2001 Holden Vectra GL 2.2 16v from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Awesome!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car so far.

General Comments:

The vectra is one seriously quick stock 4 cylinder!

The ride is very sporty, but not too firm. A set of 16x7.5 inch wheels and low profile tyres have made an outstanding difference to the handling.

Paint and interior finish is very good quality, as to is the engine, gearbox and chassis.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th October, 2003

2001 Holden Vectra CD Hatch 2.6 V6 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

GM still haven't mastered the art of reliability

Faults:

Rocker cover and gasket replaced (can't remember why)

Had problem with the engine dying whilst accelerating, and then recovering again, it has been sent to the dealer twice to address this problem, fixed the second time after replacing the fuel pump.

The Blaupunkt stereo got a CD stuck in it and the unit had to be replaced as it was damaged.

The car was hit by a van that rolled out of a driveway and across the road, crushing the car between the kerb and the van, the right mudguard, bumper, right hand side front light had to be replaced, and the bonnet had to be repainted, the left front wheel, hub and driveshaft were also damaged (cost the lease company at least a few grand to fix) The paint finish on the bonnet is better than the original finish!

The drivers seat mechanism is a bit squeaky sometimes.

The rear quarter windows leak air when the air conditioning is on, producing an annoying high pitched noise.

General Comments:

This car is a bit of a wolf in sheeps' clothing, It looks like a 2.2 CD hatchback, but it is really quick.

It was the first 2.6 German-made Vectra to be registered in New Zealand. They replaced the 2.5 V6 Aussie made Vectra.

This car is nice, but if I had about $45 000 to spend on a car, I wouldn't buy a Vectra as there are many much better cars for the same price, like the Mazda6 for example.

The quality is a bit average - but what can you expect as they are the cheapest German made cars of their class.

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

Review Date: 18th February, 2003

30th Mar 2003, 20:16

Since this review the car has spent 3 weeks at the dealership as the headgasket had blown. The car hasn't even traveled 50,000km! It has been serviced regularly (as it is a lease car) and it is not even driven hard. I hope that it won't spend even more time at the dealer over the next two years. May god have mercy on GM and their poorly made cars!