@@dcarbs2979 Agreed. Another typically brilliant Ford. It has to be said that they make very good cars that appeal to all people. We have two old Vauxhall’s 50’s and 30’s and I think after the pre war Vauxhall’s, they lost their way a bit, where ford never did.
I’m a big fan of comparing similar cars: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vs Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry, BMW 3-Series vs Dacia Sandero.
The Ford Sierra is a cool car that's also a multipurpose car that you'd actually like to drive, go on a road trip with your family or go for a midnight drive under the bright lights if the city, It looks sporty and I think that it performs as a sports car
We actually still have the ONLY running Cozzie Sapphire 4x4 here in the country and the guy that drives it just stays opposite of my block and we could hear his aftermarket exhaust every time he leaves the car park. Every time he leaves the entrance, it does the classic "rear suspension bog" and its hilarious to watch, exciting to be in and also heart warming to see it run.
I highly doubt that. Many tuners make it RWD but there’s a number of purists with stock Sapphies that are still rocking the 4x4 in the UK. Unless that country you’re talking about is Malta or something, you’re talking crap. Sorry.
@@ParallelSyntax ???? I'm not an European so if you don't know anything, you're the moron talking crap. We have one of the most expensive car prices in the entire fucking world and having to own a car for over ten years is hard to even imagine. Tuning? What fucking tuning? We can't even fettle with an exhaust here without the authorities raining down on your parade unless you have approval from them. "Malta"... Pfft. "Tuning".
+xCore0320 I love the Sierras but what's the point of compare a late Sierra agaisnt an Ascona (Cavalier mk2) The rival of the Sierra Cosworth is the Vectra 4x4 Turbo (Cavalier Mk3) The last Ascona was released in 1988 with a 2.0i 8v engine with around 130hp and front wheel drive, The last Vectra Turbo was released in 1995 with 2.0turbo engine 16v, 4 wheels drive and 204hp
+xCore0320 Far from it. The Sierra lost almost all group tests in it's last years, just like the last Escorts did. They were constantly critisized for their shabby handling and rough engines. The Cosworths were fine though. Ford EU made pretty shit cars in the late 80s and early 90s, they turned a corner with the Mondeo and Focus.
+xCore0320 Only the 90's mondeos had rust issues. But so did the sierras, just as bad. And if they handled so great, why was the Sierras handling absolutely despised by all car journalists in it's last few years, and the Mondeo was known as a great handling car, especially from the mk2 onwards. Im a Ford-guy and like the Sierra, it has some oldschool-charm, but it was horribly outdated well before it was replaced, and even more so these days. Fun to skid around in, but they have about the structural rigidity of a wet lettuce.
Four years has passed since Orion83 (bellow) commented how the Sierra still looked relatively modern........Id suggest in 2022 it STILL looks relatively modern today. Amazing how well its aged. Its rounded (jelly mould) yet sleek with sharp lines. The Cavalier by contrast looks boxy and primitive as if designed by a school boy in his spare time.
Vauxhall for me. I had two back in the day. I would love to have one again. Both of mine were extremely reliable and real mile munchers. Cavaliers were a better built and safer car than the Sierra.
I drove taxis back in the mid 90s and apart from the cosworth, the Mk3 Cavalier SRI and GSI were far superior than the Sierra’s engine wise, the Cavs bodywork tended to rust quickly though
The Sierra 4x4i looks quite good actually. I wouldn't mind having one, but I of course would have to import it since Ford never sold the later Sierras in the US.
What's the point of this? The Ascona (Cavalier Mk2) can't be compared to the late Sierra, It shoud the the Vectra 4x4 Turbo (Cavalier mk3) 204hp 6speed and 4 wheels drive...
Shakes Rakes Can't understand how people says Cavalier (Ascona and Vectra) are bad cars... I Think the're pretty good, and the sport versions were amazing...
They are very nice cars, I've owned fast Vauxhalls and fords like them both. Fords do seem to handle little better though but as for straight line speed they basically the same. Currently have Vectra b 3.2 V6 GSI and its the best sounding car I've ever owned no need for the radio ;-) But the cavalier 4x4 turbo are super nice! Shame you don't see them anymore cant remember the last time I did :(
I would kill to have a Cosworth, RS, XR4x4 or whatever variant of the Sierra. Where I live we have the Sierra XR4, 2.3l 4 banger rear wheel drive. Its an amazing car, but I'd love to have a twin turbo v6 4wd Sierra, what a monster
In the early 2000's someone near me had a Cavalier Calibre. It was E811NHP and i think sold for something like £400. Many years later i saw it on the internet and it was last owned by someone in Wakefield in a different colour. I think it maybe in Ireland now.
Haha unreal only by chance I came across this comment. This car ended up in Donegal and I detailed it for my mate and drove it. Drove like a dream. It’s red and he sold it on its now in the North and Belongs to fairly famous person in Derry, and it definitely went for a hell lot more than £400😆.
Might have something to do with the fact that the Cavalier is a generation older than the Sierra. Seriously, this was a test conceived by someone who really doesn't know cars. The XR4X4i's equivalent is the GSi 2000 4x4 or the facelifted 2.0 Turbo 4x4.
