The oddest Head to Head: Vauxhall Vectra vs Citroen GSA - Which is the Best? 

Here in Brazil we had the Vectra Sedan manufactured by GM. People loved it as it was a luxury car by our standards. But in 2007, instead of launching the face-lifted Opel Vectra, they chose to manufacture the 2007 Astra Sedan and put a Vectra badge on it thus advertising and selling them as the "new" Vectra. The old Astra was still being produced without the 2007 facelift, so people just believed they were buying a totally new Vectra. GM Brazil wanted to cut production costs, but still wanted to have the name Vectra competing for the market. That was odd.

Absolutely love older Citroens, used to own a J reg('91)Citroen BX and it was liked driving in an armchair.

The superior ride and handling of the Citroen were quite apparent in the video and it does have that marvellous interior. I was also surprised at how peppy it was when you put your foot down. Perhaps the Vectra is meant to be aspirational for salesmen - work a bit harder and you can get something a bit better - but I don’t want to be over critical of a car that is simply an adequate means of transportation because I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

I don't understand the disdain most people in the UK have for the Vectra. I worked in the UK and had a estate in a very nice spec. Drove it all over the UK and the Continent. I put 96k miles on it in three years. Never left me stranded and was very reliable. One of my colleagues had a poverty spec C-Class that didn't have A/C . He said he would NEVER be caught driving a Vauxhall. In the summer he would arrive at work sweating after his commute while I arrived fresh out of the shower fresh in my air conditioned Vectra.

GSA all day long. New cars are just boring and numb on a whole. For joe public- fine. For a petrol head like me.... nah. Great test and comparison Ian

Hubnut: Exploring questions nobody's asking with an interesting answer lol

Loved the vid, Ian! Great stuff! Every time I see your GSA in vids, it reminds me of my diesel BX -- I loved it!Look forward to all your stuff. Best wishes.

Very interesting comparison and the irony of an advert for a brand new Nissan at the start of a hubnut video never fails to make me smile.

I know what you mean about the dynamics of cars these days. You would think that with the increasingly awful roads we have in this country, that soft, wafty suspension would make a come back, but all the modern cars I've driven have been rock hard suspension and rock hard seats... 🥺

Hard to imagine that when these cars where build that one day their new cars are made by one company. Entertaining video as always!

You are such a compelling presenter. You get better and better.

I liked this whole video! Well done Ian! :-)

Well what an interesting video, two hatchbacks of different generations being reviewed and driven back to back. I enjoyed it very much indeed 🙂☺️

Interesting and informative comparison there. Call me old-fashioned, but I really like the styling of this generation Vectra and Astra (badged as Holden in NZ), inside and out. There’s something quite solid, safe and reassuring about them. I would be glad to have one as my everyday car if I didn’t have my van, which I can also camp in. Thanks Ian for the insights, a joy as always 😀

Love how the heater airflow control has a man with a hat on for the upper position; very much 'of its time' but all the rest of the dash is wonderful Citroen quirkiness. Thanks for explaining how it works.

I always liked Citroen’s with their quirky styling and innovative design. I had a Xantia a few years ago it was one of the most comfortable cars to drive I have ever owned. Sadly Citroen seem to have joined the boring run of the mill Euro designs these days.

Always enjoy the videos. Citroen had to unfortunately, lose some of its quirkiness to gain more sales, and thus turned out stuff like the ZX and Xsara. It's a shame they had to do that, but they did. Looking at latest Citroen crossovers, it's such a same to see where they've ended up. The Vectra is very good at what it does, eats the miles with very little fuss, which is why it was a firm favourite, with reps, and hire car companies, often some of the garages we had here would use them courtesy cars, because you could jump out of pretty much any car and find your way around a Vectra.

Interesting comparison video Ian. The GSA is in my top three HubNut vehicles with TWC & Foxanne. Lot's of character.

A nice comparison between car generations, the good things that have been improved and the good things that have disappeared.

