2012 Vauxhall Insignia SRi 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Sleek mediocrity

Faults:

Clutch, thermostat, and there is some rust on both front wings. All acceptable at the age and miles.

General Comments:

White, black window tints, unmarked 18 inch wheels, lowered sport suspension... What a looker, shame the rest is mediocre.

I can only agree with many reviews on here. The Insignia is a fantastic looking car. It drives very well also. However, there is no denying the car has low value on today's used market at the age it is. And to be fair, there are some common faults across all models. But.. it makes up for all this with fantastic value for money. I paid very little for mine, and service and repairs have been cheap.

Also, this 1.8 engine is not the best choice, power is non existent and it struggles for around 33 mpg. I'd go for a more powerful diesel if buying again.

Don't get me wrong, the Insignia is fantastic, just be careful buying a cheap one at this age.

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

Review Date: 10th September, 2026

2012 Vauxhall Insignia SRi Nav 1.4T petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Avoid after 100K miles

Faults:

Gearbox, clutch and flywheel, oil and coolant leaks, turbo, and now I have the timing chain rattle.

Plus all the usual wear and tear parts replaced, brakes, suspension, etc. Exhaust seems to be made of cheap metal, rots out earlier than most cars I have had before (replaced twice!).

General Comments:

Good points about this Insignia - fantastic looking car, really, a work of art. If it had anything but a Vauxhall badge on it people would notice it more. Lovely sleek lines, coupe like despite being a family 5 door hatch. 18 inch alloy wheels on SRi models are among the best I have seen. Nice to drive, smooth and comfortable, and lots of space. Radio has a quality sound. Cheap to buy and running costs like insurance and tax are OK and comparable as any car in this class. Does an easy 38 - 40 mpg, good for petrol in a large car.

Bad points? Where to begin. First of all, Vauxhall were uninterested in my problems, so I had to find an independent mechanic. This car is unreliable at higher mileage. I bought this one with very reasonable mileage and full service history and continued to look after it and it still fell apart as it aged. Was OK the first couple of years, but now is a disaster that needs scrapped, it is not worth fixing. I bought this one on the strength of a company car 2009 Insignia 1.8 Exclusiv I had years ago, it was lovely and smooth also, but was near new at the time and never gave any problems. So thinking this 2012 1.4T SRi model would be a nice step up I bought it in 2020. But my God avoid any of these Insignias as they age, I have heard the diesels are even more unreliable at higher miles!

Overall just disappointed. Back in the day I had a Vauxhall Cavalier that made it to 170K miles no problem, but this Insignia would take a tonne of repairs to get it even close to that mileage it seems, what a step backwards Vauxhall!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th May, 2026

25th May 2026, 22:10

I'm surprised with the 8/10 rating for performance.

The 140 hp 1.4 Turbo is generally regarded as gutless for the sheer girth of the Insignia.

In reply to 25th May 2026, 22:10

1st Jun 2026, 15:42

The 1.4T is marginally better than the old 1.8 petrol though, regards performance and economy.

Any of the popular 2.0 CDTi diesels is a safe bet for decent performance, but do have their reliability issues as the miles rise. Good MPG though. The later 1.6 CDTi are best avoided at high miles as although very economical, it needs a timing chain change which is an engine out job.

Bi-Turbo models very rare and offer good performance - but also expensive specialist care and maintenance.

I know this car very well, but I didn't write the original review, but it doesn't surprise me the reviewer here had problems with the gearbox (they pretty much all have crappy gearboxes both M32 and F40 codes). I drove a VXR model Insignia once - which if I was writing a review I would give a solid 10/10 for performance! It is quite a different car from your regular Insignia's! But guess what was the death of it? Yes, the gearbox started whining and crunching gears and needed a recondition at a mere 90,000 miles. I broke it up for parts and made more money than I would have fixing it or trying to sell complete.

For me the Insignia will be remembered as the Vauxhall that was ALMOST a great car - it fixed the dullness and dreary image of the past from cars like the Vectra, but never quite could cut it in longevity or reliability unfortunately, which is a shame as it was otherwise a fine car, good looking and good to drive.

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