Let’s get straight into this week’s Shed, a Vauxhall Vectra from the last Vectra range to be sold in Europe, the ‘C’, which ran from 2002 to 2008. A what, you screech? A Vectra? Ah yes, but not any old Vectra. This is a 2.8i V6 Turbo Elite powered by the Holden/Saab/Cadillac/Alfa/Cuthbert Dibble & Screw turbocharged 2.8-litre 60-degree HFV6 ‘High Feature’ engine, No, Shed doesn’t know why they called it the High Feature engine. Do you? All suggestions, informed or crackpot, to the forum please.
What Shed does know is that post-2005 facelift cars like our 2007 example had 247hp at 5,500rpm and 258lb ft of torque from 1,800 to 4,500rpm. Running through a 6-speed automatic box, those outputs gave the 1,560kg V6 Turbo Elite a top speed of 155mph and a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds. Good numbers you must admit. The same engine delivered 276hp in the VXR Vectra which, unlike the Elite, could be had with a manual gearbox. That wasn’t as massive an advantage for the VXR as you might think because the Elite’s auto was not only smooth but also surprisingly willing for a torque converter. Its only option was a ‘snow’ button so there was no confusion arising from a raft of modes not everybody understood let alone selected.
Remaps could take the engine well beyond 300hp but most V6 Turbo Elite owners were perfectly happy with the standard setup which gave strong, linear performance and the possibility at least of real-world cruising fuel consumption figures in the low 30s. They would probably admit that the Vectra C’s handling, though improved over earlier iterations, still wasn’t on a par with the Mondeo’s. Nevertheless it was more than good enough for British roads and there was plenty of other stuff to admire in this big-hearted option.
Not only was it a refined car, it was also roomy with a huge, well-shaped boot. The plastics and the info screen will look horribly dated to anyone expecting premium 2025-style quality in a mainstream motor from 20 years earlier but the seats were comfy and, in Elite trim, upholstered in leather. Sometimes this was coloured beige with a matching Caramac dash, a mix that could conceivably have looked nice with our shed’s blue paint but black moo did save you from the nasty brown Wood-u-Like stuff that jarred your eyes in the beiged-up models. Elite spec also included an electric sunroof, usefully future-proofing the car for the possible arrival of electric suns.
Is Shed the only one who thinks that these late-model, high-spec Vectra Cs are starting to look quite good? The Insignia that elbowed it aside was styled more voluptuously to distance it from the accusations of tedium that had been made about the Vectra by well-known media figures - or one in particular anyway - but the Vectra C’s combination of flattish panels, an arcing roofline and chunky 18-inch alloys has a pleasing solidity about it. Shed reckons this particular Vectra was somebody’s pride and joy from new. Just 35,000 miles were covered in the first ten years of its life and even now, after 18 years, its odometer is yet to click into six-figure territory.
The downside of shed life in the mid-2020s is that anything with vaguely decent power and torque is going to hit UK buyers hard on vehicle duty. Sure enough, this 262g/km car dings the bell at the top of the fairground test your strength machine with a score of £735pa. In addition to that, there’s an odd, as opposed to normal, elephant in the room.
Normally it’s us punters who are supposed to wield the bargepoles, but in this case it looks like you’ll have to get past the dealer’s one first in order to do a deal on this car. We’re used to seeing disclaimers in ads, but this ad is basically one big disclaimer. Shed’s knowledge of retail law is every bit as comprehensive as his knowledge of importing cars from Northern Ireland, i.e. not very (see last week’s MG ZT story for confirmation) so you lot will have to have your own discussion on what dealers can or can’t legally do in regards to returns, refunds, guarantees and warranties. Shed’s only contribution is to wonder what the big problem might be. The current MOT (which runs to the end of May) reported nothing more than a blown rear plate bulb and some wear to the inner edges of the front tyres. Windscreen damage, a rusty exhaust and two broken front springs have all been expeditiously sorted in previous years. Other than that it’s been a simple tale of consumables.
Does this model have a disastrous inbuilt fault waiting to pounce? Not as far as Shed is aware. PCV valves on the rear bank can get overfaced by the amount of air going past, and timing chains can stretch. The parking sensors and cruise control had a reputation for being a bit patchy, as did the fuel gauge, although sometimes the needle really was dropping that fast if you were enjoying yourself. Changing the rear spark plugs wasn’t easy, causing occasional tech ‘forgetfulness’ during services. You would need to keep an eye on your oil levels and specs but that’s general advice really. The splitting coolant header tanks that were a very engine-specific issue with the 2.8 were the subject of a recall so you should be OK on that score.
So there we have it, a puerility-free guide to a serious and sensible (apart from the tax and, depending on how you drive, maybe the fuel) motor car. If you can see past the tax thing – and many can by offsetting lower purchase prices against the higher tax costs – the V6 Turbo Elite will surely have some appeal for a fast barge-wafter with £1,949 in their pocket. What could go wrong, apart from your mates having a go at you for buying a Vectra?
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