The GSA is simply one of the greatest cars ever made and I will never fall out of love with it.

Nice comparison - Didn't see that one in Autocar :-D I can't believe that I had to add my own ptschoo, though. Standards are slipping! ;-)

All the vauxhall needs is a self leveling suspension ,rear wheel drive,and a good drivers seat and your laughing !!!!!! Great content .....STAY SAFE🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

Super video, cheers!

I had a GSA years ago and it was a great car only problem was it rusted then I bought a BX which has some plastic panels, also a great car

One of the family cars when I was a nipper was a Citroen GS Special on T plate and when it was damp misty weather it refused to start. The ride was superbly comfortable!. Despite the bad reviews of the Vectra, they were/ still are a popular car. If you get the chance to test drive a Toyota CH-R, Ian I recommend doing so. Nice quiet comfortable ride. Yet another excellent video, Ian.

Driving on sidelights in towns at night on a non signed 30 MPH road ( street lights every 25 yards ) was was normal up until the late 70's, it prevented being dazzled by ones own lights being reflected off the chrome on the car in front and shop windows. Using headlights during daylight, except in thick fog, is also a modern thing, blame Volvo. The road noise and handling on the GSA would be improved by fitting Michelin tyres as they were OE when new, the car being designed for them.

The 2001 C5 has the bonnet release on drivers side it's a right hand drive, parcel shelf that rises when boot opens plus a sun/privacy blind that's built into the parcel shelf can be raised and lowered manually, steering wheel controls for radio etc. And I believe the xantia had similar stuff. I've a 2003 C5 with 300,000 miles on it and it's never let me down.

Great test!

Re the 2.2 Engine in the Vauxhall. It was nothing to do with the Saab B2x4 engines. Not in the slightest. It was a USA engine used in Saturns of the time. Saab engines do fit however, as they have the same Bellhousing bolt pattern. So are fans of Boy Racers who want cheap power for Corsas, Astras, and Vectras. Since the Saab B2x4 engines are full forged and can run up to 500bhp wtth Zero engine mods. (Im an ex Saab Master Technician).

I'd have the GSA all day long! Your comparison justified it! Thank you. Very much enjoyed! GSA reminds me of an excited Jack Russell as apposed to a St Bernard 😂

We had a family GS. It was a wonderful and comfortable car. Mom, dad, little brother and me all comfortable in GS traveling to Greece and pretty much everywhere. Dad had a (surprise, surprise) company Vectra and it was awesome for being fast but very firm and felt cramped. We loved the Vectra for being a new car, fancy, quick, but we loved traveling with our GS more. It was more noisy but it made a soothing noise to us kids and we got used and loved the hydraulic pump *click* :)

Cool 😀 Both car's are unique in their own way.

Always liked that era of vectra

Nerd fact warning.... The guy that designed this Citroen GSA ..Is still very much alive (As of 13th Sep 2020) ... 88 Year old Robert Opron. This is NOT a very fair match Mr HubNut... You are comparing a unreliable car with bad electrics and poor stodgy road holding to a Citroen ... You are not giving that Vauxhall Vectra much of a chance Mr Hubnut... Ha Ha Ha Ha ..

McPherson struts were actually designed by the engineer of the same name while at Chevrolet after the war. The prototype car that first utilized them, the Chevrolet Cadet, was never manufactured and McPherson jumped ships and moved to Ford where the struts were actually first used on a production car.

Very well done. Great commentary that held my interest right to the end. The thing I always remember about Vauxhalls in the 90s was that they were very fast. Astras were the same. They designed them to do 100mph on the motorway or autobahn. I don't think GM cared much about the handling or the enjoyment. The GSA is so much more appealling. Glad it won!

You "fielded" the compare very nicely Ian.

I love the GSA dash plus fort. So bonquers!

Nice comparison. I'd be tempted to fabricate my own parcel shelf for the GSA with a piece of hardboard, trimmed, one end secured behind the rear seats and the other attached to the tailgate with two nylon cords!

