The facelifts yes, pre 99 they handled like goats. Better built and quieter than the Mondeo. I remember back in 2000 myself and my fellow rep mates all had company cars for our 40,000+ miles a year. They all choose 316's, I choose a black Vectra Sri 2.2 dti, had enough left to option cruise, roof and I 'think' rear electrics. After 200,000 I bought it back for buttons, the only failure was a fuel pump at 150,000 ish.
Top Gear was quite harsh on Vauxhall. The Mondeo might have been the better car but it was also far from being great, had low results in customer surveys and was almost worthless when you tried to sell it after some years, at least here in Germany.
@@Timico1000 Apart from the paper thin factory fit clutch disc fitted to the first batch of Mk1's, 9hrs, Ford trying to claw back some money after one of the most wasteful development projects in automotive history.
always makes me chuckle when I see people trying to copy Jeremy Clarkson's dislike of the Vectra lol, The Mondeo must be one of the most overrated cars of all time.
Why did everyone hate the Vectra so much back when it came out? I've only ever heard good things about it from people who use it as a daily driver. I haven't heard too many complaints about unreliability or severe discomfort when driving it. Hell, I've been in one many times and it was never as uncomfortable as everyone over at Top Gear said it was. I mean, sure, it's not gonna blow you away at all, but come on, it's not that bad!
Don't get me wrong Ford made something steer left and right quite well from the driving seat. Away from the driving seat they didn't build and think of the rest of the car. They were cramped, impractical for passengers, bodywork rotted like a pear, no extra storage or cubby holes or foldaways, and rough petrol engines with poor fuel consumption. It just seemed to be about buying to drive the car and nothing else. Vauxhall were a little more thoughtful when it came to things required around the rest of the car rather then focusing on just the driver. The fact a Vauxhall didn't steer as sharply as a Ford when it came to cornering wasn't the thing that made it a bad car enough to write it off. Motoring journalists had a habit of praising go karts over real sensible cars. Something drives well sod the rest of it. If it don't drive like this car its in the bin attitude.
"What car would you rather spend the rest of your life in" Sorry to disappoint you Top gear but I choose the Vectra, the Vectra has a seat height adjuster to lower the barstool effect, its got remote controls on the steering wheel and the LS is a much better spec car then the Mondeo LX with its twin airbags, traffic master and an atomic clock as standard. I can see from my own eyes the Vectra is a brilliant car and your TV hatred (Finding things to scorn) has made me want it all the more! Thanks
@@user-sf7kl9uh7k I had two Saab convertibles and both them seats went down lowwwwww. So the moral of the story is you buy a Saab 9-3 If you want a Vectra but dont want barstool drivers seats.
@@1ns4ne1d10t The Vectra also got ABS as standard. The only Vectra I had with a good driving position was a 2.0 di Envoy. That seat was nice and low oddly enough. They were good cars spoilt by a few silly mistakes. The MK1 Mondeo was much better than the Mk2
I love the bit where Kate says the gearchange is slick and the clutch is light making out the Mondeo is so massively superior to the Vectra but she has to turn on the radio to shut up the cabin road noise and interior engine noise because its too much to bear. It just proves that the Mondeo is just a much bigger Fiesta with no refinement at least Vauxhall had the savvy to make a car quieter as it gets larger in size and more upmarket.
@@user-sf7kl9uh7k I bought a 1.3 pushrod valencia engined Fiesta for my partner for £350 from 1998 down in Ferndown car sales as a first car. No way were these built well. Partner crashed it into the back of a Jaguar XE. To save the insurance company writing it off I did the full front crash repair on the car. They were like rounded shapes of tin everything held together by four screws or bolts across the car. The repair was easy I literally had a few scews to remove the wheelarch lining and only four bolts held the bumper on and the glass headlights were only tightened down by four bolts across the front. Ended up towing the crash crumple out racheted up to a lawn tractor with the Fiestas handbrake up. Only the bonnet, the £35 glass headlamp, and bumper had to be replaced. The job took less than an hour and a half. It was so badly put together it was so easy to crash repair! Strangely the 1998 model didn't rust at all. The facelifted 'Toyota Starlet' front style Fiesta rotted out like a pig. Ford also replaced the glass headlamps and clear glass grille on the Ghia X to cheap swept back plastic which fades to yellow under UV rays. The 2000 models rotted out and failed the MOT's way before the 1998 models. I will agree the 1995-1999 was the best Fiesta Ford built though it was still poorly built. The 2000-2002 facelift version was terrible. You were better off with the glass headlamp and glass grille model.
I am quite surprised that the vectra had so much storing space. I had a Mondeo Mk1 estate and it was noticeably bigger than the Opel Vectra Mk2 estate.
Because Quentin Wilson said so? I found out myself by driving one that the Vectra is actually a much nicer car to drive then the Mondeo. The gears are a nicer shift, the PAS steering feedback is lighter & more positive, & the brakes are better. The Mondeo is the total opposite to that. Heavy PAS steering, Horrid sticky shifts, Bad brakes. Don't believe Quentin on the Vectras high-seat driving position. Hes taller than her & the drivers seat height actually cranks down lower than a Mondeo.
@Ashley Cook Ford could always make a go kart with good steering. They always had good solid steering. Turned left and right very well even over pot holes and rough roads. But that was the only good thing going about their range of cars. But the actual Ford as in the car body shell sat on top of the wheels was absolutely rubbish. Apart from the steering the rest of the car had nothing else going for it. They were crap on fuel, underpowered, inefficient, rusty, badly put together, badly designed, rubbish legroom, rubbish boot space, rubbish headroom, everything was built around the driver and the passengers were all forgotten about. I found Fords to be impractical and useless but were good to steer and drive. Vauxhall had horrendous looking 1980's interiors with nothing in them worse then a German Tribant but oddly enough seem to be able to carry adults and passengers in good proportions and seemed to be better all-rounders in general. Even my Corsa C 1.3cdti had slimmer front seats for better legroom and the front seat dropped down low. It carried occupants well for a minature car. Found a lot of Vauxhall's to be good at this. But Fords much weaker in this area.
