Expectations Vs Reality

[ygoslo]

Now that most people on here have had their cars for a fair while, I thought it would be interesting to hear from people about how the reality of VR4 ownership measured up to the expectations we had before our cars arrived. I'll kick it off:

Performance - Inferior. I honestly thought it'd be a fair bit faster.
Handling - On par. Thought it'd be great, and it is.
Fuel Economy - Superior. Pleasantly surprised.
Reliability - Superior. Hasn't died yet.
Comfort etc - Superior. Much nicer, quieter, better finished than I expected.

So in summary, it is more practical than I thought it would be but not as fun. How about everyone else?

 

[Peter_D]

Performance - Inferior. As a 2.5 TT I thought it would accelerate better than my old 2Lt Skyline but sadly no.
Handling - By far the best handling car I've ever owned and driven.
Fuel Economy - nothing I seem to do improves the situation but over all I rate it as OK.
Reliability - So far so good *touches wood*
Comfort - as expected. Just a tad noisy on the road.

 

[Tom]

Performance - Quite pleased! But not as quick as I was expecting a "twin turbo" to be, as stock. It is my first turbo car, but I thought "twin turbo" meant "kick everythings ass straight up" instead of having to mod to pull those kind of figures.
Handling - Coming from a AWD 2004 Liberty, I had a feeling of what to expect, and it is alright, I feel though that the Liberty handled better on corners.. Once I drop the Galant I'll see if it is on par or better!
Fuel Economy - Well, with power comes fuel cost, I got 700km out of a tank on the freeway from the Liberty, and I got 480k last tank on the highway in the Galant haha.. But the fun factor, as much as it hurts my wallet, it keeps me happy
Reliability - Yeah, so far so good! *touches wood as well*
Comfort - Comfy and smooth I'm happy!

So yeah it is mostly what I expected, apart from the 'not as much power as I was initially expecting' thing, it wasn't a major disappointment, mostly just more motivation to spend more time with it haha.. I'm very happy with the car

Insurance costs are killer though =/ But were the same as my Liberty, strangely enough!

 

[Hotwire]

Performance - As expected - was an auto so compared to manual R33, bit slower but that was ok
Handling - OK - still didnt really inspire much confidence.
Fuel Economy - Shite - even though did all the usuals, much worse economy than i was expecting - worse than my R33 and my EF Fairmont 4.0 with many mods
Reliability - Again, SHITE!! Auto trans went poop, plugs fouled after only 5,000km etc
Comfort - Very comfy! Loved the black leather interior, but lacked lateral support in seats which I thought might have been there.

 

[matchtheclown]

Performance - First turbo car didn't expect much. So I was happy.
Handling. Lowered on tein coilovers and low profiles on 18" wheels I expected it to be pretty good and it is.
Fuel Economy - Didn't expect much from a turbo. I am hoping for more once it's tuned
Reliability - Seems pretty good. I've owned bikes for a while. Anything highly tuned needs good loving.
Comfort - nice to cruise it but a little noisy but that's my exhaust and hard suspension.

 

[Scubasteve]

Ok have only had my car a couple of weeks.
Performance - Superior Haven't lost yet, wondering if it's not as stock as i originally thought. Manual seemed 2 go harder than the auto i drove.
Handling - Superior Great compared 2 Daewoo lanos, Proton Jumbuck, VH Commodore, VS Statesman, GJ Scorpion and GJ Sigma.
Fuel Economy - Inferior LOL @ Economy maybe if i stop tryna get 100 in under 6 sec's and changing on boost so i get swish sound. It might be classed as economical.
Reliability - Superior Hasn't died yet and if anything breaks in the next 2 years my missus says i have to sell it. *Crossed Fingers*
Comfort etc - Superior. Much nicer, quieter, better finished than I expected.

 

[steveP]

Previous to owning the vr4, i had 2 cars, my weekend silvia (highly modified) and daily magna (stock). So the vr4 was an inbetween.


