1998 Vauxhall Vectra Arctic II 1.8 petrol

Summary:

A smooth car, but so fickle

Faults:

Sticking throttle pedal. New throttle body at 330 pounds.

Front pads; 60 pounds.

Cigar lighter blown.

All at 22000 miles.

Erratic idling at 28000 miles, pounds?

Blown instruments lamp on right side.

Grating sound from front discs, although not mentioned by me or dealer at service.

General Comments:

I have to say up to the present, my dealer has sorted all faults; the throttle body was replaced under warranty.

But I am worried, as this new idling fault, which developed last month, seems very common, but unsolvable.

Still I have a few weeks on my warranty left.

I love the ride of this car, although it seems sluggish with four people compared to my old 2 litre automatic Cavalier.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th August, 2002

27th Feb 2007, 04:25

"this new idling fault, which developed last month, seems very common, but unsolvable."

Get the EcoTec idle speed control valve checked out. This should stop that happening.

1998 Vauxhall Vectra GSi 2.5 V6

Summary:

High performance motorway car

Faults:

The plastic mounting on the side of the seat, which houses the electric seat adjustment button came loose when pressed firmly. I have yet to manage to remount this.

General Comments:

This car is a dream!

When first driving this car it makes other saloons seem like tractors.

The engine has superb performance, and pushes out 194hp. There is a large lack of power at under 3500 revs per minute, I have been told this is due to different engine management computers. The engine sounds awesome and makes heads turn.

My car was taken onto an autobahn whilst on a trip to Frankfurt in Germany. The top speed was reached in under a few minutes and went up to 158mph whilst revving at 6500rpm. If the engine could have revved further I feel it would have simple kept going.

The general "around town" handling is good, although there is a distinct feeling of understeer around a roundabout when the car is pushed.

The air conditioning unit does not perform as well as I would have liked, it takes 4 miles per gallon and is not quite cool enough.

Generally the build quality of this car is comparable to my Fathers BMW 520i.

If you prefer saloons and want something quick for motorway driving, then this is the car for you!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th July, 2002

1998 Vauxhall Vectra SRi 2.5 24v V6

Summary:

Great high performance car with a huge boot and very comfortable

Faults:

Brakes replaced all round £500, warped after 1500 miles after having to brake to miss an accident. Not sure if this damage should happen after hitting the brakes hard once!

Misty indicators.

Synchromesh (3rd Gear)

Exhaust (rear box) needs replacing, quoted £300.

General Comments:

Generally the car is a dream to drive. The engine is great, moves when it wants to. Will eat most of the competition.

Typical Vectra rattles.

Huge cabin.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th July, 2002

1998 Vauxhall Vectra CDX 2.5 V6

Summary:

The 2.5 or 2.6ltr V6 Vectra CDX offers Jaguar Performance and comfort for bargain price

Faults:

Front main speaker had to be replaced.

General Comments:

This car is smooth and powerful.

The equipment level is extremely comprehensive and very functional.

The automatic climate control works superbly.

Automatic gearbox is smooth and changes imperceptible when cruising, however can be jerky when accelerating hard overtaking.

The seats are very comfortable over long journeys and the leather has a very sturdy feel.

The controls for the cruise control are extremely easy to use and economy on long distances is amazing - on one 500mile round trip on motor-ways the average consumption was 39.4mpg.

When booking in for 40000 routine service the Vauxhall Dealership has advised that the cam-belt be changed in line with current policy and not as per the handbook.

Purchased second hand at between 2 and 4 years old the car has become a bargain having depreciated during this time by over £12000 from its original £20000+ price tag.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2002

22nd Jun 2002, 10:29

I agree, generally, with the sentiments expressed in this survey, BUT, I have found dealerships/service garages extremely disappointing and expensive.

Regarding the cruise control - when I first had my car, the control would work down to 30 mph, but now only works at 50 mph and above (i.e. with the engine speed above 2000 r.p.m.). What is your experience at these speeds?