Class: Family Saloon
Rivals: Ford Focus, Alfa Romeo 155, Nissan Primera, Toyota Avensis
Variants: Saloon, Hatchback, Estate
Engines: Petrol 1.6, 2.0, 2.2, 2.5 V6
Diesel 1.7td, 2.0dti, 2.2dti
Gearbox: Manual 5 speed
Automatic 5speed
I never knew exactly why but I always prefered the Vauxhall to the Opel Vectra, even though they were both built in the same factory in Luton, the Vauxhall always seems to be a tighter built and higher spec-ed car!! The face lift model from '99 onwards is definitely the car to go for with its single piece headlamps, color coded bumpers and modified back end, and somewhat improved handling!
The Vectra will never be known for its sportiness, its understeers at speed and its in no way intended for high speed cornering! But as a motorway cruiser, a from A to B car its hard beat!
At motorway speeds the cabin noise is low and you feel in control of the car, not push on past this limit and your opinion of the car will start to waine!! But, on rough and bumpy roads, the Vectra B will give you a relatively comfortable ride compared to some of its more illustrious German rivals.
The Hatch back would also be the recommended buy, with the extra boot space and fold down seat there isn't much that you will fail to carry. There is plenty of room in the cabin for up to 5 average adults.
The 2.0dti is the best car in the class, although it runs at €614 road tax per year, its actually quite an economical car, normally returning an average of 50mpg providing the engine is kept well serviced! When looking at the engine, watch out for any leaks, especially around the turbo and rocker cover, check the fluid levels, dip the oil several times to check an accurate level and check the color of the coolant in the bottle after the car has been driven. Anything other than the color of antifreeze and your as well to walk away. Also check all the water pipes and hoses for any sign of corrosion as the car is that age where these pipes just start to wear out.
The Vectra B only have a 2 star rating for the Euro NCAP Crash and Safety tests. From driving the car I never liked the ABS system in place, I always found it kicked in far too early and from searching for parts in scrapyards, its evident on how hard it is to find parts for the front of the car. But parts are easily sourced new and not an expensive car to service or maintain.
Price wise for a very clean car with low mileage and a good service history you could be looking at anywhere up to €3,250, but on average you should pay around €2,400 for a decent car.
This is a nice comfortable and relatively reliable car for your ever day day to day driving. It will never set the word alight but it will get you there!
Gary