As a former Astra G owner, I enjoyed driving the one I had. Its "Lotus Tuned" suspension setup made it genuinely fun to chuck into corners and I the steering felt somewhat better than that in a Vectra - which I've driven and didn't like anywhere near as much. I didn't have ABS or Traction Control so emergency stops could be quite scary at times but it taught me how to control the car better in those situations. The only real drawback I had, just like the Vectra, is that the seats were terrible and no good for long distance travel. When it came to replace my parents car (which was a Mk3 Cavalier and a good car at that) we ended up looking at several Vectras before eventually deciding on a Mk3 Ford Mondeo as the ride & seats were a lot more comfortable. I really wanted to like the Vectra but it didn't quite hit the mark for me or my parents.

The driveline shunt is endemic in the GS/GSA. With time you can learn to drive it very smoothly. The semi-automatic convertisseur however completely transforms the car and smooths out the driveline shunt completely. I rebuilt three GSs from the ground up and added thicker sound deadening throughout the roof area, under the carpets, under the seats, and under the boot mat. It made a noticeable difference The horrible loop pile carpets were also replaced with thicker cut pile carpeting. One must never be shy to hoof the GS/GSA along. It seems to excel when driven hard. I think the estate makes more sense than the hatchback. There's more headroom in the back for one thing and the tailgate opens down to the floor for another. You mentioned a fuel smell - South African built GSs had a black mastic sealer around the lip of the cover plate of the access panel on the boot floor and around the cover plate over the fuel filler pipe. I don't think your GSA does, so consider doing that to keep the fuel smells at bay. Also check all fuel line rubber hoses for perishing and replace as necessary. There's one on top of the tank and another underneath the car around the firewall, if I recall, and one onto the carburettor.

What a fine looking car your GSA is. The black really suits the shape! Mine was only 1100 ish cc and a4 speed box. I really need to buy another one. Not a Vectra though!

I almost expected the old Top Gear theme tune to come in at the end of this video

Really liked the video, interesting comparison think it highlights more what's wrong with modern cars in general rather than just the Vectra. A lot of what you said was wrong with the Vectra could be applied to most cars from the end of the 90's onwards. Power steering can be great when it comes to parking, but kills the feed back in cars today. Driven many modern cars (not keen on them, much prefer my classics) and they all seem to lack feed back from the steering.

A nice comparison of a pair of your daily drivers! I appreciate some of the complexities on the GSA, not because I've owned/worked on one, but the hydraulic system brings to mind aircraft design, esp. the accumulator for the brakes. Also, most aircraft (piston) have oil-cooled engines, and are of the boxer design (until one gets into radials!) (or auto-conversions--yes; there are "LS-swapped" airplanes out there). But, I digress... Safety seems to have come a long ways, but the automation rapidly creeping into auto design has me concerned; seems to be pulling the average motorist further away from "defensive driving" and "situational awareness". I've found myself oddly attracted to a number of the "older" cars you've tested in recent years, w/ good visibility, good handling/steering feedback, stick shift, and relative simplicity under the hood...problem is (besides "cash-flow issues") finding a not-too-rusty example of any of them locally...the best bet seems to be finding a good, used pickup, such as a Toyota Hilux, or Nissan (pre-Frontier models).

Enjoy the comparison type videos Ian!

I think it must be a function of me getting older but the GSA is really floating my boat 😁

What would make a great comparison video would be the GSA vs the Austin Maxi.

The gsa steering wheel looks like something out of the 70s show ufo

I like the new, wider shots with the wireless system

Haven driven Gsa's back in the 90s - even though the gearchange was a bit baulky and never superslick - I would definitely say that the gear linkage in yours is need of adjustment - there shouldnt be that much slop. Your Gsa is definitely a car worth going the extra mile on and ironing out it minor foibles. Once you get around to fact that the Vectra is now 2 decades old, you can appreciate as an effective means of A to B transport it fills it roll admirably - rare enough now to be a mildly interesting sight on UK roads too.