@@asadacoehlo7964 under the skin the sierra can trace its underpinnings back to the mk3 Cortina, so about 1972, give or take a year or 2, and the sierra was overdue replacement when it got its final refresh as shown in the featured car. it was dropped for the Mondeo to replace it in 1993, and the mk2 cavalier was actually launched in 1981, the year before the sierra was launched (1982) so the cavalier wasnt really a generation older!
Iv owned a few sierras, and a cavalier, and a calibra.. Tbf Ford and vauxhall have both produced some great cars over the years. I bought another Calibra 3 years ago as a bit of nostalgia, and still have it. It gets a fair bit of attention when I'm out and about in it
@@pb6198 You obviously don't know cars from that era... This 1992MY SIerra xr4x4 had 150bhp from its V6, and the 1992MY Cavalier was actually the Mk3, not the 1988 Mk2 they have here. The 1992 Cavalier was available with 200bhp and 4x4, and whilst I think the Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 would have beaten it round a track, the Cavalier 4x4 turbo would be biting at its ankles. But, the Cosworth was a race homologation special, the Cavalier 4x4 turbo was just a regular model.
Surely a better choice would have been the Cavalier GSI, with that smashing Redtop engine. Owned similarly sized Sierra and Cavi (I've also owned a retop SRI, superb car, great fun). have to say I much preferred the Cavi. Just a better drive
What a laugh ! brilliant ! What was the man doing with his toner cartridge emptying it all over the runway ? Best bit of Tv I've seen for years and years, only because I relate to it as an ex photocopier salesman.
Wasn't the Calibre the 8V130 HP motor too? Even if it had the 16v 150HP, it was hardly Apples to Apples.... The only fair (but pointless) comparison would be the CALIBRA 4X4...
@@K20-h5n Granadas competitor was the CARLTON. the Calibra was going to be a competitor for the Capri's replacement (the Probe, as the Capri had been out of production 3 or 4 years by the time the Calibra was launched) which as we all know was a total sales FLOP. certainly here in teh UK. they did (in their day) drive reasonably well and the 2.5V6 was quite quick!
Not really a level playing field then is it. Sierra has had brake upgrades suspension upgrades and probably power upgrades. The cavalier is standard and a much better rarer car
was the sierra XR4x4i a 2.8L 6 cylinder 4wd and the cavalier a 2.0L 4 cylinder Fwd? might have been a better battle if the Cavalier 4x4 turbo was raced as it was around at the same time as the Sierra XR4x4i, then it could have been a more interesting battle !
I'm impressed about how, despite being salesmen, they are not able to use the document feeder of the printer instead of putting everything inside the scanner glass. Seriously.
I sold my E reg SRi for £75 in 1998 with minimal damage to driver side doors.🤔 Got a Mk3 SRI and a Astra SRI both for under £ 500 each. I wish I kept them all.
It was the XR4x4 not the XR4x4i. James appears to have merged two different model names into one here. Also, that Sierra isn't wearing the bumper it left the factory with (or the front grille and bonnet) as they are from the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4.
My Dad had a Scorpio 2.9 V6 Ghia with all the extras in about 1990/91 brand new, It was a beast back then, it even had electric back seats.... Well spec'd car for the times.
I had one of them! I think it was a 1988 though. Lovely car, I've still never found a car with seats that comfortable since. It was quick, quiet, had a massive boot and a lovely smoooooth ride.
i find it a bit of a poor comparison as i'm sure the cavalier has the old 2.0 sri130bhp 180nm torque engine, and the sierra has a 2.9 148bhp 232nm torque. My opinion they should've used the 2.0 xr4x4 with the DOHC instead and it would've been fair game and most likely the vauxhall would've been the champion
I'm talking of the standard ford non turbo DOHC 4x4. They're a rare bird now, and from memory they was made because of the gas guzzling 2.9. There were three types of the XR4X4 and that was the 2.0 / 2.8 and 2.9
@cú chulainn I'm pretty certain they're 130bhp with 180nm, and even if it was 140bhp, you still need to state the torque and also taking into account, if it was 140bhp and let's say hypothetically 190nm of torque, it's still underpowered to the Sierra and that's including the weight differences... So it still means barely anything
So, instead of an actual comparison between two legendary cars, we get a children’s TV style “comedy” assault course where we watch two grown men, each of whom have no idea how to put on a suit jacket, cover the interior of somebody’s pride and joy with copier toner...
"a box of wine - from Austria" What does he mean? the best price you can get or a rubbish price ? Cause Austrian wines (white) have no image but are top - in many competitions
He means a large scandal from the mid-80s where large quantities of Austrian red wine were found to be contaminated with glycol...it's a reason why Austrian whites tend to be the focus today.
Im Swedish and people still joke about buying austrian wine for their car to save money (since the austrians put antifreeze in their wine and its generally very cheap)
I had the exact same cavalier Sri130 Calibre. Amazing car until some old git drive into the back of me and wrote it off. The one in here is factory stock. The Sierra is also a 4x4 so how is that a fair comparison.