Performance - About on par what i was expecting. Even tho its twin turbo (doesnt really matter how many turbos u got, its still boost), i knew the turbos were small and there would be plenty of drivetrain loss. It defiantly had no chance against my silvia, but stock vs stock against the magna, its in a totally different league.

Handling - Was very impressed seeing its stock. I know how good a car can handle with my silvia on coilovers, and even the stock handling came close to it. You can throw it into corners where non-awd cars would lose traction. If it wasnt for the power difference, it would probably beat my silvia thru the hills even with all its suspension work. However ive noticed (duno if its due to AYC), but if u get the vr4 a bit side ways, it will over correct.

Fuel Economy - On par. The magna was on LPG, so used to cost me $20-30 a week to run. So i knew i was gona be doubling that amount easy. I get about 400kms to a tank, so im happy with that.

Reliability - So far so good. But i know its only a matter of time.

Comfort - Better than i expected. Everything is very modern and neat. Was suprised that everything didnt look all plastic like the magna of the same manufacturing year.

(ADDED)
Styling - Orginally i really liked the subtle look of the vr4, and i still do. How it doesnt catch ur eye, but when u look at it again, u see things that didnt jump out at u, but are quite impressive. However after having to look at the car everyday, the styling is very out dated. The headlights have the same square look as all mitsubishi's around the mid-late 90s era. And the rear is almost identical to lancers of the same year.

 

[pu-11-me]

Performance - Not as good as it sounds. Plenty of room for potential. Power is USEABLE for a turbo which I like a lot, and its always on its toes. Great with some basic mods (Like any turbo car).

Handling - GAY in stock form. Skinny tyres and soft suspension make for a crap combination. AYC can be unpredictable on the limit (Yes I use it there ). Coilies, braces and an LSD swap make for huge handling gains IMO. My white car is 100% predictable, and lightning around corners. Still feels heavy. I guess thats because it is

Fuel Economy - To be expected. Not a big deal to me really. How much is fun worth?

Reliability - AYC crapped itself. Then the gearbox. Maybe I just got a dud? White car has been wonderful though.

Comfort - All is lost when handling mods are done In stock form its beautiful. Can cruise in it for hours!

I have to give these cars 10 points for practicality though. They aren't the best at ANYTHING but score well at EVERYTHING. I would buy another one :bigsmile:

 

[karlous54]

Peformance - Pretty happy with it, faster than other models i have driven. Enough power
to get ya out of trouble but lacks punch thank god its a manuel.

Handling - Great handling, lowered on adjustable Tein suspension, doesnt have AYC
which im happy with, very predictable but can understeer.

Fuel Economy - To be expected, much much better than the subaru RSK i had. Has alot to
do with the way its driven.

Reliability - Steering rack, lower ball joints, transfer case, tappets, blow off valve. Believe
the car wasnt serviced much before i owned it. Brought at 48,000km. Has be
well serviced since with no probs! Expensive to maintain but worth it.

Comfort - Heaps of room but not commodore size, all the basics you need to feel comfy

Once you purchase one you fall in love with it! Would buy another in a flash

 

[bradc]

Performance: In stock form the autos are quite slow in the higher gears, due to their long gearing. The manuals are ok but everyone needs a boost controller. The VR-4 should have come from factory with around 225kw and 440nm of torque which is made possible with a simple increase in boost. The lack of lag and smoothness of the engine make it feel like you are driving a 4.0l V8 rather than a jap turbo.

Handling: I agree with Dawso about the stock tyre size. Everyone should be running 225/45/17 or 235/45/17 on EVO wheels. The handling is hugely improved and the wheels actually fill out the arches reasonably well. The VR-4 should have been sold with the stock EVO 5/6 wheels IMHO. Once you've got wider tyres the handling is tons better. A rear strut brace sharpens up the rear end of a Legnum a lot, and lower and stiffer springs are good too.

Braking: There was no section but meh.... The stock VR-4 brakes are ok for normal people on the road but if you are going for a trash through the mountains then you will get brake fade quite quickly. The stock brakes are useless on a track. Fortunately better pads fix it and Brembo's bolt on too.