A very fair assessment. Having driven quite a few GS / GSAs (including the very same one above) , a Diesel BX and a Vauxhall Corsa Mk2 , I do prefer the G Series. It`s noisier, difficult to drive smoothly in stop/start traffic and rusts...but its also nippier, easier to maintain with air cooling -and the comfort for the price and size is just unbeatable ! (And you can soundproof it if you want ...) As for the Corsa, I might as well have driven my fridge...

Ha! I liked the last scene. Very Quentin Wilson! Another point to mention is that one car is totally grey inside and one car isn't. Cheers.

Funnily enough, I have a 2001 zafira with that stereo and its front is held in with a stick too. At least they're consistent.

I bought a new GS 1220 Club in 1973. When I took it to a Peugeot garage for its first MOT test, I was, upon collection told that it had failed with a non-operative handbrake. After I pointed out that the handbrake operated on the front discs only - and not the rear ones, I was issued with a pass certificate! I really enjoyed that truly advanced, if quirky little Citroen.

Nice comparison Sir. The more I see the Vectra it just screams give me the full SABB makeover to make me safer, and to look aggressive LOL 👍 Tam.

Funny how Vauxhall and Citroen are the same company now.

The best compromise for you is maybe the Xantia or the XM :)

Totally agree: you can have decent ride and handling. Try a ZX or a 306. But today manufacturers seem to think that to appeal to younger buyers the ride needs to be like a shopping trolley. Your spine is not protected by the suspension system, it IS the suspension system. Then they charge you more calling it a "Sports" package.

Certainly tempted by this advert for the gsa, once my saab is 100% and sellable. I think I'm going to be in the market gsa (though they seem rarer than the gs).

My GSA x3 had the same problem with the charge light... it was charging as well.. .I think the problem lies in the connector on the generator.. :) Miss that car! all the syncros in the gearbox was worn out... and the car had 98.000km on the clock... :O

GSA or Vectra tough tough choice for me but I am going #causefrench i do like the Vectra mainly for the mirrors but it still looks like a cavilier in some respects, but the GSA looks so much better and different from inside so GSA for me

The GSA's instrument panel is the most retro/futuristic thing I've ever seen! Wonderful. God bless Citroen for making it a reality

The bonnet pull is also on the passenger side in my 92 Peugeot 106 haha

That GSA is gorgeous. Lovely in black.

Under bonnet of the GSA reminds me of the early Subies spare tire on top of the boxer engine

Excellent comparison. I bet that 2.2 petrol Vauxhall is thirsty! I might be wrong but late in the run Citroen did a “hot hatch” variant of that car. Def certain aspects of the Citroen which could be worked into modern cars. I recently went in a very modern Citroen C4 Picasso…..wow….incredible ride quality. Barely feel any bumps in the road, yet I believe it’s on normal suspension? How do they do it! PS the steering on that Vauxhall seems to be like on my Honda-it will get u to your destination but that’s it. No going quickly into corners!

Enjoyed the rasp of the gsa motor 😊

Great video ian. The vectra seems to be just a dependable motor, which theres nothing wrong with, i had the astra sri with the same engine, which was quite punchy

Much thanks Mr. H an extremely entertaining comparison. Every time I look at your GSA I just think how modern it looks, it really wouldn't look out of place if it appeared as a new model (except it looks much better than most new cars). The slightly bonkers Space 1999 style controls are a delight too, why oh why did Citroen turn boring and want to be like every other car manufacturer, such a shame.

