Retro road test: Vauxhall Vectra Estate

LET’S get one thing clear from the outset: the Vauxhall Vectra estate’s boot is absolutely huge.

With the seats down it boasts more space (150 litres) than the much-loved Omega Estate, a car that was supposed to be in the next class up to the Vectra.

For some would-be buyers that simple fact will be enough to convince them that a Vectra is the car they need.

Although the popularity of estates has dwindled in recent years for a small but significant number of motorists nothing else will do.

People carriers may have the edge on the number of passengers they can carry but a fully loaded MPV usually has all the luggage capacity of a push bike.

Likewise a medium-sized 4x4 may offer a commanding view of the road, all-wheel drive and a decent boot but only the most expensive can match the Vectra’s Estate’s roomy passenger compartment.

Once upon a time every manufacturer had an estate variant in the range.

Falling sales have made these traditional load luggers something of an endangered species these days.

The Vectra’s major rivals are the Ford Mondeo, the roomy Citroen C5, the impressive Honda Accord, the getting on a bit Nissan Primera and the pretty Peugeot 607. The Rover 75 and the VW Passat have loftier ambitions to challenge Audi and BMW for so-called prestige sales so we can discount them for the moment.

Interestingly, though, more than one person who saw the Vectra parked on my drive thought it was considerably posher than a Vauxhall. One even asked if it was a Mercedes.

It may not be pretty but the slab-sided styling certainly lends the Vectra an impression of solidity - at least from the outside.

Slip into the spacious cabin and the first thing you’ll see is the massive cliff-face of a dashboard that thrusts out from the windscreen.

The instruments are the usual Vauxhall model of clarity but the dials that control the heating/lighting feel cheap and the indicator/wiper stalks look as though they have been donated by the Early Learning Centre.

Our SRi had a strange equipment mix. We had heated seats to warm our backsides on frosty mornings but no air conditioning to cool the cabin in the sun.

Heck, there wasn’t even that most useless (but much loved by us Brits) accessory - a sunroof. The electric windows were useful but they are only fitted to the front doors.

Passengers in the back have to do the job manually. And while the back windows have anachronistic manual winders the rear has an unique electrically powered hatchback door that opens and shuts at the touch of a button.

I didn’t like this at first. It seemed to smack of a gadget no one needed but the ability to pop the hatch using the remote turned out to be something of a boon especially at the supermarket.

It meant the car was ready to be loaded by the time I’d manoeuvred the shopping trolley in place, something I reckon harassed mums and dads will be thankful for.

The boot lip is also very low to make loading heavy items even easier.

And the gizmos don’t end there. Vectras also incorporate headlamps that swivel to help the car “see” round corners (which work) and semi-automatic indicators (which don’t).

Although our test car was an SRi it came loaded with a diesel engine that was always going to struggle in a car as big and heavy as the Vectra.

A six-speed gearbox helps boost economy but makes even slight inclines a cog swapping job with a fully loaded boot.

The SRi can be had with 120PS and 150PS diesels.

Believe me, you’ll need the more powerful version.

Go for the weedy 120PS option and you will benefit from marginally better fuel consumption (49mpg combined as opposed to 47mpg) but vastly inferior performance.

The Vectra Estate is designed for long distance running on motorways. In this mode it performs excellently - quiet, economical and relaxing. Point the bonnet at poorly surfaced B-roads and things aren’t so good.

The SRi specification includes ultra-low profile tyres and big alloy wheels. These look good but do nothing for the driving experience.

It’s been a long time since I drove a car that tram-lined as badly as this.

Tram-lining is the term for when a steering wheel seems to develop a mind of its own because wide tyres are following the grooves worn into old roads.

It’s not dangerous, but the kickback and fidget through the steering - and the need for constant course corrections - is an irritation and probably one you won’t get on models with narrower rubber.

Safety-wise the Vectra is a very safe car (airbags in the front, side and roof as standard) and notches up a very respectable four-star rating in the industry Euro NCAP crash test.

Both the alarm and the immobiliser are class leading examples that exceed all current requirements.

Costs should be containable thanks to a indicator that decides for itself when it needs to see the inside of a service bay. This idea was pioneered by BMW and should mean lower routine maintenance charges.

The Vectra Estate is an eminently practical car that’s well capable of swallowing all the junk you could possibly want to stow in it. It feels well made and doesn’t cost the earth to run. Reliability is said to be excellent andif it does breakdown there’s likely to be a Vauxhall dealership nearby.

However, I’d forgo the sporty SRi specification and enjoy better handling as a result.

Retro reflections: Vauxhall never gave up on the Mk III Vectra. Despite critics agreeing that the Mondeo was a far better steer, the engineers at GM beavered away to make their family car as good as it could be.

Unsurprisingly, they never reached the heights Ford achieved with the Mondeo (the basic chassis just wasn't good enough) but they did make the Vectra much better in its twilight years.

And the estate was probably the best of the lot. In this class buyers place more importance on carrying capacity than sporty handling and the Vectra had this requirement nailed.

Today the Vectra looks dull when seen alongside the Insignia but time has otherwise been kind.

The mechanicals are hard wearing and the interior can take lots of abuse before it starts to look scruffy. Vectras are great long distance cruisers and still offer low-cost family transport.