VAUXHALL has come up with a cracker of an estate car that is good enough to put it at the top of the class.
In a league that is dominated by the likes of Volvo and Audi, the Vauxhall Vectra estate is a real workhorse.
Apart from the Mercedes E-Class estate the Vectra is capable of carrying more cargo than anything else on the market. Forget about the kitchen sink, this is an estate that can handle the wardrobe and more.
With a maximum of 66 cubic feet of luggage space available the Vectra dwarfs the Volvo V70 and Audi A6 Avant by a considerable margin.
But the Vectra costs thousands of pounds less than the traditional kings of the road. To achieve this goal Vauxhall has not shaved too many corners and in many ways the Vectra outshines its rivals.
The 1.9-litre diesel SRi Nav version has an on the road price of £20,965 and as its name suggests comes with satellite navigation as standard.
All you need to do is dial in your destination details and then set off to explore in one of the best diesels around.
The 1.9-litre diesel is the latest in Vauxhall's generation of Ecotec engines and uses up-to-the-minute common rail technology to keep it clean and mean.
In the Vectra estate the engine is available either as a 120bhp unit or a 150bhp and this was the more powerful of the two.
It is definitely the one to go for to get the best out of the car and delivers a brisk 0 to 60 time of 9.5 seconds with a reported top speed of 130mph.
That is good performance in anyone's books and is backed up with an accomplished ride and six-speed gearbox tuned to get the best out of cruising.
It also enables the car to achieve almost 50 miles per gallon on average and with fairly low exhaust CO2 emissions of 165g/km the estate has a big appeal for business users.
The estate looks good as well with long, sleek lines emphasised on this car by shiny roof rails and dark tinted rear windows.
Those features are standard on the SRi as is cruise control, air conditioning and electric front windows.
But just to add a touch of confusion upgrades such as rear electric windows and a more effective climate control ventilation system are not available on the estate.
However this car is equipped with more than its fair share of goodies and, with the exception of leather seats at £1,500, most of the extras would not break the bank.
So for an extra £850 you can have adaptive headlamps that provide additional side illumination when cornering at night and for a further £500 you can get a power operated tailgate.
That is a "must have" accessory on an estate car in this day and age. It is so convenient. Just push a button on the key fob as you walk up to the car laden with luggage and that tailgate swings open on its own ready for loading.
Once everything is inside, another touch of a button and the tailgate automatically closes and locks by the time you have got into the driving seat.
It is a brilliant feature and so are the headlamps which not only look around corners but have an additional feature to improve night vision by raising the beam level when the car is travelling in a straight line for any distance - and it does not create extra dazzle.
This SRi is also fitted with what Vauxhall calls its sight and light package which, for £150, provides an auto-dim rear view mirror, automatic headlamps and rain sensing wipers.
And for another £100 there was the FlexOrganiser loading system which is a collection of netting and bars that can be rigged up in a variety of ways to partition off the luggage area. It is very handy especially when carrying delicate items.
Add up all the extras on this car and you have an estate that has class leading cargo space and is equipped to an impeccable standard for £24,500.
If that is not enough, I have one other hint to make this car stand out from the crowd. Go for a bright paint job - and there are several on offer - and just see the effect created by the darkened windows, especially at night under street lighting.
Take my word for it, the Vectra estate SRi can be a real head turner - and you can't say that about many cars of this ilk.
FAST FACTS
Vauxhall Vectra SRi 1.9CDTi Estate
Price: £20,965
Mechanical: 150bhp, 1,910cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 130mph
0-62mph: 9.5 secs
Combined mpg: 46.3
Insurance group: 15
CO2 emissions: 165g/km
BiK rating: 19%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust