| A Week at the Wheel | Cambs, England | Vauxhall VXR Estate |

Inside & Out:

Vauxhall's sporting models have never hidden their lights under their respective bushels and the VXR brand hasn't reversed the theme; if anything it has taken the aggression a step further. Even the Vectra VXR, essentially a practical estate car, growls with intent from the lip of the front spoiler to the tips of the chromed exhaust pipes. The body kit manages to blend sporting intent with a degree of style to produce a result sure to please VXR fans.

Internally, the Vectra cabin is enhanced in the usual areas. The seats are appropriately bolstered (unfortunately at the expense of outright comfort), while the steering wheel, gear knob and carbon effect trim also lift the environment clear of the more staid standard Vectra. Quality is better than average, especially given the price and accommodation, especially in the rear is more than generous, as is the cavernous load space.

Engine & Transmission:

Power has always been a trait of sporting Vauxhalls and the Vectra VXR benefits from a very good engine. The 2.8-litre V6 is smaller than the previous range topping Vectra's, but the addition of a turbocharger more than makes up for the deficit in cubic inches. The resultant 276bhp, developed at a relatively low 5,300rpm, along with 262lb.ft of torque all the way from 2,000 to 5,300rpm, reflects the fact that this engine is optimised for a broad spread of accessible power rather than an outright peak horsepower figure.

In practice it makes a very effective tool with a slick-shifting gearbox that contains six relatively long, but closely stacked ratios, making the most of that wide and flat torque plateau. It's a genuinely engaging combination, all the while accompanied by an appropriately pleasing engine and exhaust note. Vauxhall's claimed figures of a 158mph maximum and 6.3 seconds for the benchmark sprint to 60mph don't tell the whole story in terms of its flexibility and linearity.

Ride & Handling:

Being able to switch in and out of the Sport mode pays handsomely in the VXR, allowing one to cater the chassis settings for the road conditions being tackled. Our bumpier test routes were dealt with easily in the standard mode, with Sport being the preserve of smoother black top, where the tauter responses lifted the driving experience appreciably. The steering communicates levels of grip well and the chassis is composed and neutral in all but the most extreme cases, finally pushing the nose wide under duress.

Torque steer does intrude occasionally - a carefully modulated throttle pedal is essential for smooth progress - but for the most part the Vectra VXR puts its power down well in all but the most challenging of conditions. The brakes do a fine job of shedding the speed that is so easily accrued and stood up to the challenges of our favourite twisties well, with no sign of fade or deterioration in pedal feel.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

The standard equipment list contains all you would expect. In terms of sensible options, we'd make the addition of the satnav unit for the entertainment system and the almost essential reversing sensors. Running costs are likely to be relatively high in terms of fuel, insurance and depreciation, but that said, scouring the current manufacturers' price lists we could find no natural rival for the VXR. No one car this side of a BMW 335i can match what the Vectra offers for anything under £35k and even then it's debatable as to whether one would actually need a 5 Series to match the Vectra's space. It's hard to question the value on offer.

Overall:

The Vectra VXR is the best sporting Vauxhall we've driven for quite some time. The blend of performance and practicality is very impressive and that it is backed up with a genuinely engaging drive is very welcome indeed. The fact that all this is wrapped up in a package that costs under £26k means the Vectra VXR has few true rivals; certainly none that match its range of talents at anything like the same price. These reasons ensure its place on the short list of any potential buyer in the market for a performance estate.