Nice place to live though, lots of benefits and standard of living, just like Norway, you pays your money and make your choices.

Its waay off topic, but yeah some systems work well, but quite alot are broken and very under funded.. recent garda graduates are paid so badly one guy quit as soon as he finished the course and went back to working in tesco - the pay and condutions were better..

In topic... OP good luck with the new bus

Yeah the Insignia isn't a bad car....the facelift is quite an improvement on the earlier car though.

Don't get me wrong...wouldn't actively look to buy one new unless it was very cheap and to be kept long term but for what they change hands for used they are a relative bargain compared to many of its peers.

I've personally always preferenced Vauxhall/Opel's to Ford....I like how modern Ford's drive but not a lot else. Vauxhall's IMHO are typically that bit less blue collar and a bit better built...feel less cheap from the drivers seat.

I'm still very impressed with the Zafira. It's dull compared to the GTD, was always going to be but it drives v well, goes well, isn't terrible on fuel and just makes for a good family holdall.

Most definitely it's not the sort of thing I get at all giddy about and would pop into a Vauxhall garage and drool over...not many of us would but for the purpose it serves I can't complain.

I've also heard from a reliable source that the Zafira Tourer was massively over-engineered and hasn't been so profitable as a consequence. They gunned for the S-Max this time around and knowing it had to be significantly better than the previous Zafira they went to town on it a bit. Is the reason they drive so well.

Well first rough patch...fecking thing wouldn't start this morning. Ignition came on, no warnings or errors...tried to turn the starter and just failed. Subsequent attempts to start resorted in a click and nothing else.

Is almost like the cold snap has depleted the battery overnight.....after calling roadside assist I thought I'd try again and bugger me it started.

Drives normally with no issues other than the engine management light is now illuminated.

Work next to a Vauxhall dealership...typical dealer service they are too busy to take a look so can't be seen until Tuesday so will continue to drive it and hope it doesn't fail haha

....I'm betting the battery is goosed.

Id second the battery... cold weather can kill them faster than a short!

Id second the battery... cold weather can kill them faster than a short!

Indeed...suspicious that it's been absolutely fine...we have an unusual cold snap then suddenly it packs in.

The car ran fine once started, no issues at all other than the constant EML light...but seemingly no reduced power or anything.

Id get it scanned and a new battery..

....I think I might know what caused it.......it has a USB connection which I leave an ipod nano connected to.

Working theory is that the USB remains live and charges the device even when the car is off and locked....whilst the parasitic drain is likely v small I suspect it was just enough for several hours and a cold snap overnight later to level the battery to the point the car had a hissy.....perhaps when the glow plugs cut in?

In any case other than the EML light car drove perfectly well all day yesterday and started on the button multiple times.

Left the iPod disconnected overnight....go to start the car this morning...3 degrees....starts on the button no complaints and (great news) the EML light has gone.

Fingers crossed it was just one of those things....at least I probably don't need to take it to the garage now!

Self healing bus! Car is now running absolutely fine....I've also come to realise the middle rear seat runners weren't stuck...just I needed to sit in the seat before trying to make it move!!

First time for a while I've had something happen to a car but then able to cancel the dealer visit.

Car is actually still really impressing.

The feeling of quality and general ergonomics of the interior don't match the Golf and run the Octavia pretty close but I'd say bar some shiny less than desirable plastics (not like the Golf or the Octavia does without these either) it's probably as well bolted together.

The engine deserves a lot of praise. It's not a quick car, not like the GTD was but there is absolutely nothing substandard about how the thing goes....particularly given its a 1.6 diesel and weighs well over 1600kgs. It's a little tardy off the mark unless really hustled and can get a bit bogged down if in too higher a gear pulling too few revs but to the most part it drives like a decent 2.0, v Torquey on boost and in gear at speed giving it a surprising turn of pace. It's quiet too particularly once warmed through.

Biggest surprise is how well it drives. The steering is excellent...arguably offering more feedback than even the Golf and it unquestionably handles better than the Octavia...far more competent and chuckable than a car of its size, weight and purpose should be....certainly a lot of its development went into its handling.

It's also proving respectably fuel efficient.....car reckons I've achieved around 45mpg so far done about 420 miles with just a shade under 1/4 tank and a bit over 100 miles range remaining....given this has been with mixed driving...quite a bit of quick motorway work also with ACC and heated seats blazing of a morning....I've no grumbles there....actually it's probably a shade better than the GTD which isn't bad for a 1.6 diesel pulling 1.6 ton.

Also the wife drove 20-odd 2nd hand paving slabs home in it today with no fuss or complaint...a vacuum later ridding of all the dirt and most of the ants and bugs that resided on them all was good. The load space is immense even compared to the Octavia and the versatility of it (simply pull three handles and the rear seats are flat giving you +1800l of load space) it's really coming into its own.

