RE: Shed of the Week: Vauxhall Vectra SRI
Discussion
Its fair to say the Clarkson effect has been significant. If PH existed 25 years ago, there would have been none of the outright hate for Vauxhall there is today. When I was a young driver in fact, Vauxhall were much cooler and usually drove better than their Ford equivalents. The Astra GTE/GSI/Cavalier SRI/GSI etc were better all round prospects than the Sierras and Escorts of their time. One of my first cars was an early Sierra and it was night and day inferior to the same era Cavalier. I think the criticism of the first Vectra was justified as it was very poor, but things move on and I really don't think today's Vauxhalls are much different to todays Fords.
One thing that has always puzzled me. Yes, the post Parry Fords drove well, but the motoring media and many petrol heads have always overlooked some pretty major flaws on them, whereas the same era Vauxhalls were just slated. For example, the Mk3 Mondeo which competed with this era Vectra truly had the worse brakes I can ever remember. I drove several and I never thought I was going to stop in a motorway emergency situation. My Focus was nearly as bad. The Mondeo TDCI was an awfully unrefined and very smoky diesel engine with a huge amount of lag low down. Then there were the standard ford seats which are some of the most uncomfortable and unsupportive you can come across.
Anyway, back to this Vectra. I cant say it does anything for me, but is it that much worse than some of the VAG sheds we've had in recent times?
The poster above me Greenarrow took the words right out of my mouth. Now posting this SOTW was asking for trouble as the childish Vauxhall basher come out of the woodwork this is as old as the hills now initiated by Clarkson many years back. we seem to get many exaggerated storys of people driving one round the block for it to fall into millions of pieces .
The 3.0 hardly sold at all so is quite noteworthy. I always thought of these as a very solid and comfy cruiser . These Vectras seem to quickly fall into the shed/banger territory due to heavy depceciation and not looked after , today they can be picked up for next to nothing especially the cooking models ,my only fault with these is the one touch indicators which my 05 Astra also had .
The 3.0 hardly sold at all so is quite noteworthy. I always thought of these as a very solid and comfy cruiser . These Vectras seem to quickly fall into the shed/banger territory due to heavy depceciation and not looked after , today they can be picked up for next to nothing especially the cooking models ,my only fault with these is the one touch indicators which my 05 Astra also had .
exgtt said:
I drove a 3.2 GSI petrol one of these and it was lovely. Thumping mid range and nice long gearing. They aren't the sharpest of tools but surely don't deserve half the hate going on here. As said before, brilliant mile munchers. Only driven the cdti once and it sounded great and was swift. Maybe the biggest issue with this age Vectra was the equivalent Mondeo. I can't deny they were a great steer but Ford never gave us a 6 cylinder diesel in the Mondeo, Vauxhall did it.
I really fancy this, 15 years ago that money would have got you a crummy Cavalier 2.0 age for age. A map and this would be a real Q car.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
3.2 GSi handling evaluated by TOP GEAR magazineI really fancy this, 15 years ago that money would have got you a crummy Cavalier 2.0 age for age. A map and this would be a real Q car.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Edited by exgtt on Friday 28th July 21:07
Anybody going on about handling on a car like this at this price range doesn't really know what they're talking about.
At this level, decent handling is almost completely down to suspension maintenance, not subtle differences in the chassis design. A vectra with a recent suspension rebuild will handle vastly better than a Mondeo still on its original suspension.
At this level, decent handling is almost completely down to suspension maintenance, not subtle differences in the chassis design. A vectra with a recent suspension rebuild will handle vastly better than a Mondeo still on its original suspension.
s m said:
3.2 GSi handling evaluated by TOP GEAR magazine
Yeah, the mag got it spot on. To write off the Vectras handling because it is a "Vauxhall" is just nonsense. Can't deny the ST220 is better though, but they ain't £700-£1k. Edited by exgtt on Saturday 29th July 17:41
Edited by exgtt on Saturday 29th July 17:45
Blackpuddin said:
Good to see a modicum of common sense arriving in this thread over the last couple of pages. I bet very few of the haters have been anywhere near one of these 3.0 Vectras.
In our defense, I also didn't need to get anywhere near that Big Mo from Eastenders to know that I didn't want to have her in my life either.I don't get the hatred either. I'm sure this car has its flaws, but it also has a 3L 6 cylinder diesel engine, a cd/mp3 player, and, going by the photos, aircon. Does it have cruise control as well? I'd assume so. But you can probably get by if not.
So, leaving aside the basic question of whether it's wise to spend only £1,000 on a car that you're going to use for driving long distances on the motorway, assuming you were going to do that, it sounds like you could do a lot worse than this.
And even if you're just going to drive it to the shops and back, with an automatic gearbox you aren't going to get RSI of the ankle, and with the V6 it isn't going to sound like a total bag of spanners.
Though, given how bad the 1.2 Corsa I drove 5 years ago was, perhaps I should be more cautious about asking just how bad it could be...?
