VR6 operating and service costs

[NickM91]

Hey,

I'm soon to be looking for a VR6 to buy, however my parents are totally unconvinced its the right car for me, one of their main arguments being that "it will cost you an arm and a leg to service and insure(true for insurance, u25 male, what can you do), that you'll get to know ur mechanics first name etc" "it's european everything is expensive with it" -- this is coming from my dad who just bought a bmw 323i touring..

But anyway it got me thinking, instead of listening to this, how about i actually find out how much it all is.

If you wouldn't mind, how much is it costing you to keep your VR6, mainly from a servicing and maintainence point of view. My dad seems to think that $800 will be the norm for a standard service.

I realise that insurance prices are going to be high for me regardless of car, so i'm not terribly fussed by that.

But yeah any help would be great.

Cheers

P.s. his other gripes include:

• It's too small
• It's too noisey
• It's too expensive
• it's unsafe
• its too quick for you
• it'll break on you
• it'll cost you an arm and a leg
• where are you getting the money for this from
• focus on your studies, you'll forget about cars soon don't worry
• etc etc etc

[Golf Houso]

I think your dad has unrealistic expectations from used cars and doesn't seem like he wants to front for too many of the bills!

They're honestly pretty affordable if you buy parts online and are willing to get your hands dirty at least a little. And besides, taking your car to most 'euro' mechanics is basically just asking for it.

How about you ask your dad for a new Golf or Polo on the basis that the servicing costs will be lower due to the fact that it'll be a newer car with warranty ?

[NickM91]

haha i'm sure he'd love that. Help me look after an old vr6, or a new one thats probably nearing 10 times the price haha, why not.

I sort of gathered his expectations were a bit unrealistic, he himself was looking at a newer r32 not too long ago, so its a bit ironic he's putting the vr6 down, and that he's worrying about the safety of an old car, i'm currently driving a 1996 volvo thats probably going to be offloaded to my older brother sometime soon. Then again it is a volvo, they're pretty safe haha

I'm sure he is worried he'll foot some of the bills. But he did say he'd help me out looking after my first car.

Are most mechanics alright with using parts you've purchased elsewhere? And by all means i want to get my hands dirty and learn a bit about servicing and looking after them myself.

[Tim]

compared to a lot of cars in its price range the VR6 is a relatively safe car.
Your dad is right though. Unless you can work on the car yourself the cost of ownership for a VR6 is not cheap. Your friends will think you drive a girls car. And you will sometimes curse the day you bought the thing... But seriously... being sensible is boring. VR6 is such a charasmatic little car.. I love mine to bits!

[MattyT]

• It's too small
• It's too noisey
• It's too expensive
• it's unsafe
• its too quick for you
• it'll break on you
• it'll cost you an arm and a leg
• where are you getting the money for this from
• focus on your studies, you'll forget about cars soon don't worry
• etc etc etc

Right... *rolls up his sleeves*

If your dad owns a beemer, he should know all about what it costs to keep a euro car running.

Ive got a VR6 and have had it for 2.something years now. It's honestly been no more expensive to run then my mid-80s mazda 626 was. Seriously!

Although my very good friend owns a VR6 too, and (because of his driving.. err, "style") it's regularly broken and he has a never ending tab running with his mechanic.

Buy one, budget $2k for repairs and be sure to keep money in the bank for when stuff breaks. Thats what I do.

To address your list though, here goes...
My services average around the 600 mark, at a guess. They are old cars, **** breaks. Live with it!

Too Small. Let me tell you a story, son. One day I went to ikea just after buying my car. I was rennovating my bedroom. I bought a heap of stuff without a single thought about wether or not I would fit in my golf. I wheeled it all down to the loading docks, backed up and then... realized. Folded rear seats down, flipped front passengers seat forward and slided the 6ft long box straight in. Perfect.
Another example: On weekends, I regularly pick up 4 of my mates who are all 6ft 80kg-odd guys and they never complain.

It's too noisey. Well yeah, if if you have a straight through exhaust. Stock exhaust & stock airbox it will be no louder then his beemer.

It's too expensive. You have a job, yes?

its too quick for you They're not a wrx. 128kw on a fwd setup. They arent slow either though. Just be smart.

It'll break on you. Only if you thrash the **** out of it, and even then it's not the engine that'll break...

it'll cost you an arm and a leg Bought mine for $7.5k, probably spent about $3k in repairs and the same again in mods. Not bad, I think.

Where are you getting the money for this from Gainful employment usually assists in this matter.

Focus on your studies, you'll forget about cars soon don't worry. A man needs his wheels, bro!

etc etc etc YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE, ARENT YOU DADDY?!?!?!

Ps, insurance is actually pretty tame on VR6's. I pay $550-ish a year with the RAC and im 27, no accidents and a few fines.

Now stick that all in his gob and go out and get one!!

[MattyT]

Your friends will think you drive a girls car.

Usually 1 stamp of the loud pedal fixes that misconception right up

[MattyT]

Oh and finally, safety wise they have a 3-star NCAP from memory. It's middle ground. Most mid 90s cars are the same ilk, save for the top rung euro stuff of the time. I have no safety reservations being in mine. I'd much rather be in it then a hyundai excel, which we all know are made from tinfoil and paper mache.