I prefer the vectra because it is a lot quieter on the motorway than the mondeo. The vectra is more fuel efficient and reliable then the mondeo and more equipped as well. The mondeo handles better in high speeds but the confort is a lot worse. And the diesel mondeo is horrible
People who think a Mondeo handles brilliantly and a Vectra handles badly have never physically driven a Mondeo or a Vectra for themselves. People are simply repeatng what the motoring "Experts" are saying without actually driving the cars. I have a Jaguar X Type 2.2D (ST TDCI in drag) and I have driven plenty of 1.9 CDTI SRI Vectras with a 150 output and I can honestly say what you hear and what you drive are two very different things. The X Type is quite light, tight and tidy to steer around at low speeds but it also rolls around like a big boat when pushed around a corner and doesn't feel 100% planted on the road or 100% stable at high speed. The Vectra however, may feel a little less tidy and a tad heavier at the low speeds but it sure as hell grips to the road in corners, stays flat, hugs the insides, and feels safe and secure to push hard at high speed. My X Type might be a quicker 150bhp diesel then a 150bhp diesel Vectra but it doesn't mean its better then the Vectra. If I was to trust pushing a car past 130mph where things get rattly, twtchy and shakey I would trust the Vectra 100% more then I would a Mondeo Mk3 or a Jaguar X Type. And that is coming from someone who owns and drives a Mondeo everyday.
andylaauk I have an 2007 Vectra at 23 years of age. The sportier SRi turbo granted but they are a really good car. I have no complaints about its handling at all
Exactly. Vectras are good cars and they don't rust and you won't find fault in them. I'm on the other side of the fence owning a Mondeo based car but I'll always stick up for a Vectra.
1ns4ne1d10t ford however stiffend the suspension and the 2 cars x-type and mondeo are kinda the same with engines and other parts but the suspension and chassis is completely diffrant so you sir have no right to judge ford
"Ford however stiffened the suspension" So they did cheat? And what you said about the Mondeo and the X Type does not make sense. "Kinda the same but with totally different chassis..." it's either the same car or it isn't!? Make up your mind. And yes I have every right to judge a Ford. Mine has a Ford engine, Ford gearbox, Ford brakes, and you tell me I have no right to judge? When I go out and buy myself a 2.0 litre 16v Daewoo Nubira and start judging a 2.0 litre 16v Vauxhall Vectra please remember to tell me that I can't judge a Vauxhall when I own a Daewoo. Because the Nubira chassis and suspension isn't the same as a Vectra....
@Tiptoetherat These cars are mainly sold to large buisness 'fleet buyers' & driven by thier companies sales representives, or 'Sales rep's', who travel many miles a year to visit clients all around the U.K. so cars aimed @ that market have a nick name of 'Repmobile' kinda like a take on 'Batmobile' It's a very large, important & very competitive market for car companies, accounting for a high proportion of sales every year, as buyers tend to renew thier 'fleet' cars every year or so.
Despite the facelift that both the Mondeo and its US-market fraternal twin Contour looking like crap, I thought they were a pretty solid car. It got in the way of the Taurus hereabouts, since they were about the same-sized car. Though...in the late '90s, the Taurus ended up looking like crap itself. The "Oval" design Taurus was as unfortunate as the re-sculpted Scorpio of the 1990s. As for the Vectra, it's miles ahead of what GM was offering in their home market.
right the mondeo is good for 135mph and 660mpg on £80, i have one and haded the look but after putting 46,000 miles on the old girl it looked good that look is a good car and still pulls, also its got the zetec lump in it, which are indestructible, there fucking quick and and fare better than the crappy vectra parts are cheap and not obserleate like the vectra, and are good on and off road, long or short distance, for fun as well drive a vectra then drive a mondeo then make your mind up !
Having said that..The Vectra was a horrible replacement for the Cavalier and was an absolute dog. Vauxhall's reputation was luckily saved by the utterly beautiful and brilliant Insignia and new Astra.
uhnnm, sera assim, bem eu acho os carros semelhantes, mas prefiro mondeo, pela simplicidade e fiabilidade tbm,., e no concordo com certas coisa q tu falou, deves pesquisar bem mais, pois um rs200, ainda hoje deve ser mais rapido e brutal q um focus, mas enfim, o focus atualmente com um 350, sera o traçao a frente mais potente d sempre
imo, the vauxhalls 0f the 90's (vectra and mkIII and early mkIV astra) were their dullest cars (aside from the Calibra) they produced. Just seemed to be a coporate exercise. And I'm speaking as a fan of the make! I'll stick with my old skool red top cavalier and mkII astra gte
I've had 2 Mondeo's and 1 Vectra. Mondeo's were a 2.5 ghia x and a 2.0 tdci. Vectra was a 3.2 GSi. My opinion is that the Mondeo's did handle and ride slightly better than the Vectra but the Vectra had a better, more reliable, engine (not just the 3.2 - all of them as I've sat in the other models) and more space inside (ie bigger boot as well). The Mondeo's electrics tend to be better as well as the Vectra's can be a bit troublesome on that front. The fact is now I wouldn't really have either tbh... I prefer german made cars
+SMGmusics Vauxhall and Opel are owned by General Motors who are American... Vauxhall and Opel are just GM's European outposts as do Ford with Dagenham... When I said German made cars I meant VW, Audi, Mercedes and BMW... VW and Audi also have outposts in Spain for Seat and Czech Republic for Skoda...
