Faults:

Nothing in my short ownership, but the car was bought used a few years ago and had the following replaced; new clutch, fuel tank, cooling system rebuild, exhaust, etc.

Do not touch a GSi Vectra (or any car of this age for that matter) without a comprehensive history.

General Comments:

Fast, fun to drive, reasonably reliable, I think the Vectra was always an underrated car, certainly the faster versions.

Yes it under-steers when pushed in corners, but not as bad as the motoring press would have you believe. And it's no different from any other similar car - typical handling of many front wheel drive cars with plenty power.

The 2.5 V6 sounds amazing and pulls strong. 0-60 comes up in 7.5 seconds and it will do nearly 150 mph. Only price to pay is 25 mpg at best, but all other running costs of this car are similar to any ordinary Vectra, although insurance is of course dearer as well.

I think it's a great looking car exterior wise. Inside is a bit plastic and very 1990's. Comfortable enough, though the ride is very firm.

I love driving it and got it for a nice price just a few years ago; these cars are priced a lot more reasonably than other faster cars from the late 1990's. Buy one now if you see a nice one - prices will only rise.

If you are into faster cars from this time period, you could do a lot worse than one of these, they are very practical for use as a fun second car.

Faults:

Sun roof jammed.

Climate control broke.

Lots of the expected wear and tear parts replaced over the years and miles (exhaust, suspension, brakes, etc).

Kept well maintained.

General Comments:

A reliable enough and very durable car, I have had this Vectra a long time. There is nothing wrong with it... it is just boring.

LS model is mid range. Comfy seats and some electrics. Typical 90s era Vauxhall. Grey plastic everywhere.

1.8 fast enough for me and does 34 - 37 mpg at best. Needs super unleaded - it does not like the newer E10 petrol - noticeably worse performance and economy when I tried it.

Hard to believe it has lasted this long, but that shows you any car can last if looked after with oil changes, belt changes, and kept clean and garaged. It is a survivor! I'll keep it for occasional use as a second car, getting too old and high on the miles to use everyday.

Faults:

New exhaust (center and back sections).

4 new tyres.

General Comments:

Absolutely amazing car from when we bought it.

Repaired interior (repainted) to get rid of scuffs left by previous owners, but still great with full black interior, and neat black and grey seats.

Has beaten a few cars effortlessly at the traffic lights, including Audi's.

More legroom in the rear than a new Mercedes E class estate. Good for tall adults.

Reliable, just needs an oil change.

Far better than previous cars, especially my Ford Orion.

A complete workhorse, pulling a family of 3 every day since we bought it.

Easy to work on, everything is accessible.

Compared to the Proton, it was like sitting in a car from another century!

Faults:

Manifold gasket blew at 80,000 miles. Whilst replacing it, I snapped 3 studs in the manifold, which was a pain. Was quoted £450 to have it repaired, but ended up buying the tools and doing it myself for under £30 including parts.

Front electric windows are slow to go down.

Slight power steering fluid leak from the bottom hose of the power steering pump. Will get round to fixing it soon.

General Comments:

I love Vectras. In fact I have now owned 5 of them over the years.

My wife and I currently have one each.

Mine being a rather nice low mileage 1998 SRi 2.0

They are easy to drive, Excellent on long journeys.

Automatics are more thirsty on petrol than the manuals.

Easy to work on for the DIY mechanic.

Avoid the 2.2 engines like the plague; they are prone to oil pump failure without warning, and will destroy your engine.

All my Vectras have been reliable, as I keep them serviced. Cam-belt replacement is a must with these cars, along with the water pump, as the bearings are prone to collapse, and that will make the cambelt jump and bend the valves in the engine.

They are better built, age better, and are more reliable than a Ford Mondeo.

Parts are cheap if bought from a Motor Factors and fitted yourself.

What more can I say? Oh yes, I have never paid more than £450 for one, including my mint SRi with only 60,000 miles on the clock and a full service history, which I bought from a well known Internet auction site.

There are bargains out there to be had.