Old Top Gear (Copyright BBC Worldwide) from 1996 Jeremy Clarkson looks at the new Vauxhall Vectra. Hilarious. All songs, copyrights goes to their retrospective owners.
"(Many years ago) I refused to road-test the Vectra on Top Gear, arguing that if Vauxhall couldn’t be bothered to make the car interesting in any way whatsoever, I couldn’t be bothered to drive it. To understand just how dull this car was, you need to visualise a chartered accountant in a tweed jacket with elbow patches, playing cricket, in a period drama by Jane Austen, in Belgium, while reading out details of the Enron scandal in a Birmingham accent." - Clarkson on why he hated the Vectra, 2002
My dad had a Vectra Saloon as his second car, which was kept for domestic use ( Going out in) as apposed to work use which he kept his estate car for (Manual Labour). Both did there job okay, but if you wanted luxury you would go for a Jag or Mercedes. Top Gear, of cause went middle class then elitist forgetting what cars were for, to make life that bit easier.
@@GryphLane lol, it's in good nick and goes 110. I wouldn't mind it when I passed my test but said I don't want to learn in it any more so hes give me a couple grand to get a car of my choosing
It was 1999 and I was a sales manager working in Berkshire. Our cars were replaced every 4 years, with most of them racking up 40k a year plus. I ignored the 318's and 1.8 A4's all my colleagues chose and went for a 4 door Vectra 2.6 SRI, the budget even stretched to adding electric rear windows, CC and metallic paint! My colleagues all 'enjoyed' their wheezing 'premium' German models, while I left them behind with a throaty roar. I bought it off the company with 170k on the clock, the only thing it needed before I sold it with 190k was a new exhaust manifold and a alternator.
Same. Had a red one. It turned off the engine when you turned hard so I had to have one hand free and turn the ignition in tight turns. Loved it. Drove many girls in it. Got rear ended and scrapped.
The Vectra that Clarkson drives in this video is the GLS 1.8 and it looks depressing and it doesn't even have air-conditioning 4:07. The red one is a CDX V6, that's the one he should have reviewed.
@@30isurfer Probably right. Even the "competitors" that he showed could have exactly the same criticism and all in all Vectra wasn't an awful car. It even had a spicier version. Also if I remember well didn't he also say that V6 Mondeo was the best car on planet?
vectras are better thant its competitions and something he doesnt mention that vectra had controls on the steering wheel..who cares about sun glasses storage..u can put them everywhere u want :D.btw i got Opel Vectra which is very reliable car and i wouldn't choose mondeo or that renault. and that stupid vauxhall badge isnt really looking good on Vectra because of that grill V..
Good, solid motor, aged far better than than its rivals. I know of one that achieved in excess of half a million miles and would have done more with a new gearbox.
Yes and i know of a red mk1 mondeo 1.8td taxi that's done 1,000,000 miles! Probably had a few clutches though. Probably never thrashed and well serviced.
Absolutely. In general, I think Fords are usually just a little bit better than the equivalent Vauxhall, and I've hade plenty of both. I thought the Vectra was a good car, no less reliable than any Ford, and the styling held up well over time. Lord knows why pricks like the other bloke get so uptight about a near twenty year old car.
The only remotely interesting thing I can remember about this car (other than Jezza roasting it), is when I had to inspect one for contraband (whilst working in security), and noticed that it had a Vauxhall badge on the bonnet, and an Opel one on the boot. I joked with the driver that "seems you've got a cut and shut here".
I just bought the salon 1.6 16V Vectra and really love it (my first car). Even compared to all it's rivals at the end I think it is the best by looks and all else, granted when it was new the price was a lot and at that time it may not have been something great but now in 2017 I think they are actually quite nice and for a first car really good. Only thing I really want to change on mine is the fabrics of the interior.
i have one of these cars ,bought it second hand and its been one of the best cars i have ever had still going strong . the bbc should of let jeremy try it out with a caravan towed on the back that would have upset him.
My dad had 3 vectras all used and cheap as chips, used as work horses (very hard lives) and ran like dreams to be honest they are not bad, have enough room to fit his market stock in every week end and his ladders on the roof with a roof rack for his window cleaning. Great work horses and comfortable enough.