Vauxhall proved they had their heads well above the water when it came to the Lotus Carlton in the 1990's. Argueably Ford had Cosworth on their side but Vauxhall wiped the floor with them in a co venture with lotus. Did Ford ever mass produce a 170mph+ Four door saloon car that did 0-60 in 5.2 seconds over 20 years ago? Up to today the only best road Ford they've ever mass produced has been a 160Mph 300Bhp Focus RS with a 0-60 in 5.9 seconds... Vauxhall was scoring bigger points 22 years ago
I've got a Mondeo Mk3.5 I have a love/hate relationship with it, no storage in the front at all, tiny door panels, nowhere to put my phone, cupholder is too narrow so you put a can in there and it sucks itself in - when you take the can out again it takes the whole trim and ashtray with it... Small glovebox with no airconditioned feature - my old Focus of the same age even had this. VERY loud indicators and automatic wipers that have no idea what they're doing.
You never needed to say all that about the Vectra in your valid points because the Vectra has always proved itself to be as good car as a Mondeo if not better and doesn't need defending. Vectra? Mondeo? You are buying a Mid-sized family car you aren't buying a Ferrari in this league of car buying just another ordinary traffic car that keeps up with traffic. Saying the Mondeo is better than the Vectra is saying Macdonalds is superior to Whimpy? Mid-size motors? Its a choice not a compromise...
Today according to "parkers.co.uk" and "autotrader.co.uk", the mondeo beats the insignia too, although cars are so good these days many people dont care. But i was annoyed when my mate had a vectra for 10 years then got an insignia without even looking at any other cars.
@ljoch88 I neither have a family to support, but one never knows. I understand your point of view, but I needed to sell my car in 2006 and although sad, I realized, I did not need it - suddenly surviving was no problem and now I have a good bicycle, with 2 headlights and all :D (people are surprised seeing that the thing that is projecting their shadows on the walls is a bicycle, driving it's light by dynamo :D) Well, justy wanted to say: trying to avoid a car, but if, I want a nice one ;)
@denbydoo Oh god please don't get me started on Mondeo's. After travelling in a Vectra I think my choice between the two was made up a long time ago. Mondeo's are made of tin and the whole interior flexes inside with creaks and rattles galore. Vectras hold up much better for much longer and they rust far less then Fords and they are cheaper to buy with MORE equipment. I don't like Vectras but people that buy Mondeo's are real no brainers especially as a Ghia X costs more than an Audi A4 SE.
@discocreator76 So is the Mondeo, Fords are an equal chav-mobile as Vauxhalls. I see more Ford Mondeo ST24's/200's with daft Lexus lights and stupid bodykits with huge ridiculous "Pimp my ride" wheels then I do Vectra 2.5 SRi's. Mondeo's and Vectras are both chav wheels associated with council estates if I'm honest. None of them are classy.
This is so funny. But don't be fooled. This miserable lot from the BBC have had a attitude towards Vauxhall for years. Quentin, Clarkson, Needell...the lot of them. It's because they all owned fords when they were younger and hate the fact Vauxhall are competitive against ford. They take every opportunity to have a dig at Vauxhall even though the Cavalier outsold the Sierra. They've probably already pipped up about the Insignia and new Astra, both of which are brilliant cars for their class.
Because they’re right. I’ve got a 12 plate Fiesta and my great aunt and uncle have a 59 plate Corsa and personally, I think my Fiesta is a lot more fun than their Corsa.
@cero815 Well take a good look at what you spend on upkeep, then see if you can survive some more upkeep for the car if you buy it via credit at a bank xD I dont know if you have a big house a family to support, i dont so i go all out when buying a car hehe
I will agree with you 100% I'm no fan of Ford or GM but when I drive a car for myself I'll be honest. I drove an old Astra G 2.0 DTI and a Focus MkI 1.8 TDCi to match and both cars were the same bags of shit the Focus was the worst pile of horse dung out of the two horrors and surprisingly the Astra was the better one to drive. The MkI Focus is awful, don't believe any of the stories Fords are just as diabolical to drive and handle as any other car made in that era and boy don't I know it.
Mondeo vs Vectra: Which is the cheapest? Which is the best looking? Which is the best to drive? Which is the most fun? lets be honest... If you were that passionate about buying a car which offers you all that. You would buy an Alfa 156 or a BMW 3 series and you wouldn't even bother with a shitty Vauxhall or a crappy Ford. No one looks twice at a Mondeo or a Vectra and saying one is better than the other is like saying Macdonalds is better than Whimpy. True?
@boscosbollocks well...all fords are all dull and wrecks if you ask me. I agree that Vectra A is the best,but Opel is by far better than ford and especially mondeo
That Mondeo looks worse even than a Mercedes from 1978, which is much much older.The Daewoo Cielo is a beauty queen compared to this Ford. I've never seen a car that ugly, if you look at it from a side, it looks terrible. Ford Ka, Escort, Orion, Sierra, Crown Victoria, also other Fords, also look dull and outdated. Regarding their cars from present, i look at them and ask myself : "who would buy them and why?" As for Opel, their cars design was always ok...not amazing, but fine!
@ljoch88 Was thinking about that, too, but too expensive to repair, and as I hope that my main transport will be my bicycle, I'd prefer having an estate to transport it and other stuff easily. Well, let's see what the bank account says the day I want to buy a car..... One can't have it all, you know :P
@Lolf88 Yeah, since Nissan went together with Renault, all their Euro models are really really rubish. And hell ugly! The latest Premera is such a horrible thing to watch at. But back in 1998? They had very decent cars Here on the continent, every loverboy had a black mondeo liftback those days. Don't ask me why. :P
I don't like either. The Mondeo was a miserably average car and the Vectra was just as bad. Nether of them had any pizazz about them. The Vauxhall Cavalier was a far better car than the Vectra as was the sierra to the Mondeo.
The Honda Accord and the Nissan Primera were a much better cars in this clas then these two horrible vehicles. And the Vectro is so horrible, I would even prefer a very nasty Citroen Xantia above it!
