@gilburton modern cars custom IC chips would be a real challenge for future classic survival although there is an open source arduino based ECU project
Absolutely - even when I was at Uni 1988 - 91 old cars were so cheap. I remember buying a 1978 burgundy Mini for £250 with a full MOT. Ran it for 6 months and sold it for £300! How much would that be worth today😂
@@OldCarsNewVan By the looks of your name there I was born in the same year and its soul destroying, my first car was a 1974 Mk1 Escort that I picked up in 1987 with an MOT for £160. It shocks me what I'd have had to pay to get it back if it still existed, that '78 Mini would be in the same ball park as the Escort.....if only we'd known 🤦♂️😂
A genuine unsung hero- a car that does the job of being a car rather well. My dad used to have a 1987 Cavalier and the seats were quite hard in that too,so it is perhaps part of the Vauxhall condition. On the whole I’ve always had a soft spot for this type of car- they take so much abuse and get so little credit.
Used to regularly get a minicab that was one of these facelifted Mk1 Vectras. The driver reckoned it was the best taxi he ever had. The taxi meter went in the cubby hole above the interior mirror, and when the multi-function display started losing digits in its display he took the opportunity to screw a sat-nav to the dash in front of it. All neatly in place, with no trailing wires - that pleased him no end, as he said nothing bugged him more than wires trailing all over the place. Once he’d replaced the stereo with an aftermarket one that connected to his phone he was all set to ply his trade. Last time I was in it there was near half a million on the clock (2 litre turbo diesel, if I recall correctly). Probably would still be going even now, had it not been involved in an accident. Absolutely ideal for airport runs, apparently. The owner/driver reckoned it just ate up motorway miles. He’d also had rear parking sensors fitted though, because of the rear visibility - so that’s not just you Ian. Someone using one of these every day to earn a living thought the same.
Yes, very good engine - nowhere near as torquey as the VAG 1.9 PDs of the era but certainly reliable. My Zafira 2.0DTI has 298000 on it, great motorway car
Imagine you were reviewing a 20 year old daily driver in the year of this car’s manufacture. It would mostly be a tour of a lump of iron oxide in need of an engine rebuild. Bangers just don’t look like bangers anymore!
Alan Lansdell agreed. You’d happily jump into a 2000 year Vectra now in the confidence it will get you down to Cornwall. Where as years ago once a car had 60/70k miles the engine was f#*ked.
The rev hanging is to reduce emissions. Delaying the throttle closing when shifting reduces emissions compared to allowing it to snap shut quickly. But some automakers allow the revs to hang too long, causing quick shifts to be difficult to do smoothly.
I've always had a soft spot for Vauxhalls. They seem to have the 'ergonomics' right. You nailed it when you said "everything just falls nicely to hand". That could be perceived to make them uninspiring, but leaves you to concentrate on driving, instead of groping for misplaced switchgear. (shame about the position on the armrest). Generally, a practical vehicle and a nice place to be, when crunching the miles. I hope it doesn't let you down.
Im a tall person and the armrest is pretty much spot on. Also on the front door cards, the elbow rest is sooo good. Show me a Volkswagen that has soft spongy elbow rests and I'll buy it.
Up till January 2017 i had the 1.8 version of this car and all i can say is what a great money making tool it was as a Decorator ,had it 2 years with no issues until i blew the head one dark night on the M66 Motorway . Theres an old saying in my business and thats never pay more than £500 for a car as they get trashed in paint and plaster etc ,turned over 50 grands worth of work in the time i had the vectra so a good deal all round ,looking to buy another sometime soon when my Fiesta MOT nears its end and thats another 500 quid car too .
You’re done well there Ian, looks a neat little car, here in Aussie a lot of shopping centre raffles used to have a Vectra as first prize, naturally, third prize was three of the bastards...
I remember the tv advert for the Vectra in the late 90’s-very futuristic overtones, with the car going through the Atlantic Tunnel and a clock that auto adjusted using the time signals broadcast from Rugby and Frankfurt.
Blandness personified but still was one of my favourite hire cars - you knew what you were getting and could do huge distances in relative comfort and park them anywhere without attracting attention and vandals ! Best of all they were reliable - I never broke down in one unlike some brands I could mention . Great road test - pure HubNut in places :) . Good times.
These cars were Jeremy Clarkson victims. People never had expected middle class saloons to be exciting and drove them happily for decades and then the Orang Utan came along and told them to expect excitement.
@@notroll1279 Agreed. Driving for business I wanted comfort and reliability. Excitement was never a priority, especially on motorways and in big cities.
No Troll that’s why you can in part thank the likes of Jeremy Clarkson for the downfall of the British car production industry. Yes we built some shit cars but we also built some good cars. But old Clarkson would automatically slag off anything that was Britain designed and built.
I had a 2006 Vectra-C 1.8VVT SRI, had it nearly 8 years. In that time it had one oil change and thats it. Apart from tyres and brakes it never let me down. 60k was covered in that car, with even the occasional tow of a 1100kg caravan. Dont care what people say, wasn't the greatest car to drive but as for reliability, faultless. Bloody miss that car. Look forward to more content on this 👍
There are more Vectra's on the road than Mondeo's of the same era. Vectra's all seem to be better kept too, any Mondeo usually has the obligatory duct tape holding their front and back bumpers on.
Fords do seem to age badly in comparison. I had a few instances of random bits of plastic disintegrating with my similarly aged Fiesta - and that was over 10 years ago when I had it. Driver's seat had worn badly too so the lumbar support was non-existent.
I fixed my Mondeo Mk3 flappy bumper with some long screws left over from a diy kitchen unit. It's pretty reliable though and gets 68mpg on a run, that's 750 miles on a 70 quid fill up!
I had a 2l vectra as a company car, did 80k+ in 3 years and never let me down. It is very competent but not inspiring but that is all you need for your day to day driving
Back in the day thousands of taxi drivers couldn't have been wrong. Ian I wish you many happy miles of extremely mudane motoring with no knuckle busting repairs. This is a keeper.
They had a weak fuel pump that they tried several times to fix and they gave up and sold them knowing they would fail and hoping they would be out of warranty when it happened
@@davidgibson4840 I didn't know that! That is maybe explaining the stuttering and coughing under full throttle in low revs with mine 2.2 petrol. Even though I have it fully sorted and no one knows the problem
I had a 2.0 CDX estate for 6 years and loved it. We took it to the south of France and down to the Dordogne several times and I used it to tow a 16 foot boat around Jersey. It was used on the beach several times each week and showed no sign of corrosion when I sold it. I hope you prove the doubters wrong!
I remember my dad had one of these the 1.7 diesel, he decided to give it a steam clean and well. Cleaned all the grime holding it together and the water pump went and a piston come through the side of the block. We replaced that with a 220 diesel rover. N707MAE the numberplate of that vectra. Awesome content as always Ian!!
It's a mixture of the Government in this country incentivising the buying of new cars for "environmental reasons" but in reality its to keep their pockets lined and people equating owning an older car with being poor and lower class.
While that's true, there are enough commercial buyers that there will always be a stream of new cars. But we should be much better at keeping older cars going. It's such a waste to bin a car after less than 10 years, and sadly that happens a lot.
Some new cars can't handle being kept going after a few years or 100k miles. Has anyone ever had a good experience buying a cheap high mileage so called 'luxury' car from the last 10-15 years? Not including Lexus.
