Mike123

Hello there,

Has anyone got any ownership experience of the 2.5 V6 Gsi Vectra and also the later 2.6 litre GSi? ( not the current shape 3.2 Gsi!)
If you've owned both of the above is the 2.6 version much torquier than the earlier car?
Any particular problems to look out for. Reading back a few old Autocar/Evo/Revs mag reports
they seem to prefer it to the Mondeo ST24 and according to the road tests seems to be
a bit more economical than the Mondeo due to the longer gearing?

Cheers

GaryScoobNCBR

Hi Mike,

My friend owns the 2.6GSI and its quite a nice car.

Although he's had problems with rust :O and a few other things going wrong which you wouldnt expect from a new car.

Patt@firstime

My g/f's Dad has a 2.5 V6 SRi (?) and does loads of miles in it - 100k + on the clock now and he said its been one of the most reliable cars hes ever owned

Bubba po

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the 2.5 and the 2.6 are exactly the same engine displacement. I was toying with the idea of getting one before the scoob.

Stryder

Hi Mike

I currently own a 2.6 GSi.

I have had it from new on an 02, and have covered 13k now.
It is a good all rounder with decent handling and performance.

They start out life as SRi's and where further enchanced with 3.0ltr cams, Eibach springs all round, bigger brakes, special recaro interior, and a Magnex stainless back box. Also 17" wheels and the body add-ons. They are a special edition model, and there are only 500 made.

The 2.5 have 197 bhp, and 190lbs of torque. The torque on this engine comes in quite late, and the engine really has to be kept on the boil to maintain good progress.

The 2.6 has 182bhp and 202lbs of torque, but the torque comes in a lot earlier. As a result I think the both cars have almost equal performance and cannot be split. Performance wise, the mags say 0-60 in around 7.5 sec and onto 146mph. I know of another 2.6 GSi driver who has been clocked on a run 0-60 6.6 and onto a genuine 142mph with timing gear, and he said that he had a little more to go. Maybe good for 149-150mph. Ive had an indicated 145mph with aprox 750 rpms to go, no a private test track of course.

Economy is decent. Mixed town driving will see you get about 25mpg, and about 35-40 mpg on the motorway. Servicing bills are good to, as they only need serviced every 12k and that's just oil and filters. Plugs last alot longer, but are a nightmare to change.

The later 2.6 has all the toys standard: i.e Xenon lights, 310mm brakes, air con'td, electric seats, Cat1 alarm and curise control. These where available as options on the 2.5.

I think there aren't to many problems with them. The last 2.6's are quite good, as they came toward the end of the model life of Veccy B model. Most design faults they have got rid of. Electrics are reliable and build quality is good too Make sure the Air cond't is working correctly as the seals inside the unit dry up and break. Make sure the car has decent front tyres, as with the heavy engine, the tyres give up the ghost fairly quickly. Handling is sometimes nose heavy to, but once you get used to it, it is a really entertaining car on the A+B roads, and a superb motor way cruiser.

All the best mate.

Mike123

Cheers for the info Stryder. Anyone else had one and got an opinion?


Cheers

the moose

Honest answer?

Having driven one as a pool car for a couple of thousand miles, I'd not have one. The handling was OK, the steering was OK, everything else was ....... just OK. Not inspiring in any way, and although I don't buy a car for image purposes, equally, I'd like something that looked rather more attractive.

Completely OK, but completely dull - I'd go for a Mondeo ST200 instead or a Volvo S60 T5 if funds permitted.

Stryder

I think other than prehaps a sporting 3 series, sporty C Class and a Lexus IS200, I would say that the GSi saloon and estate are pretty handsome beasts for a middle size saloon. Defo better looking than a Mondy ST200 and Volvo, but it's down to personal tastes. I would also say that they are just as capable in terms if handling and preformance. But again, it's what you are looking for in a car.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Ask that Copper from Telford!!! He's bound to hav an opinion

the rook

i went from a '99 classic to a '99 vec sri v6 as i changed jobs and was spending 1hr to get to work instead of 10mins, the vec does what is says on the tin, namely cruises well, swallows gear, big boot, and four people. the v6 is a decent motor and is happy to punt around town or sit at 80-90mph, on a private road of course. i got mine for 5k and tbh parts are cheap, its always works, insurance is fine and it can crack on, not in the same way an impreza does mind, if you want it to. hope this help.

p.s. i had a few drives in a friends st24 before i got the vec and in the real world they're about the same, i just prefered the vxl.

little-ginge

i drive a 2.5 V6 SRI...


goes thro tyres quite quickly ( though thats probably partially down to me taking the corners too quick!), but is a nice, smooth car to drive..

touch wood, in the 3 years I have mine, nothing major mechanically has failed...just the normal odds and sods..
It can be heavy to handle ( but then again I am little which may have some bearing on it), but as has already been said, once you get used to it, it's a good drive..

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i have had a 2.5 v6 sri and i liked it. they drive nice and they are quick cars, obviously not as quick as a turbo car but still quick and if you put them into 3rd gear its like driving an automatic car as it will pull from as low as 20mph and easily right up 120mph before you need to change into 4th

DJFish

They're very prone to rust around the rear door latches, this will be covered under the anti corrosion warranty but make sure the 7 years (or whatever) aren't already up.

Mike123

That's confirmed what I've read everywhere then ( Car, Evo, Autocar ) . The GSI version seems to be a better car than the ST24 but not as good as the ST200. It appears that the later torquier 2.6 V6s seem to be the bestr version as well. I must admit I hadn't really considered a Vectra Gsi until i heard how much better it was than the rest of the range. Even EVO mag liked theirs. They seem a lot cheaper to buy/insure than an ST200 mondeo as well.

Thanks for all the feedback

Cheers

Senior_AP

Owned a 2000 W plate 2.5 GSi. Hatchback.

Owned many varying cars, and of the lot the Vectra was overall the best of the bunch. It did everything well. Looks good, good acceleration, smooth, quiet, lovely engine note, solid build/interior. reliability was excellent, no problems except gearbox oil leak which is a known problem - sorted by Network Q warranty.

Nothing about the car annoyed me. Everytime you turned the key you knew exactly what you'd get, no hassle, no surprises.

As a road car, for the money, not alot better.

Mondeo?? Might be a "better drive" but flimsy build quality would p!ss me off within a week of ownership.

NOTE: GSi Vectras are miles apart from the regular models. the whole car, including interior is built to a far higher standard - squeeks are non existent.

Great package.

I will at some point own the new 3.2 GSi - the same, only a bit better.

Mike123

Yes, I didn't realise until I did a bit of research that they were built up by Motorsport Developments rather than Vauxhall. Probably why they handle a lot better