Getting a Vectra diesel, anything to look out for?
- Thread starter juno_first
- Start date
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
I've driven a few diesel Vectras of various ages and hated every one of them. The most praise I can give them is that they work and they will get you from A -> B.
The first one I drove was a nearly new 2000 model that belonged to the company I worked for. I was glad to get back to my crappy Mk4 Escort after driving that thing for 2 days, terrible handling, not actually all that comfortable and felt totally disconnected from the road.
The second was a 2004 model belonging to Helphire. The first thing that sprang to mind was how the interior looked like a cheap plastic knock off of the brown and black interior of the BMW 3-series of the time (I'd recently test driven a 330d, but hated it and got a Subaru Legacy B4 RSK instead), unfortunately because they'd used such cheap plastics it just looked silly. I made Helphire take that car back after I managed to get it into a slide in Tesco car park at 14 mph one damp evening and got a Golf instead.
The last one was an 07 model belonging to Enterprise rent a car (I got "upgraded" from a 1.8 Astra to a 1.8 Vectra - that's not an upgrade!). They've gone to great lengths to make the car feel even more disconnected from the road and what is with that drive-by-wire throttle. They've managed to introduce input lag into the throttle which makes it very hard to rev match when changing gear and it's rather disconcerting to have the car continue to accelerate after you lift off.
Another thing nobody has mentioned, and this is what is preventing me from considering any Vauxhall in the future is the indicator stalks. To save a bit of money they've stopped using latching switches and have implemented an electronic toggle. You have to push the switch half way up if you just want to give 3 flashes of the right signal, if you push it all the way the indicator stays on until you push it half way down. If by accident you push it all the way down it will start indicating left and keep flashing until you push it half way up again. Eventually I gave up trying to cancel the signal and just jolted the steering right and then straight ahead to trigger the auto cancel. Just what you need to be doing on a motorway. After that I didn't bother using the indicators again - just like all the other Vectra drivers.
On the positive note though, I know someone with a Vectra diesel that has over 400,000 miles on it.
Personally I'd buy a diesel Passat if I was after that sort of car. My old L reg one had 250,000 miles on it when I bought it and still ran just fine, only got rid of that because local thugs smashed all the windows and it was cheaper to buy another car.
The first one I drove was a nearly new 2000 model that belonged to the company I worked for. I was glad to get back to my crappy Mk4 Escort after driving that thing for 2 days, terrible handling, not actually all that comfortable and felt totally disconnected from the road.
The second was a 2004 model belonging to Helphire. The first thing that sprang to mind was how the interior looked like a cheap plastic knock off of the brown and black interior of the BMW 3-series of the time (I'd recently test driven a 330d, but hated it and got a Subaru Legacy B4 RSK instead), unfortunately because they'd used such cheap plastics it just looked silly. I made Helphire take that car back after I managed to get it into a slide in Tesco car park at 14 mph one damp evening and got a Golf instead.
The last one was an 07 model belonging to Enterprise rent a car (I got "upgraded" from a 1.8 Astra to a 1.8 Vectra - that's not an upgrade!). They've gone to great lengths to make the car feel even more disconnected from the road and what is with that drive-by-wire throttle. They've managed to introduce input lag into the throttle which makes it very hard to rev match when changing gear and it's rather disconcerting to have the car continue to accelerate after you lift off.
Another thing nobody has mentioned, and this is what is preventing me from considering any Vauxhall in the future is the indicator stalks. To save a bit of money they've stopped using latching switches and have implemented an electronic toggle. You have to push the switch half way up if you just want to give 3 flashes of the right signal, if you push it all the way the indicator stays on until you push it half way down. If by accident you push it all the way down it will start indicating left and keep flashing until you push it half way up again. Eventually I gave up trying to cancel the signal and just jolted the steering right and then straight ahead to trigger the auto cancel. Just what you need to be doing on a motorway. After that I didn't bother using the indicators again - just like all the other Vectra drivers.
On the positive note though, I know someone with a Vectra diesel that has over 400,000 miles on it.
