Thoughts on a Vauxhall insignia?
Discussion
Euro 6 diesel for 3k a year miles is only ever going to end badly. 
The VXR is (as already pointed out) expensive to run. £500 tax and low 20s mpg if you drive like a granny, single digits if you like to play. Engine sounds great though, even better with an aftermarket exhaust.
The early models suffer from very expensive 4wd issues and are out of warranty now. Unknown whether the issue was fixed on the more recent ones but they'll be out of your budget anyway.
How about a Focus ST estate? Creeping under £15k now for the mk3.
Here's one such example : http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/focus/u...
Identical spec and colour to my own and I rate them very highly. Perfect for your 3k a year miles
. 30mpg driving sensibly or 26-27mpg if you want to play.
The VXR is (as already pointed out) expensive to run. £500 tax and low 20s mpg if you drive like a granny, single digits if you like to play. Engine sounds great though, even better with an aftermarket exhaust.
The early models suffer from very expensive 4wd issues and are out of warranty now. Unknown whether the issue was fixed on the more recent ones but they'll be out of your budget anyway.
How about a Focus ST estate? Creeping under £15k now for the mk3.
Here's one such example : http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/focus/u...
Identical spec and colour to my own and I rate them very highly. Perfect for your 3k a year miles
. 30mpg driving sensibly or 26-27mpg if you want to play.Unless you're getting a diesel, forget any Vauxhall (VXR notwithstanding).
My problem with the Insig is a strange, but very real one. Bear with me...
In the manual, every time I shift into an even numbered gear, I whack my elbow on the bizarrely shaped centre console lid. Consequently, I had to drive with it up, which is more annoying than it sounds.
Bearing in mind I only ever drove them for 20 minutes at a time, I definitely wouldn't buy one if I had any option which, with £16k to spend, you do.
My problem with the Insig is a strange, but very real one. Bear with me...
In the manual, every time I shift into an even numbered gear, I whack my elbow on the bizarrely shaped centre console lid. Consequently, I had to drive with it up, which is more annoying than it sounds.
Bearing in mind I only ever drove them for 20 minutes at a time, I definitely wouldn't buy one if I had any option which, with £16k to spend, you do.
Easternlight said:
And you want a diesel to do low miles a year 
Buy a decent engined car while you still can or hand your PH membership in on the way out!
As I said before. We only do low miles on it as it's unreliable. We travel from London to Chichester quite often but in my work van and I want to keep the miles off that. The car itself is reliable but we have had rear wheel bearings changed 3 times in 150 miles. Each time it left us stranded on the motorway. I just want a nice new modern car for a change. I've always earned buggerall money but things have looked up this year after going self employed. I bought a pre reg van for work and it's great! I'd like the wife to feel comfortable and relaxed in something a little nicer too but I need running costs to be low too as we aren't out of the woods yet Buy a decent engined car while you still can or hand your PH membership in on the way out!
All that jazz said:
Euro 6 diesel for 3k a year miles is only ever going to end badly.
The VXR is (as already pointed out) expensive to run. £500 tax and low 20s mpg if you drive like a granny, single digits if you like to play. Engine sounds great though, even better with an aftermarket exhaust.
The early models suffer from very expensive 4wd issues and are out of warranty now. Unknown whether the issue was fixed on the more recent ones but they'll be out of your budget anyway.
How about a Focus ST estate? Creeping under £15k now for the mk3.
Here's one such example : http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/focus/u...
Identical spec and colour to my own and I rate them very highly. Perfect for your 3k a year miles. 30mpg driving sensibly or 26-27mpg if you want to play.
The focus looks great! I'll keep that in mind The VXR is (as already pointed out) expensive to run. £500 tax and low 20s mpg if you drive like a granny, single digits if you like to play. Engine sounds great though, even better with an aftermarket exhaust.
The early models suffer from very expensive 4wd issues and are out of warranty now. Unknown whether the issue was fixed on the more recent ones but they'll be out of your budget anyway.
How about a Focus ST estate? Creeping under £15k now for the mk3.
Here's one such example : http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/focus/u...
Identical spec and colour to my own and I rate them very highly. Perfect for your 3k a year miles
. 30mpg driving sensibly or 26-27mpg if you want to play. taUsed approved petrol 5 series.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
That will feel like a new car and be approx 1million times nicer to own and drive.
