Well I've had the vectra a year now, and all in all its been a very enjoyable experience. And i thought others may be interested to know how the running costs have stacked up etc..
So far this year it has consumed
2 x Vredstein Front tyres at £260 fitted
2 x front brake pads @ £100. (Dealer wanted £212 to fit so i did this myself using uprated EBC ceramic pads)
1 x Routine 3rd Service at £188 from the vauxhall dealer
15,000 miles @ an average of 23mpg
12 months road tax @ £405
It would have been a completely trouble free year, if it wasnt for the unfortunate fact it lost 6th gear in june. Unfortunately vauxhall dealers arent allowed to diagnose gearbox issues and are required just to replace the whole box under warranty. The warranty invoice to vauxhall was for £1096 for a new gearbox which isnt that bad actually.
The car is a joy to drive, and suits our familys needs perfectly. Predictably it does the job of a sensible family saloon very well, cruising up and down the motorway without issues and in comfort. Being a hatch it swallows all our luggage for a week away to the sea side leaving the back seats nice and empty.
At the same time its also a joy to drive on my own. Its wonderfully punchy mid range makes for great fun on the open roads, and is more than fast enough for me in the corners. The understeer that top gear experienced was grossly over exaggerated as i found chasing rG-tom up saddleworth moor in his 3 series.
Weirdly enough it also seems to attract a lot of attention. Its usually the chav boy racer types we find staring at it, but we've also noticed the odd family and old couple staring at it as well.Being just a Vectra its not something i expected. Not sure if its the blue colour, or the VXR badge, but it certainly turns a few heads.
The remap last month completely transformed the car. 400 lb/ft feels just like you'd expect and lunges the car forward with mid range acceleration.
So all in all its been extremely practical, and not cost that much in running costs. Costs are all very vauxhall like and not at all expensive. The most expensive thing on it has been the tyres (19 inch) and the road tax. But even then, tyres for a car with 16 inch wheels are still going to be £70 each so only a saving of £120 or so. And is it worth £200 extra road tax and £100 extra for tyres for something like this ?
God yes.
So far this year it has consumed
2 x Vredstein Front tyres at £260 fitted
2 x front brake pads @ £100. (Dealer wanted £212 to fit so i did this myself using uprated EBC ceramic pads)
1 x Routine 3rd Service at £188 from the vauxhall dealer
15,000 miles @ an average of 23mpg
12 months road tax @ £405
It would have been a completely trouble free year, if it wasnt for the unfortunate fact it lost 6th gear in june. Unfortunately vauxhall dealers arent allowed to diagnose gearbox issues and are required just to replace the whole box under warranty. The warranty invoice to vauxhall was for £1096 for a new gearbox which isnt that bad actually.
The car is a joy to drive, and suits our familys needs perfectly. Predictably it does the job of a sensible family saloon very well, cruising up and down the motorway without issues and in comfort. Being a hatch it swallows all our luggage for a week away to the sea side leaving the back seats nice and empty.
At the same time its also a joy to drive on my own. Its wonderfully punchy mid range makes for great fun on the open roads, and is more than fast enough for me in the corners. The understeer that top gear experienced was grossly over exaggerated as i found chasing rG-tom up saddleworth moor in his 3 series.
Weirdly enough it also seems to attract a lot of attention. Its usually the chav boy racer types we find staring at it, but we've also noticed the odd family and old couple staring at it as well.Being just a Vectra its not something i expected. Not sure if its the blue colour, or the VXR badge, but it certainly turns a few heads.
The remap last month completely transformed the car. 400 lb/ft feels just like you'd expect and lunges the car forward with mid range acceleration.
So all in all its been extremely practical, and not cost that much in running costs. Costs are all very vauxhall like and not at all expensive. The most expensive thing on it has been the tyres (19 inch) and the road tax. But even then, tyres for a car with 16 inch wheels are still going to be £70 each so only a saving of £120 or so. And is it worth £200 extra road tax and £100 extra for tyres for something like this ?
God yes.
To be expected though.
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