This is a very interesting comparison to me; I own two Citroen BXs, a 1992 TGS and a 1988 GTi special model respectively, and a 2000 late pre-facelift Xsara VTS, and it's highly interesting to see the performance of the GSA as a car first produced over a decade before the BX, and the Vectra as a comparative-era small family car to the Xsara. Apologies for the follow herculean essay of a comment, but I wanted to mention how your experiences align with my own. I very much agree with your statement that the BX's adoption of power steering was a big step forward - I've found both my BXs are very easy to steer at almost any speed, with the sole exception of full lock, which becomes unusually heavy quite quickly. The turning circle of the BX I've found is definitely lacking against later cars though, but fortunately is not a great downside. Your analysis of the general performance of the GSA is also highly curious as I've found my BX TGS has quite frankly completely unmatching ratios for the engine. It's a well-behaved and rev-happy 1.6L attached to a gearbox with an extremely short first gear - such that any movement of the car, either accelerating or releasing the throttle, is very jerky - and with very bad top end gears too - despite the rev-happiness of the engine, 4th and 5th gear produce extremely laboured acceleration and the distinct sound of some strain from the engine. It's unfortunate as the BX GTi with its 2.0L engine handles its gears noticeably more evenly, and both cars are otherwise brilliant to drive. Both retain the intense power of the brakes from the GSA, as I've been able to slow from a full 70mph to a stop in what I would consider an exceptionally short distance for a system designed in the early 1980s. The interior is highly comfortable as with the GSA too - my mother drives a 2019 Nissan Qashqai and has regularly stated her jealousy of the mid-trim tweed seats in my BX TGS and the very accommodating leather alternatives in the BX GTi, and I've found them almost difficult to get out of because of how well they hold me when driving. The hydropneumatic system I believe is very directly descended from that of the CX and GSA so it offers the same qualities. Brilliant cars that I've enjoyed every second driving despite a few small age-related issues. My Xsara VTS follows a similar pattern to your Vectra for sure too; it's the top-of-the-range 16V 2.0L version, and has a great deal more pull than either BX and very evenly-spaced gearing. The use of conventional suspension provides a very much stone-in-your-backside sensation compared with the hydropneumatic system as well. As it's a more sporty coupe model of the Xsara, corner handling I've found to be very flat and balanced, unlike the comfort-oriented BX, but otherwise it's a comparatively lacking ride. The interior of the car has seen a lot of wear from previous owners, but even in spite of that is not really so comfortable as either BX - it's plenty tolerable but is definitely not of the same quality. The superiority of the safety measures and inclusion of things such as airbags and ABS over the BX of course is another similarity with the Vectra. Again apologies for the very lengthy comment, but I think the differences and similarities between Citroen cars as well as different generations of car in general are interesting to point out and to consider.

My parents had an Oltcit. It was the Romanian version of the Citroen Axel. I learned to drive on that car. Had the 1.3 litre, 62 HP, engine out of the GSA. And allround independent suspension and disc brakes. Loved that car. In Romania the Dacia 1310 (Renault 12) was pretty much the only alternative until '89. And the Oltcit was so much more better to drive.

Perfect position for the heater controls on the GSA as it's always your lady passenger who decides the temperature & direction of air flow.

Have you tried super unleaded in the vectra? I had an Astra 1.6 16 valve back in the 90's, engine completely gutless below 3k but switching to super totally transformed it. I've a Hyundai 1.4 at the moment and can get a 12% improvement in mpg and a small increase in torque at lower revs by using super.

About engine sizes: Back in the days in France it was also a question of tax, The Renault 4 cv, the Citeoën 2cv, in Italy they taxed the cc, that was why engineers developed small cc engines with a very high performance, here in Denmark they taxed the price of the car, and so we had cars with bigger engines, but not mutch luxery but a hole in the Dashboard for the ignition key and a cigaret lighter ...

I’ve driven neither model...but from my armchair, the Citroen strikes me as an engineering led design aimed at architects - the Vauxhall being an accounts led design aimed at salesmen. So the Vauxhall sold in massive numbers to fleet buyers, and probably made a good profit for the company, whereas the Citroen I suspect never made much return and had a far more limited appeal at the time. And maybe because it’s a bit left-field, is the one I’d want on my driveway 👍🏻. Thanks for the review Ian!

