Vauxhall why do people buy them?

[vauxhallnutter]

Gave this a whirl over on the VODC forum so thought I would give it a go on here...........

Just been reading a supplement in our local paper about the opening of the last dualled section of the A11 and in the back of it there was a feature on cars from the last 40 odd years. Included was the sales figures and Vauxhall has always had at least one car in the top ten.

Other car manufacturers such as Audi VW and BMW are supposed to be superior but if they are that good why are they not further up the sales chart? I know cost is one of them but nowadays the gap is very small pricewise but still they only teeter in there.

So why do we buy them? People moan that the newer ones are troublesome but still they keep being bought!

So the question.............. why do we buy them?


Please join in, its just a bit of fun and should get some good chat going!

So over to you.................

[Cavalier342]

2 words - Bargain motoring.

Amazingly versatile, practical every day cars which at the moment are seriously undervalued. That's about it for me.

[Super89]

Vauxhall & ford have been at the top for years..

[James McGrath]

There are allot more Vauxhall dealers around than audi or bmw so they are more assessable.

The parts are cheaper and they tend to be easier to service so general running costs are lower.

There is probably an element of brand loyalty in it too.

[Robsey]

It's my wife's fault!!
Well for me anyway.

Until meeting and marrying the wife, I'd never had a Vauxhall.
Back then she had a Cavalier mk2 base model 1.3 saloon in white.

As poverty spec as can be,
After a manual choke conversion, the 13S (pierburg 2e3 carb and electronic ignition) was stupidly reliable, economical and amazingly fast for such a small engine running a 4 speed box.
I was smitten.

So much so that when it came to getting a new car for her for Christmas 1995, we traded in my....
(coughs uncontrollably...) Austin Maestro.

The new car was another Vauxhall - the Mk3 that I still have 19 years later.
Again, stupidly reliable and reasonably economical for a nineties car.

Ten years later we got another Vauxhall - yep for her, for Christmas.
We sort of continued the theme, with the 2005 Cavalier equivalent...a Vectra-C.

This time I kept both Cavaliers until the mk2 rotted away in 2009.

Now then - Will I be buying her a Vauxhall for Christmas 2015...
The model equivalent is the facelift Insignia...

The jury is out on that one... guess we'll find out in 11 months.

I will probably open a thread in September looking for suggestions for a good family sized hatchback that is as reliable as the Vauxhalls we've had previously.
Will I buy a Vauxhall?
and more importantly - will I keep the Vectra-C or the Cavalier?

So cutting through the waffle - good, reliable and modestly economical motoring.
In the case of both Cavaliers - a good looking characterful car.

Something that I am not sure I will find in any current specification cars.
Vauxhalls or otherwise...

[btcctroy]

I only like pre 95 Vauxhalls, had a vectra gsi and hated the damn thing.
I don't know why I like the cavalier, hated it once over
But I think Vauxhall as Ford are so easy and cheap to modify, or were.
Everything is interchangeable or can be with some custom work.
Makes it all well and good

[Robsey]

There are allot more Vauxhall dealers around than audi or bmw so they are more assessable.

The parts are cheaper and they tend to be easier to service so general running costs are lower.

There is probably an element of brand loyalty in it too.

Regarding dealer numbers - very true for the mid nineties... but I think only 20% of the Vauxhall dealers still exist.
Definitely a lot fewer in the Manchester area.
I can think of one in Oldham (NE Manchester) and Stretford (W Manchester) that are still open.
I recall many others that are long gone..
Graham's of Ashton
Bristol Street of Beswick
Wilde & Hallam of Glossop
Wilde & Hallam of Denton
Horn's of Stockport
Grimshaws of Prestwich (now just network Q)...

[James McGrath]

Regarding dealer numbers - very true for the mid nineties... but I think only 20% of the Vauxhall dealers still exist.

That's surprising.
I cant speak for the rest of the country but there are still a few around my area. There are 3 within 10 miles of me, Hastings, Wadhurst and Heathfield which is quite impressive considering I live in the middle of nowhere.

I only like pre 95 Vauxhalls.

With the possible exception of the Omega I agree with you.

[Robsey]

Agreed - Omega was the last good looking car to leave the Vauxhall stables.

Sadly - I cannot think of a good looking and practical make or model from the last 5 years

I also have a (possibly childish) phobia of BMW's, and Audi's...
because if someone is going to drive like a total jerk - it will usually be at the wheel of a BMW or Audi

Yes build quality may be good, but I don't want to become classed as a BMW driving idiot.

[Cavalier342]

Early Omegas - nice! Facelift Omegas - ugly.

[James McGrath]

I also have a (possibly childish) phobia of BMW's, and Audi's...
because if someone is going to drive like a total jerk - it will usually be at the wheel of a BMW or Audi

Yes build quality may be good, but I don't want to become classed as a BMW driving idiot.

Same here. More towards Audis these days thought, BMWs aren't as bad as they used to be and they are pretty much the only manufacturer that still makes inline six cylinder engines. I respect them more than Audis but they still aren't my cup of tea.

[iancav6]

My dad used to get a company car which the last 3 were Cavs,2x mk2s and mk3.He racked up around 30k miles a year in all of them, so they must have made an impression on me for their reliability.

