2003 Vauxhall Vectra GSi review from UK and Ireland

Odd incorrect warnings

A budgerigar living in the back somewhere

strange intermittent cruise control problems, a smell like stale urine from the ventilation system.

It's OH MY GOD fast!

LIVING WITH IT

At first I thought the stale p1#s smell was the dealer that accompanied me on the test drive... or that I was getting old and starting to smell of wee myself! After running the car for a few weeks with the climate control flat out the smell went away. Either that or it really was nothing to do with the car and I'm used to my own wee-smell. I'll ask the wife: "do I smell of wee"? (I must remember to get a test for legionnaire's Disease).

There are known issues with the cruise control that relate to the sensor and the clutch pedal assembly. This was fixed by Vauxhall as a recall... but mine may have been missed! The symptoms manifest themselves in the cruise control just stopping to function if I try accelerating by holding the "+" button down on the stalk instead of using the throttle pedal. I used to do this all the time in my Omega and never had a problem with it. If I stop and turn the engine off and restart the car then it works again. My solution: don't use the "+" button to accelerate.

Occasionally the display in the centre console tells me that various bulbs have gone. It is lying to me. Turn the car off and restart... the display doesn't show any problems.

I really think the operating system for the various computers on the car is made by Microsoft. (Little techie joke there).

Can't find the budgie. I now just turn up the stereo to drown out the insane chirruping of that demented, but elusive bird.

Handling is very good and the ride is fine, if a little choppy, but I can live with it. It has 17" 5 spoke wheels running 215x40 tyres (NCT Eagle 5s... I shall probably fit Avon ZZ1s to it eventually).

This example has the optional full leather seats and a manual 5 speed box which was quite notchy at first, but I find it very slick now I'm used to it.

The front wheel drive lets the whole thing down. There is just too much power (218bhp) for it to handle. I had a "little blat" with my mate. He was driving a 2.8 Audi A4 Quattro and, though he denies it strenuously, it is SERIOUSLY quicker than that car, in all gears.

Amazing fun, but it will oversteer like a massively oversteering thing if you power it around roundabouts. My kids and my wife are frightened of it.

It revs quite low, just over 2500rpm at 70mph and when you drive sensibly on a long run you can get as much as 34mpg out of it.

Succumb to the temptation of flooring it and it will take off like a greyhound with a rocket up its rear private orifice. Then you notice what a Jeckyll & Hyde beastie it is... and fuel economy is ruined in one quick blast.

Basically Vauxhall have taken a big hatchback and lobbed a massive engine and a few extra toys at it and though, overall and for the money, it's a fairly well put together and solid-feeling machine it is no substitute for its now obsolete cousin, the Omega, which ot is wider than, though slightly shorter.

The boot is humongous. The leg-room is great. The controls all fall to hand very conveniently in the cockpit. The stereo is excellent. The seats are firm and reasonably comfortable, though not as comfortable as the cloth-trimmed equivalents in the SRi models.

Under the bonnet: forget it. It looks incredibly impressive, but get it serviced by a professional... but make sure they put the recommended fully synthetic oil in it.

Unlike the similar V6s to be found in the older Vectras and Omegas this has a timing chain and not a belt and service intervals come every 20,000 miles so expect lower total cost of ownership for this car, despite its potential for guzzling fuel.

CONCLUSION:

It's fun but I preferred my Omega.