Fuel Economy: I've had over 500km out of most tanks in my VR-4's, and over 600km a few times. I've averaged around 11-12l/100km over the last 4 years of ownership with my 3 VR-4's and have never had worse than 13l/100km when driving on the road.

Reliability: Despite the fact my main VR-4 has 228kw ATW and I typically thrash the nuts off it, I haven't had any problems with any of my Legnums. Note: I do not currently own an Auto VR-4

Comfort: I have a black leather interior, a standard cloth interior and Tommi Recaro's, and everything from stock to rock hard suspension. My main VR-4 is a bit harsh, but then it handles amazingly well. The other Legnums are softer and more pleasent to ride in. I love the quality of the interior trim and all of the features, 4x auto up/down windows, sunroof, climate control, etc etc. The road noise is a bit annoying on 45 profile and lower aggressive tyres. I've just fitted 215/50/17 Toyo CT-01 tyres to the ST-R and road noise is virtually non existant. A good option for someone who is willing to lose a bit of speed.

Overall there still isn't a car in the world (at any price) that I'd prefer over my VR-4 if I was only allowed to own one car. The Audi RS4/6 Avants are tempting, but the RS4's aren't any faster and RS6's aren't available with a real gearbox - and they weigh 2.2 tons or something crazy.

 

[ygoslo]

I haven't had any problems with any of my Legnums. Note: I do not currently own an Auto VR-4

LOL!

Good replies guys - interesting reading!

 

[weeaazz]

now i came from a civic,if everyone wrote what car they had before would help,seems the guys who have had fast cars before hand say these arent as fast as expected

performance:for the first couple weeks with the legnum i thought it was a rocket,and it is faster than a lot of other cars on the road,just not as fast as modified cars.and im starting to realise that.seems quite slow now.and the auto was also very fun at the start but now realy bores me.

handling:great on big long corners through hills,not so good on very tight slow corners due to the weight,but still lots of fun.since losing it in the wet,ive lost all confidence in the legnum.auto with traction control i find to be very unpredictable now...when sideways

fuel economy:not too bad,i was expecting worse,i was getting over 500kms to a tank when i drove highway regularly,now about 400 just around town,$60 a week isnt that bad,especialy when i came from $40 a week in the civic

reliability:great.absolutely nothing mechanical has died yet

comfort:excellent,love it and cant find a better interior on a car for the same price,very stylish interior,though a little road noise from the front tyres.

though im about to sell my car because im sick of the auto and have no need for a wagon.i plan to try build a datsun 1600 with an sr20det.because i want an easy modifiable old car,and love the old 1600s,but if the lack of comfort kills me,the only import i can see myself getting back into is a manual galant or a chaser

 

[Guest]

Performance - This was and is my first powerful car and I love the performance. I did have a small low boost issue but after getting that fixed and fitting an E-Manage Blue and E-01 EBC, the performance has improved massively. I'm at 287bhp at the fly and around 310ft/lb of torque.

Handling - Like its on rails, except the one time on the roundabout when I ended up backwards! Its got superb handling capabilities and having owned the car for 10 months now I still havent pushed the car properly to know what it can or cant handle. I have 235/45/17 Eagle F1 tyres on Evo 8 alloys so they handle amazingly.

Braking - Stock brakes were crap! Upgraded to braided lines, Super Blue, Carbotech XP8 and they are much better. I am getting a 60-0 of around 110-120ft. I'm upgrading the disks and pads for all 4 corners next week so I'm hoping to get to 100-110ft for the 60-0 distance.

Fuel Economy - Well, I used to have a Galant GLS estate which did 280-300 miles locally on a full tank. 350 miles or so on motorway journeys. The VR4, now that its manual is giving me 230-270 local miles and over 300 on long journeys on a full tank. So its not that bad. I bought the car expecting to get 18-20 mpg but I usually get 24+ mpg normally.

