Hire Car Report: Vauxhall Insignia

[subterranean-alien]

Erm, not a bad effort actually.

[kingsxfan]

Top review, next!

A guy in work has just sold his four year old X type for a top spec Insignia. He couldn't believe how good it was, he liked it so much, he bought one.

[subterranean-alien]

I don't blame him. People have a downer on Vauxhall and the Vectra was pretty poor but this deserves to be a big success for them. I wouldn't rule out one myself - when they get to 12 months old that is.

[gjm]

The Vectra didn't suit me. (That's a polite way of saying that I thought it was a candidate for scrappage from the showroom!)

The Insignia? Not keen on the styling, but I won't pass judgement 'til I've driven it.

Any comments on how it compares to the Mondeo?

[subterranean-alien]

Only driven the Mondeo once, a Zetec model with a 1.8 tdci engine. From memory the Mondeo was a better drive but apart from that I much prefered the Insignia, it just felt a much classier car.

[gjm]

I've driven the Mondeo TDCi in several guises now - always as a hired car. It doesn't feel particularly classy, but I think it does well for a mass-produced car. There's a certain slightly tinny quality about it, but it's comfortable, handles well, the engine is great, the gearchange slick, and the interior space excellent.

Is it still the yardstick in this class of car, and a direct competitor to the Insignia? I'll have to check the mags in the newsagents to know for sure!

[Mark LJ]

I've had decent spec Insignias and Modeos as hire cars recently. Insignia was probably the first Vauxhall I'd consider buying. Certainly the first for a while that didn't leave me with a crippled back.

[subterranean-alien]

Mark LJ wrote:

I've had decent spec Insignias and Modeos as hire cars recently. Insignia was probably the first Vauxhall I'd consider buying. Certainly the first for a while that didn't leave me with a crippled back.

The first one I had was an SRi with a few bits added, I suspect one of these 'packs' manufacturers seem to go for these days, I'll admit I never found out what most of it did. The second was a boggo SRi in a flat blue, seemed to have a firmer ride than the first, I suspect someone at Eurocar got a bit carried away with the air.

One strange thing; the missus did not share the same excitement as me when the needles did a full sweep at switch on nor did she see anything remotely interesting about the pinpoint light on the vernier style gauges. Women eh!

[Mark LJ]

The only time the Insignia got caught out was on a bumpy bend somewhere between Moffat and Romano Bridge. Smooth sweeping bends were fine but it just got into a jumpy wallowing motion on a bad section. It did most things well and I like the looks (it was one of the sport estate type thingys)

[Spungal69]

????