The sensible advice has to be not to change at all if yours is going well: any marginal gain in fuel economy could be cancelled out by an expensive repair. Any 14-year-old car is a gamble, and a BMW perhaps more of a gamble than most, given the price of parts.

But speaking as one who would never have had a Vauxhall in the first place, I can't blame you for wanting a change. Car buying isn't always logical!

Assuming you want to spend as little as possible, condition is much more important a consideration than make and model: find something that looks as if it's had a comparatively easy life. But if you want something economical and better to drive than your Vectra, I think I'd steer you in the direction of a Ford - Focus or Mondeo. With a smaller body t5han a Mondeo, a 1.6 or 1.8 Focus could be what you need. Alternatively look at a Skoda (Fabia or Octavia).

Edited by Avant on 13/11/2010 at 00:36

Not many cars of that age have a full service history, so if this one has it does make it rather less of a gamble. I agree with Andy, and what he says about BMW parts is encouraging and useful to know.

That said, you'd get a newer Skoda or Ford for the same money, so have a look at the alternatives.