Reliability - Ok I guess. I had an auto box that failed so I did a manual conversion. Worked fine before the failure, and works fine now its been converted. I did get occasional idle stalling issues, but that was a lower plenum leak so now thats fixed the car is back to its reliable self. Cant fault it.

Comfort - I had standard VR4 trim in my car and they were comfortable and good to drive in, but not really supportive enough for me. I tended to get thrown to the sides when making the car go round corners fast. I have now fitted beige leathers out of a UK spec V6-24, which includes electric adjusting, heated and SRS airbags for the fronts, rear 3-point seatbelt and centre headrest. And they are AWESOME! Very comfortable. Feel very planted as there is much more seat adjustability.

Overall - The VR4 has been my dream car for a while and now that I have it, its still the only thing I'd ever have! If money was no object, I'd still be driving this 13 year old silver estate car and upsetting near enough any other car on the road! Nothing comes close to it for complete all round goodness!

 

[ygoslo]

if everyone wrote what car they had before would help,seems the guys who have had fast cars before hand say these arent as fast as expected

Fair call. For comparison, my cars in order have been:

1975 Galant
1990 Silvia (CA18 - 182rwkw)
1985 626 Turbo (85fwkw!)
1990 Celsior
1995 FTO GPX
1991 Silvia (SR20 - 207rwkw)
1997 Galant VR4

The VR4 is probably the 3rd quickest of the list. Although in some circumstances the FTO felt just about as quick as the VR4, especially in higher gears.

I love looking at that list too. All Japanese. Keeping it real yO.

 

[weeaazz]

and i can just picture them all too.

all with protruding oil coolers and insane offset deep dish wheels.ahah

did that 626 have the 2.2 l turbo motor?

good to see youve still got your first car

 

[mookers]

I came from a 92kW BG series Mazda Astina, although my wife drives a 147kW 5th Gen VW Jetta 2.0TSI.

Performance: Had no expectations before driving it but was blown away because I thought the Jetta was pretty fast. Have done intercooler and piping, plus RPW downpipes, which made it a little faster, but now that I'm used to it I want MOAR POWER. However, I can still scare the shit out of my passengers if I floor it, so it's all good

Edited to add: My car is a Series 1 manual, but I've always driven manuals so it didn't have any bearing on my expectations. An auto was never considered (well I did test drive one but it wasn't a great example anyway).

Handling: A bit disappointed with the stock handling (even with 225/45/17 tyres) since I was used to chucking the Astina around (1100-1200 kg?, lowered with 205/40/16 tyres). The Legnum doesn't understeer as much as the Astina did but it felt much less confident in tight twisties. Thank the extra 400kg it hauls I suppose. The Jetta (1300 kg?) also feels more stable under similar conditions. Once I put the TEIN SuperWagons on and lowered it, the Legnum came good. Still not exactly chuckable, but it feels much more secure and the floatiness is gone.

Braking: Didn't have a problem with the stock brakes but upgraded the rotors and pads anyway. Looking at the bigger size of the discs on the Jetta makes my Legnum feel a bit inadequate though!

Fuel Economy: As expected. I knew it would hurt a lot more than the Astina did. However, since putting the intercooler and RPW pipes on, I can pull some pretty respectable numbers out of it (average 10.4, my best is low 9's, worst is 13.5 per 100km).

Reliability: As expected. I had to replace the clutch, and then the clutch master and slave cylinders. Nothing else major has broken, I've just had to do regular maintenance. The car seemed to have been pretty well looked after before I got it.

Comfort: Great. My wife disagrees but I think my Legnum with the SuperWagons has a more comfortable ride than her stock Jetta (the sporty model). No complaints other than the lack of side bolstering and minimal lumbar support on the seats. My ghetto fix for the lumbar support (homemade inserts pinned under aftermarket seatcovers) has pretty much solved both problems though, since the seatcovers I chose have proven to be quite grippy and I don't slide around I do still plan to get Recaros if and when I find a good deal.

Styling: I love it. Whilst I appreciate the look of more aggressive aftermarket kits, the stock VR-4 has just the right amount of subtle oomph to make interested people turn their heads yet slip under the radar of people who aren't paying attention.