So, leaving aside the basic question of whether it's wise to spend only £1,000 on a car that you're going to use for driving long distances on the motorway, assuming you were going to do that, it sounds like you could do a lot worse than this.
And even if you're just going to drive it to the shops and back, with an automatic gearbox you aren't going to get RSI of the ankle, and with the V6 it isn't going to sound like a total bag of spanners.
Though, given how bad the 1.2 Corsa I drove 5 years ago was, perhaps I should be more cautious about asking just how bad it could be...?
MysteryLemon said:
There was always one thing that bugged me about this era of Vauxhall. The Vectra and Astra both suffer from this issue. Neither offend me from the outside. Infact, the "hot" versions of both of these cars are quite nice looking. The Astra VXR is a very nice looking hatch. It's when you get inside that I have a problem.
Not necessarily the quality of materials used but just the interior as a whole....
Vectra Interior
Astra Interior
Meriva Interior
Just look at them. Horrifically ull. Cheap, nasty, drab... Who sat there at Vauxhall and said "oh yes, that looks lovely, we'll put that interior in our whole range!" ... I hope they got fired.
Compare it with the GM owned Saab of the same year, the Saab interiors are much nicerNot necessarily the quality of materials used but just the interior as a whole....
Vectra Interior
Astra Interior
Meriva Interior
Just look at them. Horrifically ull. Cheap, nasty, drab... Who sat there at Vauxhall and said "oh yes, that looks lovely, we'll put that interior in our whole range!" ... I hope they got fired.
BlueHave said:
Compare it with the GM owned Saab of the same year, the Saab interiors are much nicer
Trim quality is very, very poor on the late model 9-3s though, very un-SAAB but extremely GM. Brittle plastics, rubber coatings wearing off, leather wearing through at low miles. You could really tell they were cutting costs to stay alive at that point. Perversely the Vauxhalls I've been in seem to have very ugly but ultimately hard wearing interiors!BlueHave said:
MysteryLemon said:
There was always one thing that bugged me about this era of Vauxhall. The Vectra and Astra both suffer from this issue. Neither offend me from the outside. Infact, the "hot" versions of both of these cars are quite nice looking. The Astra VXR is a very nice looking hatch. It's when you get inside that I have a problem.
Not necessarily the quality of materials used but just the interior as a whole....
Vectra Interior
Astra Interior
Meriva Interior
Just look at them. Horrifically ull. Cheap, nasty, drab... Who sat there at Vauxhall and said "oh yes, that looks lovely, we'll put that interior in our whole range!" ... I hope they got fired.
Compare it with the GM owned Saab of the same year, the Saab interiors are much nicerNot necessarily the quality of materials used but just the interior as a whole....
Vectra Interior
Astra Interior
Meriva Interior
Just look at them. Horrifically ull. Cheap, nasty, drab... Who sat there at Vauxhall and said "oh yes, that looks lovely, we'll put that interior in our whole range!" ... I hope they got fired.
Please help me I'm VERY worried.
Like the Cortina, Sierra & Cavalier the Vectra was a nobody car, if you drove one either by choice or because you were so much of a junior sales rep. you got 'issued' with one you were nobody, invisible & ignored.
Where I need help is that I actually chose one as my company car. I was working to a budget but it had to be new AND diesel. Because of a nagging back & sciatica problem the Vectra has excellent seats with masses of adjustment & the boot lip & capacity made loading samples a rubbish for the tip easy. Automatic was essential given the density of traffic I had to endure & to minimise aggravating my sciatica which sods law was in my right leg. It gets worse I chose beige that Vauxhall called Panacotta. To appease the pain of choosing such a car I opted for some extras such as sunroof & proper alloys not the horrid plastic covers.
Now the surprising bit. I did 150k+ during the course of 5 years, yes 5 years in a 1.9 auto diesel & it was NOT the shaming experience I had anticipated. It was very lively so I was never embarrassed in the performance stakes, it was comfortable even after many a long drive from the south coast to the Lake District or Yorkshire for holidays although the ride was a tad harsh on the bigger wheels I had specified. The sunroof was lovely & went some way to feeling I was in a convertible (I did have a Honda S2000 of my own). The dreary colour meant I didn't have to bother cleaning it too often & it broke down once with a failed Supercharger thingy.
Some of my snobby colleagues actually paid out of their own pocket for something more expensive & with a superior badge but I had the last laugh because I reckon the amount of company tax I saved allowed funds to run my own car & flying lessons.
None of the plus points in terms of comfort & convenience made up for the fact I always felt a nobody behind the wheel. I would not have felt any different whatever was under the bonnet or how bright the colour.
Like the Cortina, Sierra & Cavalier the Vectra was a nobody car, if you drove one either by choice or because you were so much of a junior sales rep. you got 'issued' with one you were nobody, invisible & ignored.
