Review V40 to Vectra estate

[Dog_Book]

Ok so a few of you know after the demise of my V40's gearbox and the repairs needed for the next MOT i ended up buying a Vectra estate SRi cdti XP Navi

The findings would in my opinion lead me to say that the Vectra would be the best overall car but that's maybe because its newer and has a lot more power and features. Both cars have good and bad points.

Heres what ive found over the last few months good and bad about the Vectra and ill briefly explain how the V40 fared in comparison.

Vectra looks a lot more modern and of course is massive inside.
Upgrading the Vectra is so easy and in some cases needs some programming to activate stuff.
Before and after mapping which is cheap the car goes like hell lol
Vectra has alot more modern features that are user programmable like all windows going up on locking.
Things like factory 19" wheels and sports seats and front and rear parking sensors.
Easier to take apart for mods.
Factory things like tinted windows and body kit that Volvo never did and don't to well even now.

Mods so far

• Switchable traction control
• Mapped more power and torque
• DPF gutted and mapped out
• EGR blanked and mapped out
• Tailgate edge light
• Front and rear load guard mounting points with load guard, currently behind the rear seats
• Front and rear footwell lights
• Passenger courtesy light
• Bigger brakes 314mm front and rear vented 292 inc calipers
• Alpine HU replaced the VX Navi unit
• Front courtesy light with map lights and extra switches and glasses holder
• Rear electric windows
• Sunstrip
• Roof rails (to be fitted)
• Center console rear vents

Some of the things ive added i allways though would be standard like rear passenger light and footwell lights but its easy enough for me to install these.
Thats where the V40 scores, it has so many standard features ive had to and am still adding to the Vectra.

I bought both cars with similar mileage and the Volvo was actually about 3 years older. They are or were both lovely cars in their own right, the V40 felt sharper to sling around corners but remember i had modded the V40. The Vectra is easier to remove bits and put them back compared to the Volvo and like i said a lot more scope for altering things and retro fitting.
The Volvo wins hands down on quality of parts, its quite scary when i think of what has gone wrong and still needs replacing at this time in its life compared to the V40.

The Volvo never had anything you wouldn't expect to wear out other than the AC pipe that the power steering pump pipe wore though last summer.
I got the Vectra cheap but at 6 years old and 82000 miles it needed

• Inlet manifold common swirl flaps failure
• Alternator
• 2 rear shocks
• Front down pipe
• Inner CV boot
• AC re-gassed see bellow lol

Still a couple of things outstanding

• AC rad has leak needs replacing, means another AC regas ;/
• Intercooler has suspected leak as car smokes under boost, maps been tested and it still does it under original ecu map.

See the Vectra is amazing and for someone like me who like to mess with cars is easy to fiddle with and upgrade the Volvo just kept going. I think if i could have found a 03-04 V40 in perfect condition then i still would have enjoyed it. But that was the other odd thing for the money the newer V40's cost alot compared to a 2 year younger and higher spec'd Vauxhall.

Like i said before if the new Volvo's are still as well made as the ones on here then a V50 would have been great if they didn't have old flat seats and a stereo you cant do anything with. But not even the Sport V50's have proper sports seats and apart from the D5's all you read is trouble a bit like the Vectras lol I glad i didn't waste even more money on a flat 2.0T Audi sport line estate though with similar mileage and very few toys.

[gazO2V40T4]

Even with all the stick I'm givin you about it the car looks nice and I'm sure you'll have it all sorted soon

[Baffler]

So, the question is...when are you selling up?

[Alex121]

Looks nice from the front.

The biggest difference I've found from Vauxhall to Volvo is that most things on a Vauxhall are pretty shagged by 120k where as the Volvo is still driving like it's on 50k...

I looked at Astras with a friend recently and the amount of 'recent gearbox and clutch replaced x amount of miles ago' on cars under 100k miles was shocking.

