2010 Vauxhall Insignia Elite Nav 2.0 CDTI turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A well thought out car, taking in design, comfort and controls

Faults:

I am very pleased with my car. I think it is a real eye catcher in design, and has a great "presence" on the road.

Faults:

Driver's heated seat keeps switching off after about a minute.

Headlight washers. Not working.

Intermittent "clicking" noise from behind the dashboard.

Goes into the dealer in a few days, so hopefully the faults will be sorted.

General Comments:

The car is very comfortable. Especially on long journeys. Fuel economy is good, bearing in mind it is an automatic, but with our current road system, I think it highly unlikely that any car maker's economy figures will be achieved.

The driver controls layout I consider to be logically laid out, and the nighttime control illumination is very clear and comfortable to the eyes.

The auto headlight function is effective and very rapid to respond to other traffic.

Cabin side windows are narrower than my previous car, but that style seems to be on many current cars.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st March, 2013

2010 Vauxhall Insignia CDTi SRi 2.0 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Not bad, looks better than it drives

Faults:

Having bought the car in July 2012, I have found that the gear change in first, second and third is clunky; more of a binding issue, as the gears engage with the drive.

Has anyone else experienced this issue, as the car has only just gone through 40k miles?

In addition, mine pulls left, although it has had the tracking done twice by the dealer!

General Comments:

The car is generally very good, but obviously worried!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th December, 2012

27th May 2024, 21:14

Yes the gearbox on the Insignia is known to be problematic; even after a recondition they can still feel a bit notchy, but should get better with miles.

2010 Vauxhall Insignia SRi CDTi 160 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Overrated, with costly repairs

Faults:

Just had a clutch dual mass fly wheel. Have only covered 25,000 miles. Have owned this from new, and never abused it.

New front pads and discs 01/10/2012.

March 2012, new rear disc and pads.

May 2011, had a recall for software, but I believe it was for the power steering pipe to be changed, as they have had some set alight; was on Watchdog, so buy one at your peril.

p.s. The clutch should have been £1600, but is a lease full repair contract, but Vauxhall charged the leasing company.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th October, 2012

10th Oct 2012, 16:47

These have only just been released in Australia under the Opel badge. New clutch and DMF at 25K. Great... think I'll be keeping my Focus for a while yet.

12th Oct 2012, 12:57

Just shows that an ECOTY Award means diddly squat... What a shame, really because the Insignia is a very nice looking car.

2010 Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 1.8i from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Undriveable

General Comments:

The build quality of the Insignia is extraordinary. Very, very good indeed. The car is smooth and very quiet at motorway speeds.

Economy is not quite as good as the Vectra at around 33mpg. Steering is vague & the car feels very American to drive i.e. feels like a motorised barge, & tends to 'wallow' round corners.

Transmission; again very good, and gear change exceptionally smooth.

One big problem however. Like the Omega, the Insignia is an ergonomic disaster.

Even after hours of seat adjustment, it is impossible to find a comfortable driving position.

The headrest, irrespective of adjustment, inclines the head forward at 45 degree, and there is nothing you can do about this, as the headrests sit around six inches forward of the back of the seat. Even with lumber support fully extended, it is impossible to avoid a 'cricked' neck and bad back. The clutch pedal is some distance in advance of the accelerator pedal, requiring you to drive sideways.

Quite ironic that both the Diplomat & Vectra are/were such good cars to drive, yet Vauxhall have repeated the mistakes of the Omega in the Insignia.

It's a disaster!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th August, 2010

11th Sep 2010, 11:26

If the Insignia is half as good as the Omega, it will be a great car.

13th Sep 2010, 14:11

The Insignia was designed on the Epsilon II platform and it was intended to be sold in North America, which explains why the car "feels American" to drive.

2nd Oct 2010, 13:22

I actually thought the Insignia was the first Vauxhall I'd driven in ages with a chassis that wasn't made of bog roll and old socks. Steers well, rides well, and doesn't understeer off the road if you push on.

Add this to the build quality you mention, plus the classy styling and generous spec, and you have a very impressive car, which in a different stratosphere to the Vectra.

The first new Vauxhall I've driven since a 1988 Astra GTE 16v, that I would spend my own money on.