Citroen Saxo VTR

...and should according to the Citroen literature easily cover 33 miles per gallon around town and 38 on the motorway. In actual fact you can expect with some harsh driving to get in the region of 25-28 miles. When topping speeds over 70 miles per hour you can literally watch the petrol gauge drop.

The braking is shocking. Too hard and the car takes on a life of it's own and too little and nothing happens!! It was quite scary at times ...
...can only be repaired by Citroen dealers due to the specialist tools required.

A standard service for the VTR cost £175 for what was in effect an oil and filter change.

The weighted alloys cannot be balanced by anyone else again down to the specialist tools required and Citroen charge £8 per wheel. Tracking is extra.

Thankfully my VTR never broke down and the only part that needed replacing was a fuel ... more

After recently parting company with my Saxo VTR after well over 3 years I thought it appropriate to write a full and comprehensive review of the car and its performance.

The original reason for purchase? At the time I had been on the lookout for a hatchback that looked good and also drove with the performance I had missed since my XR2i had been stolen. After looking round various showrooms and magazines I opted for the VTR.

I purchased my Saxo for £7,995 in April 2001 second hand from the dealer. It had been an ex demonstrator model and had 1600 miles on the clock. An X registered car new in November 2000 for a faction of the list price which was up until the Saxo VTR was replaced since in excess of £9,000. The car looked, smelt and performed like a brand new car should.

*A VTR - What’s that then?

The VTR is the second most powerful hatch is in the Saxo range, rivalled only by the 16 valve VTS model.

A three door hatch, the VTR is powered by a 1.6 injected petrol engine which produces when new 98 break horse power which in theory should comfortably allow the car to reach a top speed of 127 miles per hour whilst redlining.

Apart from the larger engine, the car itself is a standard Saxo shape. A body kit has been added which gives the effect of lowered suspension and a rear spoiler sits above the heated rear window.

The car has a factory fitted alarm and immobiliser controlled via the remote central locking key fob. The alarm itself has sensors under the bonnet and within the cabin and at times it can be very sensitive. I have on very windy nights been up every half an hour to turn the alarm off which isn’t quiet as it simply sets the loud horn off for 10 minutes at a time (yes, one night I did time it much to the annoyance of my neighbours!)

The car also has front electric windows and a manually operated factory fitted sunroof.

I can't comment on the actual safety features of the car as I've never been in an accident whilst driving it, however all Saxo cars have a series of reinforced bars within the doors to help protect the occupants against side impacts and there is a drivers airbag as standard.

*So what does it look like?

The VTR has the standard Saxo shape, the only differences to the exterior are the fog lamps contained within the body kit and the colour coded wing mirrors.

Being one of the most popular small cars of the late 1990’s and early 200’s, I’m sure you have all seen a Saxo at some point. I was impressed at first by the look of the VTR, at the time it was a bit different, being quite wide but still giving the feel of a small car. The fronts wings and bonnet are curved and grooved giving it a very sleek look.

Over the time I have owned my VTR I have only ever had one problem with the actual quality of the paintwork and build of the car and that was after taking the car through an automatic carwash. Paint the size of a 50p piece was worn from the rear of the car and where it should have been black, a white patch appeared and remained until the day it was sold.

Until the day I waved farewell I did not have any trouble with rust or leaks on the door and boot seals, in fact I didn’t even have to replace a headlight bulb.

The boot is rather spacious with enough room for two large suitcases as the spare wheel is secured to the underside of the car. The rear seats can be folded down to create extra space and a set of step ladders will easily fit.

*OK, it’s got a decent spec and looks good from outside, but what’s the cabin like?

As you sit in the car you immediately notice a plethora of plastic! The steering wheel, the dash and interior body panels are all plastic which to me took away some of the glitz that first came with the car. It doesn’t look tacky, it is tacky.

The seats look like they want to be sport seats but they don’t actually manage it and the they give very little support to the lower back making long journeys in the car something of a nightmare. Covered in a grey and red cloth, they didn’t really do anything for me at all.

The electric windows are controlled by two switches located conveniently at the base of the chrome covered gear stick and easily within reach of both the driver and passenger.