Anyone who thinks Mondeos are much better than Vectras have never driven a 1.8 Mondeo in their life. They are gutless, no power & they hate corners! You really can't drive a 1.8 Zetec with standard 5-spoke 18"s on a twisty country lane at 60. It feels like its going to lean over & slide into a tree! The brakes are a joke for a stopping distance! I mainly drove ABS Zetec Models god only knows what Non-ABS examples are like. I suppose thats a Mondeo's main excitement, Its scary brakes & handling!
WHAT!? Why do people come out with such bullshit on the Mondeo? Its not better than anything else in its class. Ive driven more old Mondeos then I have 406's & Vectras & the electrics, gears, brakes, spark plugs on them are crap! The interior looks very nice, its comfortable & the 1.8 Zetecs look very sporty with lots of mods but they are horrible to drive, heavy body & gutless performance for a 1.8! None of its so-called extras actually WORK!
Acceleration isn’t everything a car should be, build quality, drive quality, space, looks, boot room. A lot more to a car than speed and a mondeo st will out accelerate a vectra.
Ive got the australian Holden import version of the vectra here its known as a JS s2 with a 2.2 4 cylinder And ide fuckin pic it over the mondeo ANYDAY!.. ive driven both the vectra is faster much much faster
I have always liked ZN Ecotec petrol engines to Fords Zetec engines. 16V Astra G's, Zafira A's, and Vectras always made a high pitched tinnitus 'sing' because the engine was so quiet all you could hear was the PAS system. It was as silent as a Toyota Prius on Hybrid/E all the 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 Ecotec engines were silent running engines Focuses, Mondeo's and the like never had engines that ran as refined as that 14 years ago only Vauxhall did. Simple answer: Ford are total crap!
VECTRA IS BEST FOR DIESEL POWER AND THE MONDEO IS BEST FOR PETROL POWER VECTRA IS MORE SPORTY AND THE MONDEO IS BLAND TAKE YA PICK ID CHOSE THE VECTRA COS OF THE LOOKS
Mondeo and Vectra are pretty much the same crap; dull and unreliable cars. Except that I hate the Mondeo even more, because it's vastly overrated by the British who think it's the best thing ever since the invention of the hamburger.
My friend had an S reg Vectra. It was the most uncomfortable car I have ever been in. The seats felt like they were made out of stone. The ride was hard and choppy. A truly terrible car!
Let’s face it when we buy a car we don’t think about comfort for passengers, I had the SRI with sports seats drove from Scotland down to Kent didn’t even need to stop. You have to get the right line, The SRI and the GSI have really nice sports seats.
The Vauxhall Vectra was the best car I've ever been in and it was more reliable than my current BMW. It flew on the road and the ride was excellent.
The facelifts yes, pre 99 they handled like goats. Better built and quieter than the Mondeo. I remember back in 2000 myself and my fellow rep mates all had company cars for our 40,000+ miles a year. They all choose 316's, I choose a black Vectra Sri 2.2 dti, had enough left to option cruise, roof and I 'think' rear electrics. After 200,000 I bought it back for buttons, the only failure was a fuel pump at 150,000 ish.
I find the Vectra as a very good looking car
obviously it's younger, but it has definitely aged better than the Mondeo imo
Better looking, better quality, better for your health since it came with airbags as standard, the ford didn’t..
@@erebostdThe Ford was the first mid market car to be offered with a driver's airbag as standard from 1993 on. So no, you're wrong
I have a Vectra 1996, almost never got to service .. have 560000 km. In fact it is Opel Vectra, but it is same this like Vauxhall ..
Top Gear was quite harsh on Vauxhall. The Mondeo might have been the better car but it was also far from being great, had low results in customer surveys and was almost worthless when you tried to sell it after some years, at least here in Germany.
They are worth good money here
@@aidan1585Not really....
The Vauxhall/Opel is better built.
The Vectra started with poor quality and got better over time. With the Mondeo, it was the other way round.
@@Timico1000 Apart from the paper thin factory fit clutch disc fitted to the first batch of Mk1's, 9hrs, Ford trying to claw back some money after one of the most wasteful development projects in automotive history.
always makes me chuckle when I see people trying to copy Jeremy Clarkson's dislike of the Vectra lol, The Mondeo must be one of the most overrated cars of all time.
Why did everyone hate the Vectra so much back when it came out? I've only ever heard good things about it from people who use it as a daily driver. I haven't heard too many complaints about unreliability or severe discomfort when driving it. Hell, I've been in one many times and it was never as uncomfortable as everyone over at Top Gear said it was. I mean, sure, it's not gonna blow you away at all, but come on, it's not that bad!
The Mondeo back then was a good car; now it is an EXCELLENT car, best in class in my opinion.
This Mondeo is extinct, Vectra is still seen today in the UK
Don't get me wrong Ford made something steer left and right quite well from the driving seat. Away from the driving seat they didn't build and think of the rest of the car. They were cramped, impractical for passengers, bodywork rotted like a pear, no extra storage or cubby holes or foldaways, and rough petrol engines with poor fuel consumption. It just seemed to be about buying to drive the car and nothing else. Vauxhall were a little more thoughtful when it came to things required around the rest of the car rather then focusing on just the driver. The fact a Vauxhall didn't steer as sharply as a Ford when it came to cornering wasn't the thing that made it a bad car enough to write it off. Motoring journalists had a habit of praising go karts over real sensible cars. Something drives well sod the rest of it. If it don't drive like this car its in the bin attitude.
@@MrRohanThomas The Vectra was AWFUL. Bland and faceless whereas the Ford was just an excellent car.
@@ericgeorge5483 both rubbish cars I’m afraid, not reliable or well made end of, Honda accords where always better Japanese cars always are
@@callum4035 Not all of them. Early Japanese cars in the UK suffereed from rust problems.
