2014 Vauxhall Insignia SRi 1.8 VVT petrol
Summary:
Great to drive and look at
Faults:
Oil cooler replaced.
Temp sensor.
Locking issues, due to new key fob, sorted by auto electrician.
Water ingress into spare wheel area.
General Comments:
My Insignia is the first of the updated cars for 2014. It is an extremely good looking car in black with SRi wheels.
Inside the interior is very German like and functional. I love the sporty seats and driving position. Very comfortable and spacious, and super smooth on motorways. Boot space is massive. Electric everything.
To drive the car is very sharp. How well this car drives is what surprised me about it the most. The SRi has stiffer springs which make for fun handling. Ride suffers a bit - rough on some road surfaces but never uncomfortable.
With that sharp handling it's a shame the engine has nowhere near enough poke to have fun. The 1.8 petrol has a healthy 138 bhp, but the problem is it has only 130 ft/lb of torque. And the car weighs around 1500KG. You do the math. To say it is a bit labored sometimes is an understatement! Still, the slick 6 speed manual box allows for quick shifts, drop it into 5th - you'll need to at the start of a hill. With mixed driving it manages around 36 miles per gallon, actually OK for a petrol engine in a heavy car. So the lack of torque aside, this is a fairly economical and reliable engine if looked after. Give it the oil and belt changes it deserves and it is easily more reliable than the more common CDTi diesel engines.
Another good thing about this updated car is the updates to the gearbox - early cars had bearing failure, but it only affected 2008 - 2013 cars. Get a 2014 onwards model and you should avoid gearbox issues.
The fact it is ten years old and now and still feels modern, and looks and drives great says it all, the Insignia is a great car for the money.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th May, 2024
7th May 2024, 19:34
Fantastic cars. Watch for the coil packs failing and causing misfiring on the 1.8 petrols. Relatively cheap to fix. This engine is still more reliable than the more common CDTi diesels.