Item: Vauxhall Combo Life
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

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Vauxhall Combo Life

Vauxhall Combo-e Life

Vauxhall Vivaro Life

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

So it’s big, decent to drive and – cheap-feeling interior aside – reasonably good to sit in. But you’re still unlikely to consider buying a Combo Life unless it’ll save you a heap of cash.

Well, there’s good news here, too, because the standard five-seater is around £1000 cheaper than an equivalent Grandland X SUV, despite being much, much bigger inside. Compare the seven-seat version to conventional MPVs, such as the Ford S-Max or Volkswagen Touran, and the Combo Life looks incredible value for money.

It’s the same story if you’re buying on PCP finance, although it’s worth noting that a similarly priced SUV, while considerably less practical, will almost certainly be worth more when you decide to sell on in the future. That’s desirability for you.

You get lots of active safety kit no matter which version you choose, including automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), a driver fatigue detector, speed sign recognition and lane departure warning.&nbsp;However, the Combo Life&nbsp;gets only a four-star EuroNCAP rating, partly due to a poor pedestrian protection score. You also&nbsp;have to pay extra for an alarm, even if you stump up for range-topping Energy trim.

The Combo Life was too new to feature in our most recent reliability survey, but Vauxhall as a brand actually did pretty well, finishing in 11th place out of 31 manufacturers. That’s higher than the likes of Ford and Renault, albeit behind Skoda and Toyota.

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Vauxhall is keen to point out that this isn’t simply a van modified to carry people rather than cargo. Nope, it claims that Combo Life was designed to fulfil both objectives from the very beginning and, as such, isn’t as rudimentary as you might expect.

What do we mean by that? Well, it’s built on the same relatively sophisticated underpinnings as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/grandland-x/hatchback/review/n115">Grandland X</a> SUV and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/3008/estate/review/n17363">Peugeot’s 3008</a>, so you aren’t bounced down every road as if you were driving a 1980s minibus. The soft suspension actually deals with most lumps and bumps very well, be that in town, on rural roads or on the motorway.

The only time the Combo Life gets a bit out of shape is over bigger intrusions, when the rather languid reactions of the suspension cause the car to need a second or two before it settles down again. Still, along most roads, the Combo Life is actually one of the more comfortable MPVs on the market.

The catch? Well, it can’t compete with conventional MPVs, such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/s-max/mpv/review/n81">Ford S-Max</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/touran/mpv/review/n17348">Volkswagen Touran</a>, when it comes to handling. Both of those cars respond far more promptly to steering inputs, lean less through corners and generally feel more stable at high speeds. Still, while the Combo Life prefers not to be hurried along, it isn’t so wallowy that you’ll dread every B-road, and there’s actually a reasonable amount of grip.

It’s a pity that the controls aren’t a bit lighter for stop-start driving and parking; the clutch is heavy and the gearbox a bit notchy. In theory, the optional automatic gearbox should address these issues, but we’ve not yet had an opportunity to put it to the test.

The range-topping 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel doesn’t exactly dazzle with its performance, but there’s enough grunt at low to medium revs to haul along your family and a boot full of luggage – even when the road gets hilly. By contrast, the 99bhp version runs out of puff rather too soon, even when the car isn’t heavily laden. It’s fine around town, but on the motorway you’ll struggle to get up to speed, and overtaking involves grabbing for a lower gear before even thinking about pulling out. We’d suggest aiming for the more powerful engine if budget allows.

On paper, the 109bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol delivers reasonable performance and is cheaper to buy than either of the diesels. However, our experience of this engine in other models suggests it will need plenty of revs to get the best out of it, so is probably best suited to buyers who mainly drive around town.

The 99bhp engine can sound a bit strained if you let the revs climb, as you’ll need to when joining faster traffic, but the diesel engines are generally smooth and quiet by the standards of the class. Meanwhile, that tall, square body doesn’t cut through the air particularly cleanly, so there’s quite a bit of wind noise at motorway speeds, but the Combo Life doesn’t generate too much road roar.

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

The 134bhp electric motor actually manages to keep up with the most potent 1.2-litre petrol-powered model. Its 0-62mph time of 11.7sec for the five-seater version isn’t exactly thrilling, but it gets off the line smartly and keeps up with regular traffic easily.

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100kW

100kw

If you’ve ever said to yourself “I’d rather die than drive around in one of those vans with windows”, then please indulge us for a couple of minutes, because the Vauxhall Combo Life really does deserve a second thought.

