Vauxhall Vectra road test reports and car reviews

Vauxhall Vectra sri cdti 150. 2006

I’ve always liked Vauxhall but I bought this one 8 months ago and its had 2 EGR VALVES , a WIRE HARNESS fitted and it still has no power at low revs. you need to rely on the turbo all the time but still my turbo seems to hesitate, its been in the dealers 4 times now and they still cant find whats wrong !!!!! I’ve only got 2 wks warranty left and I know im going to have to fork out money when my warranty does run out.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 16v LS 2001

It is a nice all round car, room in the back seats and boot. They are cheap to buy and fix (if you don’t touch the Vauxall dealers, they will rip you off). The 1.8 LS is under powered but there is hardly any noise when driving at 70mph. They come in ranges like box standard, posh, and sports. Just watch out on the electrics, that is Vauxhall’s worse problem. The basic ones are the best to buy due to less electrical things to go wrong.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 sri nav 2007

Nice looking car, however... interior is made of cheap plastic (squeaky sounds fixed under warranty), the back shelf is making noises on the bumps, noisy while on the road. When the first gear is selected the engine makes funny noise like as if something was tearing inside, the engine is underpowered for a 140 bhp, not very economical in the town. The maps of Europe cost about £100 - I had 1996 Omega 2.5 V6 - I have to say that this 15 years old car was in a better condition than my 2 years old Vectra and far more powerful and comfortable - I would really have a second thought when buying another Vectra - maybe 2.8 V6 engine is better but 1.8 is a crab.

Responses to this review

I hear what you’re saying but the comment about the new 1.8 not being as powerful as your old 2.5 V6.... I wonder why you’d be surprised by that! - David C from Lincolnshire

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 VVT Life Petrol 2007

I have had Vectra’s for 8 years. I previously had a 1997 1.8 LS. So I bought the 1.8 Life (being the replacement). Although I’m generally happy with the car several issues do annoy me: Clutch - judder is terrible and erratic from standing start or whilst gear is moving and in stop and start traffic. It gets progressively worse. It sometimes seems impossible to pull away smoothly; you tend to get a kind of da da da da (my car does not have T/C). The clucth/ accelerator never seems to have the same sensitivity (I’ve driven 50 or so cars/vans and always quickly got used to whatever I was driving). I was kind of hoping this was due to it being a new car/clutch but nothing has improved. Indicators (touch sensitive) good idea in principle but when lightly touching the stalk to cancel, say L, the R then comes on. The signals cancel early before you’ve gone round the roundabout and then never cancel after turning at a junction. Acceleration is fair/OK but it has been slightly improved by fitting a K&M panel filter (gives a bit more poke) and for gods sake Vauxhall; if you do keep using this engine please put a 6 speed box on the end of it - it seems to rev very high when cruising. Overall a decent car - nice ride, comfortable cruiser and it can be chucked round corners when you get used to the feedback. True MPG from me - motorway; I’ve had 53/mpg but combined is about 38/40 mpg.

Vauxhall Vectra Elite 2006

Bought directly from Vauxhall Management, so this well-specc’d car had the luxury of every other available option factory fitted. I downgraded from the V6 SRi for tax reasons, and was extremely disappointed with the 1.9 Unit initially. It had to go back to the Dealership so many times that they eventually sent a Field Technician out from Vauxhall directly, and he couldn’t cure it either. Resigned to the fact that I was stuck with a good looking and massively equipped car with no decent performance to match, I took it to the VXr Performance Centre in Banbury.....the result from their Software remap is incredible. Not only do I now get high 40’s/ low 50’s MPG, it rockets from 0-60 in a shade over 6 seconds!! So there you have it - a luxury motor with every conceivable gadget, with a performance that will leave (most) others for dead on a sprint. I was planning on chopping it in after 3 years, but given how much I love driving it, I now plan to run it into the ground...however long that will be!

Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 Cdti Elite 2006

An excellent vehicle which I bought in UK and exported to France. Headlight change was no problem as was re-registration. I found it no problem getting the European Certificate of Conformity from Luton. It gives me an average mpg of over 50 and on long runs even more if you do not use the air con too much. The 6 speed gearbox is magnificent in either mode. I regularly travel back to UK from home in Brittany, a distance of nearly 500kms to Boulogne and it behaves impeccably. I use the cruise control for 80% if the journey and it behaves well compared to the system on my old Senator. I have done two return trips to southern Turkey and it behaved impeccably. Whilst in Turkey the EGR valve needed replacement as the warning engine management light came on. The local Opel dealer in Alanya got the part within 24 hours and all was fitted for half the price in Europe. I even got a full 4th service done while I was supplied with tea and cakes in the showroom! On the downside, I found it took quite a while to get the drivers seat into the right position. Also I am not too keen on the in-built SatNav as you have to buy a Disc for each country so I only use it in UK and use my TomTom elsewhere in Europe. The only change I have made is to replace the Vauxhall badges with Opel Blitzes which are more modern than the Griffin. Prior to my Vectra, I had a Megane Cabriolet which was a problem for my Greyhound to get into and before that a Senator for 10 years. What a vehicle!

Vauxhall Vectra 1.9cdti sri 150 2006

Hello all, I bought this car 7 months ago from a local garage and loved it as soon as i saw it. Me and my family went on holiday to Devon and the car let me down massively - I took it in to a garage in Devon and they put it on the diagnostics and for some bizarre reason it had no fault code until it broke down again on holiday. I took it back and they plugged it back in and it came up with E/G/R valve so we phoned Vauxhall dealer up in Plymouth, which was not very helpful at all, but what they did tell me is that the E/G/R valve is a common fault and there is lots on back order so if your cars suddenly loose lack of power engine management light comes on lots of black smoke out the exhaust its most likely to this and was told this might happen again sometime. So, I’m not very happy with this car - steer clear and buy a Mazda, Honda or Nissan; much more reliable cars.

Vauxhall Vectra SRI 2006

Good all round performance from a 1.8. Excellent gadgets and plenty of leg room. Averaging 45 mpg overall covering country roads & fast motorway driving. As Andy (Notts) has said - far better than any Skoda.

Vauxhall Vectra CD 2000

Have had 2 years trouble free motoring. Excellent flexible gearbox, brakes to match and reasonable economy. Interior as good as Mondeo and good sized boot. Handling as good as any in class especially off motorways...

Vauxhall Vectra 2008

Fantastic car, comfy, reliable and very economical.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 GLS 1998

I bought my Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 GLS for £300. I find it to be a good car; its comfy, it looks nice in and is quite nippy but the only thing that bothers me about Vauxhall’s is that there is always something going wrong with them. My manifold studs have just snapped and I have got to get them drilled out but I think the car is worth sorting out so I will get everything done to it. Normally if something goes wrong with a car I just sell it and get a new one but I want to keep this one.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 SRi VVT Estate 2008

Painfully underpowered and thirsty as a result. I managed 24 MPG. How anyone can describe this model as lively is beyond me...

Responses to this review

Sounds like you should have bought a sports car!! - Seasider from England

Vauxhall Vectra DTi 2004

My first (new) 2004 Vectra had problem with the clutch pedal sticking down occasionally (with the clutch engaged) from new. Local dealer was very helpful and after changing various components the car went back to Germany for further investigation and I was supplied with another new Vectra. I drove that car for 80000 miles without a single fault - it returned nearly 50 mpg in general use and 60+mpg on the motorway (yes - really) and still drove like a new car when I parted with it. I found it well equipped (included cruise control) comfortable to drive even on several 400-mile journeys, quiet, plenty of space for passengers - and the boot is absolutely cavernous - ideal for my work. I was pleased with my previous S-Reg Vectra - this one was superb.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.6 club 2002

The final incarnation of the vectra ’B’ has remained an average family hatchback in an un-involving sort of way. It does most things well enough and is probably as reliable as most other cars in its class. Other than regular maintainance the car has only needed one item due to failure, a coil pack after 5 years! On the plus side the car regularly returns a very creditable 43 MPG fully loaded on a good cross country run and on a personal note I like the BLACK (not grey,beige,cream or any other new fangled colours !) interior colour. The boot is a good size although this is obtained, I suspect, at the expense of rear seat legroom. Overall, this is a good but uninspiring motor suitable for anyone who is not actually a motoring enthusiast.

