Toms306s HDi Replacement...Haterz Gonna Hate!

[Toms306]

Evening,

Well I wasn't gonna put this up as I know most will hate it, but I've been chatting with a few about it in the chatbox and facebook so some people seem interested lol.

Anyway, here it is - 2006 Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi 150ps Design





















Full service history on time and distance servicing (not bloody longlife after the Golf!). Loads of stuff done including cambelt, EGR, clutch and DMF, windscreen, rear suspension, brand new rainsports all round etc. Full years MOT. Only 2 owners. Current owner needed rid of it for a people carrier (kids eh!) and wasn't exactly happy to see it go.

Comes in Design spec...which sounds like a pov spec name to me, until I looked into it - has half leathers, electric mirrors and windows all round, auto lights and wipers, auto dimming rear view and wing mirror, 6 CD changer and DAB radio along with on board computer and graphic display. Automatic air con (climate control), 16" alloys, cruise control, genuine fitted mats and a few other cool features.

The engine is a Fiat 16 valve diesel with a GT17 VNT turbo and an FMIC as standard. Smooth, quiet and pretty quick, despite the enormous size of the vehicle!

The exterior looks are a bit crap, I'm not a fan of them, or the colour, but I've not bought this car for its looks, I've bought it for the comfort, spec and cheapness to run. And theoretical reliability (yeah right! hahaha). The looks might grow on me, who knows.

It just ticked over 100k yesterday.




And in the last week I've already had two issues....first was a front spring snapping and ruining a new rainsport





Decided I wasn't driving on this fecking thing so went to scrap yard and picked up a full size steel with a decent tyre for £20 which I'll now keep in the spare wheel well instead of that thing lol.



Then when I could finally drive it realised it wasn't heating up...ever.... Thermostat knackered so i changed that in the cold and wind on Friday!



So hopefully that'll be it for a while!


Do I like it? Well.....I'm not good with change and it will take some getting used to...but I don't dislike it.

Is it better than the HDi? I should f*cking hope so! But seriously they are completely different cars which can't even be compared. One is (was) epic for B road thrashes, the other is epic for cruising and relaxing.

How long will I keep it? Well, aiming for a year, but I doubt it haha.

Any mods? No. Definitely not, fed up of wasting money on mods and ruining cars with them so no, this ones staying boringly standard. Unless some SRi lights came up cheap for example...


So yeah, I know you'll all hate it, but there it is, the HDi's replacement.
Tom

[Niall]

Where did you buy it from tom? if it was a dealer, they should of paid for that stat.

If im honest, i really hate these. They are ugly, really badly aged, low spec for the money new and sorry to say it but hardly have a reputation for reliability.
If you wanted a reliable car (and something with a bit more character), you should of bought 406 or 407. theres a reason cabbies use them!

oh and what the hell is a 'Board Computer'? Shouldnt that be on board computer lol

[ozonehostile]

well..... i wasnt expecting that haha

looks like an unmarked police car

[Dan!]

EA meets just get worse haha.

In all honesty though I do rate Vauxhalls now, a good compromise between cheap/shit french cars and expensive/well built german cars. I prefer them over the equivalent Ford too.

Hope it does you well Tom, sounds like it has potential to be reliable but we know your luck...

[Toms306]

Where did you buy it from tom? if it was a dealer, they should of paid for that stat.

If im honest, i really hate these. They are ugly, really badly aged, low spec for the money new and sorry to say it but hardly have a reputation for reliability.
If you wanted a reliable car (and something with a bit more character), you should of bought 406 or 407. theres a reason cabbies use them!

Nah wasnt a dealer.

Low spec for the money? How much do you think they cost? Better specced, better engined and cheaper than a Mondeo lol.

As said, it's all down to personal preference really, its not a show car, and it doesnt try to be, but its soooo comfy and 'nice' to drive. Nicer than the Golf easily. Not as quick though obviously.

[Niall]

Where did you buy it from tom? if it was a dealer, they should of paid for that stat.

If im honest, i really hate these. They are ugly, really badly aged, low spec for the money new and sorry to say it but hardly have a reputation for reliability.
If you wanted a reliable car (and something with a bit more character), you should of bought 406 or 407. theres a reason cabbies use them!

Nah wasnt a dealer.

Low spec for the money? How much do you think they cost? Better specced, better engined and cheaper than a Mondeo lol.

As said, it's all down to personal preference really, its not a show car, and it doesnt try to be, but its soooo comfy and 'nice' to drive. Nicer than the Golf easily. Not as quick though obviously.

Brand new they were well over 20k wernt they? Admittidly, better than the equliviant mongdeo and probably better built but still a lot for the money!

[Toms306]

well..... i wasnt expecting that haha

looks like an unmarked police car

Yup, overtakes in it are good....people often mistake it for a cop car i think, they all slow down!

EA meets just get worse haha.

In all honesty though I do rate Vauxhalls now, a good compromise between cheap/shit french cars and expensive/well built german cars. I prefer them over the equivalent Ford too.