The mark2 Cavalier may have been a business car, but in USA the same Cavalier was a cheap economy car. It was offered in other American GM brands under different names and engines. The Cavalier of that era had a 2.0L OHV engine and later a 2.8L V6 with about 130 hp. The last year of that model Cavalier had a 2.2L OHV engine with 120 HP or a 3.1L V6 with 140 HP. The Pontiac Sunbird had a 1.8L SOHC and later a 2.0L SOHC, both offered with turbo with the 2.0 topping out around 160 HP. Though the turbo was faster, customers preferred the V6 because of horrible turbo lag, neck snapping when the lag ended, and torque steer. The V6 offered more linear acceleration and greater torque. I had two of these cars, a 1984 Buick Skyhawk coupe with 2.0L OHV and a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier RS sedan (saloon) with 2.2L OHV.
Ford v Vauxhall Sega v Nintendo, Comadore v Spectrum, Reebok v Adidas, School boys arguments on a daily basis. Love it. Ecstacy v speed. Any I forgotten?
My friend had a xr4x4 estate that went like the clappers with unbelievable grip but it only averaged about 20mpg! Very agricultural sounding engine but extremely tough apart from the nylon timing gear that is.....
XR4x4 estate? sure it wasnt a Ghia? you could opt for them with the same running gear (including the same V6, if you wanted) which is why they they got the nickname of the xr4x4. we never had one come into our dealership and we had all 3 versions of XR4x4 (2.8, 2.9 AND 2.0) came in, and we sold a few (edit, the 2.0 was badged XR4i)
Not a good comparison. The Ascona (Cavalier) was no longer produced in early '88 and had max a 2.0i-8v 129hp motor. The Sierra 4x4 had a 2.9i V6 with 145hp. The Vectra A 200016v 150hp 4x4 would have been more realistic.
and other than a facelift in 86 and a slight refresh in 88/9 the sierra had been on sale since 1982 (and soldiered on until the launch of the Mondeo in 1993) and the Sierra under the skin (basic suspension, brakes, engines/gearboxes)were brought over from the Cortina! the engine (pinto) and basic suspension system (and gearbox, although most sierras had a 5th gear added) actually date back to about 1971/2 coming from the mk3 cortina. so your point that the cavalier might have been a year or 2 older than the sierra featured is?
Well, HP, torque 4cyl vs 6 cyl. The Ascona (also came out in late 81) was never a good performer, the 5sp in the old Ascona C was not all that great either. This Sierra had major refits done in 87 and again in 1990 notably the newly engineered 5sp (MT75) transmission and the 2.9i/6 engine. The test would of been more realistic using a Vectra A with the 2.0i-16v motor 150hp. This test is no different than putting a 1981 Ascona B 2.0E 110hp up against a 1983 Sierra 2.8i 150hp. Pointless really.
I friend of mine in new Zealand had a sapphire cosworth and when I first went for a ride in it I fell in love I had to have one 20 years later I still want one.i see a few RS around and only one sapphire in the last 3-4 years.my friend rebuilt the motor and sold his for $15,000NZ 😢
Cavalier only had 130hp (2.0/4), while the Ford cracks out 150hp (2.9/6). This Cavalier Calibre has a mangy special edition body kit to get rid of the last 500 body shells that ended the production run, the original SRi 130 looks a lot better without it.
I absolutely love the Ford Seirras and I’m baffled that the UK got so many cool variants and all we got in the States during that same period was a bland ass Taurus SHO 🤦🏾♂️🤣
in the UK, even when Sierras were common, the insurance was prohibitive, assuming you could get cover at ALL, as a first car. i know. i tried to insure an earlier sierra with a less powerful engine when i was 18, as my second ever car and COULDNT get cover for less than £1000. the car was 8 years old and was worth £700 at the time (at trade)
Wonder how the Cavalier would have performed had it featured engines from other J-Cars such as the 150-170 hp 2-litre Turbo GM Family II in the Buick Skyhawk / Pontiac Sunbird or a Euro-spec version of the 130 hp 2.8-litre GM 60-degree V6 used in the Cadillac Cimarron / Chevrolet Cavalier. In the case of the latter it is worth noting US-spec 2.8-litre Ford Cologne V6s put out 90-115 hp, whereas Euro-spec versions put out around 150-160 hp at most (sans 2.9-litre plus Cosworth-tuned variant).
the problem with this comparison test is this Vauxhall Cavalier (based on the 2.0 SRi 130hp) ended production in 1988, while this version of the Ford Sierra XR4 4x4 (150hp) entered production in 1987. A fair test would have the next generation MkIII Cavalier 2.0 GSi 4x4 (157hp). Both cars, however, by 1992 had 2.0 turbo engines (Ford: 222hp and Vauxhall: 204hp).
DolleHengst ari vatanen and björn waldergård would beg to differ. the rs1800 did it twice. in the British rally championship ford is the most successful constructor of all, despite the success the manta and Chevette hs/hsr. plus the sierra won every single race in the btcc for over 3 and a half seasons. 'old nail' is vauxhalls biggest success, 63 british national level victories from one single firenza. Though baby bertha is something very special.
Ronan Connell the quattro was a poor design of a brilliant idea. it took 4 seasons to get the quattro up to speed due to its cumbersome design, the well designed and developed chassis was more of an advantage than the superior traction and powere of the quattro. besides the quattro could be temperamental as turbos were a new art in motorsport.
Very realistic race. I still wake up with a cold sweat after dreaming about the trouser press queues at Stafford services on the M6.
One other thing you notice about the Sierra here especially is, despite how old it is, it still looks relatively modern!
