Item: Used Vauxhall Mokka Hatchback 2012 - 2016
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

The Nissan Juke is the car that started the trend for SUVs of this size and, thanks to the plentiful supply of used models, it’s well worth considering. Being that much older than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a> Mokka, this also means prices start at a couple of thousand pounds less.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/yeti/estate/used-review/n621">Skoda Yeti</a> is another solid contender, being better to drive than the Mokka and with a brilliantly versatile interior. Again, having the march on the Mokka by a good couple of years makes it look like great value as a used purchase; even examples of an equivalent age and mileage are slightly cheaper to buy.

For something with a more spacious boot than the Mokka, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/captur/hatchback/review/n20">Renault Captur</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/2008/estate/review/n110">Peugeot 2008</a> are worth considering, with the latter looking like particularly good value.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Diesel Mokkas use a diesel particulate filter that requires owners to undertake regular long journeys for the filter to regenerate. Fail to do this and you’ll face a bill for having the filter cleaned manually. So if you only ever drive short distances, it is best to stick with one of Vauxhall’s petrol engines.

For any Mokka fitted with Vauxhall’s integrated bike carrier, you also need to make sure it is folded away correctly to avoid damaging the rear lights.

Mokka owners seem to be a happy bunch, with no regular faults with their cars to report.

In our most recent reliability survey the Mokka and Mokka X proved more reliable as petrol-engined cars. Thus equipped they finished third in the small SUV class with an overall score of 97%, with just 9% of them having faults, while 27% of diesels&nbsp;had problems. Vauxhall as a brand finished in a highly respectable 11th place out of 31 manufacturers in the same survey.&nbsp;

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Hatchback

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

MOKKA

The Vauxhall Mokka has been a commercial hit, so used examples are plentiful – but is it a good buy?

Used Vauxhall Mokka Hatchback 2012 - 2016

For the cheapest annual road tax bill, you’ll need the 1.6 CDTi diesel engine, meaning you’ll pay £20 per year. Certain versions of the 1.7 CDTi sneak into the £30 per year banding, while others tip over into £115 per year, so it’s worth checking before you buy. Petrols range from £150 to £190 per year.

It’s no surprise that fuel economy also favours the diesels, which should return 50-55mpg in normal driving, with no major difference between the 1.6 and 1.7 CDTi. Go for a petrol and you can expect 34-38mpg from a car with a manual gearbox or 30-32mpg from the 1.4 automatic with four-wheel drive.

Servicing is required annually or every 20,000 miles and is reasonably priced. The 1.7 CDTi and 1.6 petrol engine also need a new cambelt every six years or 100,000 miles at a cost of £269, so be prepared to factor this in when looking at used examples.

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The Vauxhall Mokka has been a commercial hit, so used examples are plentiful – but is it a good buy? 

Mokka prices start from the £5000 mark, but only if you’re prepared to take on a repaired insurance write-off or a very high mileage car. You need to add another £1500 to find the kind of clean examples that hold more appeal, although even then you’re mostly restricted to one of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a>’s older and noisier 1.7 diesel or 1.6 petrol engines, with the former being in more plentiful supply but also typically having higher mileages.

Better, then, to increase the budget to £8000 to find a car with Vauxhall’s smoother and more powerful 1.4 turbocharged petrol engine, which also comes with four-wheel drive as standard on earlier cars.

The 1.6 diesel was introduced in 2015 and you can expect to pay around £8000 for one of these cars in good condition with an average mileage for the year and bought from an independent dealer.&nbsp;

If you cover a lot of miles, a diesel <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a> Mokka might make sense and, of these, it’s the 1.6 CDTi that is far superior. If your budget will stretch, it’s the one to have.

Of the petrol engines, the 1.4 turbo is the smoother unit. Early cars with this engine are four-wheel drive only; if you want a front-wheel drive 1.4, look for a Mokka from 2013 onwards, which have the bonus of being £15 per year cheaper to tax.

Vauxhall launched the Mokka with S, Exclusiv and SE trim lines. They were later joined by Tech Line, which is aimed at company car drivers. All versions feature air conditioning, cruise control, a USB input and DAB radio, with Exclusiv adding dual-zone climate control, electric windows in the front and rear, as well as front and rear parking sensors. The top-spec SE, meanwhile, gets heated part-leather seats and tinted glass.

