Vauxhall VX220

Ask most drivers their definition of torture and you'll get the same answer - commuting. It's a misery: the traffic, the roadworks, the drudgery of it all. Unless you happen to run a Vauxhall VX220. Suddenly there's no such thing as a dull crawl home in heavy traffic, and getting up early on a Monday morning holds no horrors.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Gavin Ward

November 2002

Ask most drivers their definition of torture and you'll get the same answer - commuting. It's a misery: the traffic, the roadworks, the drudgery of it all. Unless you happen to run a Vauxhall VX220. Suddenly there's no such thing as a dull crawl home in heavy traffic, and getting up early on a Monday morning holds no horrors.
We're 10 months into our tenure with the VX, and if you can have that much fun on a wet and windy autumn night, just imagine what the car is like on a crisp, clear weekend...
Mind you, it's been an eventful few months. The VX had its first 10,000-mile service with the odometer reading 10,819, but the dealership (Brown's of Loughton, Essex) didn't bat an eyelid. However, it did charge us a hefty ΂£174. The same 2.2-litre 145bhp engine is fitted to our long-term Astra - we're willing to bet it doesn't cost anything near as much for routine servicing.
But that bill paled into insignificance compared to its most recent trip to the dealers. First a bit of background. The two-seater had run faultlessly all summer, been thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and racked up the miles at a fearsome rate. A key element in our Greatest Drives feature in June - during which it acted as a mobile camera platform - we'd certainly had fun with it, and the miles were starting to take their toll.
Various drivers complained about the worn rear tyres, and the brakes were suffering from a mushy, long travel pedal. When one tester had a near miss under braking, I decided the VX was ready for its next visit to Brown's - 1,800 miles ahead of the service interval. Worn pads were replaced, brake fluid changed and two new tyres fitted.
I'd also received a recall notice warning of a potentially faulty driver's airbag, so that was replaced, too. However, I was unprepared for the ΂£839.83 bill - yes, you read it right! - that thudded on to the service desk. The charges broke down as follows: ΂£268 for two tyres, ΂£162.15 for the front brake pads and ΂£96.35 for the rears. That still leaves ΂£313.33 for the rest of the work.
The car is now running better than ever - the engine and gearbox are a delight and the brakes have regained their positive feel. However, the onset of winter has refreshed my memory about some quibbles. The windscreen wipers are about as much use as a solar-powered torch, and the heating system is utterly ineffective. Other frustrations include the passenger seat, which is fixed, meaning short people can't brace themselves, despite the movable footrest. And you can wave goodbye to anything that lodges itself under the seats - the VX now has a specially shaped piece of wire to attempt to retrieve such items.
Unusually for most modern cars, the VX does not have remote (or even central) locking - so far three people have locked the keys inside. Not surprisingly, we're reluctant to stick a knife through the hood, so have had to wait for the AA to arrive. Yet despite these annoyances, the logbook barely contains a word of dissent - everyone loves the VX. In fact, one tester is so keen on it that he's considering buying it when it goes back next year!