I like the GSA. Lovely Rorty engine note and interesting interior. Superior ride. Vectra got slated for ride and handling so it's probably normal. Wasn't a big enough advance over cavalier. They did build the body well though as there's still a lot around with no rust. It's practical and acceptably comfortable

So the 90s car hadn't evolved enough to make the need for only one car great enough. Which means it makes sense to own multiple cars as some are more suited to certain types of driving and trips than others. Sounds fun to me.

Was the aftermarket steering wheel cover on the gsa deliberately put on at a jaunty angle just to complement the rest of the whacky controls and random wiring. My ocd was being severely tested. So Hubnut.

Shame we never got a Delica vs Took video ;D

You may want to wrap the exhaust?,keep those intake runners cool. Cool intake 👍! Several years as a race car mechanic. Cooler fuel is a good thing. More power.

I'd take the Vectra any day...

I would love to see a comparisson between the GSA and a BX. The Vectra certainly seems good for your purpose but it seems quite anonymous, but so does a Mondeo or Passat from the same period.

I must say the mk1 Citroen C5 has to be the best car with a smile. It always looks happy!

Another thing that all hydraulically sprung Citroens give you that is rarely mentioned by any testers. You arrive much fresher from you journey because the instalation of the harmonics of motion riding on nitrogen instead if metal springs. Less vibration transferred to the body at all levels is so much more relaxing. It also made them great rally cars where drivers were less fatigued after long fast runs behind the single spoke wheel. Plus a better view of the instruments and better controls... Ah Zee French. Viva La Difference. Hey, how about a comparision between a GSA & BX?? Please....

I had a 2003 Saab 9-3 convertible that looked remarkably similar under the hood. The bump steer on that car was terrifying until I fit an Abbot Racing steering rack brace. From the factory the steering rack was mounted with huge flexible rubber bushings that allowed considerable lateral movement. The Abbot Racing brace solved for this with solid aluminum. Might the Vectra suffer from a similar problem?

Only you would ever think of doing a comparison between these two cars! 😂 I'll take the GSA thanks.

that was a much better comparison of cars from quite different generations that the video I seen yesterday with ed china and some other bloke trying to compare an old MGB to a modern mazda thing....... ...............The GSA wins on looks as fas as I am concerned but the might just be nostaliga from my childhood...as my Dad had many as company cars (and 2CV's, Visas. Ami8's etc )

"Talcarreg"(?) At 28:19. Is that done with the video editor? It looks quite real.

I find it entertaining how car manufacturers have come up with things like "Emergency Brake Assist" or whatever just as an attempt to cover the poor response of a vacuum servo. Something Citroën had covered for many decades before.

Any plans to fit a radio (period or not) in the GSA Ian? Would be a good watch 👍🍻

In fairness when the vectra was new, new rubber bushes , shocks, decent tyres probably felt OK , its 20 yrs old was never meant to go that long. The GSA likewise has been partially restored, perhaps a 20 yr old unrestored GSA?

Your injector coils seem good anyway!! Burning excess oil, and bad injector coils dogged those cars. They were pretty comfortable and good looking I always thought. Would love to get my hands on a good gsa though, I'd have that any day!

10:45 Im pretty sure people call that Stockholm Syndrome lol

Interesting comparison test on your two cars. I would sell both of them, and get a Xantia instead. You would get the good points of both cars in one, but you would miss out on the air cooled engine in the GSA.

Rev counter makes this GSA quite sporty. I think it's the best all-rounder in the fleet. Very handsome shape.

I'm sure Lotus gave Vauxhall a hand with the suspension on these facelift Vectra B's? Or am I thinking of something else? The SRi 150 from 2001 got the 2.2 engine as well.

Ian, where are the wheel covers. it looks silly with hubcap mounts uncovered.

I think a comparison between the GS and a C4 mk1{2004-2008} could be the best thing to do. 😜

Love citroen. Not sure I could own one (don’t really know how reliable they are...tho Mums BX19 was good)....but would lust after a CX Gti Turbo.