VAUXHALL VECTRA 3.0 V6 CDTi Elite 5dr (2003)

Amazing fuel consumption for a 3.0 V6

The Vauxhall Vectra 3.0 V6 is like a weird mix of a boring rep car and a drag racing nutter car. It is hugely fast, at least from my modest experience. We've usually got the kids in the back so most of the time it's just nice to be cruising comfortably along the motorway knowing that I'm clocking easily 45 mpg.

But when I'm on my own in it and I've got some decent twisty roads it's great to let the V6 roar and let it eat up the road. You do get the feeling sometimes of how heavy it is, and it is a heavy car, but mostly it feels really agile and fun. No doubt that lowers the economy of it, but meh, too much fun!

My Vauxhall Vectra was second hand so I don't know about how it behaved for the first five years of its life. Might have needed all sorts doing. I had to pay for the flywheel to be done but apart from that it's been only tyres. It's approaching 80k now so I'm suspecting that the gearbox might need doing soon, but to be honest there's no signs of it so far.

Like I said it's mostly the kids in the back, but it's easily big enough for grown ups when we've got them back there. Big enough for three in the back really, the only problem was for my taller friends that the headroom seems to sort of tail off at a really odd place, just a few inches before it should. Actually that's also a bit of a concern if we got rear ended, as their head would crack against the roof, hmm.

The Vauxhall Vectra 3.0 CDTi is a big car but that doesn't really make it hard to move about. The previous owner fitted parking sensors at the back. Thinking about it, the rear window isn't that easy to see out of, so that might be tricky without the sensors. No matter for me though.