I grew up in the back of my dad's two company Vectras - R646LBN and V856HCR, the latter in Polar Sea Blue which I chose. Frankly it's a wonder I became a car enthusiast at all but seeing a tour of this thing brought back great memories. Thanks Ian.
Ian that's the coil pack over the plugs, it pulls off as one assembly, on my zafira water has been known to get underneath, my friends vectra suffered the lack of oil to cam chains, not through too small oil hole from old oil blocking it... overall i think this car is ok,the clutch might be expensive if its dual mass. brakes will be easy to work on , indeed lots of engine electrical parts just push and click when replacing. my zafira was bought at 7 months old in 2005 and has never broken down and its 2020 , i think your vauxhall should be reliable as any car of that period .😊
The 2.0DTI and 2.2DTI were Opel's own creation and a mix of old rotary V Pump injection and modern direct injection with electronic control. I recall they sounded like tractors when cold started in subzero temperatures!
Hi Ian its a single electronic coil pack and that little red plug on the battery is a breather hole.To adjust time hold the clock button on the display till it flashes on the hour then press it again then it does the minute etc the button next to it adjusts the hour,in day ect.Then when you changed it press clock again till it returns to hr again.
I remember when i had one of these (just a version with a bit more stuff to play like AC and navigation), bought it directly after university…oh boy, those were the days.. loved that thing back then 😁👍
Brilliant video Ian they weren't that bad speaking of cars I got yesterday Citroen c5 estate with 12 MTH mot 150 quid 2004 it does what it needs to do brilliant
Back in the really snowy winter of 2010-11 the only company cars that were any good to anyone at the place I worked were the Vectras. They performed brilliantly in snow. All the top reps in BMWs and Mercs were stuck at home, us mere mortals were able to get anywhere!
Love those vectra's, bought a 2000 1.8 16v estate in 2016, with 195k km on the clock, drove it for 2 years and 60k km without problems, they are good and reliable cars, if i wouldn't needed a diesel car, i would still have driven it to this day
‘A Mondeo is kind of like driving a Lamborghini’😂 Bet that’s the first time that’s ever been said. The Vectra is ideal family transport - just drive it and forget about it’s blandness. You’ve got the fleet for wacky - this is just a tool to get the job done.
By remembering that you’ve got it for a reason - in Ian’s case the reason being not thrashing a 34 year old Citroen up and down a motorway on longer trips - or through the winter when the roads are salted
I had a 2003 Vectra (C) GTS. Many found it boring just because it was a Vauxhall and dismissed it. Best car I ever had. Drove it for 9 years and almost 200.000 miles
Lol. I remember this 2.2 model coming out and where im from it was mostly driven by the police. They had xenon headlights way back then so we knew it was them from far off lol.
@@Rottensteam lol. Thats how we spotted them a mile off! There was not too many cars back then with standard zenons. Was very handy looking in your mirror and seeing the blue tinge off the lights so you knew to take it easy driving lol.
Years ago I heard a vectras sound system as it drove past and parked up, being a teenage car enthusiast I asked the guy what speakers he had fitted, all standard he replied, sounded fantastic. to this day I remember how good it sounded.
Mad how this is a 20 year old car now, I remember two work colleagues in the late 1990s owning the first mk1 models from new. Health and Safety manager was a big fan of these, and owned the 2.5 V6 CD/Elite models. Seemed alright, nothing to write home about. Didn't really stir the soul, but they worked and done the job. I go to my GF's gaff and there's a Polish woman knocking about in an 1997 'R' reg one in a silvery green colour and it's in weirdly good health. To be honest, I've think I've seen more early Vectra's surviving over mk1/mk2 Ford Mondeo's. So, how crap are they exactly Mr Clarkson?
Hey Ian ... flexi pipe was always a problem on a lot of Vectra's / Cavaliers ... Your quite right, the red tranport plug in the side vent of the battery, shouldn't be there, there should be a breather pipe connected to the side of battery when it's in the car ... ! I owned a Vectra in the 90's in Eire, keep it well serviced with oil & filters, main problems were front wheel bearings and CV joints, mine got written off when someone went up my arse when I was stopped at traffic lights ... !!!
Imho, for what it is, it’s quite a good looking car. Especially this facelift 5-door version, I think it has a very distinctive ‘sleek’ look to it from the 7-8 o’clock view, those rear lamps really accentuate the clean styling. One of the rare cases where the facelifted version looks more tidy than the original. Also, it’s from an era when Vauxhall was a modern, competent brand, which built cars which where in no way exciting, but as a whole, a good dependable choice. Where is today’s Vauxhall Vectra? Right, there isn’t one anymore. A bit sad, I think.
My dad had a brand new one of these for about 6 months when it first came out in 2000. I can remember thinking that the interior being quite refined and well put together in comparison with his usual Holden Commodores.
Worked for Vauxhall for 37 years, this was the last to be built at the Luton plant before closure in March 2002. Open the front doors and see if there is a stamp on the B pillar - unlikely but it will show who set the doors! Had a few of these as company cars, always reliable and did what it said on the tin.
great work on the vids.. this reminds me of when i had the Opel 1.6 version.. a smooth tank of a car, eventually the bottom end started getting rumbly which was okay because the car only cost 250euros at the time and i'd had my fun with it.. thanks for all the entertainment, rusty bits and all..
Not necessarily. First, SN-ST is for the former East Germany, with W being formerly used for West Germany and now Germany. But even that is not an indication of where the car was made because for manufacturers within the EU, the first digits of the VIN may simply indicate where the company is headquartered. Wiki says that all Opel/Vauxhall carry an initial Vin letter of W denoting Germany whether they are assembled in Germany, the UK, Spain or Poland.
Yeah, looking through the VIN article on Wikipedia, it looks like the first couple of characters in the VIN all denote something that's specific to the manufacturer/region. A few initial characters (like "1" for USA) are consistent, but the others aren't. I know the VIN of my 2008 VW Beetle started with "3VW" to denote that it was built in Mexico. That article also mentions that US and China cars have a separate character that denotes the "factory" code, to code *where* the car as assembled within the country. It's possible that other manufacturers, like the ones mentioned here that have factories in different companies than their headquarters, implement a similar character so that they can always track where a car was put together, but that may be entirely up to them. I'm sure Mr. Hubnut is google-savvy and car-savvy enough to plug his VIN (which is of course none of our business) into VIN decoder and figure out it, he probably just hasn't yet, to build suspense. He's rather busy cranking out quality content, moving to a new storage unit, and taking care of family life. We'll probably find out in time if he cares enough to figure it out.
The fact that Vectra’s easily outnumber surviving mk3 Mondeo’s (at least in my part of the world) speaks volumes about the Vectra’s reliability. Or maybe it’s that they rust *slightly* less than Mondeo’s do... I had a mk3 Mondeo and it was definitely superior to the Vectra in many ways. I’ve only ever sampled a Vectra once, and wasn’t blown away by it. My preference will always be with the far superior mk3 Cavalier...
The Mondeo probably outsold the vectra by a ratio of around 5:4 but taking that into account I would say the survival rate of both is about equal. Both models have had their numbers savagely culled by a combination of high mileage ex company hacks passing down the food chain to minicab companies and second or third owners running them on a shoestring. Note the number of mark 4 astra's and mark 1 focuses still around that would most likely be originally bought by private individuals.
I normally go by the number of hot versions I see. I've seen a few 3.0 V6 Mk3 Mondeos (including a wagon!) recently. Not seen a V6 Vectra for yeeeears. That said, the hot mondeos were always considered to be leagues ahead of the Vectras at the time, with the exception of the hotted up MSD Vectras, which were apparently really rather good - uncouth, but good. I've warmed to Vectras and Cavaliers over the years, having not liked them at the time. Perhaps I'm mellowing with age....
I was an apprentice at a Holden dealership when this car came out in Australia. The internal talk was that it was supposed to take on and compete with BMW and other European manufacturers. They tried to hype it up but can’t say it was a success. I remember the V6 would absolutely good.
They got a s**t load of bad press. But I've had many different versions of the vectra B and C models. Still own an 05 club model 1.8 now. I've had it almost 10 years and it's never let me down. Its all in how you look after them and drive them..
Everyone seems to rave about the Cavalier because it was so quiet and comfortable and refined but no one whinged about the fact that it wasn’t that sporty. So I assume Vauxhall designed the Vectra along the same lines yet it got hammered for being dull
I briefly worked as a sales agent renting new Vectras out from Gatwick airport in the summer of 1996. I found the way they held the revs quite strange, you just reminded me of it.
I bought a 1.8 auto for the Mrs a couple of years back (she still speaks to me!) And so far it's been pretty reliable and cheap to run. I must agree with you about the silent indicators. I'm forever going along with the indicators on and obviously it could be dangerous. I've ordered a 12v bleeper that I'm going to wire in to the indicators, I'll let you know how it goes. By the way if you ever find the electric front windows play up there's a simple cure. Take off the door trim and locate a bolt fairly close to the latch and loosen it off and move the window guide slightly. It worked a treat on ours.
Well, you like it or not, but it was for GM (Opel/Vauxhall) a selling success. Quit reliable. At least my Opel Vectra on the European mainland. I never had any issue with it.
In the UK some people can be a bit slow on car maintenance, and when it breaks, it's the manufacturer's fault. On the plus side, most cars get a wash on Sundays.
Yeah, so a 20 year-old car with less than 60k on the clock is going to be plenty reliable. There's an upside to blandness - no-one is going to steal it.
True: until recently we owned a 2002 Astra. My partner left it unlocked when we went on holiday... for six weeks. Nothing happened - and this was a car where the knobs stuck up when it was unlocked. Never knew how to turn on the interior light until I watched this video either: we always had to open the door to get the light on (we're, to say the least, not mechanically minded).
I can’t believe I still use my Vectra B daily to this day since buying it in September 2002. I’ve had additional cars along the way such as BMW, Fabia VRS, VW polo, Ford Focus, Astra H and a Vectra C which were all relaxing to drive as I never cared about kurbs or potholes in the other cars. But they either broke or didn’t interest me to keep them for very long. Its remarkable how often people still comment on it even thou for the past 6 years I have not kept on top of the bodywork or cleaning as often as I did in the early days when it was unusual to see cars with xenon headlamps so long ago. However I always ensure that the wheels & sound system are as clean as possible. There are some videos on my RUclips channel but I haven’t bothered with any social media or forum sites for around about a year now.
Here in Brazil the vectra was excellent, it was much better than the competitors when it came out and the car still looks good today. We just got a sedan here
I counted four references where you say the Mondeo was superior. That will keep the Ford fans on side and balance the books. Should be good transport for your new family.
Nothing wrong with the vectra. Had a few Vauxhall’s through the Years , reliable and bomb proof. Easy repaired and much parts in the scrapyards I found. Good vlogs. Gordon. Aberdeen
Unfortunately, on a lot of cars with a factory sunroof, they leak when they get old and make the roof of the vehicle rust out. Personally, I'd rather have a solid roof and a/c, having to get it re-gassed may be a pain but it's better than having it raining inside the car when it's wet outside...
gosportjamie give me a/c any day. Because a sunroof does nothing to keep your car nice and cool at 21c when it’s 30c outside. You just sit there and bake & if you have fair skin you just get burnt & end up with sunburn. Also a/c on modern cars is much more reliable these days. Just a tip from a air con engineer, to prevent you cars a/c losing gas start the a/c once a week even in the winter and it’s keeps the compressor seal lubricated which keeps it pressure & gas tight and prevents leaks of refrigerant gas. Hopefully it’ll prevent you from ever having your system regassed again👍
@@matty6848 Yes, that's a very important tip that a lot of people don't know. I use my a/c all-year round, even in winter with the heating on as the drying effect it has on the air helps keep the vehicle from misting up and keeps visibility clear...
We had a version of Vectras in the US,Saturn L Series,made in DELAWARE. I have owned a Saturn VUE since 2003,with the same 2.2 ECOTEC engine,which I finally replaced at 217000 miles.I believe the manual trans was built by Getrag in Italy,uses auto trans fluid for lubrication.I still drive my vehicle daily,appreciating its utility.
The only good think about Steve 'talk all over the music' Wright starting is that Tory Vine has ended. These days, as a delivery driver, I find keeping the radio off and listening to the engine far more pleasant.
My aunt had one of these (a holden though) in the same colour but it was a sedan. I absolutely loved it and always wanted it. Always, and still do love how the bonnet crease sweeps up into the wing mirrors. Amazing buy mate!
I dailyed a 2.2 Ecotec and the coil 'pack' is a single assembly which bolts in there and has the 4 spark plug 'boots' (for lack of a better word) built into the housing. It does make accessing spark plugs easy. We have over 200,000 miles on the 2.2 and counting, although it's no longer in daily status.
I had a new silver 1.8LS facelift in ‘99 as a company car. I thought it was a smart looking car. Plastic wheel trims on my LS then though, but it did have air con which was luxury in ‘99. Bought a 2.2 SRi in 2003 (1 yr old) based on liking the first one I had, but you are right it did feel a bit old fashioned then and coupled with the hard seats it was a really hard ride. Never had any problems with either of them.
I owned a Vectra C for about 7 years before replacing it with an 08 Mondeo. Was the 2.0T version. Engine was absolutely bullet proof especially when serviced regularly. Never had one issue with that engine in all those years. The coil springs however...It liked to eat those for lunch
My mate had a turbo diesel version of this which I drove on many occasions. It was a good comfortable car. The engine overheated as he never paid attention to any of those pesky gauges on the dash. Keep listening to Radio 3, it grows on you :)
I thought to myself, when was the last time I saw a Vectra? And then one passes by. They just blend in into the environment, you won't notice they were ever here until you think of them. Which makes it brilliant for unsuspicious family driving.
My parents used to own one of these and I always thought it was great! I think the styling aged very well even if a little bland and the interior always felt comfy and good quality to me. The quarter rev counter with a big semicircle speedo was interesting too
I had a 1.8 Vectra just before your face lift version, I loved that car and had I had the money and space would have kept it, I have never seen such great wing mirrors like the Vectra that is part of the sweep of the wings, I thought for a family car it was stunning looking, wish I still had it locked away in a garage.
I had two of these as company cars, and totally agree with all the points you made in the video, they were both very reliable cars, compared to my MK3 Mondeo, that I had no end of trouble with.