[vauxhallnutter]

Vauxhall & ford have been at the top for years..

They must be good then, people seem to slate them but if they were that crap then people wouldnt buy them!

VAG spares are a lot cheaper than they were so really its just the cost of the car in the first place but i think its more than just the price as pretty much any 'normal' car is within reach of most that are in a position to buy a new car these days thanks to the finance packages that are available.

[vauxhallnutter]

I only like pre 95 Vauxhalls, had a vectra gsi and hated the damn thing.
I don't know why I like the cavalier, hated it once over
But I think Vauxhall as Ford are so easy and cheap to modify, or were.
Everything is interchangeable or can be with some custom work.
Makes it all well and good

With you on that one bud although i think 97 was the cut off year for me as thats the year the Astra mk3 was discontinued and that was still a good car.

[vauxhallnutter]

It's my wife's fault!!
Well for me anyway.

Until meeting and marrying the wife, I'd never had a Vauxhall.
Back then she had a Cavalier mk2 base model 1.3 saloon in white.

As poverty spec as can be,
After a manual choke conversion, the 13S (pierburg 2e3 carb and electronic ignition) was stupidly reliable, economical and amazingly fast for such a small engine running a 4 speed box.
I was smitten.

So much so that when it came to getting a new car for her for Christmas 1995, we traded in my....
(coughs uncontrollably...) Austin Maestro.

The new car was another Vauxhall - the Mk3 that I still have 19 years later.
Again, stupidly reliable and reasonably economical for a nineties car.

Ten years later we got another Vauxhall - yep for her, for Christmas.
We sort of continued the theme, with the 2005 Cavalier equivalent...a Vectra-C.

This time I kept both Cavaliers until the mk2 rotted away in 2009.

Now then - Will I be buying her a Vauxhall for Christmas 2015...
The model equivalent is the facelift Insignia...

The jury is out on that one... guess we'll find out in 11 months.

I will probably open a thread in September looking for suggestions for a good family sized hatchback that is as reliable as the Vauxhalls we've had previously.
Will I buy a Vauxhall?
and more importantly - will I keep the Vectra-C or the Cavalier?

So cutting through the waffle - good, reliable and modestly economical motoring.
In the case of both Cavaliers - a good looking characterful car.

Something that I am not sure I will find in any current specification cars.
Vauxhalls or otherwise...

Keep the Cav and hang on to the VEC C, not as good as the Cav but certainly better than the insignia!

[btcctroy]

I only like pre 95 Vauxhalls, had a vectra gsi and hated the damn thing.
I don't know why I like the cavalier, hated it once over
But I think Vauxhall as Ford are so easy and cheap to modify, or were.
Everything is interchangeable or can be with some custom work.
Makes it all well and good

With you on that one bud although i think 97 was the cut off year for me as thats the year the Astra mk3 was discontinued and that was still a good car.

Actualky Yea I'm with you too as the ship calibra was discontinued, really not sure when that was I'm sure they did them on an R plate

[Lowrider Dave]

People always want personal transport so they will buy a car.

Their choice will be made on a number of factors, mostly a large percentage will be swayed by the following:

Experience through personal, family or acquaintance ownership.
Image (speed, style, comfort, luxury, power, versatility)
Advertising
Benchmarking your position in social class structure through perceived or connoted value/status
Value for money
Function (over form)

I won't chose another Vauxhall as each one has suffered from woeful headlights. TBH, nearly every affordable car out there is an over-bloated jelly-mold with no style or panache filled with either pointless gimmicks or impractical design.

Needless to say I plan never to by a new car and I'm on the tipping point of boredom with the Cav.

[Cavalier342]

I honestly don't know how you could get bored with the soundtrack of the C25XE at 4000 RPM.... It's the most pornographic sound I've ever heard in real life.... Short of all the muscle cars that I've come across.

[btcctroy]

I honestly don't know how you could get bored with the soundtrack of the C25XE at 4000 RPM.... It's the most pornographic sound I've ever heard in real life.... Short of all the muscle cars that I've come across.

I'm not keen on the v6 sound at all.
It's a drown like ernnnnnnn.....
Inline 4, 4 cylinder Boxer engine, Straight 5, straight, 6 and v8 rock my boat.
In that order lol

[Cavalier342]

GM and Chevy V8's make me cream any day... But the C25XE to me has a beautiful soundtrack. Mine is totally standard and the noise it makes turns people's heads from a mile away. I'm not one for showing off nowadays, but it even scares me sometimes! Also at 2000 RPM under full throttle there is even a V8 burble! 5 cylinders don't make any sense to me, it's an odd number lol.

[btcctroy]

5 cylinders don't make any sense to me, it's an odd number lol.

A great sound!

[planetc]

5 cylinder diesel engine is great, it sounds awesome

[btcctroy]

5 cylinder diesel engine is great, it sounds awesome

Yea the old sprinter vans used them

[James McGrath]

I've never understood why inline 5 engines are as common as they are. Yeah they make a nice sound but they are not vey well balanced.

Inline 6 or V12 is perfection in my opinion.

[Super89]

My 190d 2.5 sounds nice...Just very slow haha