For Frugal, tax-efficient engine, reasonable list price and plush spec make for a cosy way to travel without spending the earth.
Against In a car of such class you ideally want an engine a bit more refined than this. Long gearing saps the engine's strength.
Nicer to be in than it is to drive – but at least you have the satisfaction that semi-luxury isn't draining your bank account.
There are dozens of versions of the Vauxhall Insignia to choose from. The trim levels include Exclusiv, ES, SRi, SE and Elite, and there are special edition versions on top of that. We'd recommend Exclusiv – all the essential kit at a reasonable price.
The choices won't stop there, though, because there are also eight engines to choose from, with a wide range of petrol and diesel units, including some low-CO2 Ecoflex units. There are even some four-wheel-drive versions.
The Insignia looks great, has a nicely trimmed cabin for a car of this price and offers premium-car features, such as adaptive damping, nine-pattern automatic headlamp beam adjustment and speed limit recognition and display.
Ultimately, though, it's more about motorway comfort and stability than country-lane precision. The Mondeo can do both and is more capacious.
Just got the 2.0 cdti sri nav and covered my first 250 miles. The car was replacing a 2008 Mondeo so an interesting comparison as I'm sure if your…