Personally I'd buy a diesel Passat if I was after that sort of car. My old L reg one had 250,000 miles on it when I bought it and still ran just fine, only got rid of that because local thugs smashed all the windows and it was cheaper to buy another car.
Last edited:
I've had 7 (from memory) cars with an xud9 lump and every single one of them has been brilliant, in fact i'm running a 406td right now and i'm planning to put an xud9 into my petrol suzuki i like them so much.
Hell, the last one i found was dumped in a field and the electrics were mouse food for 4 years and it still ran once i'd put a boost pack onto it!
Last edited:
Had a quick skim through the thread but forgive me if its already been said but I'm sure they didn't do a 2.0 non turbo vectra...They did a 2.0 dtl and a 2.0 dth..Mostly the same engine just one had an intercooler (dth) and one didn't (probably a few more differences but that's the main one)...Both were absolutely **** slow though...
My 2.0 DTi 16v DTH had a whopping 100BHP
although it was just about spritely enough, 12 seconds 0-60 and 120 flat out was adequate..
I'll be honest, and say, when I test drove mine, my brother came along, he had a Rover 620Ti at the time, and when I went through the gears in the Vectra, he turned to the owner and said, "Are you sure this has a turbo?".. I did LOL...
My 2.0 DTi 16v DTH had a whopping 100BHP
12 seconds 0-60 and 120 flat out was adequate..
o dear.....Didnt realise they were quite that bad....Did it take you the length of the M6 to hit 120?
Normally it's best to ignore these posts but.. honestly..
That's LOL of the day for me.. (genuinely)
It isn't the fact that the car handles so dangerously that it just slid the rear end dangerously in a car park at 14mph, or it handles so badly compared to a MKIV escort, or that it's throttle is so bad it keeps accelerating for 3 weeks after you've let your foot off it, or the interior with plastics so poor that it made you weep, it's the one touch indicator stalks that would make you not consider one..
And to top it all off, you think an L reg passat is ten times better!
Priceless
That's LOL of the day for me..
(genuinely)It isn't the fact that the car handles so dangerously that it just slid the rear end dangerously in a car park at 14mph, or it handles so badly compared to a MKIV escort, or that it's throttle is so bad it keeps accelerating for 3 weeks after you've let your foot off it, or the interior with plastics so poor that it made you weep, it's the one touch indicator stalks that would make you not consider one..
And to top it all off, you think an L reg passat is ten times better!
Priceless
o dear.....Didnt realise they were quite that bad....Did it take you the length of the M6 to hit 120?
I know..
I had some laughs in that car though!
I was giving 2 mates a lift back from the the Motorcycle show at birmingham, one of them had a 97 1.8 Veccie LS (On bangernomic grounds), and the other mate regularly got a lift into work with him. Anyhoo, I'm on the roundabout just on the M6 junction, so boot it a bit aroud the round about, and am pushing it a bit (well quite a bit), doing around 80 by the time we have to come off the 3rd exit to join the M6 sliproad, which it manages easily. I realise it's all gone quiet, and I look accross to see two people with horrified looks, hanging onto the grab handles for dear life, ashened faces, the works. My mate says "If I'd gone around that roundabout at half the speed, it'd have left the road"....
And this is something that makes me laugh a little when people go on about 'handling'.. most cars can be driven well enough to make them moderately entertaining. The problem is that quite a few people just mash the throttle, turn the wheel hard and wonder why it understeers so badly, then say the car is terrible. The truth is, if you know how it behaves, and drive it accordingly, you'd be surprised at how quickly you can hustle even a Vectra along.
LOL..
Hang on,
Yep,
hold it,
OK,
Jump on..
Wow, that was close, you nearly missed the bandwagon...
P.S. For the love of god, please don't anyone assume I actually think the Vectra isn't anything but an average, run of mill, family car that is best suited on motorways and crawling in traffic..
Last edited:
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2003
- Posts
- 2,686
- Location
- England
Thanks for the comments guys
Well it looks like the Vectra is a no no... lol, going by the mostly bad comments here.