Vauxhall Vectra 2.0dti 2003

I paid 3 and a half grand for it over a year ago with 56k on the clock - now that’s what I call value for money. I tried the Mondeo and it was just too tinny for me - I’ve always hated Ford’s - the Mondeo didn’t even have a digital clock - just a clock that looked something like an old man’s wristwatch. I get around 49/52mpg which is great considering fuel prices and as a tow vehicle it performs well too. I get around 29/31 mpg dragging 1200 kg tourer - now that can’t be bad. People seem too quick to slate it but compare them to vehicles that are far more expensive. Thumbs up from me!

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 Ls 2004

I love the Vectra ( 02 onwards), nice looking, refined to drive and there’s something Audi-like about them. Good value second hand too.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 LS

Can’t fault it. Owned for 4 years now. Cheap to run, comfortable and ultra reliable. For those that want a car that drives like a BMW or Audi ... buy a BMW or Audi and pay 3 times more for it than the Vectra. This car is a fraction of the price so ... don’t expect more than you pay for and you will be well rewarded. Mine is now at 55,000 miles with only servicing and tyres to pay for (and timing belt). Had a Jag S Type before this - it cost far more than the Vectra and was THE most expensive and unreliable car I’ve ever had. Also had an Audi before that - nothing but trouble and expense from that too. So the Vectra is highly recommended in my book.

Vauxhall Vectra 2004

Reference tyre noise. I swapped my tyres to Good Year yesterday , 3/12/08 and surprise , the road noise and wobble has gone (for now maybe) Had the wheels balanced several times previously, and made no difference. Also anybody else had coil spring failure. 2nd failure yesterday, ripped front tyre to bits, but fortunately I was only travelling at about 20 mph at the time, so managed to stop. Normally travel on the motorway at that time of day, so what would have happened, I hate to think.

Responses to this review

My passengers side coil spring was replaced two weeks ago, roughly a year after the drivers side was replaced due to snapping as well. The gararge where I purchased the car said, it is fine to drive with a snapped spring LOL!!!! You will probably get a kinda scraping noise when you go over speed bumps, but noone can supposedly find a fault. Should be a vauxhall re-call. The fault is the bush, situated to the right of the engine. I now have a loud whirring noise coming from the engine I think, though it only does it when you get to about 3000rpm. This happens in every gear now, just out of the garage where I work and they cannot find anything, said it will have to go to Vauxhall. If anyone can help with this problem please. Would not buy another one ever - Gemma from Dumbartonshire

Failed Mot today on fracture off front coil springs 55 plate sri 150, seems a common problem on vectra vauxhall, should help car only got 36k miles and also had to replace alternator maybe get a skoda (lol) anything but vauxhall - David Taylor from Cheshire

Vauxhall Vectra 2005

Excellent car, very smooth drive. Handles the road very well and very spacious. Very good family car and a pleasure to drive. We bought the Vectra Breeze and are very happy with the purchase.

Vauxhall Vectra 2003

It’ll do for me!

Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 gls estate auto 1998

Very easy and comfortable to drive on motorways and country roads alike. Acceleration is very good and the sport switch is useful at the lights. I used to drive a Ford Focus Zetec but find the Vectra more driver-friendly as I am now disabled.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 SRI 2007

Fantastic car, very comfortable, lots of leg-room in the back, large boot and loads of gadgets. CD player, cruise control, automatic electric windows from off the key fob, fully loaded. Does very well on fuel, I’m getting around 46mpg. Road noise is a little disappointing, seems to be lots of road noise coming from the tyres. In regards to Mark from Derbyshire’s comment - you must be driving a white stick with a walking stick if you prefer a Skoda to a Vauxhall; and on top of that you need to open your eyes when looking for gadgets because even the most basic Vectra has many, try reading the manual you might figure out where these devices are.

Vauxhall Vectra Life 2007

I recently bought a Vectra 1.8 Life - clutch judder when reversing and the accelerator has a slight pause - this is something the dealer is unable to rectify. Good all-round car but spoilt by this fault.

Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 Dti Active 2003

I have recently purchased a Vectra 2.0 turbo diesel. It has had 2 previous owners and only a recorded 38,000 miles on the clock. Overall I have found it to be a good, comfortable car, classy looking with plenty of gadgets to play with. I have been returning about 44 mpg, mostly town driving with occasional blast round the dear old M25. My only concern is the noise coming from the tyres. I have had the steering, suspension, wheel bearings all checked and are ok. The rumble from the tyres needs me to turn up the radio and apologise to any rear seat passengers. Has anyone else had the same problem, and more importantly- what is the cure...... new tyres or a change of car!!!!!!!!

Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 Auto. 2005

For a petrol auto it is good on fuel with 37mpg at motorway speeds. Quiet, smooth, reasonable feedback from steering. Quick acceleration from standstill but less so at higher speeds. Auto box in stop start traffic can change with big "clunks", I had same problem on a 02 model Vectra. Reliability has been good only wiper motor needing replacing & a fuel sensor. Previous 02 car had big problems with ECU & was never really sorted out. This model has an improved wiring loom apparently that has solved the problem. Seats are a minus being hard & uncomforatable. Dash is uninspiring but there are no rattles after 3 years & 50k miles. After 50k miles still just on original tyres previous model needed replacing at 20k miles. Having had the luck to try the Insignia, it really leaves the Vectra way behind but it is even bigger.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 cdti design 2008

I am very happy with my car, it is very smooth and nice to drive. It handles very well. The fuel consumption is excellent. Also the car is very spacious and the car has a spacious boot. Overall i wll give this car ten out of ten. It is superb. I give credit to vauxhall for making this car.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8vvt sri hatch 2008

Having moved from the vec b v6 sri to this four pot version I am pleasently surprised - the handling is quite good and the ride is not too firm the steering is lighter but still with a driver feel about it the vvt engine rev well through the gears and can hit the legal limit with ease. I am happy with the driving position as the drivers seat is multi adjustable and the steering adjusts to suit the rear leg room is not as much as i would like for an adult but the boot space makes up for this downfall in my books. Overall I am one happy Vectra owner.

Vauxhall Vectra SRI 2008

Very poor - - handling - rear leg room - equipment level - quality. I think Clarkson’s review was far too kind. Plastic is used where metal should be, the interior is just awful. The handling is atrocious, you have to go so much slower round the bends than in the Saab 9-3. Whoever put the SRI badge on this car was having a laugh. Do not buy this car.

Responses to this review

You need to see this car for what it is; fast, reliable, with a germanic quality to it and nice alloys. Read the other reports Clive - Jack Williams from Staffordshire

Vauxhall Vectra Elite Estate 1.9cdti 150 2004

I’ve now driven this car for over 70,000 miles and it has been outstanding. Fantastically equipped, and with an extremely comfortable ride that easily matches the supposed ’premium’ brands. It’s consistently returned over 50mpg without trying particularly hard to drive carefully. The load capacity is enormous. Can’t recommend it enough.