In my opinion B Vectra looked very good in comparison to other cars in it's segment. However the driving qualities weren't that good and the low end torque was weak in motors 1.6-2.0. All and all I would have chosen the Mondeo even though I always liked the looks of Vectra better.
they sold is as a Saturn L300 in America, we only had two engines; the 2.2 Ecotec from the Chevy Cavalier (140hp 150lb ft) or a 3.0 V6 that was from your Vectra. I always liked the Vectras styling, the L300 was rather funny looking.
A seminal TV moment, when the review is more about Clarkson than the Vectra. Ok so it did not set the world on fire, doesn't change direction like a housefly or accelerate to sixty in a gazillionth of a second. Nor did it cost £200,000. It was driven by decent folks doing a solid job and it did so pretty well,. From now on TG was all about JC, the Hamster and Captain Slow... blowing up caravans, hanging the tail out in those £200k cars, launching Reliant three wheeler rockets and generally trashing anything that the mortal public drove. Insight, information and a good review were dead. Because of course that is a little bit harder to do well. Bring back William Woolard. And yes, I had a 2.5 V6 back in the day - it went well and it was a decent family car. I've had them all since then including the more exciting Italians, but nothing forgives a review like this. The Jezster may still despise the Vectra, but its aged better than the man himself.
The thing was, Vauxhall was calling it a new model, when in reality it was scarcely changed from the preceding model. The 1990 Escort was similarly slated when launched. Reviewers won't say it's good if it's not significantly better than the outgoing model. The vectra was as if Vauxhall simply accepted that the bulk of sales were going to be as rep cars and hardly bothered to make the car in any way appealing, as its most drivers would have no choice in the matter
@@lemmykilmister4919 incorrect. Like all Vauxhall cars after the Victor FE, the design may have come from Opel but Assembly (or making, to use your terminology) took place in various factories, including Vauxhall's Ellesmere port facility.
This was my dream car in 1995. I got the CD from a number on the magazine advert. I had parts of the car cut out from brochures and stuck on the wall in my student digs.
@@iainmclaughlan1557 I thought it was a joke, I have a poster with a Bertone mk4 astra coupe on it, but I have to admit its the old calibre coachworks one on an old mac power poster
My old local taxi firm that took me to and from school had 2 of these Vectras!! One was a maroon 2.0dti ls not too sure what the other silver one was, might have been the same! They were eventually replaced by mainly Skoda Octavias! The boss also liked the newer Vectra so had few of them in the fleet as well!
I drive one for 9 years now, after 12 to 16 months we will celebrate a half a milli - still stock, still runnin smooth, still lookin good among newer cars, timeless. Most reliabe - I can get in it any time and go anywhere and Im 1000% sure it gonna take me there and back. Haters gonna hate, my Vectra gonna drive. muHahahaha... :)
these were sold as a chevrolet vectra in brazil and they were my childhood dream car... but yeah all the competitors shown in the video were at the time sold as higher segment, they were all imported. I believe the vectra was produced in brazil. it shows that this car was intended to be a lower segment car compared to what it was being sold by vauxhall, hence the blandness
Always thought this Vectra looked brilliant. It's funny how Clarkson says no boy would ever grow up wanting one but it is one of the more memorable cars from the late 90s BTCC; Cleland, Plato and Muller all drove it. I've never quite understood his hatred for it because yes, it's a boring A-B car but there are l o a d s of boring A-B cars but none of them get anywhere near the disproportionate hatred that he gives this Vectra.
Vauxhall still gets a disproportionate amount of hate from the press, and I've never been able to figure out why. Yes, some of their products aren't that good, and the Vectra B was a high point, but the newer ones certainly don't deserve the kind of lambasting that's otherwise reserved for Protons, Ssangyongs and Suzukis.
I always liked the Vectra, had a 51 reg which was 8 months old at the time, pretty much a brand new car and it felt amazing driving it back in 2002, had presence on the road. Rarely see them now. The CD model was nice and comfy, they had something modern day Vauxhall lack, even though i now have a Insignia and it is a good car, it does just feel like a car and I think ill have more nostalgia for my old Vectra in years to come.
