Vectra vs Mondeo
Discussion
£5000 to spend.
Used for motorway mileage of approx 2000 miles per month.
Fuel not of massive concern.
I have an E36 328i for my wife and a Z4 for some fun so it will be my commuter only.
Mondeo - looking at the ST220 which has lots of good kit as standard. Has a chain driven cam engine.
Vectra - fitted with a 3.2 litre V6 and designed for the motorway journey. Belt driven cam engine so additional cash to change it (if not done recently). Greater choice of car available and you can get newer car for your money than the Mondeo.
I am still keen to get another BMW (a couple of reasonable, on paper at least E39 530i manuals around) but the wife has suggested that a newer car, Mondeo / Vectra will be 03 or newer wheras the BMW will be 01 or earlier, would be a more sensible bet.
There does not seem to be a huge amount more for the money available although:
Hyandai V6 Coupe - cheap (for a reason) but may not be great for the motorway jaunt.
Audi A4 - same as the BMW, great car but a little older and potentially more expensive in the long haul.
Volvo T5 (C70 / V70) - great cars but difficult to find a good one.
Any thoughts?
Used for motorway mileage of approx 2000 miles per month.
Fuel not of massive concern.
I have an E36 328i for my wife and a Z4 for some fun so it will be my commuter only.
Mondeo - looking at the ST220 which has lots of good kit as standard. Has a chain driven cam engine.
Vectra - fitted with a 3.2 litre V6 and designed for the motorway journey. Belt driven cam engine so additional cash to change it (if not done recently). Greater choice of car available and you can get newer car for your money than the Mondeo.
I am still keen to get another BMW (a couple of reasonable, on paper at least E39 530i manuals around) but the wife has suggested that a newer car, Mondeo / Vectra will be 03 or newer wheras the BMW will be 01 or earlier, would be a more sensible bet.
There does not seem to be a huge amount more for the money available although:
Hyandai V6 Coupe - cheap (for a reason) but may not be great for the motorway jaunt.
Audi A4 - same as the BMW, great car but a little older and potentially more expensive in the long haul.
Volvo T5 (C70 / V70) - great cars but difficult to find a good one.
Any thoughts?
junglie said:
£5000 to spend.
Used for motorway mileage of approx 2000 miles per month.
Fuel not of massive concern.
I have an E36 328i for my wife and a Z4 for some fun so it will be my commuter only.
Mondeo - looking at the ST220 which has lots of good kit as standard. Has a chain driven cam engine.
Vectra - fitted with a 3.2 litre V6 and designed for the motorway journey. Belt driven cam engine so additional cash to change it (if not done recently). Greater choice of car available and you can get newer car for your money than the Mondeo.
I am still keen to get another BMW (a couple of reasonable, on paper at least E39 530i manuals around) but the wife has suggested that a newer car, Mondeo / Vectra will be 03 or newer wheras the BMW will be 01 or earlier, would be a more sensible bet.
There does not seem to be a huge amount more for the money available although:
Hyandai V6 Coupe - cheap (for a reason) but may not be great for the motorway jaunt.
Audi A4 - same as the BMW, great car but a little older and potentially more expensive in the long haul.
Volvo T5 (C70 / V70) - great cars but difficult to find a good one.
Any thoughts?
The big deisel Vectra was supposed to have been a superb car if you had it chipped as well. You'd still get better economy for probably the same performance.Used for motorway mileage of approx 2000 miles per month.
Fuel not of massive concern.
I have an E36 328i for my wife and a Z4 for some fun so it will be my commuter only.
Mondeo - looking at the ST220 which has lots of good kit as standard. Has a chain driven cam engine.
Vectra - fitted with a 3.2 litre V6 and designed for the motorway journey. Belt driven cam engine so additional cash to change it (if not done recently). Greater choice of car available and you can get newer car for your money than the Mondeo.
I am still keen to get another BMW (a couple of reasonable, on paper at least E39 530i manuals around) but the wife has suggested that a newer car, Mondeo / Vectra will be 03 or newer wheras the BMW will be 01 or earlier, would be a more sensible bet.
There does not seem to be a huge amount more for the money available although:
Hyandai V6 Coupe - cheap (for a reason) but may not be great for the motorway jaunt.
Audi A4 - same as the BMW, great car but a little older and potentially more expensive in the long haul.
Volvo T5 (C70 / V70) - great cars but difficult to find a good one.