I think you're in the mindset of why buy car A that's the bit older and gone further when I can get car B that's nearly new fourth same money. Because car B is a turd.... This is how girls buy cars.
Mate of mine be recently bought a 2011 merc C220 cdi and it feels brand new. I think that was around your budget too.
A nice merc or beemer will depreciate to zero much more slowly than an insignia too.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
That will feel like a new car and be approx 1million times nicer to own and drive.
I think you're in the mindset of why buy car A that's the bit older and gone further when I can get car B that's nearly new fourth same money. Because car B is a turd.... This is how girls buy cars.
Mate of mine be recently bought a 2011 merc C220 cdi and it feels brand new. I think that was around your budget too.
A nice merc or beemer will depreciate to zero much more slowly than an insignia too.
The old man has a 2015 Insignia Elite, think it's the 160 diesel with the auto box.
Nice car overall, his is green with cream leather and it does look very smart. The engine is a bit rough, but goes alright and fuel economy seems pretty good too.
Build quality seems good too, and the Elite gets so much equipment as standard it's hard to know where to start. The nav got a bit lost in Belgium a few months back, but other than that it's one of the better systems I've used, though the interface probably isn't the nicest you'll find.
It's a superb motorway cruiser, it seems to shrink distances more than many other cars I've travelled in, and it's very quiet at speed. Round the lanes it's a bit cumbersome, but that's perhaps to be expected, but it's not unmanageable.
Nice car overall, his is green with cream leather and it does look very smart. The engine is a bit rough, but goes alright and fuel economy seems pretty good too.
Build quality seems good too, and the Elite gets so much equipment as standard it's hard to know where to start. The nav got a bit lost in Belgium a few months back, but other than that it's one of the better systems I've used, though the interface probably isn't the nicest you'll find.
It's a superb motorway cruiser, it seems to shrink distances more than many other cars I've travelled in, and it's very quiet at speed. Round the lanes it's a bit cumbersome, but that's perhaps to be expected, but it's not unmanageable.
Djtemeka said:
As I said before. We only do low miles on it as it's unreliable. We travel from London to Chichester quite often but in my work van and I want to keep the miles off that. The car itself is reliable but we have had rear wheel bearings changed 3 times in 150 miles. Each time it left us stranded on the motorway. I just want a nice new modern car for a change. I've always earned buggerall money but things have looked up this year after going self employed. I bought a pre reg van for work and it's great! I'd like the wife to feel comfortable and relaxed in something a little nicer too but I need running costs to be low too as we aren't out of the woods yet
My 10 year old E91 330d feels better quality and much nicer to be in than a few year old Vauxhalls.Newer doesn't equate good quality
If it is for anything, Pistonheads should stop people spending their own money on a Vauxhall Insignia. If it was *very* cheap, nearly banger money, then fine, but 16k? It's still got loads of depreciating to do, which it will do very rapdily.
For capable and anonymous, look at a Skoda Superb.
For capable and anonymous, look at a Skoda Superb.
philmots said:
My mother in law had one for a few years and had no bother at all..
The thought of putting 16k into one though.. It'll lose most of that very quickly.
+1The thought of putting 16k into one though.. It'll lose most of that very quickly.
I've just bought a 2010 Insignia 2.0CDTI 160BHP SRi, full years MOT and fully serviced with 69K miles for a fraction under £6,000.
To me, thats a bargain. However, i'd feel very jumpy about putting £16K into one....
djdest said:
16k would comfortably get you into a very well specced facelift 330d, 335d, 530d, 535d M Sport Touring.
It might be s few years older than an Insignia but it will be a much better buy, and hold value more too
OP, read and think about this. We always used to buy 3 year old cars with low miles until the realisation that the same money got us a marginally higher mileage, better specced, better built, less depreciation etc on something like a BMW etc. Never looked back. Given the choice out of a newish Insignia or a slightly older 335I touring, you'd be completely bonkers to go with the Vauxhall.It might be s few years older than an Insignia but it will be a much better buy, and hold value more too
Edited by djdest on Monday 30th November 09:00
To prove the point, my brother and sister in law have just got an Insignia. They know nothing about cars and just wanted a box with 4 wheels to get from A to B. Seems to do that job perfectly fine but thats all it is.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff