Horses for courses (Vauxhall Frontera Estate Limited 3.2i V6 24v 5-door)

Name: G1NYF

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Product:	Vauxhall Frontera Estate Limited 3.2i V6 24v 5-door
Date:	05/11/02 (1265 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Isuzu engine and running gear., Large roomy interior, Ideal for gas conversion

Disadvantages: Some shoddy shortcuts, Poor dealerships, Isuzu crossbreed causes parts confusion

I always liked the exterior style of the Vauxhall Frontera but never really planned to own one. A change of vehicle was decided by the fact that I had bought a large twin axle caravan, and my people carrier turned out to be inadequate on the kerb weight. Aware of the 'old' Frontera's less than favourable reputation, my husband and I started weighing up the specifications on most of the mid-range 4x4s. The Freelander and Rav4 types were too light on the kerb weight, whereas the Landcruiser or Jeep was too expensive to run, we also wanted petrol as we intended to convert to LPG. Oddly, we set the vehicle we were to buy to have specific requirements. 1. Petrol. 2. A large roomy backseat for 3 adult children. 3. A kerb weight and towing capacity to exceed 1500Kg. We tried the Shogun and found it cramped by comparision to the Frontera so when there was an opportunity to buy an ex-demo New Frontera 3.3V6 Limited we decided to throw caution to the wind and give all the old model write-ups the benefit of the doubt, a little reassured by the 3 year warranty.

Design faults in my opinion are absolutely rubbish headlights. I believe these have been upgraded on the later models. The electric windows won't work at temperatures below -2. The seat belts and carpets are poor quality where the belts have poor return springs and the carpets frizz a bit too young in their life.

Problems during warranty started with seized rear seat, rattling exhaust, rattling bonnet, leaking air conditioning radiator, intermittent erratic idle, airbag light sticking on, rear door sticking shut. It all sound a pain, but apart from a bit of incompetance from a couple of agents, the faults were not too much a hassle. I was impressed by Vauxhall giving us £100 in comprensation and sending me a letter confirming we would not lose the warranty if we gas converted within the time of the warranty.

The vehicle managed to do 32mpg if it was driven as if on eggshells, b
ut generally returned a favourable 23mpg. My husband has warned me to expect the vehicle to be a bit noisy after our people carrier, but no, it cruises in pace with many sports cars and all you can hear is the wind. It is so smooth to drive it is on par with any luxury big car other than the seats are not so plush and the ride is harsh on rough ground, but then it is a 4x4 off road vehicle after all.

When we came to have it LPG converted we opted for the ECOGAS latest system which cost almost £2000. The New Frontera is an ideal vehicle to convert as it takes a 60 litre gas tank in a well above the tow hitch on the underside of the vehicle. No invasion of internal space. It has a usable capacity of 56 litres of gas and costs around £16-£18 to fill and gives me 220 miles. Even the onboard computer still works and still shows 23mpg, but it's reserve shows what is in the petrol tank. There have been a few problems with the conversion, but it was worth it as the conversion company were reputable and have stuck by solving any problems.

To conclude, to say I never intended to own a Frontera, and in spite of several problems, this vehicle is et to break my record of keeping a vehicle longer than 4 years. We have no plans to change it as it serves every purpose we expect of a vehicle.

Summary: