subject: Opel Vectra Impressive [print this page] On the road the front-wheel drive Opel Vectra is very impressive, delivering a high-level of sophistication and refinement -- a safe haven if you like -- but without totally seceding from its bread-and-butter, mid-sized roots
The more opulent, more expensive CDX is basically a dead ringer for the CD in most key areas, save for the 3.2-litre ECOTEC V6 powerplant (which is only available in automatic) and extra interior touches: six-stack CD player, velour trim, trip computer and four-spoke steering wheel
The first thing that took my fancy on the CD was the capacious rear-end. There was more than enough room to accommodate my two-child family -- and I'm talking young nippers, so that's a lot of accessories Its 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine is claimed to produce 108kW of power at 5600rpm and 203Nm of torque at 4000rpm -- in comparison, the 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine in the Mazda 6 produces 122kW and 207Nm. The engine output only equates to a small gain on its predecessor, but it is certainly honest enough for my conservative family-friendly needs.
The automatic gearbox in both Vectras felt very refined, allowing the CD for one to lope along at 2500rpm at 115km/h. That helped to produce fuel economy of 7.99lt/100km, which equates to around 750km out of the 61-litre tank..
Power windows and mirrors, finger-touch steering column controls, eight-way adjustable driver's seat, nine-speaker CD stereo, cruise control, tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, variable intermittent wipers and air-conditioning are all part of the package As you'd expect from something that is zeroing in on the likes of the BMW 3-Series, all the driver inputs are silky smooth, without delving into the realms of super-responsive. That holds for the likes of the steering, & controls -- the gear shifter will have to wait until I've driven the manual.
