Vauxhall Vectra

[Guest]

I was thinking of one of these for the wife/kids/family runabout if i sell my Jetta and get me an MX5.

Possibly the 120 CDTi

Anything i should look out for when thinking of buying?

I know they are dull but as a cheap family runaround you can get a lot of car for not much cash.

[Paul007]

Try a Vauxhall forum ! Seriously, I had one a while back and whilst it was rather dull to drive, it did all it said on the tin.

[Wagdog]

keep the Jetta - its a much better car...?

[andypandypoos]

keep the Jetta - its a much better car...?

I'd rather have a Vectra and an MX-5 than a Jetta. Brother's girlfriend has a pre-facelift Vectra C, it's a 3.2 V6 GSI so goes well and despite what people say it goes round corners just fine. it's pretty well specced, comfy and apart from a crank position sensor hasn't had any issues. there's not a lot to dislike about it and as for being dull, is a VAG diesel exciting..?

[Bertee]

Nothing wrong with a Vectra as a good family car with a good spec. I had a vec B CDX with leathers and all the toys and it was a good drive for the car it was.

Get on VVOC, it's a good forum with good users who are very friendly and helpful

[mikey vrs]

If you must have a vectra & a diesel one at that dont get the 150 as they have lots of expensive faults,the 120 is the more reliable engine,a friend of mine has just got rid of his 04 vectra with 270k on it! as others have said try the vectra forum,they are a friendly bunch.

[Guest]

I'd rather have a Vectra and an MX-5 than a Jetta. Brother's girlfriend has a pre-facelift Vectra C, it's a 3.2 V6 GSI so goes well and despite what people say it goes round corners just fine. it's pretty well specced, comfy and apart from a crank position sensor hasn't had any issues. there's not a lot to dislike about it and as for being dull, is a VAG diesel exciting..?

This is my thinking too.

Wife currently has a Scenic that is 10 yrs old and is definately past its best, It is full of dents and scrapes and has 116k on the clock but it only cost us a couple of grand 3 or 4 yrs ago and has served us well for lugging the kids around in. Was going to let the wife have my Jetta and then get an MX5 but tbh it is too good for her and i would hate to see it end up in a state.

If i can get a few hundred for her scenic and 8.5k for the Jetta, i can then get a decent family runaround in the Vectra and also a good MX5 for myelf :-)

Thats the plan anyway. lol

[Aspman]

They're all right.

VX don't age so well, nothing serious they just get a bit tattie.

It's a big car for the 120hp and the 150hp definitely pulls it better. I can't comment on long term reliability though.

[richwarwicker]

as said above a dull car but you get a hell of a lot of equipment and a big car for very low prices, i have a high specced astra, and it set me back no where near what other cars similar age mileage and equipment would of set me back

if you can live with dull car then they are definitely a good buy, the 150 are prone to failure but the 120s are highly reliable!

[Guest]

as said above a dull car but you get a hell of a lot of equipment and a big car for very low prices, i have a high specced astra, and it set me back no where near what other cars similar age mileage and equipment would of set me back

if you can live with dull car then they are definitely a good buy, the 150 are prone to failure but the 120s are highly reliable!

Yes it seems as though you get a lot of car for little money. It will almost certainly be the 120 BHP that we get. If we need a bit more power i could always re-map it but i don't think it would come to that.

[MartynVRS]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think the 120bhp CDTI's are 8v and the 150bhp ones are 16v. My cousin has the 150bhp engine in his Astra and goes very well. Can easily be mapped too. Just search for 888 Astra Diesel. It was on 5th Gear not so long ago.

[richwarwicker]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think the 120bhp CDTI's are 8v and the 150bhp ones are 16v. My cousin has the 150bhp engine in his Astra and goes very well. Can easily be mapped too. Just search for 888 Astra Diesel. It was on 5th Gear not so long ago.

the 888 was a special edition high performance diesel that vauxhall remapped etc first

the 120 was indeed 8v which is the more reliable and also more economical engine

[Decron]

You will see 200bhp out of the 150 with even a tuning box however pre 06 engines had a very suspect inlet manifold design, dodgey alternators and they ALL have EGR issues. Get a later 150 and they are crackers, nice and revvy, a good power band and should be reliable.

[Harvard]

You will see 200bhp out of the 150 with even a tuning box however pre 06 engines had a very suspect inlet manifold design, dodgey alternators and they ALL have EGR issues. Get a later 150 and they are crackers, nice and revvy, a good power band and should be reliable.

As far as the engine is concerned, I had an 2005 astra 1.9cdti 16v (150) for 2 1/2years and did 40k without a hiccup.

1st gear is very short but it takes off in 2nd/3rd, no experience with the veccie though.

Great engine and easily tuneable to 200bhp. Tuning boxes work very well on this engine, check out the astraownersnetwork for tuning advice.

[cheezemonkhai]

Agree on the EGR issues, and DMF issues too (Which cars don't) as a guy I know seems to have issues with both and cost to fix is not low.

[Aspman]

All the 888 components are available from Vx. They just stuck them all on one car and called it a special edition.

[dfullb]

You will see 200bhp out of the 150 with even a tuning box however pre 06 engines had a very suspect inlet manifold design, dodgey alternators and they ALL have EGR issues. Get a later 150 and they are crackers, nice and revvy, a good power band and should be reliable.

Some post 06 150 Models still had the dodgey inlet manifold, The one where the inlet swirl valve's gunged up & the link bar on the top then falls off .. Approx £500 for all parts & labour (Non vauxhall)

As said.. Dmf's, Egr's, Dpf Software issue's pre 06 150 Model's, rear trailing Arms, Steering rack Play (Higher Mileage cars)...

Nice, well speced car if you go for the Design or Elite badge...

120 is defo more trouble free & when mapped & run against a mapped 150 rolling, There is very little in it ....

Here's my 150 Estate before i sold it & after spending £££'s

Dean

Edited 26 July, 2010 by dfullb

[Decron]

Some post 06 150 Models still had the dodgey inlet manifold, The one where the inlet swirl valve's gunged up & the link bar on the top then falls off .. Approx £500 for all parts & labour (Non vauxhall)

Thought this was pretty much pre 06 but thats good info to know. I replaced my manifold myself. Took an entire day and cost me £300 in parts

[dfullb]

Thought this was pretty much pre 06 but thats good info to know. I replaced my manifold myself. Took an entire day and cost me £300 in parts

That is what i thought ... Until i went to buy another. I looked at a 57 plate & the first thing i did was to pop off the engine cover to check the inlet manifold type .. Low & behold.. The link bar was missing all together & it had the old style manifold, Trying to explain this to the seller, that there should be a bar ontop that links the swirl valve's from the one motorised swirl valve ... He said well i have another one over here .. He did but it was a 120, "different engine mate" Well then had to explain the difference there ... Needless to say , I walked away ....

Some of the Later Saab Tid Models still have the older type manifold also, I looked at a few of those as an alternative...

Dean

Edited 27 July, 2010 by dfullb

[Chris]

I had an 06 1.9 150bhp CDTI Vectra. I had it 1 year and then got rid. It was so unreliable!! EGR, Swirl Flaps, Alternator and several other issues and lots of trips to the dealer. Never ever ever again will I have a diesel Vauxhall

Edited 1 August, 2010 by chris_1d