Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Start/Stop 4dr Car Review - March 2008

The Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Start/Stop 4dr delivers 128 bhp at 4000 rpm and 221 lb-ft of torque at 1750-2500 rpm. This gives the car a decent top speed of 129 mph and a 0-60mph time of 10.4 seconds.

For those who remember the shonky old Vectra, the Insignia will be a revelation. It handles very well indeed and the ride is very composed. It's not quite up there with the BMWs and Audis but it's much, much better than the car it replaces.

The Insignia is a very attractive car both inside and out and comes with a decent amount of standard kit. You get power steering, central locking, stability control, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control and an advanced stereo system with CD and MP3 connectivity.

Alloy wheels are an optional extra costing £490 with a metallic paint finish similarly priced at £495. Rear parking sensors cost £395 whilst leather seats, Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in sat nav cost £1,045, £220 and £850 respectively.

The interior is fairly spacious in the front seats and there is plenty of adjustment in both the driver's seat and steering column to ensure that the most comfortable driving position is attained. Legroom is more than sufficient across all seats but unfortunately limited headroom in the back of the car mean that tall adults will struggle to fit here comfortably.

When the seats are in place there is a moderate 500 litres of boot space on offer whilst folding down the rear seats expands this to an impressive 1,015 litres.

The Insignia also scored the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests and should also be very reliable, coming as standard with a 100,000 mile warranty.

At £22,190, this model is relatively well priced. Fuel economy is an impressive 64.2 mpg on the combined cycle and this means that refuelling will be very cheap.

The great green credentials of this model mean that carbon emissions are just 116 g/km – earning the car its ecoFLEX title and low road tax costs under tax band C. Insurance premiums should also be low under group 19.

The only downside is that investing in all of the additional trim options could prove costly – but for those after a more basic model, the Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Start/Stop 4dr is perfect.