"What car would you rather spend the rest of your life in" Sorry to disappoint you Top gear but I choose the Vectra, the Vectra has a seat height adjuster to lower the barstool effect, its got remote controls on the steering wheel and the LS is a much better spec car then the Mondeo LX with its twin airbags, traffic master and an atomic clock as standard. I can see from my own eyes the Vectra is a brilliant car and your TV hatred (Finding things to scorn) has made me want it all the more! Thanks
No, even on it's lowest setting the driving position was awful, far too high. I've had 5 Vectra B's so don't waste your time.
@@user-sf7kl9uh7k I had two Saab convertibles and both them seats went down lowwwwww. So the moral of the story is you buy a Saab 9-3 If you want a Vectra but dont want barstool drivers seats.
@@1ns4ne1d10t The Vectra also got ABS as standard. The only Vectra I had with a good driving position was a 2.0 di Envoy. That seat was nice and low oddly enough. They were good cars spoilt by a few silly mistakes. The MK1 Mondeo was much better than the Mk2
I love the bit where Kate says the gearchange is slick and the clutch is light making out the Mondeo is so massively superior to the Vectra but she has to turn on the radio to shut up the cabin road noise and interior engine noise because its too much to bear. It just proves that the Mondeo is just a much bigger Fiesta with no refinement at least Vauxhall had the savvy to make a car quieter as it gets larger in size and more upmarket.
Yes, the Fiesta was actually better built, but it also rusted like a queen.
@@user-sf7kl9uh7k I bought a 1.3 pushrod valencia engined Fiesta for my partner for £350 from 1998 down in Ferndown car sales as a first car. No way were these built well. Partner crashed it into the back of a Jaguar XE. To save the insurance company writing it off I did the full front crash repair on the car. They were like rounded shapes of tin everything held together by four screws or bolts across the car. The repair was easy I literally had a few scews to remove the wheelarch lining and only four bolts held the bumper on and the glass headlights were only tightened down by four bolts across the front. Ended up towing the crash crumple out racheted up to a lawn tractor with the Fiestas handbrake up. Only the bonnet, the £35 glass headlamp, and bumper had to be replaced. The job took less than an hour and a half. It was so badly put together it was so easy to crash repair! Strangely the 1998 model didn't rust at all. The facelifted 'Toyota Starlet' front style Fiesta rotted out like a pig. Ford also replaced the glass headlamps and clear glass grille on the Ghia X to cheap swept back plastic which fades to yellow under UV rays. The 2000 models rotted out and failed the MOT's way before the 1998 models. I will agree the 1995-1999 was the best Fiesta Ford built though it was still poorly built. The 2000-2002 facelift version was terrible. You were better off with the glass headlamp and glass grille model.
The Vectra was and still is the better car.
I am quite surprised that the vectra had so much storing space. I had a Mondeo Mk1 estate and it was noticeably bigger than the Opel Vectra Mk2 estate.
Because Quentin Wilson said so?
I found out myself by driving one that the Vectra is actually a much nicer car to drive then the Mondeo. The gears are a nicer shift, the PAS steering feedback is lighter & more positive, & the brakes are better. The Mondeo is the total opposite to that. Heavy PAS steering, Horrid sticky shifts, Bad brakes. Don't believe Quentin on the Vectras high-seat driving position. Hes taller than her & the drivers seat height actually cranks down lower than a Mondeo.
@Ashley Cook It rusts better, falls apart better, ends up in a scrapyard better, typical Ford.
@Ashley Cook Ford could always make a go kart with good steering. They always had good solid steering. Turned left and right very well even over pot holes and rough roads. But that was the only good thing going about their range of cars. But the actual Ford as in the car body shell sat on top of the wheels was absolutely rubbish. Apart from the steering the rest of the car had nothing else going for it. They were crap on fuel, underpowered, inefficient, rusty, badly put together, badly designed, rubbish legroom, rubbish boot space, rubbish headroom, everything was built around the driver and the passengers were all forgotten about. I found Fords to be impractical and useless but were good to steer and drive. Vauxhall had horrendous looking 1980's interiors with nothing in them worse then a German Tribant but oddly enough seem to be able to carry adults and passengers in good proportions and seemed to be better all-rounders in general. Even my Corsa C 1.3cdti had slimmer front seats for better legroom and the front seat dropped down low. It carried occupants well for a minature car. Found a lot of Vauxhall's to be good at this. But Fords much weaker in this area.
Nice ride with the Vauxhall and the Mondeo!
I prefer the vectra because it is a lot quieter on the motorway than the mondeo. The vectra is more fuel efficient and reliable then the mondeo and more equipped as well. The mondeo handles better in high speeds but the confort is a lot worse. And the diesel mondeo is horrible
The Mondeo is better designed, the Vectra better built
The Vectra looks better than the Mondeo.
i have a mondeo mk2 2.0 ghia x saloon leather seats cruise control etc its brilliant
Silver or black top?
People who think a Mondeo handles brilliantly and a Vectra handles badly have never physically driven a Mondeo or a Vectra for themselves. People are simply repeatng what the motoring "Experts" are saying without actually driving the cars. I have a Jaguar X Type 2.2D (ST TDCI in drag) and I have driven plenty of 1.9 CDTI SRI Vectras with a 150 output and I can honestly say what you hear and what you drive are two very different things. The X Type is quite light, tight and tidy to steer around at low speeds but it also rolls around like a big boat when pushed around a corner and doesn't feel 100% planted on the road or 100% stable at high speed. The Vectra however, may feel a little less tidy and a tad heavier at the low speeds but it sure as hell grips to the road in corners, stays flat, hugs the insides, and feels safe and secure to push hard at high speed. My X Type might be a quicker 150bhp diesel then a 150bhp diesel Vectra but it doesn't mean its better then the Vectra. If I was to trust pushing a car past 130mph where things get rattly, twtchy and shakey I would trust the Vectra 100% more then I would a Mondeo Mk3 or a Jaguar X Type. And that is coming from someone who owns and drives a Mondeo everyday.
yep, Jeremy Clarkson made it cool to hate Vectras and Vauxhalls in general and so the sheep followed
andylaauk
I have an 2007 Vectra at 23 years of age. The sportier SRi turbo granted but they are a really good car. I have no complaints about its handling at all
Exactly. Vectras are good cars and they don't rust and you won't find fault in them. I'm on the other side of the fence owning a Mondeo based car but I'll always stick up for a Vectra.
