Vauxhall Insignia ES 1.8i 5dr Car Review - March 2012

REVIEW
List Price: £18,050
Tax Band: H
Insurance Group: 16
MPG: 39.2
CO2: 169
0-62 Mph: N/A secs
BHP: 138 BHP
Range: 604 miles
CarSite Verdict:  3.75/5
The Insignia is without doubt one of the most desirable Vauxhall cars for a long time. This Insignia ES 1.8i five-door comes with lots of high-tech equipment and elegant coupé-like lines and it certainly cuts a dash next to others in the company car park. While it doesn’t thrill much on the twisty roads, it’s a competent mile-muncher on the motorway and offers useful space and practicality, not to mention coming with Vauxhall’s lifetime warranty for peace of mind.

PROS:  Good quality cabin interior, comfortable for four adults, practical and spacious boot, decent level of equipment for price.

CONS:  1.8-litre petrol engine is not the best in the range, limited rear headroom for taller passengers, average handling and less than precise steering makes it an uninspiring drive, high CO2 emissions.

Behind the Wheel

Inside the cabin there’s a wide range of adjustments available for steering wheel and driver’s seat to make finding the perfect driving position an easy task. Forward visibility is good, however, rear visibility is somewhat hampered by the steep angle of the rear screen. The dash looks good, but although most of the functions are controlled via the digital screen menu, there still seems to be a lot of buttons located on the centre console.

The 1.8-litre 4 cylinder 16 valve petrol engine produces a maximum of 138bhp and 129lb-ft of mid-range torque. It’s capable of a top speed of 129mph and returns a decent average fuel economy of 37.2mpg. If you want a bit more power then there is also a 2.0-litre or 2.8-litre V6 option to choose from.

The Insignia's handling is competent enough but it’s not as good as that of the Mazda 6 or Ford Mondeo. The Insignia’s steering and suspension aren’t precise enough when changing direction. Rough roads can cause the body to shimmy, however it feels much more stable and refined when cruising on the motorway.

Road noise is probably the most irritating thing about the Insignia; over rough surfaces it becomes tiresome. At cruising speeds there’s some wind noise from the flanks and the diesels are not as smooth and refined as those in its rivals from Ford and Volkswagen.

Looks & Equipment

The Insignia is probably one of the best looking Vauxhalls to appear in a while. Its elegant coupé like body gives it real presence on the road and the interior is fitted with good quality materials.

The Insignia ES comes with a decent level of equipment which includes power steering, remote central locking, stability control, air-conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control, alarm, immobiliser and CD+MP3 connectivity. Vauxhall also offer the following optional extras: alloy wheels (£490), metallic paint (£495), rear parking sensor (£395) and Bluetooth (£220).

Practicality, Safety & Reliability

The Insignia is a good choice for both family and business use. It provides space enough for four adults in comfort, although its sweeping roofline may restrict headroom for any rear passengers who are over six-foot tall. The boot space is impressive, offering 530-litres without moving the rear seats, and a total of 1,470 with the rear seats folded down.

EuroNCAP awarded the Insignia the maximum five-star rating in its crash-tests. Adult occupant safety scored five-stars, child occupant safety scored four-stars and pedestrian safety scored two-stars. All Insignias come fitted with six airbags, ISOfix child seat mounting points, anti-lock brakes and stability and traction control systems. Daytime running lights are also included as standard.

The Insignia is built to a higher standard than its predecessor, the Vectra. While the Insignia is stylish and quality materials are used throughout, Vauxhall's reputation for reliability is no better than average and not in the same class as its German rivals. In the 2011 JD Power
Survey, Insignia owners rated the Insignia’s reliability as below average.

It comes with a lifetime 100,000 mile warranty and regular service intervals are every 20,000 miles.

Value for Money

The Insignia ES 1.8i five-door is well priced at £17,970 and has enough equipment to make it an appealing buy. The 1.8-litre engine is not the best performer in the range but it’s capable enough for everyday use.

The cabin is well finished for the price you pay and as a motorway cruiser it’s completely at home, but don’t expect much in the way of an engaging drive or outright performance on twisty roads.

Running costs are reasonable for its class. Insurance is in group 16 and Road Tax in VED band I due to its unimpressive 179g/km CO2 emissions.

Buying new, you should be able to get a good discount, which makes it even more attractive. Due to the volume of fleet sales of the Insignia, you might also consider a used one through Vauxhall’s Network Q approved used car scheme, which you can pick up for much less money than new – and still benefit from the Vauxhall warranty.

Residual values are nothing impressive, and indeed, many people are now looking for smaller, more economical cars or upgrading to family people carriers, so you may not find much demand when you try to sell it on.

Vauxhall Insignia ES 1.8i 5dr Car Review - by 
All Vauxhall Insignia Reviews
Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 1.8i 4dr - March 2012
The Insignia Exclusiv looks good; a dramatic improvement over its predecessor, the Vectra. Its well trimmed cabin and the premium-car touches make it excellent value. It offers a smooth comfortable...
Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Start/Stop 4dr - March 2008
The Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Start/Stop 4dr is very reasonably priced and, with low running costs, offers excellent value for money. The rear seats are a bit cramped but the car ...
Vauxhall Insignia SRi 1.6i Turbo 4dr - March 2012
The Vauxhall Insignia SRi 1.6i Turbo 4dr offers good looks, good performance figures and a luxurious interior. It also comes with an impressive level of standard kit. However, the running costs are...
Vauxhall Insignia SRi VX-Line 2.0 CDTi (160ps) 4x4 Start/Stop 4dr - March 2012
For those looking for a powerful family car which offers a great range of features, the Vauxhall Insignia SRi VX-line 2.0 CDTi (160ps) 4x4 Start/Stop 4dr is a great option. The strong performance c...
Vauxhall Insignia SRi VX-Line 2.0 CDTi (160ps) ecoFLEX Start/Stop 4dr - March 2012
The Vauxhall Insignia is a good car that offers some impressive fuel performance figures, and this model comes with a decent level of luxury in the already spacious cabin. However, the Insignia is...
Comments
Large Family Alternatives

You might want to read reviews for other Large Family cars that you can then compare to the Vauxhall Insignia. Here are some popular Vauxhall Insignia alternatives:

NEW RELEASE
Jeep Avenger revealed for 2023
NEW RELEASE
Ferrari Purosangue revealed
NEW RELEASE
Ford Mustang revealed for 2023
NEW RELEASE
New BMW M2 has been revealed
NEW RELEASE
Electric SUV coming soon
NEW RELEASE
Popular hatchback gets an update