ZC Vectra opinions

[Roquefort]

Hi nOOb to the forums,
I'm just getting some info on a ZC Vectra
What im looking at is a ZC Vectra CDXi 3.2 Auto, and what i would like to know is what are they like to live with?
I recently took one for a test drive at my local dealer and they seem very nice to drive and go pretty well, well i guess anything is when i drive a bogan VL commodore.
Are there anythings i should look out for when i go looking at one? Any problems mechanical wise?, Do they NEED PULP to run? etc.
I'm either going to end up going after one these or a WH Statseman LS1.
The Statseman is v8, BIG, but all old school, driveline and interior wise, plus the fuel economy.
The Vectra is looked to be well built and far classier then the Statseman, had a far more refined drive line, and got up and went pretty well despite being v6 and auto.
Oh and I'm just under 200cm tall and nearly 21, so if you see any problems regarding height and age, could you also tell me.
Thanks
Mark

[MatsHolden]

Go the Vectra over a WH Statesman. WH's had the problems with some LS1's requiring rebuilds. Holden rebuilt most of the ones that needed it now, but on the off chance you get a dodgy one... The ZC Vectra's are a very nice car, are newer and more advanced than a WH Statesman. Don't think they need to run on premium, BUT really should run it on premium as that's what they are made to run on in Europe. It will run on 91RON but won't like it much. Another thing going against the Statesman would be your age... V8 and insurance may = $$ Don't think you should have too many problems with the Vectra and your height... I'm not quite as tall as you (190cm) and I fit in a Barina so... lol

[pred8r]

I heard the auto ZC Veccy has issues with occasionally filling the tranny with radiator fluid.
Manual didnt have this issue.

Heard that from a Service dept dude when i asked what "issues" they had, he replied with a 'none other apart from that'.

[Roquefort]

Well insurance is not a major issue i think, Ive checked out the Statesman an it ends up being around the same as the Vectra give or take a few hundred (and thats not bad when the on line quote is something like K)
I did a check with nrma and just car on a vectra for when i turn 21 next year and the vectra is about 2700 with nrma and 2200 with just car, but I'm going to have ring them to find out exactly because I'm hoping driver training may factor into the equation.
Yeah i know about the oil usage and piston slag issues with the LS1 (I'm always on the LS1.com.au forums) and if the car has done more then 150k you most likely got a good one, but the majority of statesman have like 75-K on them, so its a bit of a lottery.

[xplosv57]

Another thing the Vectra has over the Statesman is resale value, Statesman prices are falling dramatically whereas a Vectra would hold its value, especially a top of the line CDXi!!! The Vectra as Mat said is a much better built car but if its power youre after, the V8 is gonna be alot more powerful! If youre after an all round package, go for the CDXi, looks alot classier, better quality and is alot more refined!!! And this is from a guy who adores his Commodore V8s!!!!

[Roquefort]

yeah i know about the resal value of the Commodore derived products, if i decided to sell the vectra would put in a far better position.
The thing im also looking at is uniqueness, i dont want an every day SS/statesman etc, and i rely see a Vectra on the road, let alone a CDXi, so that is a reason also.
The only thing i can see the Statesman being better is if its damaged, alot of the stuff on the car is made in australia, and can be sourced quite easy, where the vectra is euro, so parts could take a while to get here and they could be expensive, well thats what im assuming

[xplosv57]

Well yes parts are going to be more expensive for a Vectra than a Statesman but if youre insured you wouldn't have to worry about the repair cost or parts availability!!! Usually Holden stocks common Vectra parts in australia so you wouldn't have to wait for parts!!

Check out the ZC Vectra CDXi for sale in the 'cars for sale' section, that is definetely a good buy!!!

[Roquefort]

:doh:insurance...
Yeah i forgot they get the bill.
Damn that IS a nice looking Vectra, but i have to re-learn how drive manual if i was to consider that, plus im looking next year for it.

[stevedee3]

I drive a 2003 manual CDXi, so that's the background for my comments.

I've had a few minor electrical issues, but all were sorted under warranty. None were so serious that I would have paid to fix them if it were out of warranty.

Mechanically the car has been flawless. This is what the manual says about petrol:


Petrol requirements R.O.N. (Research Octane Number)
2.2 LITRE ENGINE
Use unleaded petrol of at least 91 RON.
3.2 LITRE ENGINE
Use unleaded petrol of at least 95 RON (premium, high octane). If premium unleaded petrol is not available, normal unleaded (91 RON) can be used provided that heavy engine loads are avoided, such as driving at high speed, towing in hilly areas or loading up the vehicle excessively.
Note: Slight reduction in engine output and torque may occur if 91 RON petrol is used.
I do a lot of slow and stop-start driving and average 13 or so l/100km with the climate control system left on. The Statesman would be quicker, but the V6 Vectras aren't too bad. They'll do 0-100 km/h in high sevens and supposedly 246 km/h (auto) top speed.