Yeah - the poor old cavalier looks like a Vauxhall Victor that some teenager as screwed a tacky body kit to it 😂😂
It really doesn't
The Sierra has definitely aged well
It's a beautiful Modern classic car😍
It doesn’t look even vaguely modern but ok. If you had said that in 2003 I might agree.
The mad thing is the guy in the Sierra , that’s actually his own car.
I mean, that'd explain why he knows how to drive it. :P
@@AlexYeets and why he’s not bothered about the printer toner all over his interior 😂
Why is that mad? I drove my Capris and Granadas as dailies this century. Although this Sierra is a bit modern for my liking. Great cars even today.
@@dcarbs2979 Agreed. Another typically brilliant Ford. It has to be said that they make very good cars that appeal to all people. We have two old Vauxhall’s 50’s and 30’s and I think after the pre war Vauxhall’s, they lost their way a bit, where ford never did.
simon d wow.
"The shove it in anywhere technique favored by salesmen in the 1980s".... Oh that made me LOL!!
I’m a big fan of comparing similar cars:
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vs Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry, BMW 3-Series vs Dacia Sandero.
The Dacia Sandero? That's good news.
🤣🤣😂😂😂👌
No the Sandero is too brilliant to be compared with anything else
This has got to be the most accurate and fair race I'll ever seen
The Ford Sierra is a cool car that's also a multipurpose car that you'd actually like to drive, go on a road trip with your family or go for a midnight drive under the bright lights if the city, It looks sporty and I think that it performs as a sports car
crikey how did james may manage to get hold of a cavalier calibre? there is only 11 of them on the road
I can't say I've ever seen one!
My uncle had one, we crashed it into a bungalow over 20 years ago, i believe there were 300 made in the begining, it was an awesome car.
Michael Jagger The one they used looks very well looked after!
My grandad had a MK3 Cavalier. Would always stall when we slowed down for roundabouts and traffic lights...
@@JudgeBane sounds like a fuel problem. Possibly fuel filter or blocked injector.
We actually still have the ONLY running Cozzie Sapphire 4x4 here in the country and the guy that drives it just stays opposite of my block and we could hear his aftermarket exhaust every time he leaves the car park. Every time he leaves the entrance, it does the classic "rear suspension bog" and its hilarious to watch, exciting to be in and also heart warming to see it run.
The only running one in the country?
I highly doubt that. Many tuners make it RWD but there’s a number of purists with stock Sapphies that are still rocking the 4x4 in the UK.
Unless that country you’re talking about is Malta or something, you’re talking crap. Sorry.
@@ParallelSyntax ???? I'm not an European so if you don't know anything, you're the moron talking crap.
We have one of the most expensive car prices in the entire fucking world and having to own a car for over ten years is hard to even imagine. Tuning? What fucking tuning? We can't even fettle with an exhaust here without the authorities raining down on your parade unless you have approval from them.
"Malta"... Pfft. "Tuning".
There is a burgundy one in my village, woman driver too
Which country? Go to any RS car show in UK and you're gunna see multiple Saphire Cosworth 4x4 on club stands
Still have a Sierra. Its the best car which Ford ever made.
+xCore0320 I love the Sierras but what's the point of compare a late Sierra agaisnt an Ascona (Cavalier mk2) The rival of the Sierra Cosworth is the Vectra 4x4 Turbo (Cavalier Mk3) The last Ascona was released in 1988 with a 2.0i 8v engine with around 130hp and front wheel drive, The last Vectra Turbo was released in 1995 with 2.0turbo engine 16v, 4 wheels drive and 204hp
+xCore0320 Far from it. The Sierra lost almost all group tests in it's last years, just like the last Escorts did. They were constantly critisized for their shabby handling and rough engines. The Cosworths were fine though. Ford EU made pretty shit cars in the late 80s and early 90s, they turned a corner with the Mondeo and Focus.
Ye, pretty with the rusty mondeos.. oh yeah.. Sierra drives better as the mondeo. and yeah, got a Mondeo and focus also.
+xCore0320 Only the 90's mondeos had rust issues. But so did the sierras, just as bad. And if they handled so great, why was the Sierras handling absolutely despised by all car journalists in it's last few years, and the Mondeo was known as a great handling car, especially from the mk2 onwards. Im a Ford-guy and like the Sierra, it has some oldschool-charm, but it was horribly outdated well before it was replaced, and even more so these days. Fun to skid around in, but they have about the structural rigidity of a wet lettuce.
Bro.. My Sierras arches are as clean as new, never welded or anything. Mondeo? Dont ask. All is worse on a 90's Mondeo.
That Sierra was seriously quick back in the day..I hired one for two weeks once and didn't want to hand it back
Four years has passed since Orion83 (bellow) commented how the Sierra still looked relatively modern........Id suggest in 2022 it STILL looks relatively modern today. Amazing how well its aged. Its rounded (jelly mould) yet sleek with sharp lines. The Cavalier by contrast looks boxy and primitive as if designed by a school boy in his spare time.
shaving while shifting gears, now that's a boss
"The shove it in anyway he can technique" Sounds like my daughter's conception 😆😆
@Your Dadfuck you, dad
I love how thoroughly scientific these tests are!! 😍
Vauxhall for me. I had two back in the day. I would love to have one again. Both of mine were extremely reliable and real mile munchers. Cavaliers were a better built and safer car than the Sierra.