Engineering Explained recently had a good video about rev hang and why. Throttle by wire with port injection is usually responsible although idk if you have that on this car. My favourite part of the show is always when we have a look under the bonnet, something that was cancelled forever by a sarcastic Clarkson many years ago on I think this very car. Finally, 20y later I get to see the Vectra engine on TV for the first time. Thank you.
I had this car's American cousin: a Saturn LW300. It was a wagon with the 3L V6 and an automatic transmission. Once I replaced the original tires that were both noisy and had very little grip, I ended up with a comfortable and practical car with decent performance.
Had 2000 W reg satin red saloon 2.0 DI LS from nearly new and I really liked it. Only 82hp but decent enough at the time. Sold it to my mum who only sold it recently!
Great video of a very neat car. The reason the revs stay up is for emissions. Blasted electronic throttles. Hate the things. With that few miles I would hope it is reliable! My daily and only driver is a 1990 Volvo 240 Estate with the 2.3 litre and Aisan-Warner 4 speed auto. Coming up on 400,000 miles. I normally drive about 40,000 miles a year in Arthur. He spent the first quarter century collecting 200,000 miles with my mother. She bought him as her 60th birthday present to herself. Another very competent old car, but the rear wheel drive Volvo is also fun.
I quite like it. I have fond memories of my red 1.3 1988 Cavalier L. This too is a "reps special". I see no reason why it should be unreliable - if they were they wouldn't have been purchased in droves for fleet use. Good luck with it.
Had a 2.2 Astra Coupe. Quite a nice dollop of torque in any gear which made it quite nice and rapid to drive. Made pleasant rorty barking noises mid-rev range with the optional Irmscher exhaust.
Spot on all way through with the comparisons, skimping on the roof deadening, just that bit behind Ford in every way all pushed me into a Mondeo and I was a Cavalier man (in a car sense). Love it though, last for years if looked after and give me a cd player with no massive screen glued on top of the dash any day. You're in for a treat in 10 years time when you get an Insignia, they're terrific 👍
I've bought many a vehicle with either non working or nonexistent Aircon. If I buy the car in the winter it's a bit of a non issue. In the summer it a definite must and I won't look at a car without it. I've only just realised this after purchasing a new car this week and realised how high it featured on my list of requirements.
You’re absolutely right - Vauxhall gearstick gaiters of that era did just dissolve over time - I know that from my wife’s long line is Astras. It’s probably been like that for at least 10 years. Also I had a W reg Mondeo company car back then and they were more a bit more roomy than Vectras.
The early Mondeo was always a bit of an awkward size. Not really much bigger than the later model Laser sedan, but smaller than the Camry, Accord and 626 it was competing with. Still plenty of Camrys on the roads, but very few Mondeos or Vectras.
I recall being given a "sporty" Mk1 Vectra as a hire-car and it was, genuinely, one of the most terrifying cars I've ever driven on the motorway because of the steering. In long, sweeping bends, the lack of feedback from the steering meant you had absolutely no idea how much work the tyres were doing so, in bad weather in particular, you had no idea if you had plenty of grip or were about to lose grip completely. I recall driving a bunch of colleagues to the airport in it and somebody asked why I was driving so slowly in it so I pulled over and let somebody else drive... and they quickly agreed that the steering was frighteningly dead. I recall, shorty afterward, Vauxhall made a big deal out of the fact that the Mk2 Vectra and the Astra had "Suspension tuned by Lotus". The truth is, Lotus didn't "tune" the suspension in any way that was really worthy of note. They simply applied their knowledge to revise various components to give the driver SOME amount of feedback.
For the ski hatch that won’t open, there’s a lock on the back of it (in the boot) - check that to see if it’s locked. My parents had a 2.2 SRI 150 on a Y plate and they loved it!
I'm distraught at the fact that cars I remember as new are now old bangers, in my mind a 20 year old car should be more like a Hillman Hunter.
Frightening, isn't it? 20 years ago I took my kids to the transport museum in Glasgow. They thought the MGB was "so last century". Bit like me.
@gilburton modern cars custom IC chips would be a real challenge for future classic survival although there is an open source arduino based ECU project
Absolutely - even when I was at Uni 1988 - 91 old cars were so cheap. I remember buying a 1978 burgundy Mini for £250 with a full MOT. Ran it for 6 months and sold it for £300! How much would that be worth today😂
@@OldCarsNewVan By the looks of your name there I was born in the same year and its soul destroying, my first car was a 1974 Mk1 Escort that I picked up in 1987 with an MOT for £160. It shocks me what I'd have had to pay to get it back if it still existed, that '78 Mini would be in the same ball park as the Escort.....if only we'd known 🤦♂️😂
@@OldCarsNewVan I wish I'd been born with hindsight (like wives).
A genuine unsung hero- a car that does the job of being a car rather well. My dad used to have a 1987 Cavalier and the seats were quite hard in that too,so it is perhaps part of the Vauxhall condition. On the whole I’ve always had a soft spot for this type of car- they take so much abuse and get so little credit.
Vauxhall’s are the unsung heroes of the car world!
The “holding the throttle “ is a emission feature to burn off fuel already in the manifold to stop overfueling or flooding when dropping back to idle
Used to regularly get a minicab that was one of these facelifted Mk1 Vectras. The driver reckoned it was the best taxi he ever had. The taxi meter went in the cubby hole above the interior mirror, and when the multi-function display started losing digits in its display he took the opportunity to screw a sat-nav to the dash in front of it. All neatly in place, with no trailing wires - that pleased him no end, as he said nothing bugged him more than wires trailing all over the place. Once he’d replaced the stereo with an aftermarket one that connected to his phone he was all set to ply his trade.
Last time I was in it there was near half a million on the clock (2 litre turbo diesel, if I recall correctly). Probably would still be going even now, had it not been involved in an accident.
Absolutely ideal for airport runs, apparently. The owner/driver reckoned it just ate up motorway miles.
He’d also had rear parking sensors fitted though, because of the rear visibility - so that’s not just you Ian. Someone using one of these every day to earn a living thought the same.
People now hook up video cams front and rear for safety. Because you never know!
Yes, very good engine - nowhere near as torquey as the VAG 1.9 PDs of the era but certainly reliable.
My Zafira 2.0DTI has 298000 on it, great motorway car
Imagine you were reviewing a 20 year old daily driver in the year of this car’s manufacture. It would mostly be a tour of a lump of iron oxide in need of an engine rebuild. Bangers just don’t look like bangers anymore!
I know. It’s crazy to think some vectras are now 20 years old!
@@matty6848 The younger ones. Some Vauxhall Vectras are 25 years old!
Music & Lunacy Jesus that’s frightening!
And they were so different in terms of comfort and reliability too. These days you reliably drive 20 year old cars every day.
Alan Lansdell agreed. You’d happily jump into a 2000 year Vectra now in the confidence it will get you down to Cornwall. Where as years ago once a car had 60/70k miles the engine was f#*ked.
I remember when I was a kid we had one of these and the rear centre armrest was my booster seat!
We had an escort van and the rear wheel arch was mine 😂 good times
The rev hanging is to reduce emissions. Delaying the throttle closing when shifting reduces emissions compared to allowing it to snap shut quickly. But some automakers allow the revs to hang too long, causing quick shifts to be difficult to do smoothly.