Where I need help is that I actually chose one as my company car. I was working to a budget but it had to be new AND diesel. Because of a nagging back & sciatica problem the Vectra has excellent seats with masses of adjustment & the boot lip & capacity made loading samples a rubbish for the tip easy. Automatic was essential given the density of traffic I had to endure & to minimise aggravating my sciatica which sods law was in my right leg. It gets worse I chose beige that Vauxhall called Panacotta. To appease the pain of choosing such a car I opted for some extras such as sunroof & proper alloys not the horrid plastic covers.
Now the surprising bit. I did 150k+ during the course of 5 years, yes 5 years in a 1.9 auto diesel & it was NOT the shaming experience I had anticipated. It was very lively so I was never embarrassed in the performance stakes, it was comfortable even after many a long drive from the south coast to the Lake District or Yorkshire for holidays although the ride was a tad harsh on the bigger wheels I had specified. The sunroof was lovely & went some way to feeling I was in a convertible (I did have a Honda S2000 of my own). The dreary colour meant I didn't have to bother cleaning it too often & it broke down once with a failed Supercharger thingy.
Some of my snobby colleagues actually paid out of their own pocket for something more expensive & with a superior badge but I had the last laugh because I reckon the amount of company tax I saved allowed funds to run my own car & flying lessons.
None of the plus points in terms of comfort & convenience made up for the fact I always felt a nobody behind the wheel. I would not have felt any different whatever was under the bonnet or how bright the colour.
WJNB said:
Please help me I'm VERY worried.
Like the Cortina, Sierra & Cavalier the Vectra was a nobody car, if you drove one either by choice or because you were so much of a junior sales rep. you got 'issued' with one you were nobody, invisible & ignored.
Where I need help is that I actually chose one as my company car. I was working to a budget but it had to be new AND diesel. Because of a nagging back & sciatica problem the Vectra has excellent seats with masses of adjustment & the boot lip & capacity made loading samples a rubbish for the tip easy. Automatic was essential given the density of traffic I had to endure & to minimise aggravating my sciatica which sods law was in my right leg. It gets worse I chose beige that Vauxhall called Panacotta. To appease the pain of choosing such a car I opted for some extras such as sunroof & proper alloys not the horrid plastic covers.
Now the surprising bit. I did 150k+ during the course of 5 years, yes 5 years in a 1.9 auto diesel & it was NOT the shaming experience I had anticipated. It was very lively so I was never embarrassed in the performance stakes, it was comfortable even after many a long drive from the south coast to the Lake District or Yorkshire for holidays although the ride was a tad harsh on the bigger wheels I had specified. The sunroof was lovely & went some way to feeling I was in a convertible (I did have a Honda S2000 of my own). The dreary colour meant I didn't have to bother cleaning it too often & it broke down once with a failed Supercharger thingy.
Some of my snobby colleagues actually paid out of their own pocket for something more expensive & with a superior badge but I had the last laugh because I reckon the amount of company tax I saved allowed funds to run my own car & flying lessons.
None of the plus points in terms of comfort & convenience made up for the fact I always felt a nobody behind the wheel. I would not have felt any different whatever was under the bonnet or how bright the colour.
Didn't really get what your point is? Didn't realise the 1.9 Diesel was supercharged Like the Cortina, Sierra & Cavalier the Vectra was a nobody car, if you drove one either by choice or because you were so much of a junior sales rep. you got 'issued' with one you were nobody, invisible & ignored.
Where I need help is that I actually chose one as my company car. I was working to a budget but it had to be new AND diesel. Because of a nagging back & sciatica problem the Vectra has excellent seats with masses of adjustment & the boot lip & capacity made loading samples a rubbish for the tip easy. Automatic was essential given the density of traffic I had to endure & to minimise aggravating my sciatica which sods law was in my right leg. It gets worse I chose beige that Vauxhall called Panacotta. To appease the pain of choosing such a car I opted for some extras such as sunroof & proper alloys not the horrid plastic covers.
Now the surprising bit. I did 150k+ during the course of 5 years, yes 5 years in a 1.9 auto diesel & it was NOT the shaming experience I had anticipated. It was very lively so I was never embarrassed in the performance stakes, it was comfortable even after many a long drive from the south coast to the Lake District or Yorkshire for holidays although the ride was a tad harsh on the bigger wheels I had specified. The sunroof was lovely & went some way to feeling I was in a convertible (I did have a Honda S2000 of my own). The dreary colour meant I didn't have to bother cleaning it too often & it broke down once with a failed Supercharger thingy.
Some of my snobby colleagues actually paid out of their own pocket for something more expensive & with a superior badge but I had the last laugh because I reckon the amount of company tax I saved allowed funds to run my own car & flying lessons.
None of the plus points in terms of comfort & convenience made up for the fact I always felt a nobody behind the wheel. I would not have felt any different whatever was under the bonnet or how bright the colour.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff