Gearbox lost 3rd and 4th gears at 80,000 miles and had to be replaced.
Heater matrix burst at 83,000 miles.
Anti roll bar broke at 115,000 miles.
Alternator died at 122,000 miles (2 days after a £400 bill for the MOT!!).
Rocker cover gaskets developed a leak at 110,000 miles - Vauxhall wanted £240 in labour alone to replace them!
Thermostat jammed open during entire ownership period - Again, a £200+ bill as it resides right down in the 'V' of the engine (Vauxhall garage allegedly didn't know this, quoting me an initial price of £60 all inclusive).
Acceleration is superb and sees off the GTi brigade with disdainful ease!
The engine is smooth and willing, but makes a pleasantly sporty growl when revved.It's also very flexible which is handy as in true Vauxhall tradition (I've had 3!) the gearbox is atrocious, being vague and rubbery. Quick gearchanges are not an option, so don't even bother trying!!
The handling is below average - it just wants to plough straight on in the corners.
Fuel economy is good for the engine size, giving a consistent average of 30mpg no matter how driven, and the engine feels as if it will go on for ever. This cannot be said of the bits that bolt to it, though, as they really don't seem up to the task of managing the power.
Overall this car is comfortable, easy to drive and will cosset you at a high speed cruise for hours in very comfortable seats.
A final word of warning - the service costs at a Vauxhall Masterfit outlet are very reasonable for cars of this age - I found them to be cheaper than most independent specialists. Just remember that the tiny footnote "not applicable to V6" creeps into the situation regularly and can see labour or parts prices double from those advertised in the big print!
How very true about service costs, I have 2 cars, a 1994 Cav 1.8i LS Auto for daily running about in, and a 1998 Mondeo 2.5 V6 Ghia X Manual as my having fun on the weekends car.
The Cav is dirt cheap to fix and easy to work on - I love it for this - so reliable too - much more so than the '98 Vectra V6 I bought to replace it earlier in the year and had to scrap the same month when the engine suffered major mechanical failure at 120K.
The Mondeo is a delightful car, fast, responsive and great handling, BUT, when it goes wrong, the garage mechanic sees the little V6 badge and draws his breath in - "It's a V6, Its gonna cost you!!"
The same goes in Halfords, Ford Parts Dept or anywhere else - "Its the V6, we don't carry that part in stock - specialist order only" and the ££ signs are spinning around in their eyes.
In this day and age, V6's are common, so why all the rip off prices and tuts and drawn in breaths from the garages?
I could understand if it was a Roller or a Ferrari, but we are talking mass produced cars here, Cavalier V6 - Mondeo V6 they are not exactly rare are they? - Well the Cav V6 now, maybe, but the Vectra V6 was its replacement and there are tons of them about, but when my Vectra V6 went for a burden, it was gonna cost so much to put right when the mechanic saw it was a V6, that I scrapped it and accepted my losses. Will never buy a Vectra again, so I have Stuck with my Cav and my Mondy for the time being as I lost too much on the Vectra.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site