[Golf Houso]

Focus on your studies, you'll forget about cars soon don't worry. A man needs his wheels, bro!

etc etc etc YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE, ARENT YOU DADDY?!?!?!

Its pretty hard to have a social life at around 18 and older even in most places in Australia without regular access to a vehicle, he should realise that also.

[V®6]

Forget getting a VR6 suggest to your dad that you wanna buy a N/A Rotary RX7 and see what he thinks about that.

Get a straight through exhaust and then start it every morning before you go to work right outside his window. Make sure you redline 1st gear when leaving the driveway as well all the way to the end of the street.

Once your parents are happy with that decision, Bridgeport the engine. Your parents and the rest of the neighbourhood will love you.

[VeeDubs]

Your friends will think you drive a girls car.

haha nick ur going to be driving a girls car!!!

...oh wait...

Oh and finally, safety wise they have a 3-star NCAP from memory. It's middle ground. Most mid 90s cars are the same ilk, save for the top rung euro stuff of the time. I have no safety reservations being in mine. I'd much rather be in it then a hyundai excel, which we all know are made from tinfoil and paper mache.

well we saw what happened to that maroon GL when it got hit at 80.

[The_Hawk]

The reality is that the Mk3 is round ten years old now and things are starting to break, but then I expect the same from any car of that age.

In the VR6 your likely to have issues with the AC, the heater, the window regs and the central locking. Most can be fixed or bypassed pretty easily providing your happy to loose the functionality so aren't all *need to fix right NOW* things. busted timing chain being one of the few show stoppers.

When it comes to servicing, it's the same story with most cars; normal servicing is oil and filters which you can easily do yourself (although I would recommend a few tools be purchsed). The bigger ones really aren't that much more than the average.

As for fuel economy, cruising at 80 will give figures round 8L/100km, punishing it constantly on very short drives like I do sees the consumption more like 12L/100km, but then I fill up once a month in most cases so it's all good.

Bottom line is that there is cheaper alternatives that will cost less to run. A VR6 can cost a fortune if things go wrong so you need to be prepared for that. Safety isn't so much of an issue if you get hit, but many VR6's have been in front end accidents because they go fast and people hit things (Personally I think it's because they are too busy listening to the sound of that glorious engine )

Of course I am biased, but the VR6's are a hoot to drive

[sydVR6]

I've had to fix small things on both VR6's that I've owned, but I don't find parts or labour any more expensive than any other make.

Proper preventative maintenence goes a long way with these cars.
People talk about VR6 being expensive to maintain, but I've heard similar stories about most makes.

Being able to source your parts from outside the Dealer network and having a mechanic you trust or some ability of your own is a must when it comes to owning any car, if you don't want to get ripped off.

If your dad thinks $800 will be the average cost of a service, he must be labouring under the mis-apprehension that the VR6 uses solid gold spark plugs. He's probably more inclined to buy a new car, get it serviced by the dealer under warranty and basically sign over blank cheque each time he visits : )

As a rough indication, try $50-60 for oil, up to $25 for a genuine oil filter, $25 for a genuine air filter, (or $90 for one that won't need to be replaced) and under $10 each for the NGK BKR5EKU these cars use. Most places charge between $75 and $120 an hour for labour, and it shouldnt take longer than an hour.

Thats an 'average' service.

Ok, so things break and go wrong, but that's ANY car.
Ok, so parts can be dear, but you can shop around that, better than you can with a lot of other (supposedly cheaper) makes.

Buy your own hand diagnostic scanner for $149, and you can read/clear your own fault codes. Buy yourself a service and repair manual for around $80-$100, and you're way ahead of the average new car buyer who dons a blindfold and bends over every time they visit a mechanical workshop.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Many have said what needed to be said in my eyes summing it all up, basically the VR6 is a great car to own, keeping in mind that it's not going to be perfect considering its age. Things WILL break, and you will have to be prepared for it.

I've been recently having a bit of a bad run with my car, and despite telling myself I'm going to sell it and get something less maintenance-heavy, I don't think I could do it. I just love my car.

compared to a lot of cars in its price range the VR6 is a relatively safe car.
Your dad is right though. Unless you can work on the car yourself the cost of ownership for a VR6 is not cheap. Your friends will think you drive a girls car. And you will sometimes curse the day you bought the thing... But seriously... being sensible is boring. VR6 is such a charasmatic little car.. I love mine to bits!

Exactly it's something most don't PROPERLY understand til they get one (or drive a mate's one)

well we saw what happened to that maroon GL when it got hit at 80.

These cars are very safe. For a car under 10 grand, I honestly don't think you'll get too much safer (respective of the car's era). My car got whacked in the boot at 60km/h and it's been since fixed and it's fine. My car was stationary! I've heard of these poor things getting hammered into poles and stuff and all the safety stuff in the car works well enough to keep everyone alive.

[VeeDubs]

These cars are very safe. For a car under 10 grand, I honestly don't think you'll get too much safer (respective of the car's era). My car got whacked in the boot at 60km/h and it's been since fixed and it's fine. My car was stationary! I've heard of these poor things getting hammered into poles and stuff and all the safety stuff in the car works well enough to keep everyone alive.

ur really leaving yourself open to a rear right quater call

**i.e. it being yellow **

[Mrk_Mickey]

ur really leaving yourself open to a rear right quater call

**i.e. it being yellow **

When I say fine I don't mean perfect...



Let us know how you go mate