Any thoughts?
Gerry Marshall used to always drive deisel Vectras and claimed they were much better cars than the petrol equivalents.
Mondeo by a mile. Far better dynamically IMHO and a nicer place to be.
I don't know how thirsty the equivalent Vectra is, to be fair, but the ST220s were quite juicy. That's the only significant fault I can really think of. They handle remarkably playfully for such a big FWD car, loads of practicality and decent refinement.
Other thoughts? Hmm... Could you not just get another E36? It's a fairly direct competitor - the BMW straight six is annecdotally more frugal than the Ford V6 and handling is said to be very good. Impressive as it is (for the price), I'm not sure what the Mondeo would add over the Beamer.
I don't know how thirsty the equivalent Vectra is, to be fair, but the ST220s were quite juicy. That's the only significant fault I can really think of. They handle remarkably playfully for such a big FWD car, loads of practicality and decent refinement.
Other thoughts? Hmm... Could you not just get another E36? It's a fairly direct competitor - the BMW straight six is annecdotally more frugal than the Ford V6 and handling is said to be very good. Impressive as it is (for the price), I'm not sure what the Mondeo would add over the Beamer.
Seems neck and neck so far!
The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
junglie said:
Seems neck and neck so far!
The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Things have switched around since when i last looked then, 220's used to be more than the equivalent diesel. Remember the diesel doesn't have the Recaro's that the 220 has, sure there are other differences too. Oh, the ST diesel is not the most reliable, one injector failure & the petrol would have worked out cheaper The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Dave_ST220 said:
junglie said:
Seems neck and neck so far!
The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Things have switched around since when i last looked then, 220's used to be more than the equivalent diesel. Remember the diesel doesn't have the Recaro's that the 220 has, sure there are other differences too. Oh, the ST diesel is not the most reliable, one injector failure & the petrol would have worked out cheaper The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
V8mate said:
Dave_ST220 said:
junglie said:
Seems neck and neck so far!
The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Things have switched around since when i last looked then, 220's used to be more than the equivalent diesel. Remember the diesel doesn't have the Recaro's that the 220 has, sure there are other differences too. Oh, the ST diesel is not the most reliable, one injector failure & the petrol would have worked out cheaper The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Evo's description in the back for the ST TDCI used to comment on "Massive shove from the 2.2.......etc". It certainly doesn't feel slow. And, the car has quite a firm ride. To me, it gives it a sporty feel for such a big car.
If a PHer is looking for an economical but large daily hack, it's not a bad choice IMO.
All that said, the diesels strength, like all diesels is in gear performance from say 50 upwards. In spite of this, an ST220 pulled quickly away from me when accelerating away from roadworks on the M4.
Anyway, the OP is looking at ST220 vs Vectra. For me, Mondeo every time!
Dimski said:
V8mate said:
Dave_ST220 said:
junglie said:
Seems neck and neck so far!
The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Things have switched around since when i last looked then, 220's used to be more than the equivalent diesel. Remember the diesel doesn't have the Recaro's that the 220 has, sure there are other differences too. Oh, the ST diesel is not the most reliable, one injector failure & the petrol would have worked out cheaper The diesel way is the obvious route but you are paying a fair chunk more over the similar petrol model with the same spec - as a rough example:
ST220 is £6000 and the ST TDCI is £8000
You will have to do some real mileage to break even plus the fact that modern diesels appear to be less reliale than their petrol counterparts with turbos, injectors and the like requiring replacement.
Evo's description in the back for the ST TDCI used to comment on "Massive shove from the 2.2.......etc". It certainly doesn't feel slow. And, the car has quite a firm ride. To me, it gives it a sporty feel for such a big car.
If a PHer is looking for an economical but large daily hack, it's not a bad choice IMO.
All that said, the diesels strength, like all diesels is in gear performance from say 50 upwards. In spite of this, an ST220 pulled quickly away from me when accelerating away from roadworks on the M4.
Anyway, the OP is looking at ST220 vs Vectra. For me, Mondeo every time!
RobCrezz said:
Chains dont last forever, if thats what you were thinking. They are still prone to stretching and breaking.
Very true and just because it's not been known doesn't mean it hasn't happened or won't. Stretching is a bit more common than breaking and can cause all sorts of problems.
As someone else said, what about the Signum?
Edited by spaceship on Thursday 8th April 19:17
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