The actual pedals in the VTR seem to me to be very close together. Whilst the clutch is way out on it’s own to the left, the brake and accelerator are far too close together meaning anyone with a shoe size over 7 will have difficultly driving at first.

As with most cars there is a CD player, glove compartment (with ample space for well over 10 CD’s and an A-Z and side pouches.

Leg room in the VTR is limited. When I drive there is very little room (and we’re talking centimetres here) between the back of the driver and rear seat. Again, if the front passenger wants any leg room the chances of fitting anyone over 5 foot in the back is near impossible unless they enjoy chewing on their knees and the headrest in front.

As I tend to drive alone or with only one passenger I never had a problem with interior space but it is an issue and the grey cloth that covers the interior of the roof gives a rather intimidating feel and reduces the actual feeling of space.

The best feature of the interior are the actual dials on the dashboard. Bright white they have a backlight which makes them glow green at night. Not only does it look rather good but it makes it much easier to judge speed and revs at night.

Mileage is recorded via an onboard computer and as you approach ever service interval a spanner will appear in the display as a helpful reminder.

*But does it shift?

Oh god yes. Purely for research purposes I tested out the actual performance of the car late one night down an empty stretch of motorway. At 6,000 revs the car topped 117 miles per hour but the power assisted steering became very light making me feel unsafe and I decided not to push it further. The car is quick on the uptake with the published 0 - 60 taking only 7.1 seconds which is good for a car of this class and price.

Handling is an issue. Whilst quite unresponsive at lower speeds, the VTR does not fill me with confidence when doing speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour. The car shudders, engine noise in the cabin is bearable but very noticeable and a slightest touch of the wheel sends the car off in a different direction. The car itself is quite light and the suspension such that you do feel every bump in the road and in some cases bumps can alter the direction of the front wheels meaning you had to be alert at all times. Cornering was a pleasure however, the VTR sticks to the road at all speeds when taking on any reasonable bend in any conditions. It’s like the car is on rails.

So, the car is nippy, will pull you away from the lights quickly but it will drain your pockets and a few Saudi oil wells when you come to fill up at the petrol station. The tank holds 42 litres and should according to the Citroen literature easily cover 33 miles per gallon around town and 38 on the motorway. In actual fact you can expect with some harsh driving to get in the region of 25-28 miles. When topping speeds over 70 miles per hour you can literally watch the petrol gauge drop.

The braking is shocking. Too hard and the car takes on a life of it's own and too little and nothing happens!! It was quite scary at times that a car designed to go so fast couldn't stop quickly

A journey from Manchester to Birmingham usually uses half a tank of petrol.

*OK, I’ve got the car, I like it, what else am I going to get stung for?

Well, three things really….

Insurance - The VTR cries out boy racer I’m afraid to insurance companies and of course they adjust their premiums accordingly. The first year I had the car I paid £1,400, the second year £670 and the third year £575.

Road Tax - The VTR falls into the highest category so you have to pay the full amount of £165 for 12 months.

Servicing and Repairs - This was a big bug bear of mine. At no time during the purchase was I told about the excessive servicing charges and the fact that certain components can only be repaired by Citroen dealers due to the specialist tools required.

A standard service for the VTR cost £175 for what was in effect an oil and filter change.

The weighted alloys cannot be balanced by anyone else again down to the specialist tools required and Citroen charge £8 per wheel. Tracking is extra.

Thankfully my VTR never broke down and the only part that needed replacing was a fuel filter costing £25.

*Would you buy one again?

No. I was delighted when I bought the car and was delighted when I sold it last week. The only bonus was that the resale value was quite high (£3,100). I was attracted to this car for its look and its power and in my early twenties it appealed as it is a good solidly built car that can give higher spec models a good run for their money. It was fun at times to drive but equally it had the power to require a change of underwear as well.

It has the power to pull you out of a sticky situation but ultimately the poor driving position, terrible fuel consumption and the need to acquire a more “adult” car meant that the VTR had to go. I personally would never buy another as I’ve simply outgrown the car and the hot hatch scene but I would recommend this to anyone in their early twenties looking for a car with power a touch of rogue style.

RECOMMENDED to those under 25.

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.

Steve :o) 

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