Vauxhall VX220 2.2i

My husband has a Mitsubishi Evolution, sorry guys but wouldn't swap the vx220 for the world! The Evo is a rough ride and is in my opinion a heap, very expensive, goes wrong all the time, but then boys have to be boys!

I've owned my Vauxhall VX220 2.2i for nearly 3 years and when I first bought it, the feeling I got when putting the pedal to the metal has yet to be beaten. I loved it to bits. Fast accelerating and braking means that I've replaced the tyres brake discs and pads more times than I've ever had to with any other car but you expect this when driving a true sports car.

Everything was great with the VX220 for 2 years especially in summer with the roof off and the wind in my hair, but the grim reality is that these moments are all too fleeting. For these moments of perfection you are left with 11 and a half months of leaky roof, shivering in the car cause the heater doesn't ever get warm and a constant fear of the dang thing being written off.

This last problem came when a woman reversed into my car in a car park (only at 5mph) but caused over 4000 GPB worth of damage. The entire front needed replacing and it was close to being a write off. Worse still I had to wait 7 weeks for a new front clam to be delivered from Germany and what did I get to drive for those 7 weeks? A Corsa 1.1!!!!

Like the other reviewers, the Vauxhall dealerships don't have a clue about the VX220. Its like turning up to their garage with a Renault or Ford. They don't know where to start and everything takes forever to be delivered. Staff are pleasant enough but the mechanics are truly awful.

It's a brilliant car and a true driver's car but after 4 years it's starting to fall apart. The Immobiliser had to be replaced. The rear alloy wheels needed replacing, the heater has never worked properly and all the buttons to work the heater have broken off in my hand. The silver plastic in the interior is looking very worn. The passenger side window has broken and doesn't close to the top, the coolant bottle tank was not UV protected so burst and needed replacing. The most worrying thing about the car though is that the back end steps out now which it never did in the first two years.

The biggest annoyance of all though is the petrol gauge! Once you get to 6 litres it says refill, even though you can go another 40 odd miles. Unfortunately the refill sign does not disappear so you're left guessing how much petrol you have left. If only they let it go down from 6 to 5 all the way down to 1. It would have made my life much easier.

Anyways, after 2 years of pure pleasure I've had 1 year of trouble which has led me to the conclusion that the VX220 is without doubt the perfect summer or second car. Trying to own it as a day-to-day commuting car is difficult and I could only do it for 3 years. Anyway, I'm approaching 30 and don't want to be labelled as having a mid-life crisis, so its time to cash in.

My recommendation is that if you're in your early or mid 20s and want to drive the heck out of country lanes, then buy a VX220 which has done less than 30,000. You won't be disappointed, but cash it in before it reaches 50,000!

PS: Like the other reviewer I too have also experienced problems with kids and teenagers throwing things at my car and hurling abuse. One bad knock on that fibre glass with a Coke Can and your insurance is going to go up!

I loved my Vauxhall VX220 2.2i, and unlike many it never leaked or broke down. However, it had problems! These were mainly brought about by the incompetent dealer servicing. My car went in with a heater switch which wasn't working, and without going into the ghastly details, came back with the added benefits of a broken windscreen, a flat tyre, and the original problem unfixed.

That aside, it's a full on sports car for relatively little money, and if that's what you want, you can't get more bang for your buck.

They stopped the production of the Vauxhall VX220 2.2i Sports Car earlier this month, so you can now only buy it second-hand.

Any search engine will point you to the VX220 forum which is full of drivers suffering engine control unit problems after a year of ownership. Vauxhall are well known for producing reliable engines, unfortunately their electronics are not so robust. The rear mounted engine is exposed through a grill inviting rain and snow to get into the wires and the engine. With no electric windows, air conditioning or roof, you would think there wasn't much to go wrong with the car. But most cars leak in the rain (unless you paid £1500 for the optional hardtop), heater controls fall off and boot release mechanisms fail.

It is a beautiful car to look at, but the paint was licked onto the bodywork. Those buyers (who including myself) who didn't purchase helicopter tape or other protective measures, found hundreds of stonechips after only a few drives.

The handling and performance are great. Comfortable seats, spacious environment. But every hot hatch driver wants to race you. You attract angry looks from pedestrians who think you are speeding when you are not. I constantly found things being thrown at the car (e.g. spitting, cigarettes, food) or left on the car when parked.

Finally there are the vauxhall vx220 dealers. Poor service, waiting list of weeks for parts and lack of knowledge about the vx220 has lead to many mistakes, damage and fustration as an owner. If you are going to buy a vx220, go to an independent vx220 servicer. There are a few which have been appearing recently.

The Vauxhall VX220 is a stunning car - by far the most rewarding drive I've ever owned. Reaction from onlookers is great, as most don't know what it is. 0-60 in 5 seconds is perfectly adequate for me ...