My old Mazda 3 1.6 did exactly the same thing. Have to ease off throttle completely when changing gear
Loved the look of the Vectra B,and to my Eyes looked more stylish than the pre facelift C that replaced it in 2002...
I've always had a soft spot for Vauxhalls. They seem to have the 'ergonomics' right. You nailed it when you said "everything just falls nicely to hand". That could be perceived to make them uninspiring, but leaves you to concentrate on driving, instead of groping for misplaced switchgear. (shame about the position on the armrest). Generally, a practical vehicle and a nice place to be, when crunching the miles. I hope it doesn't let you down.
I think many GM vehicles suffer from that malady, where the centre armrest tends to be in the way.
Im a tall person and the armrest is pretty much spot on. Also on the front door cards, the elbow rest is sooo good. Show me a Volkswagen that has soft spongy elbow rests and I'll buy it.
Up till January 2017 i had the 1.8 version of this car and all i can say is what a great money making tool it was as a Decorator ,had it 2 years with no issues until i blew the head one dark night on the M66 Motorway . Theres an old saying in my business and thats never pay more than £500 for a car as they get trashed in paint and plaster etc ,turned over 50 grands worth of work in the time i had the vectra so a good deal all round ,looking to buy another sometime soon when my Fiesta MOT nears its end and thats another 500 quid car too .
You’re done well there Ian, looks a neat little car, here in Aussie a lot of shopping centre raffles used to have a Vectra as first prize, naturally, third prize was three of the bastards...
I remember the tv advert for the Vectra in the late 90’s-very futuristic overtones, with the car going through the Atlantic Tunnel and a clock that auto adjusted using the time signals broadcast from Rugby and Frankfurt.
Blandness personified but still was one of my favourite hire cars - you knew what you were getting and could do huge distances in relative comfort and park them anywhere without attracting attention and vandals ! Best of all they were reliable - I never broke down in one unlike some brands I could mention . Great road test - pure HubNut in places :) . Good times.
Agreed. I had a turbo diesel and covered over 100k miles in it and not once did it give me any trouble. Boring yes, but solid & reliable!
That's exactly what makes the Vectra so interesting is that it's rather bland but very well liked.
These cars were Jeremy Clarkson victims. People never had expected middle class saloons to be exciting and drove them happily for decades and then the Orang Utan came along and told them to expect excitement.
@@notroll1279 Agreed. Driving for business I wanted comfort and reliability. Excitement was never a priority, especially on motorways and in big cities.
No Troll that’s why you can in part thank the likes of Jeremy Clarkson for the downfall of the British car production industry. Yes we built some shit cars but we also built some good cars. But old Clarkson would automatically slag off anything that was Britain designed and built.
I've always like the styling of the mirror's on how they curve off the top of the bonnet, a nice practical runabout too. 👍
I had a 2006 Vectra-C 1.8VVT SRI, had it nearly 8 years. In that time it had one oil change and thats it. Apart from tyres and brakes it never let me down. 60k was covered in that car, with even the occasional tow of a 1100kg caravan. Dont care what people say, wasn't the greatest car to drive but as for reliability, faultless. Bloody miss that car. Look forward to more content on this 👍
I also have a vectra c 1.8Sri vvti. The engine died at 247k 😳 best car I ever had 😀
1 oil change in 8 years wtf?
Same here John. I did over 100k in mine and it never once gave me any trouble!
@@MrRohanThomas if they burn a little you keep topping up with fresh oil i guess lol
There are more Vectra's on the road than Mondeo's of the same era.
Vectra's all seem to be better kept too, any Mondeo usually has the obligatory duct tape holding their front and back bumpers on.
Fords do seem to age badly in comparison. I had a few instances of random bits of plastic disintegrating with my similarly aged Fiesta - and that was over 10 years ago when I had it. Driver's seat had worn badly too so the lumbar support was non-existent.
Main issue with Fords is the rust
Lol soo true, remember nearly every Mondeo I saw had a flappy back bumper going down the motorway
Vauxhall/Opel so seem to produce stuff that soldiers on unloved for years.
I fixed my Mondeo Mk3 flappy bumper with some long screws left over from a diy kitchen unit. It's pretty reliable though and gets 68mpg on a run, that's 750 miles on a 70 quid fill up!
I had a 2l vectra as a company car, did 80k+ in 3 years and never let me down. It is very competent but not inspiring but that is all you need for your day to day driving
Back in the day thousands of taxi drivers couldn't have been wrong. Ian I wish you many happy miles of extremely mudane motoring with no knuckle busting repairs. This is a keeper.
Make sure you service it regularly, I believe the 2.2 have issues if not given regular oil changes 👍
Yeah the 2.2 petrol was pretty fragile engine. Anything that could go wrong with Dohc engine went wrong with this 2.2 if it wasn't serviced regularly.
Timing chain trouble i believe was a common problem
They had a weak fuel pump that they tried several times to fix and they gave up and sold them knowing they would fail and hoping they would be out of warranty when it happened
@@davidgibson4840 I didn't know that! That is maybe explaining the stuttering and coughing under full throttle in low revs with mine 2.2 petrol. Even though I have it fully sorted and no one knows the problem
Fuel pump is weak on the later direct injection engine's in the later Vectra C, these earlier one's avoided having a high pressure pump.
I had a 2.0 CDX estate for 6 years and loved it. We took it to the south of France and down to the Dordogne several times and I used it to tow a 16 foot boat around Jersey. It was used on the beach several times each week and showed no sign of corrosion when I sold it.
I hope you prove the doubters wrong!
When it come out and I saw it at Earls court motorshow in 95 I wasn’t impressed but it has aged well and is looks smart now.
I remember my dad had one of these the 1.7 diesel, he decided to give it a steam clean and well. Cleaned all the grime holding it together and the water pump went and a piston come through the side of the block. We replaced that with a 220 diesel rover. N707MAE the numberplate of that vectra. Awesome content as always Ian!!
Why are people buying new cars they cannot afford with finance when there are plenty of viable old cars?
It's a mixture of the Government in this country incentivising the buying of new cars for "environmental reasons" but in reality its to keep their pockets lined and people equating owning an older car with being poor and lower class.
Instagram generation, instant gratification all show types
If nobody bought new cars you would not have second hand bargains to buy.
Think about it.
While that's true, there are enough commercial buyers that there will always be a stream of new cars. But we should be much better at keeping older cars going. It's such a waste to bin a car after less than 10 years, and sadly that happens a lot.
Some new cars can't handle being kept going after a few years or 100k miles. Has anyone ever had a good experience buying a cheap high mileage so called 'luxury' car from the last 10-15 years? Not including Lexus.
I grew up in the back of my dad's two company Vectras - R646LBN and V856HCR, the latter in Polar Sea Blue which I chose.
Frankly it's a wonder I became a car enthusiast at all but seeing a tour of this thing brought back great memories. Thanks Ian.
Ian that's the coil pack over the plugs, it pulls off as one assembly, on my zafira water has been known to get underneath, my friends vectra suffered the lack of oil to cam chains, not through too small oil hole from old oil blocking it... overall i think this car is ok,the clutch might be expensive if its dual mass. brakes will be easy to work on , indeed lots of engine electrical parts just push and click when replacing. my zafira was bought at 7 months old in 2005 and has never broken down and its 2020 , i think your vauxhall should be reliable as any car of that period .😊
The 2.0DTI and 2.2DTI were Opel's own creation and a mix of old rotary V Pump injection and modern direct injection with electronic control. I recall they sounded like tractors when cold started in subzero temperatures!