1ns4ne1d10t ford however stiffend the suspension and the 2 cars x-type and mondeo are kinda the same with engines and other parts but the suspension and chassis is completely diffrant so you sir have no right to judge ford
"Ford however stiffened the suspension" So they did cheat? And what you said about the Mondeo and the X Type does not make sense. "Kinda the same but with totally different chassis..." it's either the same car or it isn't!? Make up your mind. And yes I have every right to judge a Ford. Mine has a Ford engine, Ford gearbox, Ford brakes, and you tell me I have no right to judge? When I go out and buy myself a 2.0 litre 16v Daewoo Nubira and start judging a 2.0 litre 16v Vauxhall Vectra please remember to tell me that I can't judge a Vauxhall when I own a Daewoo. Because the Nubira chassis and suspension isn't the same as a Vectra....
Made my day🌷😂
@tubageek2006 I had an Mk1 Ghia, with the "good" seats, but my back always hurt on long rides...
dont understand why the mondeo never caught on in america. We had a contour and it drove great for the price. Not bad to look at either
It's difficult to believe that these two cars could be so different.
I would prefer the vectra
Luke Parry You must be mad. The Vectra was a horrid car.
***** The Mondeo is a cracking car.
Me to. The ford was a joke. Bad quality, and even bad for your health (that thing didn’t come with airbags as standard, what a joke)
Everything in Vectra is alright, if it isn't, it means
that you have a steering wheel on the wrong side, the british side:P
Vectra looks much better
John Ford I agree with you. The Vectra looks so amazing, but the Mondeo is so dreary and dull.
Vectra is better we got a mondeo and a vectra at the moment the mondeo is away for repair again!!
Ford is poor
@Tiptoetherat These cars are mainly sold to large buisness 'fleet buyers' & driven by thier companies sales representives, or 'Sales rep's', who travel many miles a year to visit clients all around the U.K. so cars aimed @ that market have a nick name of 'Repmobile' kinda like a take on 'Batmobile'
It's a very large, important & very competitive market for car companies, accounting for a high proportion of sales every year, as buyers tend to renew thier 'fleet' cars every year or so.
i got the ls diesel 2littre and its alot better then what he makes out. not being a fan boy but my seats are really comfy
@BenReillyUK thanks for the info!
I have to ask, what does "repmobile" mean?
As far as I can tell its a car that people who not interested in cars...drive??
Im totally with you! OPEL 4 LIFE!
@ljoch88 Nice, I am looking for one myself. I am thinking about an ST220 as I do not plan to use it often ;)
Did the vectra have same chassis as the cavalier chassis
Luke Parry The Vectra and Cavalier are the same car just with different names
A tad unfair. I really liked my Vectra SXi 1.8. This is where reviews should look at the bigger picture. What they may find hateful, others may not.
Despite the facelift that both the Mondeo and its US-market fraternal twin Contour looking like crap, I thought they were a pretty solid car. It got in the way of the Taurus hereabouts, since they were about the same-sized car. Though...in the late '90s, the Taurus ended up looking like crap itself. The "Oval" design Taurus was as unfortunate as the re-sculpted Scorpio of the 1990s. As for the Vectra, it's miles ahead of what GM was offering in their home market.
right the mondeo is good for 135mph and 660mpg on £80, i have one and haded the look but after putting 46,000 miles on the old girl it looked good that look is a good car and still pulls, also its got the zetec lump in it, which are indestructible, there fucking quick and and fare better than the crappy vectra parts are cheap and not obserleate like the vectra, and are good on and off road, long or short distance, for fun as well drive a vectra then drive a mondeo then make your mind up !
Having said that..The Vectra was a horrible replacement for the Cavalier and was an absolute dog. Vauxhall's reputation was luckily saved by the utterly beautiful and brilliant Insignia and new Astra.
wake up, vauxhall is a dead company since long ago, they just rebadge Opel cars, they dont design or engineer cars or anything.
uhnnm, sera assim, bem eu acho os carros semelhantes, mas prefiro mondeo, pela simplicidade e fiabilidade tbm,., e no concordo com certas coisa q tu falou, deves pesquisar bem mais, pois um rs200, ainda hoje deve ser mais rapido e brutal q um focus, mas enfim, o focus atualmente com um 350, sera o traçao a frente mais potente d sempre
imo, the vauxhalls 0f the 90's (vectra and mkIII and early mkIV astra) were their dullest cars (aside from the Calibra) they produced. Just seemed to be a coporate exercise. And I'm speaking as a fan of the make! I'll stick with my old skool red top cavalier and mkII astra gte
Vectra B sedan is the most beautiful car !
dont understand why the mondeo never caught on in america. We had a contour and it drove great for the price
I've had 2 Mondeo's and 1 Vectra. Mondeo's were a 2.5 ghia x and a 2.0 tdci. Vectra was a 3.2 GSi.
My opinion is that the Mondeo's did handle and ride slightly better than the Vectra but the Vectra had a better, more reliable, engine (not just the 3.2 - all of them as I've sat in the other models) and more space inside (ie bigger boot as well).
The Mondeo's electrics tend to be better as well as the Vectra's can be a bit troublesome on that front.
The fact is now I wouldn't really have either tbh... I prefer german made cars
The irony is that the Vectra was german built. They were all made in Russelheim
+AlexanderUK1990 Not true, some were also made in Luton.
