Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs

Top Gear Vauxhall Vectra test

Currently reading:
Top Gear Vauxhall Vectra test

S

Stradaxspace

New member
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Messages
26
Points
6
Location
Amanzimtoti, KZN
Here is a part of a test that Top Gear did on the Vauxhaul Vectra. It's apparently a very fast car but has no handling. I am not bad mouthing Vauxhall by posting this, because i know that not all their cars are like this. Any way it is very funny so enjoy.
 
Very funny. But anyone can induce understeer like that if they want to, in any car.
I love Jeremy to bits. he makes me laugh. But there are 2 undeniable truths:
1. He hates all Vauxhalls, apart from the rear drive Monaro.
2.Considering the amount of driving he does, he isn't very good at it.
 
pooroldcodger said:
Very funny. But anyone can induce understeer like that if they want to, in any car.
I love Jeremy to bits. he makes me laugh. But there are 2 undeniable truths:
1. He hates all Vauxhalls, apart from the rear drive Monaro.
2.Considering the amount of driving he does, he isn't very good at it.
Click to expand...

yes but that vectra really is bad even in every day "enthusiastic" driving lol
 
I have to agree with Clarkson, the Vectra is, sorry was, a huge puss filled sore in the middle of the Vauxhall range. It looked bad and it handled worse.


@pooroldcodger; Clarkson likes the VX220 and VX220 turbo as well, but thats because its based on a Lotus Elise.
 
pooroldcodger said:
Very funny. But anyone can induce understeer like that if they want to, in any car.
I love Jeremy to bits. he makes me laugh. But there are 2 undeniable truths:
1. He hates all Vauxhalls, apart from the rear drive Monaro.
2.Considering the amount of driving he does, he isn't very good at it.
Click to expand...

Very true. But if you have any friends that drives Vauxhall's, you sure can tease them a bit:D
 
maybe too much understeer for a hot version, but for a standard car understeer means the chances of someone massively losing control of a car is low. predictable handling means it'll suit those who don't think they're nigel mansell. what difference does it make to standard road driving?
 
Don't believe what you read guys. The Tc was off and he flawed it into the bend, I could do that in our lases Punto JTD. Evo mag road tested it along side An Evo, scooby and beemer and they rated it very highly. Yes I drive the "Very Common" Star Silver Vectra C SRi with the 2.2, same as fitted to some fiats, it goes well, corners well enough for me and has an massive boot. Of course its no good at doing donuts outside my local Mc D's like your punto's, but try follow me on a long bend or motorway...............
 
Last edited:
Tris Harris said:
who does that on here? do you have any evidence to back that up?

and i can think of about 10 puntos just on this forum that would rape your vectra on the motorway tbh
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

I didnt know you could do a doughnut in a front wheel drive car... put trays under the rear wheels maybe?? :chin:
 
Right although we don't have a Vectra, we have a Calibra, I can tell you they are pretty similar. Handling isn't as boaty as a Fiat, alot of Italian cars handle like bricks, I am not ashamed to admit I'd rather drive the Calibra any day over the Punto, the Punto handles like a sponge, and leans, and often can skid around corners if you were to take it hard.

There are however lots of better Vauxhalls out there as mentioned the RWD Monaro, and the VX220 (of course he'd like that wouldn't he).

All I can say is in personal experience I've known Fiat's and Alfa's to not handle backroads as well as our Vaux.

But I guess it's whether you uprate your suspension or not. Remember all cars are different weights too which makes it feel more solid on the ground.
 
Rushy said:
Don't believe what you read guys. The Tc was off and he flawed it into the bend, I could do that in our lases Punto JTD. Evo mag road tested it along side An Evo, scooby and beemer and they rated it very highly. Yes I drive the "Very Common" Star Silver Vectra C SRi with the 2.2, same as fitted to some fiats, it goes well, corners well enough for me and has an massive boot. Of course its no good at doing donuts outside my local Mc D's like your punto's, but try follow me on a long bend or motorway...............
Click to expand...

:p why would we want to do that? Or do-nuts for that matter, sorry matey but Vectras really are :yuck::yuck::yuck:
 
Tris Harris said:
who does that on here? do you have any evidence to back that up?
Click to expand...

Give us a tick, let me pop down Mc D's in Guisley and i'll get some photos ;)

Tris Harris said:
and i can think of about 10 puntos just on this forum that would rape your vectra on the motorway tbh
Click to expand...

Do they get a prize? I can find 10000 vecs on the vec forum that they wont!

Anyhow, i'm not into making this a VX Vs Fiat argument, all i'm saying is Jezza is very very good entertainer who dislikes VX. Top gear Mag also reviewed the VXR and disagreed with Clarkson. As I said, Horses for courses, our Punto is spot on for the City but out on the open road.......
 
VII CKS said:
Right although we don't have a Vectra, we have a Calibra, I can tell you they are pretty similar. Handling isn't as boaty as a Fiat, alot of Italian cars handle like bricks, I am not ashamed to admit I'd rather drive the Calibra any day over the Punto, the Punto handles like a sponge, and leans, and often can skid around corners if you were to take it hard.

There are however lots of better Vauxhalls out there as mentioned the RWD Monaro, and the VX220 (of course he'd like that wouldn't he).

All I can say is in personal experience I've known Fiat's and Alfa's to not handle backroads as well as our Vaux.

But I guess it's whether you uprate your suspension or not. Remember all cars are different weights too which makes it feel more solid on the ground.
Click to expand...

Trouble with what your saying is that you are comparing a calibra to a punto... new, price difference will have been over 10k? Therefore you would expect it to handle better, especially when it was designed to be a 'sporty' Vauxhall.
 
VII CKS said:
Right although we don't have a Vectra, we have a Calibra, I can tell you they are pretty similar.
Click to expand...
To be fair there totally different, totally different floor pan and not one part in common. The Vectra C shares the Epsilon 2 floor pan with modern Saabs.
 
Rushy said:
Give us a tick, let me pop down Mc D's in Guisley and i'll get some photos ;)



Do they get a prize? I can find 10000 vecs on the vec forum that they wont!

Anyhow, i'm not into making this a VX Vs Fiat argument, all i'm saying is Jezza is very very good entertainer who dislikes VX. Top gear Mag also reviewed the VXR and disagreed with Clarkson. As I said, Horses for courses, our Punto is spot on for the City but out on the open road.......[/QUOTE]

You simply cant generalise... out on the open road my GPS would match your open road performance, and probably better it on economy.
Click to expand...
 
After owning a punto and a stilo and now I own a vectra c, I can honestly say the vectra is a much nicer looking car, better handling car oh and the build quality is in a different league to the fiats. The only bad point to the vectra is the 150bhp cdti engine reliability, but as its a Fiat engine anyway I suppose thats to be expected. I think they should have called the Punto a ****o instead. :p I decided to get rid of the punto when I realised it was just too much of a girls car.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

V
top gear stunt - NEWS
Replies
3
Views
2K
The Beard
T
Dominion
Vectra master cylinder?
Replies
3
Views
2K
Ziggy122
Ziggy122
Ziggy122
p0400 + p1141 on a vauxhall
Replies
3
Views
3K
Ziggy122
Ziggy122
Didge3
Vauxhall is Vauxhalling again.
Replies
10
Views
1K
johnstoke
J
dave
small to medium car with good auto gearbox
Replies
7
Views
4K
ChrisUK
ChrisUK
Back
Top