but it does make smile. No Audi ever will.
brian245
VXR8 is far too expensive
and that is after the company is propped up with millions of tax payer dollars in a failing attempt to keep making cars in Australia.
This will soon follow the Ford Falcon to extinction if my guess is correct.
Ektor
Pears and apples
I don't get this comparison, except if it's out of convenience (they just happened to be available): of course the RS4 is faster and nimbler, it's from a smaller category! The VXR8 is a much larger car, which makes it heavier yet vastly more spacious inside, and this fact never gets mentioned despite being an important selling point for an estate. Frankly, I dounbt very much that someone will cross-shop the two simply because they belong in different categories of size and space available.
So, compare VXR8 with S6, please, be it sedan or estate, and S4 with Insignia VXR (there's no equivalent to the RS4). As for performance, the new VXR8 GTS with the supercharged LS-A will put the RS4 in its place
275not599
No, apples and apples
Come on, Ektor. they are both high speed estates and pretty close in price. Do you really think buyers of either car are worried about how many cardboard flats of hardy perennials they can get in at the garden centre? No! The prestige difference has to be made up somehow and the Vauxhall tries to with space. You might just as well say they aren't comparable because the Audi is more luxurious, or because the Vauxhall isn't AWD. Frankly they are both likely to be discretionary purchases never found in one-car households and SS does a good job of outlining what each brings to the table.
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