Hi Ian its a single electronic coil pack and that little red plug on the battery is a breather hole.To adjust time hold the clock button on the display till it flashes on the hour then press it again then it does the minute etc the button next to it adjusts the hour,in day ect.Then when you changed it press clock again till it returns to hr again.
Clock should update via the radio, just press rds and wait a short while for it to change.
I remember when i had one of these (just a version with a bit more stuff to play like AC and navigation), bought it directly after university…oh boy, those were the days.. loved that thing back then 😁👍
Brilliant video Ian they weren't that bad speaking of cars I got yesterday Citroen c5 estate with 12 MTH mot 150 quid 2004 it does what it needs to do brilliant
Is there much obvious wrong with it?
That's actually quite an interesting car, IMHO
Wow, now there's a load-lugger!
Back in the really snowy winter of 2010-11 the only company cars that were any good to anyone at the place I worked were the Vectras. They performed brilliantly in snow. All the top reps in BMWs and Mercs were stuck at home, us mere mortals were able to get anywhere!
"Exciting" isn't the word, but I know they're good as all round practical cars.
Love those vectra's, bought a 2000 1.8 16v estate in 2016, with 195k km on the clock, drove it for 2 years and 60k km without problems, they are good and reliable cars, if i wouldn't needed a diesel car, i would still have driven it to this day
‘A Mondeo is kind of like driving a Lamborghini’😂 Bet that’s the first time that’s ever been said.
The Vectra is ideal family transport - just drive it and forget about it’s blandness. You’ve got the fleet for wacky - this is just a tool to get the job done.
By remembering that you’ve got it for a reason - in Ian’s case the reason being not thrashing a 34 year old Citroen up and down a motorway on longer trips - or through the winter when the roads are salted
Thats a naff car mate. Sell it and get an omega
Some people just can't grasp the concept Mike. 👍
I had a 2003 Vectra (C) GTS. Many found it boring just because it was a Vauxhall and dismissed it. Best car I ever had. Drove it for 9 years and almost 200.000 miles
2.2? That must've been the 90s sales rep wet dream😆
Low intrusion alloys, if you had the sales figures.
Lol. I remember this 2.2 model coming out and where im from it was mostly driven by the police. They had xenon headlights way back then so we knew it was them from far off lol.
@@fuckthis81 ah, I remember that with the xenon. Police had it here too before most others😆
@@Rottensteam lol. Thats how we spotted them a mile off! There was not too many cars back then with standard zenons. Was very handy looking in your mirror and seeing the blue tinge off the lights so you knew to take it easy driving lol.
Years ago I heard a vectras sound system as it drove past and parked up, being a teenage car enthusiast I asked the guy what speakers he had fitted, all standard he replied, sounded fantastic. to this day I remember how good it sounded.
Can't say I share your opinion on Vauxhall factory audio.
@@paulanderson79 nope had a few vauxhalls and all been pretty terrible, dont know why this one was so good but it was
Mad how this is a 20 year old car now, I remember two work colleagues in the late 1990s owning the first mk1 models from new. Health and Safety manager was a big fan of these, and owned the 2.5 V6 CD/Elite models. Seemed alright, nothing to write home about. Didn't really stir the soul, but they worked and done the job. I go to my GF's gaff and there's a Polish woman knocking about in an 1997 'R' reg one in a silvery green colour and it's in weirdly good health.
To be honest, I've think I've seen more early Vectra's surviving over mk1/mk2 Ford Mondeo's. So, how crap are they exactly Mr Clarkson?
Hey Ian ...
flexi pipe was always a problem on a lot of Vectra's / Cavaliers ... Your quite right, the red tranport plug in the side vent of the battery, shouldn't be there, there should be a breather pipe connected to the side of battery when it's in the car ... !
I owned a Vectra in the 90's in Eire, keep it well serviced with oil & filters, main problems were front wheel bearings and CV joints, mine got written off when someone went up my arse when I was stopped at traffic lights ... !!!
Imho, for what it is, it’s quite a good looking car. Especially this facelift 5-door version, I think it has a very distinctive ‘sleek’ look to it from the 7-8 o’clock view, those rear lamps really accentuate the clean styling. One of the rare cases where the facelifted version looks more tidy than the original.
Also, it’s from an era when Vauxhall was a modern, competent brand, which built cars which where in no way exciting, but as a whole, a good dependable choice. Where is today’s Vauxhall Vectra? Right, there isn’t one anymore. A bit sad, I think.
Look at Toyota and Hyundai for that nowadays.
And Kia.
My dad had a brand new one of these for about 6 months when it first came out in 2000. I can remember thinking that the interior being quite refined and well put together in comparison with his usual Holden Commodores.
Any terrible 2000 Vectra is likely at the wreckers by now, so hopefully you've got a good one.
Exactly what I think. Some Vectras were truly terrible, but no-one is gong to be still fixing them now so they'll all be Chinese baked bean tins...
The Cavalier/Vectra A was far superior to the Vectra B
Worked for Vauxhall for 37 years, this was the last to be built at the Luton plant before closure in March 2002. Open the front doors and see if there is a stamp on the B pillar - unlikely but it will show who set the doors!
Had a few of these as company cars, always reliable and did what it said on the tin.
"It's my car, I'll do what I like" - so sod off Internet !
great work on the vids.. this reminds me of when i had the Opel 1.6 version.. a smooth tank of a car, eventually the bottom end started getting rumbly which was okay because the car only cost 250euros at the time and i'd had my fun with it.. thanks for all the entertainment, rusty bits and all..
If your VIN starts with the letter range SA-SM then it was UK assembled, if it starts SN-ST then it was assembled in Germany.
If it starts with ESA then it was assembled in Elizabeth, South Australia.
@@rickfilmer111 If it starts with W(here)TF, they didn't know where it was assembled.
Not necessarily. First, SN-ST is for the former East Germany, with W being formerly used for West Germany and now Germany. But even that is not an indication of where the car was made because for manufacturers within the EU, the first digits of the VIN may simply indicate where the company is headquartered. Wiki says that all Opel/Vauxhall carry an initial Vin letter of W denoting Germany whether they are assembled in Germany, the UK, Spain or Poland.
@@CaptHollister I've got an old Corsa (weren't they built in Spain?) and it's VIN starts with W.
Yeah, looking through the VIN article on Wikipedia, it looks like the first couple of characters in the VIN all denote something that's specific to the manufacturer/region. A few initial characters (like "1" for USA) are consistent, but the others aren't.
I know the VIN of my 2008 VW Beetle started with "3VW" to denote that it was built in Mexico.
That article also mentions that US and China cars have a separate character that denotes the "factory" code, to code *where* the car as assembled within the country. It's possible that other manufacturers, like the ones mentioned here that have factories in different companies than their headquarters, implement a similar character so that they can always track where a car was put together, but that may be entirely up to them.
I'm sure Mr. Hubnut is google-savvy and car-savvy enough to plug his VIN (which is of course none of our business) into VIN decoder and figure out it, he probably just hasn't yet, to build suspense. He's rather busy cranking out quality content, moving to a new storage unit, and taking care of family life.
