Astra GTE vs Escort Rs Turbo Fifth Gear Feb 09

The Vauxhall Astra GTE vs the Ford Escort RS Turbo. Fifth Gear go back some 20 years to pit 2 hot hatches against each other. The old Vauxhall vs Ford!

Duration : 0:3:39


[youtube Sf214j7ev1k]

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25 Responses to “Astra GTE vs Escort Rs Turbo Fifth Gear Feb 09”

  1. PeteRoy Says:

    Tiff is a great …
    Tiff is a great driver but not a great presenter like Jeremy

  2. wingies777 Says:

    the Astra was …
    the Astra was 156bhp not 148 as tiff said. The RS was 132bhp not 136 as Tiff said again! Cracking shootout though! Got my RS Turbo to 226bhp back in 1998 then sold it and put a 2ltr 16v astra engine in a Nova GSI which I got to 184bhp. Escort had the top end and mid range advantage but the Nova was quicker 0-100 and over the 1/4 mile, both great fun to drive but overall the Escort pips it.

  3. 99Lezard99 Says:

    never a golf. never.
    never a golf. never.

  4. DeanBufton Says:

    Thanks for your …
    Thanks for your little display of amateur, irrelevant psychology. Just a simple difference of opinions, nothing more. The last time i checked, that was still allowed. Your pretentious Two words – Ford Fanboy lol! comment, was a particularly nice touch. I’ve never said anything of the sort…
    …but why let the facts get in the way of a good story though, eh?

  5. IcanDes Says:

    You’re wasting your …
    You’re wasting your breath mate.

    Just read through this forum – DB clearly loves to argue for the sake of arguing and knows absolutely everything about everything.

    I agree with your comment. Seems like many transport publications do so as well. I’m sure DB will now ask ‘Which/Who?’ again I guess..

    By the looks of it, you’ll continually get questioned and subsequently shot down with each statement you make – his comment above is yet another example.

    Two words – Ford Fanboy – lol!

  6. DeanBufton Says:

    Who said that?
    Who said that?

  7. postie2003 Says:

    I can’t believe …
    I can’t believe anyone can say extending a CVH to its redline is a remotely pleasurable experience. The vibes through the wheel rim and pedals set your fillings on edge.

  8. DeanBufton Says:

    …number of …
    …number of comments, i’m sure you’ll stick your head out from behind the parapet again, at some point…

  9. DeanBufton Says:

    So, if you didn’t …
    So, if you didn’t specify what “roughness” you were referring to, then how is it possible to show that i was disagreeing with you? Psychic night tonight, is it? Perhaps you need to read back through your own comments, and you’ll see that i’ve not disagreed with your “rough” statement. The CVH was just one design, the Family 1/2 is a whole range of different types of engines, so no brownie points for that “success” observation. “enough from me on this thread now”? Judging by your previous…

  10. CreditMunch Says:

    Lol, if you say so. …
    Lol, if you say so.

    If you read back through your own comments, you actually did disagree by making an umption that I was referring to a specific issue with ‘rattly top-end’s on ’some’ engines.

    The CVH design was slated for NVH, particularly in it’s later years, while the Opel F1/2 remained successful years later.

    MK5 Escort actually flopped at launch largely due to the CVH.

    Anyway, enough from me on this thread now. I’m guessing your word will be the right and final one though.

  11. lovebuzz44 Says:

    Guys,check out …
    Guys,check out astra gte turbo vs escort rs turbo. the rs has NOS aswell and the astra dusts it. Gutted.

  12. DeanBufton Says:

    Wouldn’t agree with …
    Wouldn’t agree with the sweeping “Escorts being driven by wankers” statement, but i can’t argue with the Golf GTi Mk1. A mint, original Mk1 with the “Campaign” option, has got to be on any decent wish-list…

  13. DeanBufton Says:

    Yes, i have thanks, …
    Yes, i have thanks, many CVH’s and Family 2 powered cars. At what point did i say the that the CVH wasn’t “rough”? I didn’t. All i did, was explain why they sometimes sound “rough”…
    If you’re going to mention the naturally-aspirated CVH’s in a broader sense, it was the Mk3 Escort RS1600i that was the best, with 115bhp. Having said that, your “Family 1/2 = More BHP/torque, loved to rev, easily lasted over 100k” is still wrong…

  14. xraycortina Says:

    I’m not going to go …
    I’m not going to go down the Vauxhall build quality road, or discuss the theory of Escorts being driven by wankers, but will merely state that I prefer the Golf Gti (Mk1).