Yep, we get it. An <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/mpv">MPV</a> isn’t the most fashionable thing to ferry your kids around in, particularly when it’s the type that shares its styling with a vehicle designed to have ‘Smith &amp; Sons’ or similar plastered on the side. And such discernment is fine if you have the wherewithal to buy a properly big seven-seat SUV. An <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a> or a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery/4x4/review/n17342">Land Rover Discovery</a>, perhaps. That way, you can drive something glamorous and really practical to boot.

However, if your budget is closer to the £20k mark, you have three choices: buy a much smaller and less practical SUV, buy second hand or forget about fashion completely and buy something like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a> Combo Life.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAMGwqGJVKM"></iframe>

We say “something like”, because the Combo Life is actually very similar underneath to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/rifter/estate/review/n17558">Peugeot Rifter</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/berlingo/estate/review/n17319">Citroën Berlingo</a>. All three cars are available in five-seat and seven-seat guise and, depending on which version you choose, can match the space of the biggest SUVs while making a considerably smaller dent in your wallet.

So, assuming you’re still with us and prepared to think with your head rather than your heart, read on over the next few pages to find out everything you could possibly want to know about the Combo Life. We’ll also tell you how it compares with rival MPVs and point you in the direction of the versions that make the most sense.

If you decide you want to buy a Combo Life, or indeed any other Vauxhall, just click here to visit our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/vauxhall">New Car Buying</a> service to find out how much money we could save you.

If you like sitting high up, we have some good news: the Combo Life’s driving position puts you much farther from the road than in a Volkswagen Touran.

You also sit rather upright, much like you do in an SUV (or indeed a van), the gearlever falls within easy reach and the instrument dials are easy to read. The square gearknob isn’t particularly pleasant to hold, however, and the seats are very flat, offering little in the way of side support to hold you in place through corners.

The dashboard controls are relatively easy to get your head around, even if the air-con dials are a bit small, and those huge windows make the Combo Life easy to see out of all directions. The one black mark comes from how&nbsp;the bodywork’s design slices off a corner of each of the front side windows.

Go for entry-level Design trim and you’re given a relatively basic infotainment system; there’s no touchscreen or sat-nav but you do get Bluetooth and a DAB radio. Pay a bit extra, or upgrade to Energy trim, and you’ll receive an 8.0in touchscreen with sat-nav and Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring functions.

The system is easy to understand and, because it’s positioned on top of the dashboard, you don’t need to divert your eyes too far from the road to see it. However, sound quality isn’t great and there’s only one USB socket, positioned rather awkwardly by the side of the touchscreen.

Most disappointing, though, is the Combo Life’s interior quality. The dashboard is a sea of hard, grey plastic and ill-fitting interior panels. “Van with windows” image aside, this is perhaps the biggest reason you might turn your nose up and look instead at a conventional MPV, such as the Touran, or an SUV.

Vauxhall has an incredibly diverse range of cars on sale, a few of which stand out above the class average. Add in the fact that it still offers some of the largest Target Price discounts in the market (something it is trying, without huge success, to cut back on), and there are very good reasons to consider buying one of its better models.

However, you need to choose carefully, because it is also a brand in transition. It has a newish parent company – the same one that owns Citroën, DS and Peugeot. And while Vauxhall’s newer models tend to be competitive, some of the others feel dated; a quick check of our star ratings will reveal which is which.

Still, given the recent success of sister brands Citroën and especially Peugeot, each new launch should make its range more appealing to buyers.

VAUXHALL

COMBO LIFE

De rigueur it ain’t, but the Vauxhall Combo Life delivers more space per pound than just about any other new car

First, you need to choose whether you want five or seven seats. Then you need to decide if you want the regular-length car or the stretched XL version.

So far, we’ve only tried the regular five-seater, and even that’s a really spacious car. There’s so much head room in the front and back that you could almost be in a Georgian town house. Rear leg room is hugely generous, too, and both outer rear seats have Isofix mounting points.

Those sliding rear doors are also very convenient when you’re parked up next to a wall or another car. They’re operated manually by pulling the door left or right in the same way as you might the side door of a van; there’s no option to add an electric sliding function like there is in some rival MPVs.

