Insigna CDTI 160 v Mondeo TDCI v Passat Bluemotion
Discussion
Further update**
Today I took a decent test drive in my neighbour's Insignia CDTI 160 SRI Nav. She is getting a new company car and has offered me her old one, hopefully at trade in value. As a one owner car which has simply chugged up and down the M27/M3 all its life I'd rather go for one where I know the owner and the history than take a punt on an unknown car. Its the first Insignia I've even driven and only the second Vauxhall in about 10 years and I have to say I quite liked it. The SRI has different seats to the other models, very supportive with good bolsters and my wife who needs good lumbar support for a back condition was very comfortable. Ok, the engine sounds very agricultural and as with most TDIs feels sluggish off the line, but its got good punch where you want it. The ride seems fine to me on 18s, coming from a 2005 Mazda 6. As for handling, someone on another PH thread somewhere suggested that the Insignia is dangerously understeery but it seemed alright to me.
More impressively, it feels absolutely tight as a drum with 83,000 miles on it. No knocks from the suspension, no slop, no creaks. None of the trim feels loose and the doors shut with a nice thunk. No stone chips either, unlike my Mazda which has awful paint quality. I can only surmise that Vauxhall indeed got its act together after the 2009 batch of cars.
I really should have a drive in a Mondeo so I can compare, but TBH at the likely price I will pay for this 2011/61 car, I will probably just go for it, assuming the Company are happy to sell it to me, rather than trade it in. I start a new job tomorrow in Reading, travelling from nr Bournemouth and I think this Insignia will do the job very well.
Today I took a decent test drive in my neighbour's Insignia CDTI 160 SRI Nav. She is getting a new company car and has offered me her old one, hopefully at trade in value. As a one owner car which has simply chugged up and down the M27/M3 all its life I'd rather go for one where I know the owner and the history than take a punt on an unknown car. Its the first Insignia I've even driven and only the second Vauxhall in about 10 years and I have to say I quite liked it. The SRI has different seats to the other models, very supportive with good bolsters and my wife who needs good lumbar support for a back condition was very comfortable. Ok, the engine sounds very agricultural and as with most TDIs feels sluggish off the line, but its got good punch where you want it. The ride seems fine to me on 18s, coming from a 2005 Mazda 6. As for handling, someone on another PH thread somewhere suggested that the Insignia is dangerously understeery but it seemed alright to me.
More impressively, it feels absolutely tight as a drum with 83,000 miles on it. No knocks from the suspension, no slop, no creaks. None of the trim feels loose and the doors shut with a nice thunk. No stone chips either, unlike my Mazda which has awful paint quality. I can only surmise that Vauxhall indeed got its act together after the 2009 batch of cars.
I really should have a drive in a Mondeo so I can compare, but TBH at the likely price I will pay for this 2011/61 car, I will probably just go for it, assuming the Company are happy to sell it to me, rather than trade it in. I start a new job tomorrow in Reading, travelling from nr Bournemouth and I think this Insignia will do the job very well.
Bezza48 said:
Further update**
Today I took a decent test drive in my neighbour's Insignia CDTI 160 SRI Nav. She is getting a new company car and has offered me her old one, hopefully at trade in value. As a one owner car which has simply chugged up and down the M27/M3 all its life I'd rather go for one where I know the owner and the history than take a punt on an unknown car. Its the first Insignia I've even driven and only the second Vauxhall in about 10 years and I have to say I quite liked it. The SRI has different seats to the other models, very supportive with good bolsters and my wife who needs good lumbar support for a back condition was very comfortable. Ok, the engine sounds very agricultural and as with most TDIs feels sluggish off the line, but its got good punch where you want it. The ride seems fine to me on 18s, coming from a 2005 Mazda 6. As for handling, someone on another PH thread somewhere suggested that the Insignia is dangerously understeery but it seemed alright to me.
More impressively, it feels absolutely tight as a drum with 83,000 miles on it. No knocks from the suspension, no slop, no creaks. None of the trim feels loose and the doors shut with a nice thunk. No stone chips either, unlike my Mazda which has awful paint quality. I can only surmise that Vauxhall indeed got its act together after the 2009 batch of cars.
I really should have a drive in a Mondeo so I can compare, but TBH at the likely price I will pay for this 2011/61 car, I will probably just go for it, assuming the Company are happy to sell it to me, rather than trade it in. I start a new job tomorrow in Reading, travelling from nr Bournemouth and I think this Insignia will do the job very well.
Modern Vauxhalls are nowhere near as bad as some on PH would have you believe. Hope you get it at a good priceToday I took a decent test drive in my neighbour's Insignia CDTI 160 SRI Nav. She is getting a new company car and has offered me her old one, hopefully at trade in value. As a one owner car which has simply chugged up and down the M27/M3 all its life I'd rather go for one where I know the owner and the history than take a punt on an unknown car. Its the first Insignia I've even driven and only the second Vauxhall in about 10 years and I have to say I quite liked it. The SRI has different seats to the other models, very supportive with good bolsters and my wife who needs good lumbar support for a back condition was very comfortable. Ok, the engine sounds very agricultural and as with most TDIs feels sluggish off the line, but its got good punch where you want it. The ride seems fine to me on 18s, coming from a 2005 Mazda 6. As for handling, someone on another PH thread somewhere suggested that the Insignia is dangerously understeery but it seemed alright to me.
More impressively, it feels absolutely tight as a drum with 83,000 miles on it. No knocks from the suspension, no slop, no creaks. None of the trim feels loose and the doors shut with a nice thunk. No stone chips either, unlike my Mazda which has awful paint quality. I can only surmise that Vauxhall indeed got its act together after the 2009 batch of cars.
I really should have a drive in a Mondeo so I can compare, but TBH at the likely price I will pay for this 2011/61 car, I will probably just go for it, assuming the Company are happy to sell it to me, rather than trade it in. I start a new job tomorrow in Reading, travelling from nr Bournemouth and I think this Insignia will do the job very well.
CX53 said:
I would probably go for the Passat...
Probably a Passat CC maybe a year or two older but with DSG. There was one near me recently, approved used at VW, great spec, nice looking thing.
Had a 2013 CC DSG as a company car for a couple of years. Nice spec with pretty much everything you could need as standard.Probably a Passat CC maybe a year or two older but with DSG. There was one near me recently, approved used at VW, great spec, nice looking thing.
I've not read the whole thread and getting into the later one (Passat CC vs CC) may be stretching the budget but if you can then I always found it a great muncher of miles and returned close to 60 on an easy run. Nice looking cars and relatively trouble free in the 60,000 miles I put on it from new.
Edit having read on: I had an Insignia SRi diesel (unsure of engine but was quicker than the CC I think) as a hire car while waiting for the CC and I really didn't enjoy it one bit. It was a 62 plate. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was but it wasn't as nice inside, hated going on longer journeys. Just... boring.
Edited by AB on Tuesday 28th February 05:13
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