Vauxhall Vectra sri diesel 150 2008

Standard equipment is abysmal - no climate control, no cruise control, no parking sensors. CD player only - no aux port, CD player does not play MP3 disks. Interior design by Stevie Wonder. Just switched to this car from a Saab 93 with same engine and gearbox, hoping to get more space and lower tax. Handling is awful, squirms and slithers around like an Austin Maxi (which on balance I’d rather have). For the money - it’s bloody theft. Am opting out of the company car scheme to get away from this atrocious piece of tat. In the past 6 years I still have not driven anything as good as my old 2.5 diesel Skoda Superb. That includes A4 quatros, Holdens, Toyota Camrys, Volvos, Hondas and Saabs.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 design 2006

I bought my Vectra 12 months ago and have enjoyed its excellent fuel economy, it is an excellent car loaded or unloaded, however be aware, Vauxhall have major problems with clutch judder on all petrol range vehicles and it is almost impossible to find a dealership who are competent enough to rectify the problem. This also includes Vauxhall’s warranty department who are the worst people I have ever dealt with, they hide behind phones For only a little bit more more money you can by a Saab, which has a history of excellent customer service, keep in mind general motors own both companies but more importantly has technicians who can and want to rectify problems. I have to travel 15 miles to another dealership to get quality service in Coventry, despite being 2 minutes from a Leamington dealership.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTI Design 2006

I bought this car being 9 months old for £12.5k, with 7,500 miles on the clock. It’s the Design variant which is half leather and very well equipped inside. The 6 Speed Gearbox is very smooth and performance is good from the 120BHP engine. Drive it hard and you’ll get 46mpg, take it easy and use the 6th gear whenever possible (55mph+) and you’ll get 50-53mpg. Cruise control works very well and is far superior to the cruise control i had on my previous Mondeo car. The engine is available as either a 120BHP or 150BHP. I went for the 120 purely because i went for a diesel for economy. If i had 150BHP, i’d more than likely use it and defeated the object of switching to diesel! The ECU can be very easily reprogrammed to 150BHP by local specialists. It has a DAB radio fitted as standard which works very well and gives a superb range of station to choose from. The 6 CD Autochanger and FM Radio work well too. First annual service from a Vauxall dealer is £150 and is performed at 20,000 or within 1 year. whichever comes sooner. I’ve had this car just over a year now and i enjoy driving it as much now as i did the day i picked it up.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 petrol 2007

Dreadful, awful, appalling car. Noisy, ugly ,fascia looks like a Curry’s Far Eastern hi-fi. 10 years ago it would have been poor, today it’s a sick joke. No wonder nobody pays much for them!

Responses to this review

Why did you buy it? - Will Deer from Lancashire

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 Elegance 2002

The Vectra handles well but is slow accelerating. I had problems with the cabin dials and knobs but the Vauxhall dealers have not been very helpful... Apart from that it is a decent performer but in hindsight I would probably have gone for a Mondeo.

Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 d petrol/LPG 2002

I converted to LPG two years ago and pay 50p per litre with the same consumption and performance as petrol. My Vectra serves as builders van, trailer hauler and touring car Very reliable, cheap to maintain and a good performer.

Vauxhall Vectra 2007

I am very pleased with my new Vectra. We hired one on holiday a couple of years ago and it was dead slow but this new engine is so much better. It’s really nippy; the only reservation I have is that I feel the accelerator has a slight pause when I put my foot down. Does anybody else find this? I was advised by the engineer that it was OK and said it’s all tight being new and it would loosen up so I will give it a couple of months to see if he is right. It is a lovely smooth quiet ride though.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8

I bought my Vectra nearly new and saved a lot on the list price. This is an affordable family car with plenty of space. Comfortable, but not the sharpest drive in its class.

Vauxhall Vectra SRI 1.8 Sat-Nav

Handles like a dream on back roads, drives with total ease on motorways, evan when fully loaded. Most comfortable seats than any vectra and cavalier ive had before.

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8i 16v LS 5 dr (Hatchback)

Very pleased with my Vectra. Very smooth drive, on both long and short journeys. Handles really well and all the space you need in a family car.