Yep
I drove taxis back in the mid 90s and apart from the cosworth, the Mk3 Cavalier SRI and GSI were far superior than the Sierra’s engine wise, the Cavs bodywork tended to rust quickly though
I had a black 93 cavalier turbo years ago and same here I’d love to own another
who else thought of MR Bean when they were shaving?
The Sierra 4x4i looks quite good actually. I wouldn't mind having one, but I of course would have to import it since Ford never sold the later Sierras in the US.
The sierra cosworth 4x4 is better
@@martinandreas6486 Yup, I know.
They kind of did with the Merkur Xr4
@@knockingvalves2539 I know, but I'm referring to the 2nd gen Sierras here. The XR4ti is a first gen.
South Africa used to have V8 Sierras limited run of 250 though. Good luck finding one.
Always a cavalier man in my youth but i have to admit the sierra has aged better.
I wish you could have included the ending. "This is James May, at the airfield. Cold, wet and seriously pissed off."
What's the point of this? The Ascona (Cavalier Mk2) can't be compared to the late Sierra, It shoud the the Vectra 4x4 Turbo (Cavalier mk3) 204hp 6speed and 4 wheels drive...
then it should have been that against the cosworth then you can't beat a ford
Josh GaMing I believe the Vectra 4x4 Turbo is a nice challege to the Cosworth, they are very similar cars. but that's my opinion
+- Be The Change - It would be as they are pretty much the same both have 200bhp and both do 0-60mph in 6.5s
Shakes Rakes Can't understand how people says Cavalier (Ascona and Vectra) are bad cars... I Think the're pretty good, and the sport versions were amazing...
They are very nice cars, I've owned fast Vauxhalls and fords like them both. Fords do seem to handle little better though but as for straight line speed they basically the same. Currently have Vectra b 3.2 V6 GSI and its the best sounding car I've ever owned no need for the radio ;-) But the cavalier 4x4 turbo are super nice! Shame you don't see them anymore cant remember the last time I did :(
what a comparison come on
Ford 1991 3.0l v6!
Vauxhall 1988 2.0l 8v !
3.0? Lol
Walsh yep 2933cc
andy mountain could've been the 2.0l 4x4
no definitely 3.0l v6 with dvla
Andy mountain oh fair enough
And there's me thinking I was going to watch a proper car review.
I would kill to have a Cosworth, RS, XR4x4 or whatever variant of the Sierra. Where I live we have the Sierra XR4, 2.3l 4 banger rear wheel drive. Its an amazing car, but I'd love to have a twin turbo v6 4wd Sierra, what a monster
In the early 2000's someone near me had a Cavalier Calibre. It was E811NHP and i think sold for something like £400. Many years later i saw it on the internet and it was last owned by someone in Wakefield in a different colour. I think it maybe in Ireland now.
Haha unreal only by chance I came across this comment. This car ended up in Donegal and I detailed it for my mate and drove it. Drove like a dream. It’s red and he sold it on its now in the North and Belongs to fairly famous person in Derry, and it definitely went for a hell lot more than £400😆.
The Cavalier looks like a Sci Fi nightmare but the Sierra looks awesome!
Becuase they compared old generation vs new generation. To be fair they should give Opel Vectra A
No Brasil existe um carro parecido com o Cavallier, ele se chama Monza e é um carro muito querido aqui.
The Calibre kit (not 100% it was called that) was always a shocker.
well, the Ford looks better than the GM IMO.
+Euroduplex Nothing new there then...
+Euroduplex That's usually the case lol
Might have something to do with the fact that the Cavalier is a generation older than the Sierra. Seriously, this was a test conceived by someone who really doesn't know cars. The XR4X4i's equivalent is the GSi 2000 4x4 or the facelifted 2.0 Turbo 4x4.
GM = bug ugly!!
@@asadacoehlo7964 under the skin the sierra can trace its underpinnings back to the mk3 Cortina, so about 1972, give or take a year or 2, and the sierra was overdue replacement when it got its final refresh as shown in the featured car. it was dropped for the Mondeo to replace it in 1993, and the mk2 cavalier was actually launched in 1981, the year before the sierra was launched (1982) so the cavalier wasnt really a generation older!
Iv owned a few sierras, and a cavalier, and a calibra..
Tbf Ford and vauxhall have both produced some great cars over the years.
I bought another Calibra 3 years ago as a bit of nostalgia, and still have it.
It gets a fair bit of attention when I'm out and about in it
This isn’t a Calibra, it’s a Calibre. There were only 500 made
@@al4531 yes I know mate, I was talking about vauxhall in general
Unfair race tbh
That Sierra ain’t standard
Oh come on, the cavalier was never as quick as a sierra
The shitty Opel ripoff isnt standard either
@@pb6198 it would of been a lot closer race in a standard xr4x4. Heavy 150hp v lighter 130hp.
@@rosco3223 closer yes maybe, but like watching paint dry. Did they really only have that much power. That's pathetic
@@pb6198 You obviously don't know cars from that era... This 1992MY SIerra xr4x4 had 150bhp from its V6, and the 1992MY Cavalier was actually the Mk3, not the 1988 Mk2 they have here. The 1992 Cavalier was available with 200bhp and 4x4, and whilst I think the Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 would have beaten it round a track, the Cavalier 4x4 turbo would be biting at its ankles. But, the Cosworth was a race homologation special, the Cavalier 4x4 turbo was just a regular model.