+TheMessiah79 the vectra is German
+SMGmusics he said 'German made cars' the vectra was made in Luton and Ellesmere Port.
+SMGmusics Vauxhall and Opel are owned by General Motors who are American... Vauxhall and Opel are just GM's European outposts as do Ford with Dagenham...
When I said German made cars I meant VW, Audi, Mercedes and BMW... VW and Audi also have outposts in Spain for Seat and Czech Republic for Skoda...
Vauxhall proved they had their heads well above the water when it came to the Lotus Carlton in the 1990's. Argueably Ford had Cosworth on their side but Vauxhall wiped the floor with them in a co venture with lotus. Did Ford ever mass produce a 170mph+ Four door saloon car that did 0-60 in 5.2 seconds over 20 years ago? Up to today the only best road Ford they've ever mass produced has been a 160Mph 300Bhp Focus RS with a 0-60 in 5.9 seconds... Vauxhall was scoring bigger points 22 years ago
I've got a Mondeo Mk3.5
I have a love/hate relationship with it, no storage in the front at all, tiny door panels, nowhere to put my phone, cupholder is too narrow so you put a can in there and it sucks itself in - when you take the can out again it takes the whole trim and ashtray with it... Small glovebox with no airconditioned feature - my old Focus of the same age even had this.
VERY loud indicators and automatic wipers that have no idea what they're doing.
@cero815
Good HP for the money.
My next car will be a Ford Mustang 2005+ / 300hp as i enjoy a kick haha
@cero815
i own the 2001 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDDi MK3 love it xD
That Mondeo is ugly. Probably drives smoother than than the Vectra but not as reliable for sure!
@1ns4ne1d10t I knew it there is a Hampshire as there is a New Hampshire
You never needed to say all that about the Vectra in your valid points because the Vectra has always proved itself to be as good car as a Mondeo if not better and doesn't need defending. Vectra? Mondeo? You are buying a Mid-sized family car you aren't buying a Ferrari in this league of car buying just another ordinary traffic car that keeps up with traffic. Saying the Mondeo is better than the Vectra is saying Macdonalds is superior to Whimpy? Mid-size motors? Its a choice not a compromise...
Today according to "parkers.co.uk" and "autotrader.co.uk", the mondeo beats the insignia too, although cars are so good these days many people dont care.
But i was annoyed when my mate had a vectra for 10 years then got an insignia without even looking at any other cars.
@ljoch88 I neither have a family to support, but one never knows. I understand your point of view, but I needed to sell my car in 2006 and although sad, I realized, I did not need it - suddenly surviving was no problem and now I have a good bicycle, with 2 headlights and all :D (people are surprised seeing that the thing that is projecting their shadows on the walls is a bicycle, driving it's light by dynamo :D)
Well, justy wanted to say: trying to avoid a car, but if, I want a nice one ;)
Why do you Britts call the Vectra a chav-mobile?
I'm slightly under the impression that the Mondeo has won.
My right ear is lonely
@denbydoo Oh god please don't get me started on Mondeo's. After travelling in a Vectra I think my choice between the two was made up a long time ago. Mondeo's are made of tin and the whole interior flexes inside with creaks and rattles galore. Vectras hold up much better for much longer and they rust far less then Fords and they are cheaper to buy with MORE equipment. I don't like Vectras but people that buy Mondeo's are real no brainers especially as a Ghia X costs more than an Audi A4 SE.
The Vectra has ABS and rear discs. Ford wanted £350 and even then you still had DRUMS!!!
@discocreator76 So is the Mondeo, Fords are an equal chav-mobile as Vauxhalls. I see more Ford Mondeo ST24's/200's with daft Lexus lights and stupid bodykits with huge ridiculous "Pimp my ride" wheels then I do Vectra 2.5 SRi's. Mondeo's and Vectras are both chav wheels associated with council estates if I'm honest. None of them are classy.
It's easy to get right driving position in the mondeo. But she just didn't. Look at her arms. Almost can'treach the wheel
This is so funny. But don't be fooled. This miserable lot from the BBC have had a attitude towards Vauxhall for years. Quentin, Clarkson, Needell...the lot of them. It's because they all owned fords when they were younger and hate the fact Vauxhall are competitive against ford. They take every opportunity to have a dig at Vauxhall even though the Cavalier outsold the Sierra. They've probably already pipped up about the Insignia and new Astra, both of which are brilliant cars for their class.
Because they’re right. I’ve got a 12 plate Fiesta and my great aunt and uncle have a 59 plate Corsa and personally, I think my Fiesta is a lot more fun than their Corsa.
@@alfienaylor1587No they think their right there’s a difference.
@cero815
Well take a good look at what you spend on upkeep, then see if you can survive some more upkeep for the car if you buy it via credit at a bank xD
I dont know if you have a big house a family to support, i dont so i go all out when buying a car hehe
I prefer to Ford Mondeo....
I will agree with you 100% I'm no fan of Ford or GM but when I drive a car for myself I'll be honest. I drove an old Astra G 2.0 DTI and a Focus MkI 1.8 TDCi to match and both cars were the same bags of shit the Focus was the worst pile of horse dung out of the two horrors and surprisingly the Astra was the better one to drive. The MkI Focus is awful, don't believe any of the stories Fords are just as diabolical to drive and handle as any other car made in that era and boy don't I know it.
Mondeo vs Vectra: Which is the cheapest? Which is the best looking? Which is the best to drive? Which is the most fun? lets be honest... If you were that passionate about buying a car which offers you all that. You would buy an Alfa 156 or a BMW 3 series and you wouldn't even bother with a shitty Vauxhall or a crappy Ford. No one looks twice at a Mondeo or a Vectra and saying one is better than the other is like saying Macdonalds is better than Whimpy. True?