In the 1990s, fleets of these were bought by many companies, including rental giants for up to 40% less than the public paid. They sold them to the public when 18 months old at what they paid or more. Car firms achieved massive sales targets, rental firms did fine and the public thought that they were getting a good buy at auction.
I have one. Awful rust damage to internal support parts, but I love and keep it. My silver arrow will get a full restoration somewhen, once I have the budget and time. My opel Vectra is great!
Got to be said - you still see Vectras (and would see more if it wasn't for the scrappage scheme). When was the last time you saw a Laguna outside of this video and old touring car highlights?
The Vectra was designed for people that aren't into cars....they just want something that is comfortable, and will get them from point A to point B with little fuss or drama.
Funny you should say that as Clarkson himself once said that he always thought that the Vectra was designed in a coffee break by someone who wasn't interested in cars! So, there you have it! It was designed by someone who wasn't interested in cars FOR people who weren't interested in cars!
Had nothing but trouble with my 96 1.8 ecotec vectra camshaft sensor, crankshaft, sensor, airflow sensor spent more time in the garage then on the road
I served my time on Opel in Ireland in the late 90s early 00s I remember them braking timing belts and doing head gaskets All the time but thay were very easy car's to work on
Yes the 36k timing belt replacement interval was a little long! Between my own cars and a friends we had a number of 1.6 16v Astra’s from that era. My friends belt snapped at 36k the week it was booked in to be replaced.
Wait, we've got to the point where people's Grandads had Vectras and they're old enough to talk about it on the internet? And this comment was from 4 years ago? Where in the name of all that is holy has the time gone?
I remember seeing this when it was first shown. It was, I think, the first time Clarkson was relentlessly rude about a car on the show and it divided opinion quite a bit at first. But funny how the show ended up going downhill rather quickly once he left. I can't help wondering if history is going to repeat itself...
z00h It depends on how honest you're willing to be. Honesty, coupled with diplomacy, is fine. But being honest without thought for the feelings of others isn't. And considering Vauxhall were doing him a favour by giving him a car to review (and therefore keeping him in a job), his excessive honesty is pretty rude.
leopold Emergency? Hi, I've got a bad case of politically correct brainwashed social justice warrior, can you send a coroner over please. Thanks and you're welcome... world.
He single handedly effected Vauxhall sales figures and they hated him for it. the best thing they could have done is take his opinions on board and used them to make a better car...win win situation. He would have made a mint out of them they would have an even stupider car that people would buy and sell well...
With all respect Clarkson was wrong with his attitude. Thousands of those 90's Vectras still drive in the entire world. But you won't fund thousands of Lagunas or Xantias... and thousands of BMW from 90's. Vectras got rusty, but still reliable. While 25 years old BMWs become just a pain. Lagunas got "de-electricized", Citroens got "de-suspensionised". Maybe those years Fords are close to survive... but not so much.
I don’t how well these cars aged in Britain for long term ownership. But here in a Australia sold under the Holden name they fell apart and melted like an ice cream on a hot summer’s day.
Yes, I worked in Holden service and all the Vectras were absolute dogs. I'm amazed at all these Brits saying they got a good run out of them. They were bloody awful.
A lot of them were bought by the police. As a police car they were great. Loads of space in the trunk for equipment and performance was not bad. The handling on the other hand before 1999 was quite bad. I have a 1998 model and it handles like a couch. The car has to much body roll and it understears like mad and even worse if you hit the brakes in mid corner the rear slides out. I also have a 1996 astra caravan and it has a better handling than the vectra
It really didn't effect sales. Vauxhall just got pissy for someone telling it like it was, that Opel had lumped Vauxhall with something as interesting as a bucket of wallpaper paste.
I bought a Vectra 5 years ago to keep the commuter miles off my BMW 535d. It had 88k miles on it when I got it and it now has 160k miles. It is a bit boring but I am amazed that it just keeps chugging along reliably. The clock - when I first got it I thought the previous owner must have been a bit anal because the clock was always spot on. Now I know why. I have grown to really like it.
Was this review from 1995, or 1996? The two Vectras were both registered in August 1995, making them very early press cars belonging to Vauxhall! So, was it filmed in 1995 or 1996?
