Faults:

None so far.

General Comments:

Just got it, and it seems lovely to drive. Not as quick as my Honda Civic 1.8 VTi vtec, but I swapped for more comfort.

Faults:

Handbrake failure on my 2003 Vectra 2.0 DTi. This has happened around 5 times; each time luckily either on level ground or in gear.

Watchdog said months and months ago a new spring is going to be fitted by Vauxhall, but never heard anything from Vauxhall, even just to say we know your car needs modification and will be in touch in due course etc etc..

I did receive my yellow daft warning sticker, so they definitely know I have the affected Vectra and my address..

Faults:

Two steering racks in succession have sprung leaks and needed replacement.

Rear seat belt failed to retract at 35,000 miles; required replacement.

Rear brake calliper seized, necessitating replacement of discs.

Gear selector snapped at 45,000 miles (on a roundabout, too - lots of fun). It was then very difficult to engage gears.

Cruise control no longer works at 60,000 miles.

Intermittent fault on rear screen demister, also at 60,000 miles.

General Comments:

This car replaced a previous model Vectra, with which I'd had no trouble at all (apart from writing it off!)

The car handles better than the previous Vectra, but plenty of room for improvement.

The 2.2 engine has a good amount of torque, and is particularly responsive between 3,000 and 4,000 revs.

Good acceleration, and an excellent motorway car.

Well specified; comes with ABS, rain-sensitive wipers, cruise control and traction control all as standard.

Rain-sensitive wipers are very effective; this surprised me as I thought that they'd just be a gimmick, and be pretty unreliable.

The interior build quality is poor, and very "plasticky".

Good, sizeable boot, but the rear passenger legroom has paid the price. Front seat comfort adequate for long journeys.

As usual, dealer support was poor, but the Network Q used car warranty saved me over a grand in repair bills (see "What things have gone wrong with the car" section).

Fuel economy averages out at about 30mpg. I have a mainly urban 15 mile run to work, a largely rural (~50mph) 33 mile run home every day, and frequent motorway trips. It handles this better than the previous (2000) model I owned, which had a 1.8 petrol engine.

Reliability issues (see previous section) and general lack of build quality will prevent me from buying another Vauxhall, so this car ends a run of three, the first two of which I was very happy with.

Faults:

Nothing as yet - too early to review this element.

General Comments:

What a fantastic car!

I bought this 53 plate car with 45k on the clock from a NetworkQ garage for £7000. It is in ultra blue and leaves you purring at its subtle styling.

This Vectra is several cars rolled into one. It is a practical, comfortable, performance family car all in one delightful vehicle. No other Vectra can give you all these elements. Come to think of it, I am not aware of many other makes who could offer you all of this in one car without paying big money. Vauxhall were clearly aiming for this achievement, and my word, they got it right.

Driving this vehicle back from the dealer, I took a mixture of A roads, B roads and dual carriageways. One minute I am smoothly and quietly driving at 30mph through a sedate village. Then the next minute I am grinning from ear to ear as the beast wakes up and growls. Beauty and the beast springs to mind. This is a beautiful beast!

I have read other GSi reviews and noted that all of them said it was surprisingly comfortable. I can confirm that this car is very comfortable whilst maintaining excellent grip on the road. You know you are in a GSi, but can easily slip into believing you are driving a prestige marque. That is how remarkable this car is.

The amount of torque this vehicle has is outstanding. You could be easily mistaken into thinking you have a turbo that never runs out! It keeps on going and going and going.

I have driven a range of cars in my time. Some made me grin, some scared me, some left me liking only some elements of the car. The Vectra 3.2 GSi leaves me disappointed... disappointed not to be in it!

Please don't buy one! Let me be the only one in this area driving this truly remarkable vehicle. You are welcome to take a test drive in one though... so you can see what you are missing :D.