Vauxhall Vectra C 3.2V6

Enfield

Enfield

Enfield

Soldato
Joined
8 Nov 2003
Posts
7,409
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UK
Hi,

What do people think of these cars? Are they better now than what they used to be?

I see that they are quite cheap to buy now, maybe £4k for one thats a few years old and quite low mileage. The idea of a newer car that doesn't cost a shed load intrigues me.

I drive a 10 year old Honda Accord Type R at the moment and it's getting quite tired and run down.

On the other hand I quite like the Mondeo ST220 which is supposed to have better handling (and they have come down in price loads since last year!) Last time I checked they were about £7k, now they are around £4-5k!

I know most of you are Mondeo lovers and you all would probably get one over the Vectra so I guess pro's and cons for both would be good to see.

Constructive opinions please.
 
Pros for the Vectra:

Erm..

Cons when compared to a Mondeo:

Inferior build quality
Inferior handling
Inferior styling
 
they are cheap for a reson, namely that the GSI never really knew what it wanted to be. It couldnt decide if it was a drivers car, or a motorway cruiser like the Omega MV6.

As a result, it didnt go that fast, or handle particularly well. If you cant stretch to 10k + for a VXR, you'd be far far better off with an early Ford Mondeo ST220.
 
Its also worth noting that the Vec C GSI has only 208bhp.

The ST220 has suprisingly ... 220bhp. But the lack of power compared with the ST220, and the worse handling makes the ST220 a no brainer for this budget.
 
You mentioned the VXR... I distinctly remember Clarkson driving one of those and it was surprisingly quick in a straight line but didn't go round corners at all. Was that just him being a bell piece or are the Vectras (new shape) that bad?

P.s 208bhp is plenty.
 
Get the mondeo its by far a much nicer interior and handles really well. Having just bought one myself a 2.0 zetec. Only con for the mondeo is its a very wide car! Need to take care when going up and down the driveway. Just go and test drive both cars and i am sure you will go for the mondeo!.
 
If you want a big V6 vauxhall that doesn't handle, you might as well spend £4,000 on an absolutely minty Omega Elite/MV6 and get an absolutely brilliant cruiser. You could even spend £3,000 and spend the other £1,000 on beer (or keep it safe as a contingency for repairs).
 
Enfield said:
You mentioned the VXR... I distinctly remember Clarkson driving one of those and it was surprisingly quick in a straight line but didn't go round corners at all. Was that just him being a bell piece or are the Vectras (new shape) that bad?

P.s 208bhp is plenty.
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The VXR is actually suprisingly sprightly for a large car. I was a bit suprised when I took one out on the VXR track day. Plenty of go to - 280 brake IIRC.

Nice writeup here:http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/car...hi_evo_v_impreza_v_vectra_vxr_v_bmw_330i.html
 
Enfield said:
You mentioned the VXR... I distinctly remember Clarkson driving one of those and it was surprisingly quick in a straight line but didn't go round corners at all. Was that just him being a bell piece or are the Vectras (new shape) that bad?

P.s 208bhp is plenty.
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2 things

Number 1) the car they drove had the electronically adjustable dampers (called IDS+) disabled on the car. Nobody ever publicly admitted if this was TG messing with it, or the press car had a malnfunction.

Number 2) clarkson has never liked vectras, and was never going to be nice about it. Top Gear Magazine, Evo and just about the rest of the motoring press were all complimentary about it. Make no mistake, its not got the handling of a subaru/ evo. But its not a boat like clarkson made out.

The ride with Sport Mode enabled is also very hard too. Its very flat during hard cornering, something the GSI is not. The GSI has notably softer suspension than the ST220 for example.

Enfield said:
Is it really THAT bad? (I really do have a soft spot for them, that and the Omega)
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Yes

If you want a drivers car, the ST220 is infintely better in this respect. if you want a powerfull motorway cruiser, then you'd be much better off with something that actually has a decent spec list, like an Omega MV6.
 
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Ok, I think because of my current car you have assumed that I want something that sticks to the road like **** to a blanket.

I actually want something softer, lazier and newer.
 
Enfield said:
Ok, I think because of my current car you have assumed that I want something that sticks to the road like **** to a blanket.

I actually want something softer, lazier and newer.
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It doesn't matter, the Vectra is rubbish. It doesnt suddenly become good if you want to do a certain thing, the 3.2 V6 Vectra is a poor car. The Omega, as previously mentioned, is a better soft lazy wafty car.
 
[TW]Fox;13406205 said:
It doesn't matter, the Vectra is rubbish. It doesnt suddenly become good if you want to do a certain thing, the 3.2 V6 Vectra is a poor car. The Omega, as previously mentioned, is a better soft lazy wafty car.
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What makes it a poor car exactly? Because the Mondeo is slightly better?
 
The Mondeo ST220 is not slightly better it is considerably better. The Vectra manages to do nothing well, it does not handle well, it is not particularly fast, it is not particularly well built, it is not particularly wafty, etc etc. If even acceptable handling isn't a concern to you then why buy a 3.2 V6 'Sport' model? The 3.2 GSi was a complete failure, I cannot remember the last time I saw one yet the ST220 is a far more common sight.

If you want a good sport saloon then the ST220 is a much better car. If you want to waft about and have a bit of power when you need it then a Mondeo Ghia X, Vauxhall Omega, 2003- Accord Type S, heck even a Passat are just better.

But ISTR you managed to acheive epic levels of fail with every car you've ever bought so I fully expect you to go and buy it anyway. Possibly with an engine fault light on during the test drive for the complete Enfield experience :p
 
[TW]Fox;13406309 said:
The Mondeo ST220 is not slightly better it is considerably better. The Vectra manages to do nothing well, it does not handle well, it is not particularly fast, it is not particularly well built, it is not particularly wafty, etc etc. If even acceptable handling isn't a concern to you then why buy a 3.2 V6 'Sport' model? The 3.2 GSi was a complete failure, I cannot remember the last time I saw one yet the ST220 is a far more common sight.

If you want a good sport saloon then the ST220 is a much better car. If you want to waft about and have a bit of power when you need it then a Mondeo Ghia X, Vauxhall Omega, 2003- Accord Type S, heck even a Passat are just better.

But ISTR you managed to acheive epic levels of fail with every car you've ever bought so I fully expect you to go and buy it anyway. Possibly with an engine fault light on during the test drive for the complete Enfield experience :p
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Ok... I'm still not discounting it though. I personally think it looks nicer than the Mondeo.

And secondly the light came on on the way home.
 
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