Faults:
Suspension drop links, exhaust center and rear section, brakes discs and pads, all wear and tear.
Coolant leak (thermostat housing, very common fault) easy enough to fix.
New clutch, plus gearbox reconditioned.
Servicing kept up to date plus cam-belt changed.
Air con no longer works.
General Comments:
This is a pre-face-lift 2013 Insignia "A", last of the older shaped 2008/9 cars. Best looking in my opinion, I didn't like the late 2013/14 updates. My car is black with huge alloy wheels and looks stunning. SRi Vx Line has subtle body kit and really sets off this car's good looks. Stiffer suspension means this car handles very nice, better than standard models. Not a fast car though, but more on that later.
Vx Line interior modifications include more electrical equipment over the standard SRi trim level. It also has a sportier flat bottomed steering wheel. The interior of this car is just gorgeous and laid out very well, and very comfortable seats. Cannot fault the comfort at all. Even in a friends basic "Exclusiv" model I had no problems getting comfortable with long journeys. Mirrors are a bit small and visibility is limited, that is my only bug bear. Rear headroom is also a bit limited thanks to that sloping roof line. It is gorgeous though.
Do not confuse the Vx Line with the VXR or Turbo models, those are very different cars. The VXR and Turbo is much more powerful. The Vx Line is basically only a fancy trim level. As such, it is also fitted with a very basic 1.8 petrol engine you can find in any Insignia. Unfortunately, it is not a great engine. £300 to tax for the year for a start! Torque (pulling power) is poor and you really feel it going uphill, you have to shift gears a bit too much to get the best out of it. It has a healthy 138 brake horse power though, general acceleration on flat roads is OK, and it has a top speed of 128 mph, not bad. But it is not and never will be a fast car. I wouldn't mind so much if the fuel consumption was better, but sadly it is also poor - about town you really will not get much more than 30 - 32 mpg, really poor by today's standards. But get on the motorways and you can set the cruise between 60 - 70 mph and you will see high 30's, maybe even 40 on a very long drive, which is much more bearable and about as good as petrol will get. You should also remember this is a pretty heavy car. Most Insignia's are diesel, but I have heard they have reliability issues. The good thing about the 1.8 petrol is despite its average performance and economy, it is a very reliable and simple proven unit that is unlikely to give trouble if you service it on time and change any belts as required.
In my experience I have found local Vauxhall main dealers to be very poor in customer service. As such, you are better to find a local friendly garage for servicing and repairs and keeping costs down.
Overall I really like this car, it is just as good as my old 2005 BMW 3 Series (yes, that good) despite what any badge snob might tell you. Perhaps if Vauxhall gave it more efficient engine selections and build quality (that gearbox rebuild cost me a fortune, very common fault), this could have been the perfect car. It might have even finally been a better car than the Ford Mondeo which has been this car's arch rival since the Vectra days.
3rd Sep 2023, 17:54
I didn't think the Vx Line trim was available in SRi trim in early 2013, you must have one of the very last cars sold in the older shapes, they stopped this trim line in 2011/12.
Anyways, the updated Insignia in late 2013 is a much more sorted car than the older 2008/9 car - they addressed the gearbox bearings issue and it is a much more sorted car. 2014 - 2017 cars are best mechanically.