Surely a better choice would have been the Cavalier GSI, with that smashing Redtop engine.
Owned similarly sized Sierra and Cavi (I've also owned a retop SRI, superb car, great fun). have to say I much preferred the Cavi. Just a better drive
What a laugh ! brilliant ! What was the man doing with his toner cartridge emptying it all over the runway ?
Best bit of Tv I've seen for years and years, only because I relate to it as an ex photocopier salesman.
It´s a rare sight seeing a man in a tie emptying a toner cartridge on a runway hahaha
whats not mentioned is the sierra has a twin turbo conversion ...
Wasn't the Calibre the 8V130 HP motor too?
Even if it had the 16v 150HP, it was hardly Apples to Apples....
The only fair (but pointless) comparison would be the CALIBRA 4X4...
Or we could just say "This drag race involved a bloody Corby trouser press" and be done with it.
***** No,No, the Yamaha trouser Press is way more powerful than the Corby Trouser Press...
SUCH A racist bigoted statement ........
JETJOOBOY no calibra and Granada
@@K20-h5n Granadas competitor was the CARLTON. the Calibra was going to be a competitor for the Capri's replacement (the Probe, as the Capri had been out of production 3 or 4 years by the time the Calibra was launched) which as we all know was a total sales FLOP. certainly here in teh UK. they did (in their day) drive reasonably well and the 2.5V6 was quite quick!
Theres just something about these cars that i love so much
I owned a Cavalier GLi and an XR4x4
Great days...
I love James's commentary, he makes every thing intresting💖love James.
That Sierra looks like it's had a serious brake upgrade. Looks like an AP Racing big brake conversion. What other tricks has it had done...?
The cav isnt exactly stock either
Just bummed coz a shitty vauxhall got out done
Not really a level playing field then is it. Sierra has had brake upgrades suspension upgrades and probably power upgrades. The cavalier is standard and a much better rarer car
The cav isn't standard either and what exactly is better about the cavalier
@@leedavis1101 What's non-standard about the Cavalier? That's how the Calibre came.
Sierras drive fantastic if u can drive properly
agreed. in 2wd form theyre rear drive. and in 4x4 spec theyre biased towards the rear (66% if my memory is correct, but it could be 60% to the rear)
was the sierra XR4x4i a 2.8L 6 cylinder 4wd and the cavalier a 2.0L 4 cylinder Fwd? might have been a better battle if the Cavalier 4x4 turbo was raced as it was around at the same time as the Sierra XR4x4i, then it could have been a more interesting battle !
On that logic I would swap the xr4x4 for the Minker 323 😉
I'm impressed about how, despite being salesmen, they are not able to use the document feeder of the printer instead of putting everything inside the scanner glass.
Seriously.
Looks a bit windy for that 😂
@@andycrf9683 trust me, if they put the sheets properly, there wouldn't be no issue. That's where the pick up roll comes in.
Sorry, I'm a geek.
@@Franface31 I think you might have took this TOO seriously 😂
@@fatcontrole1 To the heart, I tell you what 🤣🤣🤣🤣
That's because salesman role is just to generate sales, not working the printers or photocopiers as those jobs are up to IT dept.
I sold my E reg SRi for £75 in 1998 with minimal damage to driver side doors.🤔 Got a Mk3 SRI and a Astra SRI both for under £ 500 each. I wish I kept them all.
The Sierra 4x4 my brother had on, if you dumped the clutch it would do wheelspins in 3rd gear, sounded pretty good too.
James May cracks me up woth his commentary 😂
"Winners drive Fords"
No shit. I knew that since 1966
It was the XR4x4 not the XR4x4i. James appears to have merged two different model names into one here. Also, that Sierra isn't wearing the bumper it left the factory with (or the front grille and bonnet) as they are from the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4.
I've never seen that episode before
The photocopier part blatantly went wrong. Neither could do it.
Damn that Sierra can seriously run.
My Dad had a Scorpio 2.9 V6 Ghia with all the extras in about 1990/91 brand new, It was a beast back then, it even had electric back seats.... Well spec'd car for the times.
My dad had one for a week, same spec i think.. It used to squat down when it stopped, huge white beast like a limo back then lol.
@@Soulvex and now, believe it or not (ive owned BOTH cars im mentioning) the current MONDEO is the same size as the old Granada was!
I had one of them! I think it was a 1988 though. Lovely car, I've still never found a car with seats that comfortable since. It was quick, quiet, had a massive boot and a lovely smoooooth ride.
That Scorpio was and still is a beautiful, very underrated car.
The 2.9 scorpio was powered by cosworth . Very quick.cat
i find it a bit of a poor comparison as i'm sure the cavalier has the old 2.0 sri130bhp 180nm torque engine, and the sierra has a 2.9 148bhp 232nm torque. My opinion they should've used the 2.0 xr4x4 with the DOHC instead and it would've been fair game and most likely the vauxhall would've been the champion
I can’t remember 1 of the 4 x 4 20i that I saw on the road.
I think the Ford is a cosworth 2.0 turbo about 200 bhp. It should have raced a mk3 cavalier turbo to make it fair.