I can't think of any issues with height - if you were comfortable on your test drive then you should be OK. The driver's seat is adjustable for for reach, height, tilt and recline and has adjustable lumbar support so hopefully you can adjust it to your satisfaction.

As pred8r said, there were some issues with some of the automatic transmissions having coolant leaking into the transmission. I believe the fix was to replace the transmission.

You're right about parts. Apart from the standard service items, dealers don't seem to carry many parts, and they will be more expensive than for a locally manufactured car. But they'll usually be in stock somewhere in Australia!

[Roquefort]

Sweet, well if you get 13lt/100km's if city driving, that means i should get around 10-11lt/100km's, Prestons to Wetherill Park and thats not stop start like city driving.
Like i would see that type economy in an 8, i would be lucky to get 14lt/100km's.
lol the more and more i think of it, and all this helpful info, i think i will be going down the vectra route, when i go for the new car:dance:.
Also i dont think i could stand the ful sik parade trying to run the 8 at lights, yeah its an 8 buts its *not* that quick

[xplosv57]

Yeah the WH 5.7 isn't very quick plainly due to ts weight and a boat like suspension!! The Vectra is the way to go and it would give a few cars a run at the lights too, the 155kW 3.2l V6 is nothing to be sneezed at!!!

Another plus with the Vectra is it has a 5spd auto with a manual mode (tiptronic) whereas the Stato has that terrible 4spd auto which is like a billlion years out of date!!!

Go for the Vectra buddy!!!!

[01CDsedan]

I'm going to rain on everyone's Vectra parade here and say go the Statesman.

My parents have had a 2003 ZC CDX from new, and it now has about 35,000km. Nothing has gone wrong mechanically other than some transmission weirdness that was cured by reloading the software.

As a tall (195cm) driver, I find a number of problems. Visibility out of the car is poor - I find, for instance, that I need to duck to see past the rear vision mirror in tight corners sometimes, and the high sills and thick A pillars also cause visibility problems. The other problem I have is that I quite frequently end up hitting my head on the grab handle when cornering - it's just too close to where my head finds itself with the seat all the way back and all the way down.

It's actually a lovely car to drive, with excellent performance, but the transmission does odd things like not changing back very quickly and then slamming back two gears when all you wanted was a little more throttle. But I hate automatics so that may just be my bias coming through.

Both cars handle well. The Vectra does suffer from torque steer under hard acceleration, which is to be expected from a FWD car. But the Statesman is not the barge people think it is - I drove one around Oran Park about two years ago and was well and truly surprised at how well it got up and moved - it felt like a much smaller car.

Still, for a tall driver, the Statesman has it all over the Vectra. More legroom, more headroom, more shoulder room, no visibility problems. The V6 in the Vectra is nice but a V8 is always a V8 and nothing can compare to that sort of big-torque, effortless performance. And while you will feel good driving the Vectra, that's nothing compared to how good you feel behind the wheel of a V8 luxury car like the Statesman.

It would be hard to go wrong with either car, really, but for my money I would be in the Statesman every time, no problem. Or alternatively, in a V8 Calais.

[pred8r]

As pred8r said, there were some issues with some of the automatic transmissions having coolant leaking into the transmission. I believe the fix was to replace the transmission.

this was to 'fix' the transmission (as in get it moving again), apart from that, AFAIK there was no 'real' fix so it would always be a chance thing that you may end up replacing the trannys again and again.

What he said was it was a known fault in europe before they came here and even then opel chose not to redesign it so it would 'work'.

I would assume its a radiator issue (this is purely assumption, i have NFI) and if this is the case, I would invest in a separate tranny cooler and just reroute the fluid through it, eliminating or, at the very least, reducing the chance of radiator fluid getting pumped in.

If looking at the stato go the international - fewer around, has a silvery dash surround (looks nice unless you like the tree version, i.e. standard stato) burgundy, navy or tan interior. exterior in black, silver and (was it white??).

[Roquefort]

yeah that was thing i found with the Vectra, the visibily out the back was pretty woeful, but driving forklifts and learning to use mirrors when driving makes this less of an issue.
I didnt have any issues being tall when i was test driving but that was from a 10 min drive so i guess issues could arise.
To get the statesman to handle with any grace and to get it to go half decent, it would need some decent mods, including a very good set of brakes.
In the end its still quite a big car so any advantages i make from visibility would be lost with manouverability etc.
As much as i really wanted a v8 and after giving the vectra a go, the vectra was more then fast enough, i guess if i was going to go for an 8, i would get something like an SS and turn into a track weapon.

