Faults:

With aging, eventually you must change a lot of engine parts; this is normal.

- Water pump.

- Engine oil sensor (was squirting oil).

- EGR valve died and it was disconnected from the system. ECU was sent for repair, monopoint fuel injection was repaired, new fuel pump (China?).

- After a month, it needed a new fuel pump (BOSCH).

- After one year, water in the fuel tank and system (cheap pump station). Had to replace the entire monopoint fuel injection set, and new fuel lines from the fuel tank to the engine (old ones were rusty and clogged).

- Fuel sensor made a hole in the fuel tank.

85 000km, replaced ECU and entire monopoint fuel system.

General Comments:

Very good car, the only problem I've seen is the monopoint - if something is not working there, the engine won't run properly - I heard a lot of people saying engine bad, valves bad, this and that - after you replace the monopoint, the engine runs like a baby. I replaced it from other Opel cars like the Vectra or Astra in a scrapyard for like 34EUR.

Good at staying on the road, but it can't compete with new suspensions on new cars, but still it goes like a rocket.

I have no rust and the car looks like new. It even runs like new.

I don't trust the mechanics any more, especially not the dealer service - lazy people that charge fees / loosen a few bolts or spark plugs so your engine would not run properly. They even broke a few bolts on the engine and used silicone to plug the oil drip.

I maintain the car myself, and I have no issues since I started to do maintenance myself.

Really a good car, I will never sell it.

Faults:

Engine died because of a worn out oil pump. I thought the oil light is flashing because of a broken oil pressure sensor... I still managed to drive home for about 80 km; and the next day the engine was completely screwed...

In 2005 one relay on the fuel injection system failed (the so called 'dual - combination relay').

It took 1 minute to replace it, but a lot of time to diagnose the problem.

Main issue on this car: RUST, especially on the bottom (under driver's and codriver's feet) and the doors.

General Comments:

This car was my main car between 2002 and 2008, I drove around 100.000 km with it and it never let me down.

2.0 E fuel injected engine has excellent low and midrange torque; it doesn't like high RPM, though.

I recommend installing a 5 speed gearbox on this engine to reduce RPM and noise at motorway speeds.

Acceleration from 0-100 is excellent (under 10s). Top speed is not so great due to high wind resistance (around 185 kmh), but with 5 speed you can cruise with 130 kmh @ 3000 rpm.

Fuel consumption is between 8 and 9.5 l per 100km, which is pretty good for that amount of power.

Handling is great. It's very easy to control and gives you an overall pleasant feeling to drive. You may want to install a bit stiffer gas shock absorbers to reduce leaning in corners, though.

Safety: the structure is fairly solid for frontal impacts; protection for side impacts is a bit weak - compared to newer cars, of course.

All in all - this car is the 'new classic' for enthusiasts, but also great for daily driving.

After 6 years, I have to say, this has to be one of the most reliable, pleasant to drive and good looking cars in Europe. :)