I'm talking of the standard ford non turbo DOHC 4x4. They're a rare bird now, and from memory they was made because of the gas guzzling 2.9.
There were three types of the XR4X4 and that was the 2.0 / 2.8 and 2.9
@cú chulainn I'm pretty certain they're 130bhp with 180nm, and even if it was 140bhp, you still need to state the torque and also taking into account, if it was 140bhp and let's say hypothetically 190nm of torque, it's still underpowered to the Sierra and that's including the weight differences... So it still means barely anything
I’m sorry but even with my rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia on....I still think the Cavalier’s styling looks so shite !
Next: Sierra Cosworth against the Lotus Carlton
So, instead of an actual comparison between two legendary cars, we get a children’s TV style “comedy” assault course where we watch two grown men, each of whom have no idea how to put on a suit jacket, cover the interior of somebody’s pride and joy with copier toner...
A real comparison would have been welcome....boring waste of time
Mad to think that the HP of these two cars is often standard in many family cars today.
I built the engine in the sierra it was a 3.0 twin turbo....boost turned way down for this and no full throttle
Well that was more exciting than today’s f1
Sierra still looks good today
Had two XRs and they were both wonderful cars...hated selling mine.
"this is james may at northwood airfield, ...cold, wet, n very p***ed off." ( ಠ ͜ʖರೃ)
"a box of wine - from Austria"
What does he mean? the best price you can get or a rubbish price ? Cause Austrian wines (white) have no image but are top - in many competitions
He means a large scandal from the mid-80s where large quantities of Austrian red wine were found to be contaminated with glycol...it's a reason why Austrian whites tend to be the focus today.
Im Swedish and people still joke about buying austrian wine for their car to save money (since the austrians put antifreeze in their wine and its generally very cheap)
My friend James spotted the actual Cavalier from this at a car show
I had the exact same cavalier
Sri130 Calibre. Amazing car until some old git drive into the back of me and wrote it off. The one in here is factory stock. The Sierra is also a 4x4 so how is that a fair comparison.
Did captain slow pronounce it wrong? I’ve always known/said it as “Calleebra”
The cavalier looks so damn good.
I thought they looked ridiculous. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! 👍🏻
nope
Battle of the diabolical gearboxes.
Seem to remember my SRI 130 was quicker than that 😂 😂 😂
As if TG presenters would ever do a fair test with a Vauxhall.
The Cavalier is much better since i am a Vaux guy in heart.
Of course Opel always made much better cars than Ford...here in Germany.
@@bernhardkuhn5676 Sadly Opel is now 80% french... : (
Those blacked-out turnsignals on that Sierra looks ridiculous
The mark2 Cavalier may have been a business car, but in USA the same Cavalier was a cheap economy car. It was offered in other American GM brands under different names and engines. The Cavalier of that era had a 2.0L OHV engine and later a 2.8L V6 with about 130 hp. The last year of that model Cavalier had a 2.2L OHV engine with 120 HP or a 3.1L V6 with 140 HP. The Pontiac Sunbird had a 1.8L SOHC and later a 2.0L SOHC, both offered with turbo with the 2.0 topping out around 160 HP. Though the turbo was faster, customers preferred the V6 because of horrible turbo lag, neck snapping when the lag ended, and torque steer. The V6 offered more linear acceleration and greater torque. I had two of these cars, a 1984 Buick Skyhawk coupe with 2.0L OHV and a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier RS sedan (saloon) with 2.2L OHV.
Ford v Vauxhall Sega v Nintendo, Comadore v Spectrum, Reebok v Adidas, School boys arguments on a daily basis. Love it. Ecstacy v speed. Any I forgotten?
What about a MK3 Cavalier vs MK1 Mondeo?
mondeo was the FAR better car. a mate of mine swapped his GSI2000 mk3 cavalier for a mk1 Mondeo!
how about an actual serious test?
Id choose the sierra. Oh hang on, i did 😂 Cracking car, even today
Well that was the daftest one yet, time to give it up.
It's insane that these kinda of cars still have that yuppy stigma attached to them, but a guy at work has a m3 and yeah, he's a melt too.
I had a H reg xr4x4 2.9i. A great car when I couldn't afford a Cosworth. :)
My friend had a xr4x4 estate that went like the clappers with unbelievable grip but it only averaged about 20mpg! Very agricultural sounding engine but extremely tough apart from the nylon timing gear that is.....
XR4x4 estate? sure it wasnt a Ghia? you could opt for them with the same running gear (including the same V6, if you wanted) which is why they they got the nickname of the xr4x4. we never had one come into our dealership and we had all 3 versions of XR4x4 (2.8, 2.9 AND 2.0) came in, and we sold a few (edit, the 2.0 was badged XR4i)
They really do look like sales reps. Hungry for success and all that.
Not a good comparison. The Ascona (Cavalier) was no longer produced in early '88 and had max a 2.0i-8v 129hp motor. The Sierra 4x4 had a 2.9i V6 with 145hp. The Vectra A 200016v 150hp 4x4 would have been more realistic.
