Vauxhall Vectra LS 1.8i hatchback > Reviews > The long long road

Author's product rating:   

Safety	Good
Comfort	Poor
Road Handling	Very poor
Security	Satisfactory
Looks	Very poor

Advantages:	Four Wheels
Disadvantages:	Most of it

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

I have just returned from a trip to London.
On arriving at Heathrow I went as usual to Avis for the hire car. I was sneaky an upgraded for an Extra £8 a day to get a bigger car. To my surprise I got a Vectra 1.8 Hatchback. At first it seemed like a good decision. £200 for 4 days hire.

Avis was slow but I finally got to the car. After a flight you want to get in and go. Keys were in the console and ready to drive. OK, bag in the boot. Problem I couldn't open it. Someone had not shut it all the way. After about 5 minutes of trying I finally decided to drop my weight on it and force it shut, ready to open it. That worked, bag went in and I closed the boot. The problem was that I did the same as the last driver and the boot stuck half way AGAIN. Another 5 minutes pass and it is now closed again.

Anyway, I decided not to get annoyed. I drove off through the gate and on and outwards to the M4. That car must have had the smallest clutch bite I have ever had. A little to much and I mean a little and you screeched the tyres. Knowing this and making it a little less and you stall, every time. If you get the hang of this then fine but I hated it, was easier just to keep your foot on the accelerator and not stall.

The other major annoyance of this car was the radio. Every time you started it up the darn radio came on at the same high volume. Endless times of turning it off didn't work. Being on business I didn't have time to stop it coming on each time, assuming there was an option for this that worked. Otherwise the interior was pretty normal, nothing really to write about. Dials were clear, that's about it for interesting things.

Driving this is seriously uncomfortable, bit like a transit from a dodgy hire company. The steering was not much better. Light, overly responsive, neither here nor there. Brakes were OK though.

The 1.8 engine is just underpowered. Pulling away is slow and strenuous but having said that it chugged along fine on the motorway.

One thing I will give it was the fuel economy. I managed to get from Heathrow, to Maidenhead and use it every night (100 miles….) and back to the airport without filling up the tank and thus without paying Avis £1.75 a litre to refill, still cant believe they didn't notice.

Body wise the Vectra has to be one of the most unoriginal cars about. Its tinny, especially when you slam the boot. I cant help feeling its just a reshaped Cavalier with a couple of airbags and an annoying radio.

I wish I had stuck to the hire of a ford focus.