Actually I remember my old calibra had really bad handling & was a lot slower than my saxo lol.
There are probably good Vauxhalls: like one's with a 1.7tdi isuzu engine lol.
'Come on Vauxhall: get your finger out!'
The Mondeo seams to be ok: cheap to buy/fix & reliable.
I also fancy something nice/comfortable to drive.
Yeah, I think diesel is not a good idea due to the few miles I do & pre March 01 the tax is the same as a >1.5 engine anyway. Also the fact that diesel fuel is more expensive verses the poorer economy of older diesel engines means petrol wins I think
Right, I'll be looking at Mondeo's now (thanks guys), theres a local example for sale: mk1 76k, recent belt.. hmm maybe some extra searching/cash will yield a mk2 post 2000 model.
Even a 1.8 post March 2001 has slightly cheaper tax than pre March 2001
Car tax link:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012524
You find you car tax band from the Parker website.
Well it looks like the Vectra is a no no... lol, going by the mostly bad comments here.
Actually I remember my old calibra had really bad handling & was a lot slower than my saxo lol.
There are probably good Vauxhalls: like one's with a 1.7tdi isuzu engine lol.
'Come on Vauxhall: get your finger out!'
The Mondeo seams to be ok: cheap to buy/fix & reliable.
I also fancy something nice/comfortable to drive.
Yeah, I think diesel is not a good idea due to the few miles I do & pre March 01 the tax is the same as a >1.5 engine anyway. Also the fact that diesel fuel is more expensive verses the poorer economy of older diesel engines means petrol wins I think
Right, I'll be looking at Mondeo's now (thanks guys), theres a local example for sale: mk1 76k, recent belt.. hmm maybe some extra searching/cash will yield a mk2 post 2000 model.
Even a 1.8 post March 2001 has slightly cheaper tax than pre March 2001
Car tax link:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012524
You find you car tax band from the Parker website.
Thanks for the comments guys
Well it looks like the Vectra is a no no... lol, going by the mostly bad comments here.
Actually I remember my old calibra had really bad handling & was a lot slower than my saxo lol.
There are probably good Vauxhalls: like one's with a 1.7tdi isuzu engine lol.
'Come on Vauxhall: get your finger out!'
The Mondeo seams to be ok: cheap to buy/fix & reliable.
I also fancy something nice/comfortable to drive.
Yeah, I think diesel is not a good idea due to the few miles I do & pre March 01 the tax is the same as a >1.5 engine anyway. Also the fact that diesel fuel is more expensive verses the poorer economy of older diesel engines means petrol wins I think
Right, I'll be looking at Mondeo's now (thanks guys), theres a local example for sale: mk1 76k, recent belt.. hmm maybe some extra searching/cash will yield a mk2 post 2000 model.
Even a 1.8 post March 2001 has slightly cheaper tax than pre March 2001
Car tax link:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012524
You find you car tax band from the Parker website.
If you want some semblance of agility, you really want to look at the sportier Models, or you are going to be dissapointed..
I'd take a Vectra SRi 140 over a 2.0LX mondeo anyday,
But a Mondeo 2.0 Zetec/S would be better than the Vectra SRi of course..
And that applies to most cars in that class, a Primera GT is a cracking car, the boggo standard primera is very soft, and unpleasant..
And when it comes down to the sub £1000 mark, you've got to be uber wary about age/condition, as there are a lot of tired old cars out there.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2005
- Posts
- 9,136
- Location
- Clydebank
Demon talks the truth.
I have a Vectra B SRI 130. Yup it's not gonna set the world on fire. It's not gonna win any awards. But it'll manage A roads, B road and motorways no problem. 0-60 is quick enough and It'll do easily do 110 on the speedo before struggling to 120. Overtaking isn't really a problem. The switchgear as cheap and plasticky. The indictor stalk 'flexes' before it clicks into place.