1.6 8v Nova GTE would hang with that sierra 4x4.
and other than a facelift in 86 and a slight refresh in 88/9 the sierra had been on sale since 1982 (and soldiered on until the launch of the Mondeo in 1993) and the Sierra under the skin (basic suspension, brakes, engines/gearboxes)were brought over from the Cortina! the engine (pinto) and basic suspension system (and gearbox, although most sierras had a 5th gear added) actually date back to about 1971/2 coming from the mk3 cortina. so your point that the cavalier might have been a year or 2 older than the sierra featured is?
Well, HP, torque 4cyl vs 6 cyl. The Ascona (also came out in late 81) was never a good performer, the 5sp in the old Ascona C was not all that great either. This Sierra had major refits done in 87 and again in 1990 notably the newly engineered 5sp (MT75) transmission and the 2.9i/6 engine. The test would of been more realistic using a Vectra A with the 2.0i-16v motor 150hp. This test is no different than putting a 1981 Ascona B 2.0E 110hp up against a 1983 Sierra 2.8i 150hp. Pointless really.
Did this have the cosworth engine? (Sierra obv)
Which "waz" better the Ford Sierra or Vauxhall Cavalier?
I friend of mine in new Zealand had a sapphire cosworth and when I first went for a ride in it I fell in love I had to have one 20 years later I still want one.i see a few RS around and only one sapphire in the last 3-4 years.my friend rebuilt the motor and sold his for $15,000NZ 😢
Capri 2.8i. Sierra XR4X4. Loved those cars
That wasn't the final fast Cavalier, they did a 4x4 turbo model before they introduced the Vectra!
Guessing no one would let them loose with a Lotus Carlton or Sierra Cossie!
Cavalier only had 130hp (2.0/4), while the Ford cracks out 150hp (2.9/6). This Cavalier Calibre has a mangy special edition body kit to get rid of the last 500 body shells that ended the production run, the original SRi 130 looks a lot better without it.
Sierra still looks great in 2020
Agree
I absolutely love the Ford Seirras and I’m baffled that the UK got so many cool variants and all we got in the States during that same period was a bland ass Taurus SHO 🤦🏾♂️🤣
We got the sierra, they called it a Merkur xr4ti. It was a version of the XR4i 2 door notch that it's just as hard to find now in the UK.
Even though I'm American, that Sierra sounds awesome and looks like a sensible "first car."
lol
in the UK, even when Sierras were common, the insurance was prohibitive, assuming you could get cover at ALL, as a first car. i know. i tried to insure an earlier sierra with a less powerful engine when i was 18, as my second ever car and COULDNT get cover for less than £1000. the car was 8 years old and was worth £700 at the time (at trade)
a friend of a friend tried to insure his 2.0 ghia and was quoted about £1500 - 20 years ago.
The Ford Sierra was used as a cop car so it's why it won the drag race. The Vauxhall Caviller was a taxi car.
Those Sierras was the king of the 80s
LMAO
I had a Cavalier, the back lights kept going out, then I got breath tested by the police
What if they did a race between a Sierra RS Cosworth and a Lotus Carlton? That’s likely a no-brainer.
My Dad had a G reg Sierra and Uncle had a H reg Cavalier. Races were a weekly occurrence. Sierra edged it looks wise.
That Sierra looks awesome. Gahdam! I want that
Wonder how the Cavalier would have performed had it featured engines from other J-Cars such as the 150-170 hp 2-litre Turbo GM Family II in the Buick Skyhawk / Pontiac Sunbird or a Euro-spec version of the 130 hp 2.8-litre GM 60-degree V6 used in the Cadillac Cimarron / Chevrolet Cavalier. In the case of the latter it is worth noting US-spec 2.8-litre Ford Cologne V6s put out 90-115 hp, whereas Euro-spec versions put out around 150-160 hp at most (sans 2.9-litre plus Cosworth-tuned variant).
the problem with this comparison test is this Vauxhall Cavalier (based on the 2.0 SRi 130hp) ended production in 1988, while this version of the Ford Sierra XR4 4x4 (150hp) entered production in 1987. A fair test would have the next generation MkIII Cavalier 2.0 GSi 4x4 (157hp). Both cars, however, by 1992 had 2.0 turbo engines (Ford: 222hp and Vauxhall: 204hp).
Should have used Opel Vectra A 2000 16v Gsi as more fitting competition for the Sierra
This is the British version of Commordore vs Falcon
Sierra ofc. How can you even compare?
Cavalier caliber looks so good.
James:"Winners drive Fords"
So true...
I will have to agree even though I'd have the cavalier
Walter Röhrl would disagree. He won the WRC in an Opel Ascona i.e. Vauxhall Cavalier MK1
DolleHengst ari vatanen and björn waldergård would beg to differ. the rs1800 did it twice.
in the British rally championship ford is the most successful constructor of all, despite the success the manta and Chevette hs/hsr.
plus the sierra won every single race in the btcc for over 3 and a half seasons.
'old nail' is vauxhalls biggest success, 63 british national level victories from one single firenza. Though baby bertha is something very special.
The Ascona beat a 4wd Audi Quattro to win the wrc title
Ronan Connell the quattro was a poor design of a brilliant idea. it took 4 seasons to get the quattro up to speed due to its cumbersome design, the well designed and developed chassis was more of an advantage than the superior traction and powere of the quattro. besides the quattro could be temperamental as turbos were a new art in motorsport.
That Sierra looks lovely