Overall: If I had space and money I would buy a smaller, more efficient car as a daily driver and use the Legnum on weekends (and probably once or twice during the week!). But since I can have only one car, it works great as an all-rounder. Would buy again, highly recommended JDM-er, A++++++++++++++ etc etc lol

 

[Mortz]

Performance - First turbo car and I was honestly pumped as hell from the first test drive. I thought the performance was spot on. I mean 6 sec 0-100 for a wagon...I was/am damn happy. And I still haven't got used to the standing start acceleration once I put the boost up to 10psi, maybe i'm a pussy but I'm still suprised how hard these cars go. Perfect low/midrange power for a daily driver and no complaints from me. Better than I expected.

Handling - Beautiful. Coming from FWD cars I was blown away by the handling. No matter how hard I tackle corners the Leggy just seems to want to go faster. Recommended corner speeds are laughable in these cars and even with TERRIBLE tyres on the car when purchased it still handled well. Surpassed my expectations by a country mile, although stock brakes are not great.

Fuel economy- I read up on the VR4's before I bought one so I knew I wasn't buying a very economical car. I have still consistently pulled 12.5L/100km through my daily driving and coming from older cars with less power that got much worse economy I'm stoked. Met my expectations

Reliability - No problems at all which is nice. Again, I read up on the VR4's so looked for a nice example and so far have not had any trouble. Starts first time every time, purrs like a kitten and has never shown any trouble. Surpassed my expectations.

Comfort etc - I'm changing the front stock seats as I found them uncomfortable but apart from that I have found the car to have all the features required and more. The sunroof is epic and it's a well designed cabin. I love the hi-vis dash and features such as the little climate control screen and fold down seats in the back, which are very helpful and make the cargo space huge. As good or better then I expected...except for the front seats, which I felt did not support enough for the cornering ability of the car.

For the price I cannot believe I/we scored the cars we have. I have only had shit cars in the past so I may have been easier to impress but I really love the design, features, performance etc of the Leggy's and can't think of another car i'd rather drive right now (that I can afford). And I think both series of Legnums look sweet, they are the best looking wagons on the road in my opinion. The front bars are just so damn sexy! And these forums have just made owning a VR4 even better, so much info and some top people

 

[BuzzPuppy]

My previous cars were asthmatic Astron II runabouts, from various Sigmas (GL-GK) to a TS carbied Magna that I'd owned for 11 years. Not exactly a stellar ownership career (although I do have to thank the late Peter Wherrett for a particular Sigma). This is looking at almost two years of ownership (since July 2007, pretty much... dating to the older OZVR4 forums).

Performance: A lot of fun. ANYTHING was better than what I'd owned. I knew that Loki would be the heaviest and slowest of all Legnums (being a Super VR4) but I just couldn't pass it up. Besides. I live in Victoria... even the work experience kids have speed cameras.

Still, with an MBC set at 14psi, FMIC with some hard pipes and other minor mods, it's made up for it. Putting boost back to stock for a week made me feel something was lacking though. However, I do love the more linear power delivery of the 6A13TT compared to a highly-strung rotary or mates' over-zealous (insert engines here) modified rides.

Handling: It came with 17" rims, so I never drove it with the stock 16"s. All the other cars I drove were underpowered FWD or underpowered RWD. I do have the confidence to throw it around corners and love the feedback through the steering. The AYC brings in the nose sharply. I have disabled the traction control when I need to make a VERY quick right hand turn in front of traffic, prefering to feather the throttle as it surges ahead rather than letting TC bog me down.

Braking: Upgrading all the pads and DBA4000 slotted rotors definitely helped and was the first thing I changed two weeks into owning Loki . Noticed that the weight would make the stock brakes cook fast (Arthur's Seat runs, Dandenong/Sassafras backroad bashes, etc) so those had to go.