Either way, hope yours holds up and at least parts are nice and cheap on them

[rippedoffagain]

I like Vauxhall, and I used to like the Vectra, but since I owned one, I'd be happy if I never saw another one again.

Mine was constantly bust with one niggle or another, and the finally straw came when, in a road rage incident when some tit in a 1.2 Fiesta decided to overtake and slam on in front of me for no reason at all, I tried to do the same back to him (foolishly, I don't condone that sort of thing), foot to the floor and revs approaching the red line, with my feeble diesel engine I couldn't actually get past him and he flicked the V's as he casually and effortlessly pulled away. I'd have bagged him on top end, at about 120, if either of us had been determined enough to wait long enough for my car to inch its way past the speed limit, but I think we both had time to realise that the lifespan of the average human being is only 70-90 years and Britain is only about 1000 miles long, so it was never really going to happen.

Still, I'm glad yours is working out for you (genuinely, that's not sarcasm, I like Vauxhall motors). You're is clearly not the old 2 litre DI engine that was in mine.

[skyship007]

It would make more sense to compare a newer estate car with a V50. Also the gutted DPF is an MOT failure point as they have now included it in all EU country checks. It's an anti social thing to do if you drive in towns or cities anyway, as no one apart from Vauxhaul owners will want to breath in your fine Carbon particles.

[fintious maximus]

Originally Posted by Alex121

Looks nice from the front.

The biggest difference I've found from Vauxhall to Volvo is that most things on a Vauxhall are pretty shagged by 120k where as the Volvo is still driving like it's on 50k...

I looked at Astras with a friend recently and the amount of 'recent gearbox and clutch replaced x amount of miles ago' on cars under 100k miles was shocking.

Either way, hope yours holds up and at least parts are nice and cheap on them

My mate at work bought a diesel astra on an 08 plate with 80k in december and he's had to have a new DMF, clutch and master cylinder already. luckily he got it from a dealer so all been done under warranty...

[Slackey]

Originally Posted by skyship007

It would make more sense to compare a newer estate car with a V50. Also the gutted DPF is an MOT failure point as they have now included it in all EU country checks. It's an anti social thing to do if you drive in towns or cities anyway, as no one apart from Vauxhaul owners will want to breath in your fine Carbon particles.

Skyship is right......there are going to be a lot of disgruntled Diesel owners this year

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...iculate-filter

[kieran40]

Has youre vauxhall got that dreaded electric handbrake,my mates vectra diesel goes like stink aswell,but the Volvo is tougher due to being Mitsubishi and its a more luxury car.nice estate thou.but I'd soon a have a 850 or v70 I love the look of the 850.

[SonyVaio]

Originally Posted by skyship007

It would make more sense to compare a newer estate car with a V50. Also the gutted DPF is an MOT failure point as they have now included it in all EU country checks. It's an anti social thing to do if you drive in towns or cities anyway, as no one apart from Vauxhaul owners will want to breath in your fine Carbon particles.

@ Skyship,

I find your post doesn't really have a lot of merit due to the fact that DPF's are such a modern addition in recent years. Think of all the diesels out there that have no DPF and are of older generation diesel kicking out absolute buckets of black smoke.

Modern diesels are so much cleaner by design and even with the removal of the DPF the amount of muck kicked out the back will be far less than the older gen diesels?

@ Dog_Book

You've brought the Vectra nicely up to scratch and you're almost there with just a couple of niggles to sort out. Although you have got a car with the switchable TC it is a little more by luck than standard if not fitted for originally? On Vectras/Signums that did not have the switch fitted as standard you could buy the switch and plug it in but you were just lucky if it worked, some did some didn't.

What is nice is having the colour of the lights changed that sit behind the buttons & clocks etc... You need a little soldering skills though.

As a more perm fix for swirl flaps, I'm sure you'll know all about the kits and fixes anyway from www.Vectra-C.com, link to info on one of the kits: - LINKY!

Nice job you've made of the Vectra and it is looking good - enjoy.