1998 Holden Vectra from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Absolute piece of crap - stay away

Faults:

Fuel pump packed in within a couple of months of buying it.

Crankshaft went.

Lost power unexpectedly in roundabouts.

Fault light went on basically every month.

Air conditioning packed in, and then packed in again after being re-gassed.

Broke down three times.

Lost power.

Things started to fall off it.

General Comments:

You could easily spend 5 to 10 grand on this car (temporarily) fixing problems with it, but who wants to do that on a car that is supposedly only worth 5 to 6 to begin with?

Avoid this car at all costs!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 13th February, 2011

1998 Holden Vectra from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Awful waste of money

Faults:

Engine light - Always On. No one seems to know why.

Stalling - Stalls without fail on every trip over 10kms. Turn the car off and on again, and the car goes again.

Radiator - Split 2 days after I bought the car. Had to be replaced.

Power steering - Gone after 18 months. Hole in power steering fluid tank.

Locks - Back lock does not close or open unless done manually.

Petrol pump - Had to be replaced after 6 months.

General Comments:

This car has caused me nothing but trouble.

Have already paid triple in repairs for what I exactly bought the car for!

Huge mistake buying this car!

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

Review Date: 12th April, 2010

1998 Holden Vectra CD 2.0 16v from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Nice-ish to drive and look at, but a reliability money pit

Faults:

- Idle control valve replaced at 167,000 ($400) (Holden)

- Cam sensor replaced at 170,000 ($200) (Holden)

- Engine mounts replaced at 178,000 ($500) (Bought parts myself, work done locally)

- Timing belt at 180,000 ($550) (Bought belt myself, work done locally)

- Air conditioning compressor & blower fan replaced at 180,000 ($800) (Bought parts myself, fitted locally)

- Rocker gasket ($100)

- Rocker cover at 180,000 ($200)

- Valve springs at 180,000 (yet to replace)

- Rear door power locks failed

- Front door power locks failing

- Rattling noise coming from somewhere on the left hand side. Only apparent when in gear. Gearbox mount perhaps

- Some bits of trim broken

- Radio has static on AM

- CD changer often gets jammed when changing CDs

General Comments:

The 2.0 motor lacks low down torque, I'd recommend you buy the V6 as I've heard it's both more powerful and more reliable.

The handling is acceptable, though on stock rubber (195/70R15) it can get a bit mixed up especially on wet roads with understeer then oversteer. Putting on 215/45R17 rims helps this an awful lot, and with them it grips nicely. Adding a rear sway bar also helps.

The features of the car are quite nice, with things like the trip computer and IRS coming in handy in various situations. It's really a true reps car.

A positive on this car is fuel consumption. The trip computer helps you view what you're doing, and my best figures were a great 7.8L/100km.

As nice as this car is, with a great profile, it really is a money pit in terms of wear and tear. Even when you look after it, things are still constantly going wrong.

If only GM Opel and GM Holden could have instigated better build practices, this would have been a great car.

For the same money as one of these, you can get an E34 BMW 525i. Do that; it's a much better choice.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th March, 2009

1998 Holden Vectra CD Hatch 2.5 V6 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

If you want to move up to a sports sedan with low kms for under $20,000, look no further!!

Faults:

Nothing much. Replacement coolant filler cap.

General Comments:

As you can see below I haven't had my car for long enough for mechanical faults to appear. Or perhaps I just have a good one in that regard!

So while I won't yet comment on what it is like to own one, I can comment on what a wonderful experience it is to drive one.

Front Seats: Are very comfortable with good headrests and have 4 adjustments - The usual 2 plus lumbar and height. All easy to adjust at traffic lights.

Rear Seats: In my hatch headroom is a bit lower, but apart from that, is comfortable for two, and has seat belts (but I wouldn't recommend a long journey) for three.

Driving Position: Excellent. All dash instruments clearly in view and the steering column adjustment is good. Controls such as heater/air conditioner, radio/cd player within easy reach. Steering wheel mounted cd/radio controls handy. Steering column stalk controls for cruise control & information displays a little awkward to master at first, but fine once you get used to them. Horn buttons could be a bit easier to reach in a hurry. As is well documented the foot rest is a joke, but I’ve found that the flexible seat adjustment can alleviate the annoyance a fair bit.

Interior: Well thought out, with three minor quibbles. First, the centre air vents do not horizontally adjust well enough to flow air onto the driving position. Second, the ashtray/coin compartment won’t open on its own free will when more than half filled with coins and third, the drink holders are excellent with cans, but nothing else.

The information display is comprehensive - (date, time, various fluid levels, front disc pads, light bulbs, trip distances, outside temperature, various fuel consumptions including kilometres to empty, stop watch, cd/radio settings), as are the dash warning lights.

Mirrors are excellent, easily adjustable whilst driving with no blind spot.

The radio/cd player is very good if not spectacular - a Blauplankt with 6 speakers. The player starts at the point on the cd where you switched off, and the radio has programming for 12 FM (over 2 bands) and 6 AM stations. Reception is excellent.

Nice touches abound: Different chimes to alert ‘key in ignition’ and ‘headlights on’ when leaving. Electric windows can be shut after key is taken from ignition. Rear window demister automatically switches off after fifteen minutes or when ignition is removed. Oh, and intentional or not the radio aerial placement above top centre of rear window makes spotting car in crowded carpark easy.

The air conditioner is excellent – icy cold even when its 40 degrees outside! Can’t comment on the heater until this winter.

The Driving Experience: I’ve been doing 250kms a week for four months and I still get a buzz every time I hop in! The 2.5 V6 gives great power-to-weight ratio. Sports shift is great for getting away at lights, as is the traction control. Breaks are amazing with ABS discs. Handling is exceptional with responsive power steering that feels manual, but without requiring effort to turn.

On the open road my car really excels. Corners can be taken safely at speed and the 4-speed auto is great for overtaking. Come up behind a car doing 100 kph, flick or kick down into third gear and overtake with ease. Overtaking can be accomplished over short distances at just the right power band for third. Opened her up early one morning on a deserted freeway and backed off once I cracked 200 kph. Still had plenty in reserve (230 to 240?) and at 200 had low interior noise without engine or steering vibration. Beautiful!

Forget the GL and 2.2 litre models and get a CD V6. For $17,000 I’ve gained a car with the performance and handling of a BMW or Audi. For that I’ll take the risk on mechanicals thank you very much!

Am saving up for a 2003 3.2 V6!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th February, 2004

4th Jan 2006, 20:55

Thanks very much for you write-up, very good, will help make the decision much easier to buy. We had a 2.0ltr four, but would like a V6 now.Thanks.