  15. CreditMunch Says:

    Have you actually …
    Have you actually ever worked on them?!

    I agree with you that looks are subjective.

  16. CreditMunch Says:

    Er no, the CVH was/ …
    Er no, the CVH was/is rough as nails. Ask anyone who knows a thing or two about cars. Better still, go and drive one on the limit – they sound horrendous.

    The Kent X-flow on the other hand was/is a fine little engine.

    Corrections: Early Family 2 1.6 = 90BHP
    Best 1.6 CVH for BHP was late MK4 XR3i = 108BHP / XR2i 110BHP

    CVH was consistantly criticised for NVH problems. The Family 1/2 was in mine and very many people’s opinion a better engineered engine.

  17. DeanBufton Says:

    …they worked hard …
    …they worked hard to improve this and by 1987/1988 they were on par with Ford. The build quality on the Mk4 Escort is no worse or no better, than the Mk2 Astra. With regards to which, out of the Mk4 Escort and the Mk2 Astra, was better looking? Well, that’s all subjective anyway…

  18. DeanBufton Says:

    …them to a Family …
    …them to a Family 2 engine, is a bit silly. For example, the best naturally-aspirated Family 2 1.6 8v of the Mk2 Astra bunch, the 16SV, produced 81bhp and the best naturally-aspirated CVH 1.6 8v of the Mk4 Escort bunch, the XR3i, produced 105bhp. Theirs also plenty of CVH’s being driven around with 100k+ under their belts and and plenty of RS Turbo’s driving around with raised power outputs and good reliability. Vauxhall build quality in the early 1980’s was not as good as Ford, however…

  19. DeanBufton Says:

    I have to disagree …
    I have to disagree with you on on a couple of your points. With regards to the CVH being rough as nails, i can only ume that you’re referring to the rattly top-end sound on some engines. This is due to a design flaw, which doesn’t permit enough oil-flow to the camshaft lobes. As such, this creates high camshaft wear, relative to the rest of the engine and a camshaft on a CVH, should be treated as a major service item. However, to say that they are not very powerful and then to compare…

  20. jhl1981 Says:

    Hey cammymcghee …
    Hey cammymcghee check out fifth gears video of the focus st vs astra vxr (nurburgring edition) more power apparently? and the vauxhall still gets beat they have great engines but look and handle like

  21. CreditMunch Says:

    Depends what you …
    Depends what you mean by good. Have a good look over (and under) both and you’ll see.

    My money would be on the VW still being around in 10 years still looking timeless in it’s design.

    The badge snobbery issue is rubbish. Fords are built to be sold at discount in high numbers in order to lead the market sales position (not bad, but in IMHO they are not as good as VW’s, although the gap is certainly narrower than it used to be be).

    I’m not ill informed and would rather have the Passat.

  22. CreditMunch Says:

    RST S2 for looks …
    RST S2 for looks and quality? Er, yeah right!

    S1 for Looks = Definately.

    Escorts were hardly quality made.
    Vauxhalls of that era were generally better made and faster than equivalent Fords:

    Ford CVH engine = rough as nails, not very powerful (only turbo was when tuned but unreliable), 100k miles = dead.

    Vaux/Opel Family 1/2 = More BHP/torque, loved to rev, easily lasted over 100k.

    Mk1 Astra 1300s revved to over 7,000 rpm without fuss and walked all over equivalent escorts.

  23. stevelomas123 Says:

    The RS turbo is not …
    The RS turbo is not standard! would never be as quick as an astra valve!

  24. cammymcghee Says:

    wot about the astra …
    wot about the astra vxr much quiker than the ford focus st

  25. puredead77 Says:

    the escort wins …
    the escort wins hands down in looks, quality, and speed vauxhall are there is not one vauxhall i would prefer over the equivelent ford

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