We'll probably find out in time if he cares enough to figure it out.
I'd have another one of those tomorrow. I had a 1.8 for a few years, massive boot, amazing handling (really) and it never gave me a lot of trouble.
The fact that Vectra’s easily outnumber surviving mk3 Mondeo’s (at least in my part of the world) speaks volumes about the Vectra’s reliability. Or maybe it’s that they rust *slightly* less than Mondeo’s do...
I had a mk3 Mondeo and it was definitely superior to the Vectra in many ways. I’ve only ever sampled a Vectra once, and wasn’t blown away by it. My preference will always be with the far superior mk3 Cavalier...
Its completly different in england theres loads of mk3 mondeos left but you hardly see a vectra
The Mondeo probably outsold the vectra by a ratio of around 5:4 but taking that into account I would say the survival rate of both is about equal. Both models have had their numbers savagely culled by a combination of high mileage ex company hacks passing down the food chain to minicab companies and second or third owners running them on a shoestring. Note the number of mark 4 astra's and mark 1 focuses still around that would most likely be originally bought by private individuals.
I normally go by the number of hot versions I see. I've seen a few 3.0 V6 Mk3 Mondeos (including a wagon!) recently. Not seen a V6 Vectra for yeeeears.
That said, the hot mondeos were always considered to be leagues ahead of the Vectras at the time, with the exception of the hotted up MSD Vectras, which were apparently really rather good - uncouth, but good.
I've warmed to Vectras and Cavaliers over the years, having not liked them at the time. Perhaps I'm mellowing with age....
What part of the world do you live in?
Mk3 Mondeo easily out number these vectras.
I was an apprentice at a Holden dealership when this car came out in Australia. The internal talk was that it was supposed to take on and compete with BMW and other European manufacturers. They tried to hype it up but can’t say it was a success. I remember the V6 would absolutely good.
No jack or first aid kit? You've been had there!!! :P
I've always liked the overall styling of the Vectra B. Those exterior mirrors are just lovely.
I always thought that these weren’t bad looking cars, even the saloon.
They got a s**t load of bad press. But I've had many different versions of the vectra B and C models. Still own an 05 club model 1.8 now. I've had it almost 10 years and it's never let me down. Its all in how you look after them and drive them..
Everyone seems to rave about the Cavalier because it was so quiet and comfortable and refined but no one whinged about the fact that it wasn’t that sporty. So I assume Vauxhall designed the Vectra along the same lines yet it got hammered for being dull
@@AJT296 I think if they'd named it as a Cavalier it would have been received much better.
I briefly worked as a sales agent renting new Vectras out from Gatwick airport in the summer of 1996. I found the way they held the revs quite strange, you just reminded me of it.
"URRR it's Steve Wright turn it off!" 7.30 😂😂😂
Cant stand him about as funny as a tooth ace
I bought a 1.8 auto for the Mrs a couple of years back (she still speaks to me!) And so far it's been pretty reliable and cheap to run. I must agree with you about the silent indicators. I'm forever going along with the indicators on and obviously it could be dangerous. I've ordered a 12v bleeper that I'm going to wire in to the indicators, I'll let you know how it goes. By the way if you ever find the electric front windows play up there's a simple cure. Take off the door trim and locate a bolt fairly close to the latch and loosen it off and move the window guide slightly. It worked a treat on ours.
Well, you like it or not, but it was for GM (Opel/Vauxhall) a selling success. Quit reliable. At least my Opel Vectra on the European mainland. I never had any issue with it.
In the UK some people can be a bit slow on car maintenance, and when it breaks, it's the manufacturer's fault. On the plus side, most cars get a wash on Sundays.
had a 52 plate vectra for 5 years . very reliable and cheap servicing. biggest expense was a new key as it needed to be programmed
Yeah, so a 20 year-old car with less than 60k on the clock is going to be plenty reliable. There's an upside to blandness - no-one is going to steal it.
True: until recently we owned a 2002 Astra. My partner left it unlocked when we went on holiday... for six weeks. Nothing happened - and this was a car where the knobs stuck up when it was unlocked.
Never knew how to turn on the interior light until I watched this video either: we always had to open the door to get the light on (we're, to say the least, not mechanically minded).
I can’t believe I still use my Vectra B daily to this day since buying it in September 2002. I’ve had additional cars along the way such as BMW, Fabia VRS, VW polo, Ford Focus, Astra H and a Vectra C which were all relaxing to drive as I never cared about kurbs or potholes in the other cars. But they either broke or didn’t interest me to keep them for very long.
Its remarkable how often people still comment on it even thou for the past 6 years I have not kept on top of the bodywork or cleaning as often as I did in the early days when it was unusual to see cars with xenon headlamps so long ago.
However I always ensure that the wheels & sound system are as clean as possible.
There are some videos on my RUclips channel but I haven’t bothered with any social media or forum sites for around about a year now.
It is what it is but one things for sure it’s miles better than that bloody YUGO !!!!
Here in Brazil the vectra was excellent, it was much better than the competitors when it came out and the car still looks good today. We just got a sedan here
I counted four references where you say the Mondeo was superior. That will keep the Ford fans on side and balance the books. Should be good transport for your new family.
Nothing wrong with the vectra. Had a few Vauxhall’s through the Years , reliable and bomb proof. Easy repaired and much parts in the scrapyards I found. Good vlogs. Gordon. Aberdeen
I really miss sunroofs crapy aircon allways needs regasin ££££££££££ 😰😠😳👍👌
Yep and they charge you extortionate rates for about 200g of R134a gas. I used to regas my own because I’m a air con engineer so cost me nothing😃
Unfortunately, on a lot of cars with a factory sunroof, they leak when they get old and make the roof of the vehicle rust out. Personally, I'd rather have a solid roof and a/c, having to get it re-gassed may be a pain but it's better than having it raining inside the car when it's wet outside...
gosportjamie give me a/c any day. Because a sunroof does nothing to keep your car nice and cool at 21c when it’s 30c outside. You just sit there and bake & if you have fair skin you just get burnt & end up with sunburn. Also a/c on modern cars is much more reliable these days. Just a tip from a air con engineer, to prevent you cars a/c losing gas start the a/c once a week even in the winter and it’s keeps the compressor seal lubricated which keeps it pressure & gas tight and prevents leaks of refrigerant gas. Hopefully it’ll prevent you from ever having your system regassed again👍
@@matty6848 Yes, that's a very important tip that a lot of people don't know. I use my a/c all-year round, even in winter with the heating on as the drying effect it has on the air helps keep the vehicle from misting up and keeps visibility clear...
We had a version of Vectras in the US,Saturn L Series,made in DELAWARE. I have owned a Saturn VUE since 2003,with the same 2.2 ECOTEC engine,which I finally replaced at 217000 miles.I believe the manual trans was built by Getrag in Italy,uses auto trans fluid for lubrication.I still drive my vehicle daily,appreciating its utility.
I'd rather listen to Steve Wright in the afternoon than Jeremy Vine😩
Fair comment, though it's a bit like choosing your favourite method of torture...
The only good think about Steve 'talk all over the music' Wright starting is that Tory Vine has ended. These days, as a delivery driver, I find keeping the radio off and listening to the engine far more pleasant.
@@leejohnson3209 couldn't agree more Lee the pair of em are woeful.