Really don't understand Clarkson on this one. I liked the design of the Vectra when it came out. And actually, the United States spend over $100 billion on the Apollo Moon mission in 1996 prices, which is almost 100 times as much as GM spend on developing the Vectra. Hence, this episode is factually incorrect as well. However, the Vectra did seem to have a lot of quality issues.
The Silver one N667 DUR No tax data available no Mot etails held by the DVLA it's last MOT was May 2008 127,549 Miles passed with 3 advisories Offside Front Tyre worn to the limit brake disc slightly pitted All exhaust corroded The red one N684 DUR Untaxed since 27th November 2009 No MOT Expired 8th Feb 2008 passed its last MOT with 123,285 Miles on the clock Basically they're both dead
@@CynicalBastard511 yea but come on have you seen a mint vauxhall cavalier SRI in black they had WAY more charm and head turning power,also a RARE car If you saw a mint black Cavalier SRI at a petrol station you watch the people stop and stare💯👌
Actually it is look similar to Cavalier, because in the rest of the world your Cavalier is just first gen Vectra, and this is the second one. It is a pretty reliable car and cheap for maintenance. I have one from 10 years and now she is on 24 years old and still driving well and faster than many modern cars.
almost all of the world.that first generation Vectra was not sold in Australia thanks to the Holden and Toyota model sharing arrangement that existed between 1989 and 1996.we got what was essentially the 1987 Camry as an Apollo for the Camira replacement and would not see an actual GM J car till 1997.
This was a Saturn L300 in America. We either had a 140hp 2.2 4 cylinder, or the 3.0 V6 carried over from the Vectra. It was a popular car when introduced, but reliability problems plauged it. Only sold from 1999-2005 and they killed it for the Aura, also based on your Vectra. We used a 252hp 3.6 V6 with 6 speed auto. It was fast. Alas, Saturn died in 2008. Americans no longer receive Vauxhall rebrands.
Buick still sells Opels. By the way, Vauxhalls are rebadged Opels. So what you are buying are essentially Opels. Probably the shittest cars made in Germany.
Toyota, Subaru or Lexus if you want a car to last many years. Buy a good one, look after it, keep it. People waste too much money trading cars in all their lives for newer models, when there is probably nothing wrong with the one they already have.
funny enough it's replacement the opel insignia also sold as a vauxhall in england is the new holden commodore in australia with the chevrolet sourced malibu sitting below it.holden were idiots they went from audi rivals with the very last of the vectras to what was at the time daewoo sourced crap.
I honestly don't any1 who had bought a Vectra. i've tried my best to find someone who i can talk to and ask him why he bought it. Turnes out everyone i met driving a Vectra drove someone else's car that had been given to them. Few of my freinds where on that verge of buying it, but at the last minute got their hands on a Jetta or Vento. And it's the same with the Insignia nowdays - everyone i ask tell me it's their company car. As for the "resolved" problems with rust - down the street there is a 5 year old Insignia and it's already rusting underneath with a 2cm hole in the floor; WTF ?!
Never understood why exactly he held the Vectra grudge even years after this, going as far as saying he'd rather have some sort of plague than drive it. Besides being a boring car, it was a decently reliable one. Bought a Vectra 1.6 for 380 pounds worth . The clock never worked but besides that the thing ran 3 years without any major fixes or basically any maintenance.
+ydin9 he held a grude against the vectra for a similar reaosn that he hated the nissan Sunny and the totyoa corolla. Not bad cars, any of them but nor crucially are they godo cars. They are average cars, average in every aspect they do. All the traits he hates in people. Average, reasonable, nice, satisfactory.......(se ehis nissan sunny review on his worst cars video for reference points.
ilcool90 What's so weird about it? Needed a cheap used car. Volvo we originally had in mind had expensive looking issues with steering and suspension on test drive. The Vectra sat on the same lot, same price range. less mileage , better service history and everything worked besides the dash screen/clock,
He once said he felt that the Vectra was designed in a coffee break by someone who had no interest in cars. He also said that this was the hardest thing that he did on the old Top Gear as he felt that the Vectra didn't warrant 6 seconds of attention nevermind 6 minutes of it!