Fuel Economy: As expected. Currently 12.5-14 litres per 100km (my right leg is over-weight ). But this is what Seth achieved as a 2.6L carbied Astron II TS Magna Wagon. So I have the same fuel consumption but far more power? Winner!

Reliability: No hassles at all except for consumables. Still, need to keep an eye on things.

Comfort: Comfy. Recaro seats are nice and grippy. Stock suspension is fine for my needs. Space for my gear/dogs/the girl (not in that order). The noise levels inside the car are quiet with the slight interruption/burbles of the RalliArt muffler and the whistle/sneeze of the engine if pushed hard. Loki is definitely more of a cruiser and for long trips, it's fantastic. The girl always borrows the car if she has to hit country roads and distances. 17" tyres are kept firm at 40psi and the ride is still good.

Styling: I ADORE it. It's a friggin' Super VR-4 Legnum!!!

It has front canards that can scoop roadkill, a rear wing that you can land FA-18 Hornets on, sideskirts that would not look out of place in a drift event and RED carpet. The FMIC is bare for the world to see and sometimes gets curious looks in people's rear view mirror. Purple-glow dash that raises the "ooooh" and the carbon fibre touch and interior to match. It has the MOMO steering wheel with red highlights, a red-accented hand-brake that sticks out like my dog when he's horny.

You have to remind yourself that this is a stock vehicle and it's just so JDM. When asked how much I had spent to modify the interior... I would grin cheekily and say "it came this way". When Katie drives it through country Victoria, she gets a lot of "WTF?" look and gives it a good flogging.

And I was never one for subtlety.

Overall: I want a Red Super VR-4 Galant if I had the money. It pains me that there is one for sale in QLD and I cannot have it. Would I do it all over again? Hell yes. I'm a fan of the 8G ever since I campaigned one in good ol' Gran Turismo. It's a 1580kg Playstation to me.

[edit] Loki will be one of the wedding cars in September this year. Katie has joked that I'm marrying both her and the Legnum *hehehe*

 

[dimi_108]

Performance - In stock form, definitely underpowered. Especially compared to my JZA80 Twin Turbo Supra in stock form.
Off the lights it's great, but where's the power after 5000rpm?

Now tuned with a piggy back ECU and boosted to 14PSI, it goes well.
It's like a slingshot - especially off the lights.
But still lacks top end and torque

Handling - My Type-V (no AYC) handled well in stock form with only a bit of body roll.

Now on progressive rate springs with an inch clearance between the tyre and the bottom of the guards, it handles superbly.
It has not let me down since and never worries me in the wet. I love it.

Fuel Economy - Factory standard tunning stock boost - it's great.
Running a constant 14PSI from a boost controller on it's own around town is horrific

Now running 14PSI tuned with a piggy back ECU, the fuel consumption is good. I'm quite happy with it

Reliability - Average. I've owned it for eight months now and driven 14,000kms in it. I've had to replace a few things and still need to replace the torque converter seal.
It's got me stranded once when the cam angle sensor died.
Fingers crossed from now on it will hold it's own.

Comfort - Comfortable. Seats are great, i can rest my arm on the door while holding the steering wheel without getting aches or pains.
The console is well laid out and everything is within easy reach.

Styling: I'm in love with it. The best thing about the whole car.
With such a mean looking front end, and an agressive body style, it definitely does not look like your average "sporty station-wagon".

Overall: I love it and it still makes me happy every time I drive it.
It never bores me and i always have a secret urge to just drive it.

If it weren't for the small problems here and there, this car would be an absolute pearler...
But hey, who cares about a few small problems, It's a 2.5 litre, V6, Twin Turbo, AWD, JDM as f*ck, station-wagon

 

[bogan bob]

Breifly:
Performance - first turbro car ive owned and i love it. It does run out of puff high up, but i was expecting that.

Handling - love it. but i do have coilovers and underbody braces which makes it better

Fuel economy - far better than i was ever expecting from a import

reliability - have had no problems ths far, touch wood (barr finding parts after i pranged it )

Comfort - Seats could be more side spportive, ride could be a bit better but thats the price you pay for the above handling