EDIT
Yeah ive been looking at the internationals/LS8's and ive seen i think 2-3 being advertised from what i what remember, and yes they are very good looking motor car, but i think they may attract to much attention in the form of insurance (last time i checked) and other things

[xplosv57]

Well if youre keen on a V8, id go a Calais rather than a Statesman, its more balanced, not as heavy and a hell of alot easier to park!!!! Then find yourself a Calais International, blue with white leather, looks sexy as!! But id stick with the Vectra over the Statesman, or better yet, get the Vectra and transplant an LS1 into it, and a RWD chassis of course!!!!

To answer your question pred8r the Statesman International didn't come out in white, just black and silver!!

[Roquefort]

yeah like i said, it would be nice to have an 8, but do i really need it?
the calais would be my first option if i was going shortwheel base, i almost bought one not that long ago, but i didnt put to much effort in to research, and ended up backing out of it.
I can see my self in 5-10 years time buying a top of the range CalaisV v8, but thats going to be when i hope im making far more money then i am making at the moment.

[stevedee3]

yeah that was thing i found with the Vectra, the visibily out the back was pretty woeful...I agree, the view out the back isn't that great.. I've considered getting parking sensors fitted, but haven't yet...

The A pillars seem to have the knack of getting in the way too.

[one2have]

I love my Veccy, far superior to any commodore based vehicle (I've had 4 commodores, last was a VX Berlina) unless you're looking at an optioned SS or HSV. So many options and great handling.. I'm 185cm and never feel cramped.

[Tfer]

I have a Veccy C CDXI manual and love it to pieces.... goes hard, handles well, and with steering well height and reach adjustable, and the seat height adjustable as well, I have no dramas with headroom, although I am not as tall as some in the forum.

Definitely the CDXI is the one to have, and has great presence on the road, given the limited numbers. :) Has all the luxury mod cons to boot :cool:

[ronj]

one thing no one has mentioned is the advanced safety features in the vectra, 9 airbags ( I think) ABS, Trac Control etc. I have a 03 cdx Vectra and feel very safe in it. The car has plenty of power and handles like a dream. I say go the Vectra. Hasnt the cdxi got reversing sensors for parking. Most modern cars have limited rear vision, thats the current trend.

[stevedee3]

one thing no one has mentioned is the advanced safety features in the vectra, 9 airbags ( I think) ABS, Trac Control etc. I have a 03 cdx Vectra and feel very safe in it. The car has plenty of power and handles like a dream. I say go the Vectra. Hasnt the cdxi got reversing sensors for parking. Most modern cars have limited rear vision, thats the current trend.CDXi Vectras have either four or six airbags (The older ones miss out on curtains). They also have traction control, ABS, seatbelt pre-tensioners in all but the middle back seat, adjustable head restraints for all seating positions, adjustable height seat belt mounting points, collapsable pedals, etc. Also worthy of note (IMHO) is the inclusion of ESP on the CDXi (but not on the lower spec models). For some reason dealers don't seem to rate this as a feature worth mentioning... :confused:

[shoey85]

I used to own a st8o (othewise known as a boat), it was a terrible ride, far too soft evan with super lows, the vectra can definetly keep up with 8s and turbo 4s. it handles like a dream! i have had only a small problem with my cruise control turning itself off, but i dont use it often enough to care, simple mods such as zhorst and new filter give it more grunt, yes servicing is expensive eg $770 for my 60k but a v8 also about that as its a major service. its great on fuel, EG freeway is about 6.5l to 100ks but stop start can be up to 10 or 11 per 100ks. A very safe car, I would recomend the vectra to anyone!
so i rekon go for it!!:)

[ronj]

CDXi Vectras have either four or six airbags (The older ones miss out on curtains). They also have traction control, ABS, seatbelt pre-tensioners in all but the middle back seat, adjustable head restraints for all seating positions, adjustable height seat belt mounting points, collapsable pedals, etc. Also worthy of note (IMHO) is the inclusion of ESP on the CDXi (but not on the lower spec models). For some reason dealers don't seem to rate this as a feature worth mentioning... :confused:

thanks Steve, I was too lazy to go and open my manual, I,m sure a stateman would not match these safety features.

[one2have]

thanks Steve, I was too lazy to go and open my manual, I,m sure a stateman would not match these safety features.

Actually I just counted, mine does have the extra 3 airbags (total 9).

Hang on, they're pillows from the drive-in the other night...:D :D :D :D

[Roquefort]

Thanks for all all the info guys and gals
I think im hooked now.
Next year around april, is going to be the big month i hope, im going to go and buy my self a Vectra (if funds permit).
Looking at it, all the Statesman has over the Veccie is the LS1, and then look at the Vectra it has all this awesome gear, ESP etc, Much safer as well.