I suppose really I am warming to it.....I like it because it's throughly decent beyond my expectations and hasn't left me dying inside like I thought I would by giving up my GTD...which really did make for the most wonderful albeit not so practical company car. I also have a lot of respect for its competencies as a family car, inoffensive....Doesn't attract any attention of any kind....does everything a medium size family could throw at it....can be left in the supermarket car park without having kittens about where I should park (I just park)...and when push comes to shove if I need to take more 3/4 people out as well as the kids...flip up the two rear seats in a few secs and I can do that...and nd in relative comfort too. Sure the load capability becomes quite compromised but it's probably still able to hold as much as a CitiGo in the boot even with all 7 seats up which is quite an achievement.

Anyone suffering car park anxiety, that needs a bigger car seriously look no further.....used they go for silly money too so quite a bargain in my eyes.

Edited 30 April, 201610 yr by pipsypreturns

I passed a Zafira vxr the other day on the motorway, towing a caravan. Looked decent in race blue and wasn't hanging around even with the box in tow!

240 bhp does that though.

Easy to exceed the 60 mph limit with a caravan in tow.

Glad your enjoying your Zafira,

I have just started selling Vauxhall's, never done sales before.

I'm very impressed with the build quality of all the range, having worked for Audi for 3.5 years, I was worried if I was doing the right thing. I'm running a new Astra Sport Tourer with the 1.6 cdti also auto box. Have to say it gets a move on.

Back to my point, I did 60 miles yesterday in a new Zafira yesterday and was very supriesed at how well it drive, very comfy, was a 2.0 cdti 170bhp in SRI trim.

After the first few miles you relise that it's not a bad place to be, when you think what you can get in them, also the Onstar is great for keeping kids entertained on a long journey.

Cheers Mkd1.

At the end of the day they are just rebadged Opel's and I don't think Opel make a bad car....personally I've always preferenced the Griffin over the Blue Oval but that's just me.

If I have any complaints.....

Nav I can live without but the lack of Bluetooth on what would have been a nearly £29k car is abhorrent....of course they come with it now typically. I think really the Elite ought to come with Nav and Bluetooth as standard for the money anyway.

The ride is good but it does get a bit floaty...to the point my son complains he feels sick if the car is driven with any level of enthusiasm. Have to confess as a passenger I notice it too. It's not terrible though and better than being too firm.

The parking sensors aren't fabulously accurate and it bloody annoys me that they still go bonkers even with the handbrake on (something the VW didn't do...but at least the Zafira's handbrake does work properly).

Hill hold seems a bit hit or miss...Sometimes doesn't engage on minor slopes as you'd think it would but no biggy).

The sun visors don't cover enough of the gap between them and the A pillar due to the panoramic windscreen mechanism...find that sun get in my eyes as a consequence which is a bit annoying. I'd have rather the car didn't have the panoramic windscreen and just had a bigger roof that also opened.

The turbo lag off boost is horrendously bad....you really have to keep the revs well above 1500rpm to get it to move...but otherwise impressed with how well it goes once moving...particularly at motorway speeds in 6th gear....pulls v well indeed. I've found the lag to be a trait of the Vauxhall CDTI motors though.....the latest generation VAG TDI's suffer a bit of lag but nothing quite as badly.

Edited 3 May, 201610 yr by pipsypreturns

Just a quick update.

Good thousand or so miles on..its good as gold. Nothings broken or dropped off.

Its remarkably comfortable and Im still rather taken a back at how well it drives. Took my favoured country route home from work last night (not because I wanted to but main road traffic was so bad) and bar outright straight line speed I dont think through the corners I would have struggled to keep someone with my driving skills (or lack of haha) in a GTD pretty honest. It is able to carry a surprising turn of speed through bends, hardly pitches/rolls at all and dare I say it..the feel through the steering whilst not quite so direct is probably more confidence inspiring than the Golf. Hard to describe but with the Golf was rather a case of having to learn to trust it whereas the helm of the Zafira is actually that bit more communicative. Its of course not loads of fun or has any sense of occasion whatsoever but its very effective for a 7 seater MPV and definitely drives better than my Octavia Elegance.

I think the mix of 225 wide, 50 section rubber is a good call too....plenty of tyre on the road and lots of grip but a nice amount of compliance on rough roads.

Some of the interior plastics are a bit shoddy, but built to last and in fairness even in the Golf some areas of the interior did feel a bit cheap and nasty and not befiting a near 30k hatch. The Golf felt more expensive but honestly Im not so convinced it was much if any better made.

Standout plus point for me is the front seats....they really are supremely comfortable. Not sure I would want a car without 4 way lumbar now...its so much better than the crappy two way lever claptrap most VAG cars end up with.

Again would I look to buy one....no I wouldnt but I am very happy with it (surprisingly so) and think it will serve me well for the next few years.....and we moved a full bunk bed in it the other evening. Not sure even the Octavia would have handled that!

Edited 12 May, 201610 yr by pipsypreturns