Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer full 9 point review

  • Performance

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad There's a huge range of engines, and they cover all essential areas of the market. The 128- and 158bhp diesels are the most popular thanks to their combination of performance and economy. Of the petrol choices, only the ageing 1.8 doesn’t have a turbocharger. The 1.4 and 1.6 are flexible, the 2.0 is pretty quick, and the 2.8 V6 is quicker still.

  • Ride & Handling

    2 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad Dynamically, the Insignia can't quite cut it with rivals such as the Ford Mondeo. The steering and suspension are too wishy-washy when you want to change direction, even with the sportier SRi set-up. The Insignia is much better on the motorway, where it feels stable and rides well, but battered city streets can cause body shimmy. Four-wheel drive (ideal for towing) and a variable suspension system are available on some models.

  • Refinement

    2 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad Road noise on rough surfaces is the biggest bugbear with the Insignia; it's as though there’s something permanently scraping the underside of the car. There's also wind noise along the flanks at motorway pace, while the diesels aren't as smooth or silent as their Ford and Volkswagen counterparts.

  • Buying & Owning

    2 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership Some versions are reasonably priced, but others (such as the BiTurbo diesel version) are way too pricey. The Ecoflex diesels attract competitive company car tax ratings, but aren’t as efficient as the best Fords and Volkswagens. All models suffer from heavy depreciation, but at least you have the reassurance of a lifetime (limited to 100,000 miles and one owner) warranty on the car.

  • Quality & Reliability

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership Vauxhall describes the Insignia as 'sculptural artistry meets German precision' – a fancy way of saying that it's stylish and well put together using quality materials. Vauxhall's reliability record is no better than average, though, and owners rated the Insignia's quality and reliability as below average in the 2012 JD Power survey.

  • Safety & Security

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership Six airbags and stability control are the minimum you expect in a family estate these days, but the Insignia goes beyond that. It has anti-whiplash front head restraints and an alert to tell you if anyone in the rear has undone their seatbelt. Headlights with nine different beam patterns to suit prevailing driving conditions are a superb safety option. Thatcham awarded the Insignia five stars for resisting drive away theft.

  • Behind The Wheel

    2 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin The Insignia's dashboard might look great, but the layout isn’t all that instinctive. Most of the car's functions are controlled by scrolling through menus on a digital screen, but the centre console is still festooned with buttons. Still, there's a huge range of seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you get comfortable.

  • Space & Practicality

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin The Sports Tourer's boot is rather shallow and, although it's no narrower than many rivals between the wheelarches, it's disappointing that you don't get any extra width behind them. It's also too easy to bump your head on the unusual wraparound tailgate, while the deep rear bumper makes loading tricky. On the upside, there's plenty of space in the cabin and the rear seats are easy to fold flat.

  • Equipment

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership There are nine trims to choose from. Exclusiv cars come with front electric windows, cruise control and climate control, while SRi spec brings electric rear windows, alloy wheels and sports suspension to which VX-Line adds a bodykit. SE cars forego the sports suspension in favour of wood trim and automatic lights, and Elite adds electric heated front seats and parking sensors.

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