@@HubNut "Serious Vectra-in" (No G)
It's a bit like voting in the last election, vote for the one you hate the least.
My aunt had one of these (a holden though) in the same colour but it was a sedan. I absolutely loved it and always wanted it. Always, and still do love how the bonnet crease sweeps up into the wing mirrors. Amazing buy mate!
I have a 1999 vectra 1.8 and it's a great car. Very fuel efficient and yet reasonably good performance.
The Vectra was the first car I had that came with air con and cruise control.true luxury back in the day.
I dailyed a 2.2 Ecotec and the coil 'pack' is a single assembly which bolts in there and has the 4 spark plug 'boots' (for lack of a better word) built into the housing. It does make accessing spark plugs easy. We have over 200,000 miles on the 2.2 and counting, although it's no longer in daily status.
I had a new silver 1.8LS facelift in ‘99 as a company car. I thought it was a smart looking car. Plastic wheel trims on my LS then though, but it did have air con which was luxury in ‘99. Bought a 2.2 SRi in 2003 (1 yr old) based on liking the first one I had, but you are right it did feel a bit old fashioned then and coupled with the hard seats it was a really hard ride. Never had any problems with either of them.
My favourite car of this sector was the 406. Probably why I bought one. Then for some reason went on a Peugeot odyssey with 2 407s, a 508 and an RCZ.
We had one, same colour, the tickover was so smooth and quiet you didn't know it was running.
I owned a Vectra C for about 7 years before replacing it with an 08 Mondeo. Was the 2.0T version. Engine was absolutely bullet proof especially when serviced regularly. Never had one issue with that engine in all those years. The coil springs however...It liked to eat those for lunch
My mate had a turbo diesel version of this which I drove on many occasions. It was a good comfortable car. The engine overheated as he never paid attention to any of those pesky gauges on the dash.
Keep listening to Radio 3, it grows on you :)
I now have "New to me are everything the sweetest song that I can sing" going around in my head.
I thought to myself, when was the last time I saw a Vectra? And then one passes by. They just blend in into the environment, you won't notice they were ever here until you think of them. Which makes it brilliant for unsuspicious family driving.
Had one. Unfortunetly this video has just reminded me
My parents used to own one of these and I always thought it was great! I think the styling aged very well even if a little bland and the interior always felt comfy and good quality to me. The quarter rev counter with a big semicircle speedo was interesting too
My mate had a 1.8 LS ,never let him down , most years passed its MOT without any issues, had 187000 , on it when he traded it in two years ago
I had a 1.8 Vectra just before your face lift version, I loved that car and had I had the money and space would have kept it, I have never seen such great wing mirrors like the Vectra that is part of the sweep of the wings, I thought for a family car it was stunning looking, wish I still had it locked away in a garage.
I had two of these as company cars, and totally agree with all the points you made in the video, they were both very reliable cars, compared to my MK3 Mondeo, that I had no end of trouble with.
I LOVE your ordinary vectra. If it takes you from A to B then it's perfection!
Engineering Explained recently had a good video about rev hang and why. Throttle by wire with port injection is usually responsible although idk if you have that on this car. My favourite part of the show is always when we have a look under the bonnet, something that was cancelled forever by a sarcastic Clarkson many years ago on I think this very car. Finally, 20y later I get to see the Vectra engine on TV for the first time. Thank you.
I had this car's American cousin: a Saturn LW300. It was a wagon with the 3L V6 and an automatic transmission. Once I replaced the original tires that were both noisy and had very little grip, I ended up with a comfortable and practical car with decent performance.
I like how at 20.03, Mr Hubnut reminds us that obviously it is a motor vehicle. Some mistook it as a cure for happiness!
Had 2000 W reg satin red saloon 2.0 DI LS from nearly new and I really liked it. Only 82hp but decent enough at the time. Sold it to my mum who only sold it recently!
Great video of a very neat car. The reason the revs stay up is for emissions. Blasted electronic throttles. Hate the things. With that few miles I would hope it is reliable! My daily and only driver is a 1990 Volvo 240 Estate with the 2.3 litre and Aisan-Warner 4 speed auto. Coming up on 400,000 miles. I normally drive about 40,000 miles a year in Arthur. He spent the first quarter century collecting 200,000 miles with my mother. She bought him as her 60th birthday present to herself. Another very competent old car, but the rear wheel drive Volvo is also fun.
I quite like it. I have fond memories of my red 1.3 1988 Cavalier L. This too is a "reps special". I see no reason why it should be unreliable - if they were they wouldn't have been purchased in droves for fleet use. Good luck with it.
Had a 2.2 Astra Coupe. Quite a nice dollop of torque in any gear which made it quite nice and rapid to drive. Made pleasant rorty barking noises mid-rev range with the optional Irmscher exhaust.
Spot on all way through with the comparisons, skimping on the roof deadening, just that bit behind Ford in every way all pushed me into a Mondeo and I was a Cavalier man (in a car sense).
Love it though, last for years if looked after and give me a cd player with no massive screen glued on top of the dash any day.
You're in for a treat in 10 years time when you get an Insignia, they're terrific 👍
I've bought many a vehicle with either non working or nonexistent Aircon.
If I buy the car in the winter it's a bit of a non issue.
In the summer it a definite must and I won't look at a car without it.
I've only just realised this after purchasing a new car this week and realised how high it featured on my list of requirements.
“Urgh. Steve Wright. Turn it off!” You’re a man after my own heart.
You’re absolutely right - Vauxhall gearstick gaiters of that era did just dissolve over time - I know that from my wife’s long line is Astras. It’s probably been like that for at least 10 years. Also I had a W reg Mondeo company car back then and they were more a bit more roomy than Vectras.
Australia got the Holden version of the Vectra. Luckily only in the 2l, 2.2l and v6.
It seemed to suit our market better than the Mondeo.
The early Mondeo was always a bit of an awkward size. Not really much bigger than the later model Laser sedan, but smaller than the Camry, Accord and 626 it was competing with. Still plenty of Camrys on the roads, but very few Mondeos or Vectras.
I recall being given a "sporty" Mk1 Vectra as a hire-car and it was, genuinely, one of the most terrifying cars I've ever driven on the motorway because of the steering.
In long, sweeping bends, the lack of feedback from the steering meant you had absolutely no idea how much work the tyres were doing so, in bad weather in particular, you had no idea if you had plenty of grip or were about to lose grip completely.
I recall driving a bunch of colleagues to the airport in it and somebody asked why I was driving so slowly in it so I pulled over and let somebody else drive... and they quickly agreed that the steering was frighteningly dead.
I recall, shorty afterward, Vauxhall made a big deal out of the fact that the Mk2 Vectra and the Astra had "Suspension tuned by Lotus".
The truth is, Lotus didn't "tune" the suspension in any way that was really worthy of note.
They simply applied their knowledge to revise various components to give the driver SOME amount of feedback.
Really cannot wait for a video of you going on a long drive in it. Looks like a great car.
I had one just like that ten years ago. The best car I have owned.
For the ski hatch that won’t open, there’s a lock on the back of it (in the boot) - check that to see if it’s locked. My parents had a 2.2 SRI 150 on a Y plate and they loved it!
It was ages when these came out, before I noticed the mirror styling. I actually was astonished, little things I know lol.
Got the same engine in my 2007 cobalt. 170,000 miles, no problems.