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After having all the problems ive had with my cmax we have decided to part ex it in against an 05 onwards vectra as it seems you can get some cracking deals on them now the new insignia is out.
Im looking at the 150bhp diesel sri variant.
can anyone give me there experiences with the vectra, common problems and things to look out for on them.
Are there any big issues for them when it comes to servicing?(my cmax needed a dpf filter at 75000 for example which cost 400quid!)
failing that i am open to suggestions on a family car for around £6000.
cheers
Steve
Mine is a 54 2.0 TDI so yours will have the newer engine and the revised front end.
It's OK but nothing spectacular. Big, comfortable and easy to drive over long distances. Fuel econmy is reasonable and, apart from the alternator, nothing has gone wrong other than wear parts in the 3 years that I've had it.
Not the greatest bike carrier because the back seat doesn't fold completely flat. I'd have another but I'd go for the estate next time.
I have a 55 1.9 CDTI SRI and have to say I really like it. The sat nav could be better (no post code entry) but I only use it if I can't be bothered to get the tom tom out.
for some odd reason they didn't put leccy windows in the back which is a mild irritation, more so for the kids than me though.
It comes with cruise control which is handy if like me you're doing over 20,000 miles per year. I drive to our head office every week which is 170 miles each way and I get out of the car with no back pain or discomfort in any way which I have found with other cars.
0-60 is quite slow (over 11 seconds I believe) but on a motorway or in 3rd gear upwards there's bags of power. overtaking is a breeze, I rarely bother to change down. Top speed is 135 I believe.
handling & grip is good, the suspension is quite firm and the tyres are a faily low profile. They're 2255017's IIRC.
Other than wear and tear (it's now done 113k) nothings has broken. I've replaced 1 hub as the bearings had gone which was £245.
All in all a good cheap car to buy and run which is quite fun to drive.
I ran a 56 plate 2.2 SRI auto petrol company car for 2 years and 70k.
Cheap to run; only had 2 services at less than £200 each, and front pads plus a couple of sets of tyres. Did 33mpg (fuel card :oops:) over the period (monitored) no matter what and how you drove/thrashed it. Plenty of space for both passengers and luggage.
And the facelift ones had a totally different chassis to the earlier (Clarkson slagged) ones, and it worked well.
there were a lot of changes to the chassis with that facelift. I believe that engine was new too. I get just under 60 mpg on a run.
the last time I filled up I got 47.7 mpg (true mpg not computer calculated) at an average speed of 42 mph.
it will need a few egr valves - 10 min job to fit and available off ebay for about 100 quid.
oh and mine is the 150 bhp jobby.
Just had a nosey on AutoTrader. Blimey, you can get a lot of car for your money.
The sat nav could be better (no post code entry)
Have you tried entering in a postcode where it asks for City?
Insignia Sat Nav has no postcode entry either but the above works fine.
err, no 😳
I just tried, you can enter the 1st 4 characters of a post code in the city which would get you in the general area. I'm not sure that's really of any use though.
[note to self: read the manual next time]
I'm not sure that's really of any use though.
No, its not really.
It was just a thought.
The Insignia manual makes no mention of postcode entry at all, and I was furious when I thought it would not take a postcode directly!
I have a 1.8i despite my log in name. 😯
Good points. Comfortable and economical on long journeys. Other wise crap handling and underowered engine for the size of car.
3 of the 4 suspension coils have broken to date. You can't see the front or rear of the car in your normal driving postion and the central console gets in the way of the hand brake.
I won't be getting another one and there is usually areason why you seem to get a lot of car for your money.
It's because they are s**t.
Thanks for the pointer though everywhen 🙂
A lack of cubby holes is a negative for me, my laguna (don't get me started on what a complete and utter pile of &@£€ that was) had loads. Considering the amount of space in the front, the door pockets are far too narrow.
I've had a couple. The Passat of similar vintage is a better car in every respect (and the new shape Mondeo batters both of them but might not be old enough yet).
Seriously, take a look at the Passat, it's lovely.
i have a 07 150bhp SRi company car (averages 43mpg with roof bars and bike racks permanently on the roof) , it failed its first MOT with a problem with the brakes - nice...
cons - occasional cruise control failures, coolant pump disintegrated 6 months ago, car interior looked dated even when it was brand new, external appearances look like shite totally agree with the lack of storage, i previously had an avensis t-spirit which although was the same size-ish the avensis had a bigger boot, more storage holes and better rear leg room
pro's - nice torquey engine, handles well, firm ride (likes being driven hard on county lanes),
its due for replacement next month (3.5 years old, 85,000 miles on it now - but i won't be picking a vauxhall again
Had that engine in my Astra - decent unit but had swirl flap failure at 41k miles - pretty serious issue. Done under warranty but was a worry for the rest of the time we had it.
0-60 in 8.6 for ours (an estate) so would surprised if the Vectra takes that much longer unless it's the 120bhp version?