I have a Vectra B SRI 130. Yup it's not gonna set the world on fire. It's not gonna win any awards. But it'll manage A roads, B road and motorways no problem. 0-60 is quick enough and It'll do easily do 110 on the speedo before struggling to 120. Overtaking isn't really a problem. The switchgear as cheap and plasticky. The indictor stalk 'flexes' before it clicks into place.
I wouldn't have thought overtaking would be a problem when doing an indicated 50 miles over the speed limit
Vectras are pretty rubbish but if its just to get you from a-b, I would still go for something a little better
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2003
- Posts
- 2,686
- Location
- England
Im going look at a Mondeo 1.8 LX 1999 Vreg now.
76k miles £695 ovno.
How often should the belt be changes on these? ta
I cant find its specs on Parkers unless its a 1999 Verona model (which has bett mpg eh?).
76k miles £695 ovno.
How often should the belt be changes on these? ta
I cant find its specs on Parkers unless its a 1999 Verona model (which has bett mpg eh?).
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2005
- Posts
- 9,136
- Location
- Clydebank
I wouldn't have thought overtaking would be a problem when doing an indicated 50 miles over the speed limit
Vectras are pretty rubbish but if its just to get you from a-b, I would still go for something a little better
Regarding over taking I mean mid range acceleration is very good for passing slower moving traffic on A roads, for example. Yeah not as fast a a 2ltr Turbo, but really, as a basc car it's quick enough.
I wouldn't have thought overtaking would be a problem when doing an indicated 50 miles over the speed limit
Vectras are pretty rubbish but if its just to get you from a-b, I would still go for something a little better
I know what you mean, and no one is disputing that on many grounds the Equivalent model Vectra's are that bit duller..
However, the OP is looking at a 1.8 LX mondeo, and from peoples comments re: the Vectra, probably thinks it's quite the drivers car..
The truth is, it's going to handle and feel worse then a Vectra SRi for example..
However if he gets a Zetec Mondeo (or whatever has the sportier setup), it's going to be that bit better then an SRi Vectra..
I've got a S-reg Vectra 1.8 petrol, it's a boring A-B family taxi 
However it's covering 30K miles a year @ 40 MPG so I'll be keeping it until it explodes
(I've had it for 6 years and it's cost about £700 total to service / fix faults)
However it's covering 30K miles a year @ 40 MPG so I'll be keeping it until it explodes
(I've had it for 6 years and it's cost about £700 total to service / fix faults)
Errr no it's not. The basic chassis design of the Mondeo is very good, the basic chasis design of the Vectra is very poor. The Mondeo Zetec does not have amazing trick suspension.
A lowered Deawoo Matiz won't handle better than a stock Peugeot 306 just because it's lowered - you can't fix a crud chassis with shorter springs. And the same applies to the Vectra.
[TW]Fox;12990660 said:
LOL.. I think we have very different ideas of what handling is, because I couldn't see it any differently if I tried!
The thing is, if you put the 2 cars on a track (or country road) and they had roughly the same power, and timed them, one would get around quicker then the other. To me, the car that managed that I would consider better handling.. It seems to be the way in motorsport that when cars have similar engine outputs, those that get around quicker are deemed 'better'..
The other side, where I think you are coming from, is that different chassis have different characteristics, which feel different to the driver, and also contribute in different ways to the cars 'handling'.
The overriding thing is, my criteria for 'better' is based on my own criteria for having fun, i.e. being the fastest from A->B.
Your criteria is clearly not which is 'quicker' but rather which gives you the most chassis interaction through 'feel'.
And there in lies our difference..
If we where to 'race' each other from A-B, I get the pleasure of beating you to B, you seem to be more interested in how the car feels in getting to B rather then 'winning'..
But that is very much each to their own.
This is why I'd prefer an Astra VXR to a Focus ST as despite peoples aspertions that the Astra's chassis is the worse thing ever, it managed to get around the TG and EVO test track quicker.
I always get the impresion people rely too much on journolistic twaddle, they tell people the Mondeo is the sharpest out there, and some peolpe then instantly assume all cars are dull in comparison,and the Mondeo is a track weapon..