What's so bad about Vectra's?

rossk26

rossk26

rossk26

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Been browsing AT for a bit trying to find my next car. And I found that there were 100's of Vectra's for sale, and some for <£3k in what looks like very good condition and relatively new for their age.

So why is this? Are they riddled with mechanical problems? I've not read a lot of reports about them.

I've read numerous threads about how the mondeo is a better car etc. But IMHO the Vectra is such a better looking car, and for the price you'll get a 2008 SRi with low mileage as opposed to a 2005 Zetec/Edge which looks in bad shape.
 
They're fine, but most of the petrol engines feel incredibly underpowered. Plus the interior has dated much, much worse than the mondeos. They also have vauxhall rubber band steering and zero pedal feel.

That said, they're a cheap, no frills car if priced appropriately
 
Vectra's what? :D

As said above, they're just cheap and cheerful and their quality is represented in their residual values or lack thereof.
 
Howard said:
IMHO they're not as comfortable, ergonomic, or anywhere near as good to drive as the Mondeo.
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I don't think I've ever heard of a Ford as being "ergonomic"!! And the drive can't be lightyears apart from a Mondeo? It's not a Ferrari
 
You did ask!



I'm referring to the layout of the controls and such, as well as interior quality. And I feel the steering and general road manners is better in the Mondeo, and the seats are much more comfortable.

IMHO the Mondeo is just a better car overall.
 
The Mondeo was always a better car - better made, better built, etc etc but frankly once you get to the junk end of the market it's down to which car is the nicest condition wise really, a shabby tired Mondeo isn't fun to drive.
 
Millions of Rep's can't be wrong. I had a 2.0L as a company car and did 100K in 2.5 years without a problem.

Not high in comfort or equipment stakes but a reasonable four seater motor. There should be a parts mountain for them somewhere.
 
i had a 98 Vectra. They have a tendancy to understeer, the wheel is too far from the seat and it wasn't tall enough (for me). That said it was pretty reliable but starting to suffer from rust. As said there are an asston of parts. Not a bad buy if you're at the bottom end of the market and you'll get more car for your money than with an older Mondeo

B@
 
They are "just" cars, like most of the vauxhall range up until the Astra J and insignia.

You want a rep mobile, here you go.
You want a hatch back, here you go.
You want a small hatchback for learner drivers, here you go.
 
I don't know anyone who has had a good experience with them, I've often had, "I don't want a Mondeo it looks to much like a reps car" "I've bought a Vectra sri instead", a year or so later it's at the scrap yard or sold SOR.

That's my experience with old Vectras
 
Seeing my partners brother in law literally throw thousands away on 3 Vectra GSi's was easily enough for me.

On the face of each car they looked in very good condition. However it was fault after fault, hundreds upon hundreds and good money after bad.

Each one cost more than a Grand and was sold as 'spares or repairs' within 14 months.
 
Yes, Vectras do just tend to die.

Possibly because they depreciate like a brick and end up in the hands of people who cant afford to service them properly, thus accelerating their demise.
 
rossk26 said:
So why is this? Are they riddled with mechanical problems? I've not read a lot of reports about them.
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Not especially, no more so than any other vehicles. They are just....rubbish, in all senses. The steering is horrible, the drive/handling is horrible, the interior design and materials are horrible, the equipment level is poor and the badge is horrible. Most cars have some sort of redeeming feature that make it stand out, but Vauxhalls just don't. Price would be a redeeming feature if Fords didn't exist.

The vast majority of people who i know own Vauxhalls only do so because of one of three reasons:

A) Their dad/boyfriend/sister/mate owns one and says its wikkid
B) They have learnt to drive in a driving instructors Vauxhall Corsa, bought one when they passed their test, then just kept buying Vauxhalls every time they want a new car.
C) Because Fords are crap rust heaps and are common, but Vauxhalls aren't....somehow.

It's chief rival, the Ford Mondeo, is just better in all areas. Now, this is most certainly not to say that the Ford Mondeo is some shining beacon of car supremacy, because it simply isn't, but it still shows up the Vauxhall Vectra like a good 'un. That said, the new Vauxhall Insignias are vastly better than the old Vectras. They are styled much better (both inside and out) and the drive better. It's much more of a rival to the Ford Mondeo than the Vectra ever was.
 
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I have an 09 diesel Vectra estate, cant fault her as most parts are of reasonable money.

Only down side is mine eats ****ing DMFs.

I do want a change her soon though 24months is enough
 
A friend of mine (owner of the car in my sig, in fact) bought a Vectra C 3.2. Well, I saw 'bought'....he was given it by the previous owner after the auto 'box destroyed itself at around the 30k mark. One new transmission later and it was back on the road.

It'll never win any awards for handling prowess, it makes all sorts of noises when driving on roads that are anything other than billiard table smooth, it feels incredibly cramped in the drivers seat and the gearbox is slow-witted. But it's pretty fast, reasonably economical, and has been a perfectly solid daily driver for a few years now. I'd still choose a Mondeo over it every single day of the week and twice on Sundays.
 
[TW]Fox;27507181 said:
The Mondeo was always a better car - better made, better built, etc etc but frankly once you get to the junk end of the market it's down to which car is the nicest condition wise really, a shabby tired Mondeo isn't fun to drive.
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It's this basically,

Every advert I see for a <£3k Mondeo, they look terrible and dreary, stained interiors, corroded alloys, discoloured healights etc. Looks wise I find the Mk3 Mondeo very very dull except in ST guise.

Whereas the Vectra just looks newer, cleaner, and a nicer place to be. Yes the interior isn't VW group class, but it doesn't look that much worse than the mk3 Mondeo's.
 
Vectras are cheap for a reason. A mk4 2008 Mondeo would cost around 4k as its a new shape like the insignia but you can get an 08 Vectra for 3k as u say.
The majority of the cheap one's for sale are the 2.2 Direct engine which was on BBC watchdogs programme as nearly all of them have had to have fuel pump regulators replaced I've even heard of them going 3 times in 1 year and at around £500 a time to get replaced u wonder why people sell that model for cheap?
If u have around 3-3.5k go and look for and test drive a mk3 Mondeo Titanium x or even better the ST220 with leather recaro's u will soon realise how crap Vectra's are in comparison.
 
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