USED Vauxhall Signum Hatchback (03 - 08)

My car

This car has to be the biggest missed opportunity for Vauxhall. We acquired our Signum on a three-year lease as a six-month-old car with 4500 miles on the clock. With savage depreciation, this is the best deal of all time, and it looks good, without the rump of the Vectra saloon.

Let me be clear - I get the idea behind the Signum. The Signum is spacious (yes, it is a four-seater, forget about the rump in the middle and enjoy the massive legroom, as well as fore-and-aft seat adjustment). The overhead storage is great!

Driving is great. It soaks up the bumps, cruises smoothly and quietly down the motorways; it handles very well and with a feeling of complete security on any road surface - we haven't yet found the limits.

The first service became due at 31,000 miles and the rear tyres finally needed changing at 46,500 miles. Basically, no oil was used at all. The dealer - Picador of Chandlers Ford - has been excellent and helpful; nothing is too much trouble, and servicing is reasonably-priced.

THe car returns good economy: across France we averaged 57mpg (brim-to-brim - the trip computer is consistently about 10% too optimistic on consumption). Average consumption over 25 months and 47,000 miles is 47.6mpg. There's excellent rear space - massive headroom, comfy seats, and wide-opening doors.

There is one minor complaint - who is the intellectual pigmy who came up with these stupid non-self-cancelling indicators? Note to Vauxhall - bin them!

My car

Well, I'll add my tuppence worth here, but What Car? still won't give it more than two stars!

I bought my 3.2-litre automatic two years ago with 13,000 miles on the clock and paid almost half the list price through a Vauxhall dealer. I have since covered 15,000 trouble-free miles, including two trips to Southern France.

The car is very comfortable both for myself and my passengers. I can't get the kids out of the rear; they just love everything about it. I think that is what the journalists miss; with four people on board, this is a motorway-eater of supreme comfort.

The ride is harsh and you sure can't throw it around, but for jollies to Scotland, everyone chooses my car for the journey.

In total I have spent £170 for a service, and £230 for two tyres so far. Oh, and fuel economy is just 24.7mpg!

Are you a single father looking for a powerhouse the kids will love? Look no further.

My car

I have come to the end of a three-year lease and have done 113,000 miles in the car (Design 2.2i Petrol).

Fuel consumption is poor at motorway speeds (and the tank isn't very big), but returns good consumption on A- and B-roads at 50-60mph. Having owned an Omega as my last car, I would have bought one again (it had a great diesel engine). It's a pity Vauxhall dumped the Omega, as it still looks a classy car.

My biggest issue with the Signum is that three years on, Vauxhall still don't seem to have the service support right. I find it most annoying that they don't keep any parts for the Signum, so it always requires a second visit if anything goes wrong to have the parts fitted.

However, at least it does have lots of space with the seats down, but the fridge is a waste of space.

My car

After stepping out of an awful VW Passat and into a Vauxhall Signum, I was plesantly surprised. I paid £9500 for a 12-month old version with 9500 miles on it.

I bought it because it suits my family, my job and my lifestyle, and it does everything very well. It is very quiet and smooth with the auto box. The auto box shifts very well, kicks down quickly and is always in the right gear. The engine is normally quiet but can rev to 6500 revs when asked.

The one area I didn't expect the Signum to be good was in the handling, but I have been proved wrong. It encourages you to drive smoothly, not throw it around.

The Vauxhall dealer has been very good and very reasonable in the costs, unlike my previous encounters with VW ones.

The car manages between 30-40 mpg which, for a large four-cylinder car coupled to an auto box, is very good.

It is very comfortable to sit in and drive and makes long journeys very easy. As a family car it is great, because the boot is big and the rear seats can be moved about and children love the travel-assist.

I like this car and so does my family, and we hope to keep it for quite a bit.