Absolute differential and integrated total cross sections for elastic electron scattering and vibrational excitation of molecular hydrogen have been measured at an incident energy of 1�5 eV. The results are presented and discussed with particular reference to a long-standing impasse which has existed between and within experiment and theory for the near-threshold excitation of the first vibrational state of H2. The integral vibrational cross section is in good agreement (�10%) with previous beam experiments and theory but is some 60% higher than the cross section derived from a swarm analysis.