1997 Vauxhall Vectra DI review from UK and Ireland

I brought the car privately in March 2005.

1. Information display in the dash was garbled.

2. It had worn rear dampers and hubs, which produced a knocking over bumps.

3. Drivers door remote locking servo had failed.

4. Vacuum sensor had not been mounted and was found hanging down inside the engine bay.

5. Boot lid hinges bent from heavy use after rubber stoppers were removed or lost.

All told, this problems have cost me 400 pounds to have fixed.

The car has cause me no unforeseen problems as yet and always starts first time.

Turbo kicks in at 1,800 revs, making a lovely whistle, all the way up to 5,000 revs.

Handling is very compliant and is fun, either twisting through a rural welsh lane or the M1 nipping past people.

The cabin is extremely comfortable, road noise is present, but not really inhibiting to the journey. Seats are supportive and comfortable for long journeys, with lots of leg room in both the front and back.

Dash layout is easy to understand and the in dash information display means you can spend as little time as possible with your eyes off the road checking the radio station or CD track.

For a diesel car it's quick. The soft turbo makes it fun to drive, but not uncomfortable, with smooth acceleration and good ride quality.

As is expected, the engine sounds rough on a cold morning, but after 5-10 minutes is very smooth. From in the cabin, when warm, it is difficult to tell the engine is a diesel.

Altogether, I'm extremely impressed with this diesel. A pleasure to drive and own.