Hope it does you well Tom, sounds like it has potential to be reliable but we know your luck...

Indeed haha, EA meets might as well be Vaux meets if we get any more lol.

And yeah, before I had one, I was under the same impression as Niall that Vaux = shit. Infact I even test drove a 120 prefacelift and hated it just a few months back. But circumstances and tastes chage over time I guess! Plus it'll go nicely with my slippers.

And yeah, I know it won't be reliable. I cover lots of miles, on shit roads and live in an area full of salty sea air...my cars always take a battering!

[DeeTurbo]

There not to bad like you said there good for cruising. My brother bought one as something to get him by as his last car let him down also.

Keep an eye on the cambelt idles as they're made of shit plastic. The one on my bothers car seized and he only noticed when there was smoke coming out the bonnet when the cambelt was rubbing across it.

[Toms306]

Where did you buy it from tom? if it was a dealer, they should of paid for that stat.

If im honest, i really hate these. They are ugly, really badly aged, low spec for the money new and sorry to say it but hardly have a reputation for reliability.
If you wanted a reliable car (and something with a bit more character), you should of bought 406 or 407. theres a reason cabbies use them!

Nah wasnt a dealer.

Low spec for the money? How much do you think they cost? Better specced, better engined and cheaper than a Mondeo lol.

As said, it's all down to personal preference really, its not a show car, and it doesnt try to be, but its soooo comfy and 'nice' to drive. Nicer than the Golf easily. Not as quick though obviously.

Brand new they were well over 20k wernt they? Admittidly, better than the equliviant mongdeo and probably better built but still a lot for the money!

Oh sorry I thought you meant now....luckily they've depreciated like hell! IMO £3000 for that kinda spec at that age is damn good value... Oh and yes, new the high spec diesels were about £25k lol

---

There not to bad like you said there good for cruising. My brother bought one as something to get him by as his last car let him down also.

Keep an eye on the cambelt idles as they're made of shit plastic. The one on my bothers car seized and he only noticed when there was smoke coming out the bonnet when the cambelt was rubbing across it.

Oh dear, that doesnt sound good! Cambelt kit was changed last year though so should all be good for now I hope.

[Niall]

well..... i wasnt expecting that haha

looks like an unmarked police car

Yup, overtakes in it are good....people often mistake it for a cop car i think, they all slow down!

i used to love that with the skoda. If someone was driving like a dick, i would follow them in and out of lanes and normally they would pull over to the inside lane and do 65-70 when they overtook me at about 90 lol

[Piggy]

yeeeeeuuuuuuuch!

[C2K]

Wouldn't drive that if you paid me, hateful things. Ergonomic was clearly not within the remit of the design spec for that car.

[Toms306]

[lolsteve]

looks nicer than a mondeo at least.
trust you've had it break already though, who are you buying your cars off

[Piggy]

Wouldn't drive that if you paid me, hateful things. Ergonomic was clearly not within the remit of the design spec for that car.

or happiness.
or fun.
or enjoyment.
or style.
or pleasure.

[Toms306]

looks nicer than a mondeo at least.
trust you've had it break already though, who are you buying your cars off

Does it? Both these and Mondeos look ugly from outside imo!

And yeah, doesn't matter where I buy cars from; ebay, gumtree, dealer, side of the road...they all break! This was a private sale listed on ebay and gumtree though lol.

[Strikeforce]

Well i like it tom lol never used to tho used to despise em but i must be getting old and not bad for the price and atleast its got the main problems out of the way, lets hope it serves you well

[Toms306]

Wouldn't drive that if you paid me, hateful things. Ergonomic was clearly not within the remit of the design spec for that car.

or happiness.
or fun.
or enjoyment.
or style.
or pleasure.

But relaxation, comfort and spec definitely were!

It's really odd, I've never driven a car that i didn't want to thrash the bollocks off of until this! Now I'm the one holding everyone else up on the B road at 45mph whilst falling asleep on cruise control and letting the car do everything else.

So much more relaxing than hammering a 306 everywhere! And right now a bit of relaxation is what I've been looking for lol!

[Jonny81191]

Meh.

That is all.

[Toms306]

Well i like it tom lol never used to tho used to despise em but i must be getting old and not bad for the price and atleast its got the main problems out of the way, lets hope it serves you well

Haha, yeah none of us are getting any younger. And atleast I can fit the walker in the boot.




Its my Nans walker, Im not that bloody old!

[C2K]

Pfft, our company vectra was an absolute heap of shit. 2.2 Petrol, handled like a boat, went like one too, was naff inside, naff outside, ride was godawful, seats were shit. Can't understand why anyone who wasn't forced to drive one would buy one.

Chuck all the spec you want in it, you can't polish a turd.

[1616six]

People are so quick to judge, these are epic cars for the money!

It's the longest I've ever kept a car & not one part of me wants rid of mine!

Nice one though Tom, they are brilliant cars. Loads of room, plenty of power, lots of gadgets & il say it over and over again, handling is very good for a big car!

[Piggy]

good point...

polish a turd...its still a turd.

[Toms306]

Pfft, our company vectra was an absolute heap of shit. 2.2 Petrol, handled like a boat, went like one too, was naff inside, naff outside, ride was godawful, seats were shit. Can't understand why anyone who wasn't forced to drive one would buy one.

Chuck all the spec you want in it, you can't polish a turd.

I doubt a pov spec 2.2 petrol is anything like a well specced diesel? Suspension and chassis have been changed on the facelift so if yours was pre facelift and not an SRi then handling was shocking yes, which is one thing I hated about the povvo 120 I looked at before. However on this its actually surprisingly direct and holds corners much better than the HDi does at higher speeds too, I was genuinely shocked at the handling, given the extremely comfortable ride. It's just the exterior which is a let down in my opinion. Yes its a bit 'boaty' but its a big car for lugging big loads...its as long as the 306 estate lol, and definitely wider, you can't expect it to have a small wheel base and handle like a go cart.

End of the day it depends what you like - but how can you say handling and ride were awful...you tend to get one or the other lol.

And I've polished turds for years...306s are terrible on paper, doesn't mean they are in real life though, which I'd say is the same here tbh. Outside of this forum, Vectras don't have the same stigma as 306s do (you know when you tell people you own a 306 and they always ask why..as if you've done it by accident!) but they're generally seen as dull and boring, hence the low price tag. Even the parkers website slates them pretty badly. Yet when you've actually got one, it's nowhere near as bad as people make out.

People are so quick to judge, these are epic cars for the money!

It's the longest I've ever kept a car & not one part of me wants rid of mine!

Nice one though Tom, they are brilliant cars. Loads of room, plenty of power, lots of gadgets & il say it over and over again, handling is very good for a big car!

Lol, I give it a month...

But yeah I totally agree with you, excellent value for money!

[Niall]

People are so quick to judge, these are epic cars for the money!

It's the longest I've ever kept a car & not one part of me wants rid of mine!

Nice one though Tom, they are brilliant cars. Loads of room, plenty of power, lots of gadgets & il say it over and over again, handling is very good for a big car!

No people are giving their opinions. If peoples opinions never differed, you would find that everyone would drive one brand and model of car and thats it. Think your a bit to sensitive about people giving their opinions about these vauxhalls. If you like it, then thats good. Its what ever works for you. f*ck what other people think!

A mates dad had one of these in this shape except his was the 3.0 v6 petrol. He reckoned it properly shifted so took me and my mate out in it. Not impressed was a understatement!

[Toms306]

A mates dad had one of these in this shape except his was the 3.0 v6 petrol. He reckoned it properly shifted so took me and my mate out in it. Not impressed was a understatement!

This is totally dependant on the person though. Theres people on here that'll tell you a TU or a HDi in standard form are properly quick, when they just aren't.

Depends what you're used to and what you've had in the past - the Vec feels slower to me than my Golf, havent timed it, but it probably is........but to someone thats only had a 1.0 Saxo they'd think it's wew kwik innit.

And don't forget you dont feel speed in big comfortable cars (your Saab must've been the same!)...you can cruise at 3 figure speeds while whispering to a passenger and barely notice it.......yet hit 95 in a 106 and it's like all hell is breaking loose and you're still not even able to hear people shouting.

[Niall]

A mates dad had one of these in this shape except his was the 3.0 v6 petrol. He reckoned it properly shifted so took me and my mate out in it. Not impressed was a understatement!

This is totally dependant on the person though. Theres people on here that'll tell you a TU or a HDi in standard form are properly quick, when they just aren't.

Depends what you're used to and what you've had in the past - the Vec feels slower to me than my Golf, havent timed it, but it probably is........but to someone thats only had a 1.0 Saxo they'd think it's wew kwik innit.

And don't forget you dont feel speed in big comfortable cars (your Saab must've been the same!)...you can cruise at 3 figure speeds while whispering to a passenger and barely notice it.......yet hit 95 in a 106 and it's like all hell is breaking loose and you're still not even able to hear people shouting.

Oh yeah completely. I suppose it all depends what you have driven in your driving history. If all you have driven is 1.4s all your life, a 2.0tdi will feel quick. If your used to driving aston martins every day, a Golf R will feel slow!

And yeah even in the skoda and kia, the speed can very easily get carried away with you. Not quite 130mph cruising like i did to my interview at virgin media in the saab lol but that thing was f*cking huge!

[rd070707]

not a bad choice in my opinion, sometimes its wise to just get something that runs steady to take the pressure off yourself, cos at the end of the day its a car, and looks and handling etc don't always have to awesome for the car to do its job

[Eeyore]

its meh. But we all know why tom has it and i hope it does you well mate! Undoubtedly Ill see it soon. Dont think youll be able to park on my nans drive as itll take up all the space! D: I do think in that picture that the 306 estate has more character!

[Jake]

IMO seeing it sat next to your estate id rather have the Vectra. Any reason you didn't get the same specced' astra? seems the logical choice to me ?