Our favourite Vauxhall Mokka: 2013 onwards 1.4T 140PS Exclusiv

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Running costs that won’t break the bank </li> <li>Generous kit</li> <li>Pokey engine and tidy handling</li> <li>Spacious interior</li> <li>Boot big enough to cope with family life</li></ul>

The car-buying public has fallen in love with small SUVs, or crossovers as they’re often called, with thousands turning away from conventional hatchbacks in favour of something that rides that little bit higher.

The original baby SUV is the Nissan Juke, which remains a popular choice, but there are plenty of better rivals to consider instead. We’d recommend you look at either the Ford Puma or Skoda Kamiq, because they offer&nbsp;a great blend of practicality and value that keeps them&nbsp;clear of the opposition. Equally, if you’ve got more money to spend, the Audi Q2 and Volkswagen T-Roc&nbsp;are both fine choices.&nbsp;

Small SUV

By being so explicitly aimed at families, cars such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a> Mokka open themselves up to taking plenty of abuse. As a used buyer, it is therefore important to look carefully at the interior for signs of damage, as well as checking wheels and body panels for scuffs and dents. As rear visibility isn’t great, it’s also important to check for parking knocks at the back of the car.

Signs that the car has been well maintained include a full history and any invoices for work, and check if the tyres have plenty of tread left and oil and coolant are topped up to the correct levels.

The Mokka has been recalled three times in total, most alarmingly when a small batch of cars built in December 2012 were recalled because the steering wheel might detach due to a loose bolt. There was also a potential fault with the front seatbelt pre-tensioner on cars built until March 2013. Those built from April to November 2015 might have a faulty electronic connector that, in the worst case scenario, could lead to a vehicle fire. It’s worth checking that work has been carried out for any recalls affecting the car you’re planning to buy.

When the Vauxhall Mokka launched in 2013, it was intended to inject new life into the brand. To an extent, it did just that&nbsp;and has been an impressive sales success ever since. So much so that it was only slightly altered when the facelifted <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/mokka-x/hatchback/used-review/n960">Mokka X</a> arrived in 2016.

It helped that the Mokka’s roll-out was timed perfectly to capitalise on the sudden growth in the market for compact SUVs. In addition, the Mokka was good value to buy new, scored top marks in Euro NCAP’s crash tests and the chunky styling still looks great several years on.

Unlike the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/captur/hatchback/review/n20">Renault Captur</a>, you don’t get sliding rear seats in a Mokka, but leg room and head room are still adequate for all but the tallest adults. The Mokka can, though, feel a little narrow, making it difficult to fit three across the back seat and increasing the chances of bashed elbows in the front.

At least that might distract you from looking at the mess of buttons that form the heater and audio controls or noticing the rather meagre in-car storage.

The boot is smaller than you’ll find in a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/2008/estate/review/n110">Peugeot 2008</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/vitara/4x4/review/n76">Suzuki Vitara</a>, but still large enough to take a couple of cases or a folded buggy, and it also benefits from an almost flat loading lip. However, while the rear seats do drop down, you first need to flip the bases out of the way, which feels old-fashioned in this age of one-touch seat folding.

Ride comfort is also somewhat lacking, with the Mokka picking up on all sorts of bumps and dips in the road. The car is not helped by seats that lack support and a body that leans over as soon as you turn into a corner. There’s a fair bit of road and wind noise to endure, too.

As for engines, the highlights are <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a>’s 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and its smooth and punchy 1.6-litre diesel. It’s a shame you have to put up with a notchy gearchange and lifeless steering, though.

Unlike many of its rivals, you can also have Vauxhall’s compact SUV with four-wheel drive, which might appeal to those living in rural areas worried about getting stranded in the winter months.

So,&nbsp;the Mokka effectively straddled two classes, being somewhat larger than a Juke but smaller than a Qashqai, and it did so with some sales success.&nbsp;It now stands as an interesting used buy. It wasn't outstanding to drive, but it was&nbsp;a well-rounded and neatly styled package that delivered plenty of kit and a decent level of practicality. &nbsp;The Mokka became the Mokka X in 2016,&nbsp;with changes to the front and rear styling and a redesigned dashboard being enough to warrant the addition of the 'X' moniker, although the car retained the stature of the original and a lot of its underpinnings.

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Used Vauxhall Mokka Hatchback 2012 - 2016 review

Every 2021 Electric and Hybrid Car Awards winner

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Vauxhall Mokka hatchback?