20 years later i can still see vectras on the roads... but mondeo mk2? nope
I disagree. I’ve seen more Mk2 Mondeos than Vectra Bs, and frankly I don’t see many Vectra Cs anymore either.
@boscosbollocks well...all fords are all dull and wrecks if you ask me. I agree that Vectra A is the best,but Opel is by far better than ford and especially mondeo
Isn't the Mondeo an ugly bugger though. Neither excite, but at least the Vectra never looked like a potato.
Conclusion, buy the 406 ^^
Give them 100,000 miles and then race them.
Mondeo is much better.
That Mondeo looks worse even than a Mercedes from 1978, which is much much older.The Daewoo Cielo is a beauty queen compared to this Ford. I've never seen a car that ugly, if you look at it from a side, it looks terrible.
Ford Ka, Escort, Orion, Sierra, Crown Victoria, also other Fords, also look dull and outdated. Regarding their cars from present, i look at them and ask myself : "who would buy them and why?"
As for Opel, their cars design was always ok...not amazing, but fine!
Mondeo the best car in D class!
@ljoch88 Was thinking about that, too, but too expensive to repair, and as I hope that my main transport will be my bicycle, I'd prefer having an estate to transport it and other stuff easily.
Well, let's see what the bank account says the day I want to buy a car..... One can't have it all, you know :P
Id rather Slug the Mondeo up motorway than that Vectra
@Lolf88
Yeah, since Nissan went together with Renault, all their Euro models are really really rubish.
And hell ugly! The latest Premera is such a horrible thing to watch at. But back in 1998? They had very decent cars
Here on the continent, every loverboy had a black mondeo liftback those days. Don't ask me why. :P
the 2.5 v6 gsi msd edition was class fukin fast as fok an sounded lyk a hog luved it now I own a astra vxr
I don't like either. The Mondeo was a miserably average car and the Vectra was just as bad. Nether of them had any pizazz about them. The Vauxhall Cavalier was a far better car than the Vectra as was the sierra to the Mondeo.
@cero815
In that case the best of luck to you sir xD
Its an OPEL Weg da
The vectra ist the better car, hands down 👍 the Ford didn’t come with airbags as standard, what a joke 😂🙈
The Honda Accord and the Nissan Primera were a much better cars in this clas then these two horrible vehicles.
And the Vectro is so horrible, I would even prefer a very nasty Citroen Xantia above it!
Anyone who thinks Mondeos are much better than Vectras have never driven a 1.8 Mondeo in their life. They are gutless, no power & they hate corners! You really can't drive a 1.8 Zetec with standard 5-spoke 18"s on a twisty country lane at 60. It feels like its going to lean over & slide into a tree! The brakes are a joke for a stopping distance! I mainly drove ABS Zetec Models god only knows what Non-ABS examples are like. I suppose thats a Mondeo's main excitement, Its scary brakes & handling!
thats a verry old top gear
The Mondeo has to be the most over rated car ever.
Vectra b it is nice, Ford it is not
WHAT!? Why do people come out with such bullshit on the Mondeo? Its not better than anything else in its class. Ive driven more old Mondeos then I have 406's & Vectras & the electrics, gears, brakes, spark plugs on them are crap! The interior looks very nice, its comfortable & the 1.8 Zetecs look very sporty with lots of mods but they are horrible to drive, heavy body & gutless performance for a 1.8! None of its so-called extras actually WORK!
vectra better, better acceleration and engine live longer.
Acceleration isn’t everything a car should be, build quality, drive quality, space, looks, boot room. A lot more to a car than speed and a mondeo st will out accelerate a vectra.
Ive got the australian Holden import version of the vectra here its known as a JS s2 with a 2.2 4 cylinder And ide fuckin pic it over the mondeo ANYDAY!.. ive driven both the vectra is faster much much faster
I prefer the Mondeo
However the Vectra B estate is ok as long as it's a top spec V6
The vectra looks a lot nicer, That Mondeo is ugly.
u can't spend the rest of ur life in them,
THEY WILL BREAK DOWN VERY SOON....
Mondeo better, after driving both i have the mondeo, even the later vectra was crap
um mondeo e um fiesta grande,.? rsrs , aparece cada um , so nabos mesmoº´
sure vectra is the best
Ford gówn o wort :D
you really dont know anything about cars:)
I have always liked ZN Ecotec petrol engines to Fords Zetec engines. 16V Astra G's, Zafira A's, and Vectras always made a high pitched tinnitus 'sing' because the engine was so quiet all you could hear was the PAS system. It was as silent as a Toyota Prius on Hybrid/E all the 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 Ecotec engines were silent running engines Focuses, Mondeo's and the like never had engines that ran as refined as that 14 years ago only Vauxhall did. Simple answer: Ford are total crap!
VECTRA IS BEST FOR DIESEL POWER AND THE MONDEO IS BEST FOR PETROL POWER VECTRA IS MORE SPORTY AND THE MONDEO IS BLAND TAKE YA PICK ID CHOSE THE VECTRA COS OF THE LOOKS
Mondeo and Vectra are pretty much the same crap; dull and unreliable cars. Except that I hate the Mondeo even more, because it's vastly overrated by the British who think it's the best thing ever since the invention of the hamburger.
Mondeo is soooooooooooo ugly!!!
true.
We all should by now know that the Vauxhall is never better than the Ford
My friend had an S reg Vectra. It was the most uncomfortable car I have ever been in. The seats felt like they were made out of stone. The ride was hard and choppy. A truly terrible car!
+Phillip Bayliss And I got seasick in the back of the Vectra.
Phillip Bayliss I had an S-Reg Vectra which was phenomenal! It drove like a dream and it was so practical!
Let’s face it when we buy a car we don’t think about comfort for passengers, I had the SRI with sports seats drove from Scotland down to Kent didn’t even need to stop. You have to get the right line, The SRI and the GSI have really nice sports seats.