- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
100kW, 185Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 6.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
Used car review: Holden Vectra 1997-2000
Score: 4 stars (out of 5)
Likes:
- Lack of reliability issues.
- Secure ride and handling package.
- Roomy interior, compact exterior.
- Economical when driven normally.
- V6 is silky smooth and performs well.
Dislikes:
- Styling seems a bit staid these days.
- Hatchback versions are potential orphans, as is the V6.
Oh how things were simpler in the 1970s. Anybody looking for family wheels from the Holden stable simply had to choose between the Belmont, Kingswood or Premier, and if a medium-sized car was on the agenda, it was a Torana. All were locally made and featured pretty rugged engineering.
Fast-forward to the 1990s and things were a bit more complicated.
The Commodore was selling well and, since the late '80s, had been the full-width car Australians seemed to expect from Holden. But in the mid-sized ranks, things haven't been so rosy for the lion brand.
Holden's ill-fated liaison with Toyota in the 1980s spawned a couple of generations of Toyota-built medium-sized cars badged as Holden Apollos which, despite their virtues, nobody seemed to want to buy.
Fast-forward to 1997, and the vagaries of exchange rates suddenly meant that sourcing a mid-sizer from Europe became a very real possibility.
Holden dipped into the Opel grab-bag and came up with the Vectra, and all of a sudden, it was back in business in the medium-car segment.
The original Vectra was available in two body styles - a sedan and hatchback - and in two trim levels. The GL was a four-cylinder model while the upmarket CD got the same engine in the sedan version and a 2.5-litre V6 engine in CD hatchback form.
Most around now are the four-cylinder versions and, in that original model, that means a 2.0-litre version of the Australian-made Family II engine. But for the Vectra, it got a pair of overhead camshafts and 16 valves, so it was a smoother (although still not completely smooth) performer with good power and torque figures.
The V6, meanwhile, also used two camshafts per bank of cylinders (for a total of four) and four valves per cylinder (24 all up). It's more powerful than the four-cylinder, although its not that much torquier, so the actual on-road difference is less than you might imagine. But it is much smoother and feels refined and sophisticated by comparison.
Most Vectras were also equipped with the optional four-speed automatic transmission, which is fine and does the job perfectly well, thanks to the solid engine performance.
The five-speed manual was specified by the odd owner, and these are worth digging up, because they make for quite an entertaining drive. And that's because the basic Vectra package is actually pretty accomplished.
The handling is secure and safe, and while there's a little body roll, it's very well controlled.
The steering displays enough feel and feedback to be a bit of fun and the whole package feels like it's well made and designed by people who know a thing or two about cars.
Of course, there are those who would tell you that the Vectra's European heritage is what you can feel at play, but proof came when Holden decided to locally produce the Vectra alongside the Commodore at its Elizabeth plant in South Australia.
The move to local production saw the hatchback continue to be imported with the same 2.0-litre and V6 engines, while locally produced cars got an increase in capacity of the four-cylinder to 2.2 litres.
So, all Vectra sedans made after August 1998 are locally built although there's really not much to choose between the two variants in quality.
The bigger engine makes the local sedan the better driver's car, although there was some specification fiddling by Holden and the local cars are slightly less well equipped.
The thing to be aware of is that ABS and traction control, which had been standard on the imported version, was suddenly an extra-cost option.
In a reliability sense, the Vectra seems to have been pretty well put together and there are no real problem areas that have shown up over the years.
The cars themselves also seemed to attract a fairly conservative buyer so the majority of them have been properly serviced and driven sensibly.
Nuts 'n' bolts
Engines: 2.0-litre 4/2.2-litre 4/2.5 litre V6.
Transmissions: 5-speed manual/4-speed automatic
Fuel economy: City/highway (according to Government tests): 2.0-litre 9.5/5.4; 2.2-litre 9.5/6.0; V6 10.5/6.2.
Safety rating: 5 stars (courtesy of http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au)
Insurance premium: (RACV, 40-year-old, rating one driver in a medium-risk suburb) $575.
What you need to know
- Timing belt needs to be changed every 120,000 km or engine can be destroyed.
- Carbon can build up in combustion chambers, causing rough running and pinging. Driving too gently is a possible cause.
- Uneven tyre wear on front tyres has been noted on some cars. Check for crash damage.
- V6 requires premium unleaded.
Priceline
Year | Model | Engine | New | Now* |
1997 | GL sedan | 2.0-litre | $27,300 | $10,400 |
1998 | GL sedan | 2.0/2.2-litre | $27,300 | $11,300 |
1999 | GL sedan | 2.2-litre | $26,790 | $13,200 |
2000 | GL sedan | 2.2-litre | $26,190 | $13,700 |
1997 | CD hatch | 2.5-litre V6 | $35,990 | $15,600 |
1998 | CD hatch | 2.5-litre V6 | $35,990 | $17,400 |
1999 | CD hatch | 2.5-litre V6 | $36,350 | $17,500 |
2000 | CD hatch | 2.5-litre V6 | $34,520 | $20,800 |
* Retail price at dealer as supplied by Glass's Guide
Competitors
Ford Mondeo
3 stars
Also made in Europe (Belgium) but never the sales success the Vectra was. Engines were lacklustre and driveability not to local tastes.
Subaru Liberty
4 stars
Flat-four engine provides character, although straight-line performance was only ever adequate. Brilliant chassis with good ride and great handling. Well built, too.
Honda Accord
3.5 stars
Rightly considered to be the best built of the medium cars, although a bit pricier, thanks to prestige imparted by Honda badge. Classy driveline.
Prices and details correct at publication