The Mondeo is the better looker but it's your car - plus the fact - the Veccy has a lot less miles on it than the Mondy so for £150 more, I'd be tempted to get that.
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Adam
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Buy on condition, more than anything else.
The Mondeo diesel (the same 1.8 as used in the Escort) is a bit unrefined though, and probably less economical than the 2.0 unit used in the Vectra.
Also, as you say, the Vectra has done a lower mileage (is it genuine - do the pedal rubbers look very worn or freshly changed, is the steering wheel shiny, the driver's seat worn or does the seat belt take a while to get back into place - at 66k none of those symptoms should show), so I might lean towards that, although the Mondeo is the better car in just about every other respect.
If they were petrol I might in fact still go for the Mondeo, but they're not.
Just to make sure the above is fair, do both cars have full service history, a clear HPI record and a similar (or at least so as it makes no difference) level of equipment? Is one in a hideous colour that will be impossible to sell on? Assuming that neither has any obvious problems, for me the Vectra would just edge it.
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The late 1997-1998on Vectras were an improvement over previous ones. I wouldn't touch the Mondeo with that horrible engine.
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The Mondeo, so long as you know of the last cambelt change - or if it's ever had a clutch. Long job to do the clutch, so make sure it doesn't feel on it's way out.
BUT.... do you REALLY need diesel??
For a few £$£$ more, you'd have Y or 51 plate 1.8 NEW Mondeo, in auction.
Saw 1.8 LX (petrol)101k,51 reg, direct leasing company, but in white, make only £2,800 this week. Clean looking car, too.
VB
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IMO they are both good cars. The Vectra does have a chain cam engine which is one advantage.
Don't think you will go far wrong whichever you choose.
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Mondeo is without a doubt the better car however that particular example is overpriced. A 100k mile 98 Mondeo is worth no more than £1500ish unless its an ST24 RSA, which this one isn't.
Great cars let down only by poor diesel engines which as said are 1.8 not 2.0. Remove the Vectra from your list, as its a horrible car, and consider a Peugeot 406 1.9TD instead - great engine in that.
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Remove the Vectra from your list, as its a horrible car,
LOL.
Take no notice. I owned my previous Vectra for over 3 yrs and it was a great car. Only had a couple of minor things go wrong in all that time.
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>> Remove the Vectra from your list, as its a horrible car, LOL. Take no notice. I owned my previous Vectra for over 3 yrs and it was a great car. Only had a couple of minor things go wrong in all that time.
Thats fine if you rate your car in the same way you would your dishwasher. The fact it never broke obviously means its a fantastic car, and there is nothing more to cars than that. If thats your outlook on motoring then to be honest, almost anything you buy will be fine.
If, however, driving dynamics etc are important to you, then there is obviously more to a car than whether it broke down or not. My Skoda Felicia never broke down, ever. Would I buy another one becuase of this? Absolutely not. Aside from the utter reliability, it was terrible.
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Thats fine if you rate your car in the same way you would your dishwasher. If, however, driving dynamics etc are important to you....
I've never had an issue with the driving dynamics of my Vectra, or any other Vectra I have driven.
I drive with a heavy right foot, I occasionally throw it into bends way too fast and hope that the little claws in the tyres remain gripping the road - which until now, they have done.
As well as the Vectra having excellent handling, (IMHO), it is also very comfortable to drive, no matter how long my lardy backside has been in the saddle.
Michael, I know from your previous postings on Vectra's that you hate them, and are more bias towards the Ford Mondeo (www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=26...3 ) for example; I am more bias towards the Vectra and have never liked driving Uncle Henry's contraptions.
It's just one of those discussions that we'll never agree on.
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The late 1997-1998on Vectras were an improvement over previous ones. I wouldn't touch the Mondeo with that horrible engine.
The improved Vectras, if you can call them that, were the facelifted models introduced in 1999. IMHO the 98's are just as awful as the 96's..
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Maybe the German Vectras are better, , years ago, we had a new R reg SRi, it was 1998 model, I asked the dealer where they were made, and he said, these models in the UK, and these in germany, so we got a German one *with a heavy heart) and quite a few things were changed on this from previous ones, it was the same time trafficmaster came fitted.
Anyway, it was miles better than the Mondeo we had at work.
It is probably down to personal preference, how the individual car has been looked after, etc...
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As a Vectra owner I'm probably biased, but I've done 100,000 miles on four and a half years in my 2000 Opel Vectra 2.0DTI, with only a couple of minor problems in that time. Other then routine maintenance, I've only had to spend a couple of hundred £s and its never broken down. I agree its not the most exiting car, but it has done its job well with very litte fuss.
Brian
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>>The improved Vectras, if you can call them that, were the facelifted models introduced in 1999. IMHO the 98's are just as awful as the 96's..>>
'98 model SRi's had suspension updates that improved handling, steering feel etc. This was introduced on all models at the time of the facelift, mid '99.
The Vectra is much maligned though was really not bad, however the petrol engines were relatively better than the diesels, same on the new Vectra until new 1.9 D's came along.
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For the driving experience and image (not much image with either car, admittedly) it'd be the Mondeo every time.
But as you've decided on the diesel, the engine ends up making the decision (IMHO). That 1.8 Ford turbo diesel is truly terrible, the last of the 'old' diesel engines. The Vectra will give you better performance and fuel economy, not to mention the economical advantage of a chain-driven camshaft.
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The Vectra will give you better performance and fuel economy, not to mention the economical advantage of a chain-driven camshaft.
Unless you go for the 1.9 CDTi, which has reverted back to a cambelt ;o(
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On driving experience, the previous model Mondeo may have the edge in some respects, but I thought the previous Vectra was generally accepted as a better motorway cruiser and im my opinion, is a better looking car.I think image is a very subjective concept. Not saying the Vectra had a great image, but I think the Mondeo's was arguably worse, especially since the phrase 'Mondeoman' came into usage!
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I've driven quite a distance in a 1.8 16v 1999 Vectra. It goes like stink. (It's for sale, by the way, genuine 35k mostly motorway miles on the clock (It's had a pretty easy life). FSH. One previous owner. In London or Manchester, as you wish.))
I've always found it cruises jolly well. But *I* hate the seats and find them uncomfortable & hard on a long run. Others disagree with me.
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You know what? I'd be pained to actually buy either. The French/Germans rule the diesel field, really...but you'd have to hunt for a good 406 I think. There's the Citroen Xantia (and while ppl will defend it, you run a risk with that complex suspension). German diesels. Would've done millions of miles at this price - though, an A4 with 150,000, may not actually be that bad a proposition, at least in image terms.
This will be the second post I'm doing it in, and I'm ashamed - I really am. Have you considered a Rover? Either a 420 or 620 with the 100bhp diesel engine. My Mum (I know, I know...image) had a 420 GSDi on 96N and that seemed fine enough, and they're dirt cheap, and it was classier and better built than a Mondeo/Vectra, was an accomplished cruiser, had 12k miles service intervals, and never once went wrong. It was also a VERY economical engine, and it was all that noisy to my ear, either.
If you absolutely must...I'd have the...Vectra. On the simple basis that it's done less miles. But please...don't do it!
lol.
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thanks for all replys. but i have gone for a escort gti 1999. for some reason it caught my eye when i drove past it. it has full history full mot cambelt done 5k ago 55k on the clock. is there any major problems with the gti's. or is there anything i should look for before handing over the cash.....
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