Item: Used Vauxhall Viva 2015-2019
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/picanto/hatchback/used-review/n926">Kia Picanto</a> is one of our favourites in this class. You get plenty of kit as standard and a choice of a 1.0-litre or 1.25-litre petrol engine, the larger of which is our choice, if you can find one. The car handles well and has comfortable seats as well as a long and transferable warranty.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/citigo/hatchback/used-review/n836">Skoda Citigo</a> is great to drive, with a comfy ride and agile handling. Its interior is well thought out, too. It’s also quite economical, and is even classy inside. There are plenty of used examples at temptingly low prices.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

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

VIVA

The Vauxhall Viva is easy to drive in town and comfortable enough, but it does little to stand out against the best city cars

Used Vauxhall Viva 2015-present

All Vivas have the same claimed average fuel consumption figures, irrespective of trim (including Rocks), at 54.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 117g/km.

Annual car tax for Vivas registered before April 2017 will be £120, while those registered after that will be charged VED at the current standard flat rate of £145 a year.

Insurance groupings are all pretty similar, too, with most of them being in group 4.

Servicing costs are very competitive. Vauxhall operates a number of servicing plans that allow you to plan ahead and spread the cost via direct debit payments.

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Used Vauxhall Viva 2015-2019

The Vauxhall Viva is easy to drive in town and comfortable enough, but it does little to stand out against the best city cars

You might pick up a high-mileage or Category D Viva for around £3000, but we’d recommend spending around £4000 on one of the early 2015 cars bought from a dealer and with an average mileage for the year and a full service history. Spend between £5000 and £6000 to get a 2016 car with the same criteria, or a little more for one bought from a franchised dealer, while £7000 should secure you a good-condition 2017 or 2018 model. Add around £500 to those prices if you go for one of the Rocks models.

Your choice of engine is limited to one, the 1.0-litre unit. We’d try to find an SE Nav car; as the name suggests, this adds sat-nav as well as a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system to everything you get with SE trim. It also adds all-important air conditioning.

Our favourite Vauxhall Viva 1.0 SE Nav

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Clever interior space </li> <li>Quiet and comfortable ride </li> <li>Good visibility </li> <li>Plenty of safety tech </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>Outstanding value for money</li></ul>

City cars are all about diminutive size and manoeuvrability because they invariably spend most of their time on our increasingly crowded urban streets.

They do need to be big enough for a couple of adults, with back seats that’ll suffice for occasional use by people – or as a dumping ground for a couple of large shopping bags – but they must also be small enough to nip in and out of traffic, and squeeze into tight parking spaces.

Out-and-out acceleration isn’t crucial, but there must be enough oomph in the lower gears to scoot into gaps that appear in the traffic. Running costs should be low, too.

Fortunately there’s never been a better line-up of city cars on offer. Kia's Picanto mixes a neat, functional interior with tidy handling and a surprisingly big boot, while the Skoda Citigo and Suzuki Celerio are cheaper and even more frugal.

City

This is of course a small city car, so it will have been used in tight urban car parks and on school runs. It’s worth checking the front and rear wings for any scuffs and dents.

On the whole, owners seem happy with their Vivas. There have been reports of one or two cars consuming rather a lot of oil, so check the dipstick for the condition of the oil and ask to see any reports from any services the car may have had.

So far, there have been two recalls – one for a driveshaft problem and the other for an issue with the handbrake. It’ll be worth checking that the remedial work has been carried out. One or two non-engine electrics problems have also been noted.

The Viva didn’t feature in our most recent 2019 reliability survey, but Vauxhall as a brand finished in a rather disappointing 27th place out of 32 manufacturers.

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Although Vauxhall’s fortunes have fluctuated over the years, the brand still has a place in people’s affections in the UK. For many years, the firm’s most popular cars have earned regular places in the best-seller list, especially the practical <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/astra/hatchback/used-review/n17406">Astra</a> hatchback and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/insignia/hatchback/review/n17370">Insignia</a> executive mile-muncher, and many are those who have learned to drive in a humble <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/corsa/hatchback/used-review/n799">Corsa</a>.

With the launch of the Viva in 2015, Vauxhall entered the city car class, taking the fight directly to such strong tiny-tot competitors as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/used-review/n820">Hyundai i10</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/picanto/hatchback/used-review/n926">Kia Picanto</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/celerio/hatchback/used-review/n924">Suzuki Celerio</a>. Its name revived&nbsp;memories of the firm’s popular small saloon of the 1960s, and the car came&nbsp;with cheeky styling and room for five. It initially sold well, but went off sale in 2019, soon after the firm's purchase by the French PSA Group.&nbsp;

The only engine on offer under its compact bonnet is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit, and it does without the turbocharger that is de rigueur on most small engines of its type these days. However, this helps keep the car light, with the Viva tipping the scales at just 950kg – this should promise reasonable performance and efficiency.

Trim levels are kept simple – SE, SE Nav and SL. Entry-level models come with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, heated wing mirrors and cruise control. Upgrade to SL and you will find 15in alloy wheels, a leather-clad steering wheel, climate control and Vauxhall’s OnStar concierge system complete with a wi-fi hotspot. SE Nav adds sat-nav and a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system to everything you get with SE trim. It also adds all-important air conditioning.

In addition, there’s a Rocks model that brings a light off-road-style makeover and a ride height that's 18mm higher for a more 'SUV' look.

On the road, the Viva’s engine is very smooth and delivers its power progressively, so it's perfectly acceptable around town. Get onto faster roads, though, and you’ll need to change down a couple of gears and rev it hard if you want even a moderate burst of acceleration. In terms of top speed and acceleration, its figures, while unimpressive on paper, actually match those of most of its main rivals. The car comes with a five-speed manual gearbox that's nice to use, with a pleasingly smooth action. However, unlike many of its rivals, there's no automatic option, so you'll need to look elsewhere if that's a deal breaker.

The Viva rides rough roads pretty well, too, with a soft and supple touch over town irregularities. It’s not the most spirited of cars to drive overall, unsurprisingly, but it handles tidily and grips well, despite a lot of body lean in bends taken quickly. Its steering is a bit vague, too, so this won’t inspire keener drivers, but it’s at least light and easy to use around town.

Despite being short and quite tall, the Viva is fairly refined on motorways, with not much in the way of wind noise to disturb things and the engine note is fairly subdued. The only blot is a fair dollop of road noise, but this is much the same for its rivals.

Inside is a solid-feeling but rather straightforward interior that lacks a little sparkle and can also feel a bit cheap in places. The driver's seat is adjustable in height, while the steering wheel is adjustable in height but, alas, not in reach. All the dials and controls are logically placed and easy to read.

Space-wise, there’s plenty of room up front and access to the rear is good, thanks to the five-door layout. Rear space is a little limited, however, especially for those six-foot or above, and the boot is one of the smallest in this class. Safety could also be better, because the Viva scored just three stars out of five when tested by Euro NCAP.

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Used Vauxhall Viva 2015-2019 review

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