There’s loads of stowage space, particularly in the front, and the cupholder on top of the dashboard is a nice touch; it’s easy to reach and doesn’t obstruct your view of the road. The rear windows don’t wind down, though; they simply pop open a few centimetres.

When it comes to clever seating tricks, the Combo Life doesn’t impress quite so readily. The rear seats of the regular car can be split in a 60/40 layout and will fold down flush with the floor of the boot, thanks to a nifty hinged seatbase. However, you can’t slide the seats back and forth, recline them or tumble them forward like you can in most conventional MPVs.

Go for a seven-seat model and the second row of seats becomes more flexible; they offer a 35/30/35 split arrangement and, if you go for the XL, can slide back and forth.

Although we haven’t tried the seven-seater, it’s pretty obvious that head room won’t be in short supply for third row occupants. These extra two seats can be folded down out of the way or even be removed from the car completely.

As for boot space, unsurprisingly, there’s oads of it. Even the regular five-seater has nearly 600 litres below the parcel shelf; that’s more than a Volkswagen Touran or, indeed, much pricier large SUVs such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a>.

The boot is square, the aperture matches the width of the boot floor and there’s no lip at the entrance. The only annoyance is the huge tailgate; it’s top-hinged so can only be opened when there’s plenty of clearance behind the car (ie. not in most supermarket car parks). It’s also quite heavy to pull shut and there’s no powered tailgate option.

The Combo-e Life's only trim level is well-equipped, with 16in alloys, air-con, automatic lights and wipers, a heated steering wheel, cruise control, an 8.0in infotainment system, plus rear parking sensors and a parking camera.

SE XL

se-xl

De rigueur it ain’t, but the Vauxhall Combo Life delivers more space per pound than just about any other new car

Need to load up several people and all of their luggage for a big road trip? A van-based MPV could be the answer to your prayers. Although these vehicles are heavily based on commercial vehicles, most will include higher quality materials than their working siblings, and creature comforts designed to keep everyone comfy. Most are spacious, too, with a boot large enough to accommodate multiple large suitcases – even if every seat is also filled.

Van-based MPV

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all the family and their paraphernalia</li> <li>Comfortable ride for everyone inside</li> <li>Seats with plenty of adjustment and versatility of layout</li> <li>Engine that can cope with a full load of people and luggage</li> <li>Excellent efficiency to avoid big fuel bills</li></ul>

Practicality is king in the MPV market, which has taken a hit as buyers have turned towards trendier SUVs. There are still plenty of decent offerings to suit most budgets, though, with Citroën fielding a particularly strong line-up. The French manufacturer’s Berlingo offers bags of space for not much money and you can easily haggle off thousands of extra pounds in discounts, too.

Citroën also scores with the larger Grand C4 Spacetourer, which offers seven seats, lots of oddment space and appealing running costs for something so large. A similarly priced and even better option is the Volkswagen Touran. Meanwhile, if you prefer a premium badge, there's always the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourers or Mercedes B-Class and V-Class.

But for something sizeable that's still decent to drive, we’d recommend you check out the Ford Galaxy, which can offer three rows of seats and decent luggage space at the same time. It’s not that much pricier than the smaller S-Max.

Vauxhall Combo Life review

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Buying advice for the Vauxhall Combo Life covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

So it’s big, decent to drive and – cheap-feeling interior aside – reasonably good to sit in. But you’re still unlikely to consider buying a Combo Life unless it’ll save you a heap of cash.,Well, there’s good news here, too, because the standard five-seater is around £1000 cheaper than an equivalent Grandland X SUV, despite being much, much bigger inside. Compare the seven-seat version to conventional MPVs, such as the Ford S-Max or Volkswagen Touran, and the Combo Life looks incredible value for money.,It’s the same story if you’re buying on PCP finance, although it’s worth noting that a similarly priced SUV, while considerably less practical, will almost certainly be worth more when you decide to sell on in the future. That’s desirability for you.You get lots of active safety kit no matter which version you choose, including automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), a driver fatigue detector, speed sign recognition and lane departure warning. However, the Combo Life gets only a four-star EuroNCAP rating, partly due to a poor pedestrian protection score. You also have to pay extra for an alarm, even if you stump up for range-topping Energy trim.,The Combo Life was too new to feature in our most recent reliability survey, but Vauxhall as a brand actually did pretty well, finishing in 11th place out of 31 manufacturers. That’s higher than the likes of Ford and Renault, albeit behind Skoda and Toyota.,For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

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