2010 Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

OK!

Faults:

Oil cooler leak.

Coolant leak (at thermostat).

Gearbox reconditioned.

A/C non operative.

Rest was just wear and tear (cam-belt, service, brakes, suspension, etc).

General Comments:

One of the cheapest large family/executive cars you can get on the market. The Insignia is a lot of car for the money, and a world away from the previous Vectra model. It is an all "new" car.

At this age and mileage of course it's had its issues, the common gearbox failure being the most expensive, but the car is otherwise pretty reliable and cheap to run.

Not very fast, but can manage a solid 35 mpg or more if driven correctly, not bad for petrol in a big heavy car.

Quite good to drive, slick gear-change, handles OK, very comfy seats and lots of electric features even on this basic "Exclusiv" model.

Sharp looking car once I put a set of nice 18 inch alloy wheels on it.

For a 14 year old car, it is still going strong and there is not a mark of rust on it, plus the interior is in good nick, so I plan to keep this car till the end.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 13th February, 2024

2010 Vauxhall Insignia SRi 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Great when it runs

Faults:

ABS sensors, wheel bearing, clutch, mirror fell off, exhaust, suspension, and so it goes on.

Lately the car is difficult to start and my mechanic suspects the head-gasket is leaking. Not worth fixing - it will be scrapped soon.

General Comments:

OK so I took a chance on a high mileage used car and it has started to fall apart. It did me OK the first couple of years and I put decent mileage on it, but this Insignia has seen better days.

SRi model is sporty, fun to drive, and the 1.8 petrol has enough power while doing 35 - 40 mpg.

Good looking car, nice interior and exterior, comfortable and smooth.

Suspected it was used as a taxi in its earlier days. Service history was patchy. But I got a good deal on this car, but I wouldn't buy one this old again - go for the updated 2013 car or even better newer 2017 Insignia's - these early cars are all low value trash now to be honest, do not pay too much for one if buying a 2009 - 2012 Insignia, especially with over 100,000 miles on them.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 25th January, 2023

6th Oct 2023, 22:03

I had one of these, it's pretty much the same 1.8 petrol engine that was in the Vectra previously, very old technology. You must have done a lot of motorway cruising to get 35 - 40 mpg, I barely got more than 34 mpg from mine. I wouldn't say the head gasket was a common issues on these cars, but that killed mine also, the 1.8 is not a great engine. Diesels are better, but they have their quirks also. The Insignia is an OK car, and a great looking one too, it's just a shame it never had a decent selection of reliable engines and gearboxes to do it justice.

24th Nov 2023, 19:02

Watch the oil cooler on these; they go bad first (usually leaking oil and coolant) before the headgasket goes. Hard to spot as it is located behind the exhaust manifold on the 1.8. And not just the Insignia, the Astra with the 1.6 has the same problem.

2010 Vauxhall Insignia SRi 2.0 CDTi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A bit rough and unrefined, but good to drive

Faults:

DPF replaced, also EGR valve. Injectors needed attention. Basically your typical diesel faults. Thankfully my local garage is cheap for repairs and he knows these cars well.

Brakes replaced back and front discs and pads. Rear suspension also. Exhaust rattling needs to be looked at now.

Centre console display a bit faded looking. Rear hatch locking motor failed.

On the plus side cosmetically the car is looking good inside and out for an older car.

General Comments:

I have driven every car in this class (large family/small executive range) cars as I used to work in our local taxi service. Finally got round to getting an Insignia for myself privately, not to be used as a taxi.

I got a very good deal on this car as it is a 2010 car with high mileage. Was not expecting anything special at first, but what stood out right away was how good this car drives. Not fast by any means, but the 2.0 CDTi pulls strong when you need it. Manages 50 mpg even with faster driving. The car handles very well also.

Good looking car. I like the look of the Insignia, especially in SRi trim.

Down side is the interior. Spacious and comfortable enough, but too much cheap looking plastic everywhere, and the noise from the diesel engine is a bit too much on longer drives. But my car is an older diesel and a bit rough now; maybe a lower mileage petrol car in a higher spec might be more refined.

Still, this is a decent car that you can get for very cheap now.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 8th December, 2022