Surprised - I actually like the new Insignia.
Surprised - I actually like the new Insignia.
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Discussion

aarondbs

Original Poster:

883 posts

175 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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My father flew down from Aberdeen and hired a car over the last couple of days. He turned up at our house in a new Insignia. It was an Elite diesel hatchback and I thought it looked extremely handsome. Parked next to a 13 plate 320 the Insignia, in my opnion, looked the far better looking car. My father, an ex petrol head, said it drove pretty well and the ride was OK too, even more surprising as it had 20" wheels.

Even the interior looked good and again far better than the BMW which looks pretty ordinary. What are these Insignia like? Can the badge snobs looks beyond teh Griffin I wonder..

aponting389

750 posts

207 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Hired one for a week. saw it, thought the same as you, sat in it, thought the same as you, drove it, thought the same, went straight upto 140mph

but at the end of the week, I hated it, i grew to hate it, despise it, horrible piece of crap.

Silverbullet767

11,250 posts

235 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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20" Wheels on a diesel insignia?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore!

hornetrider

63,161 posts

234 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Silverbullet767 said:
20" Wheels on a diesel insignia?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore!
laugh

Was going to say the very same! I imagine Mrs Fleet Coordinator will be having palpitations when the tyre bills come in!

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Really? I had one on hire a short while back (I just checked - it was a 2014 model) and it was so bland and ordinary I couldn't find any outstanding about it at all. Even my O/H, who likes cars but doesn't drive much said, "This is a bit skank..."

I really didn't rate it at all, not in any way at all. It was so forgettable I can't even remember the one feature that really annoyed me at the time.

kambites

71,447 posts

250 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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It's a car, it works, it gets you from A to B in reasonable comfort with reasonable efficiency and reliability. It's over-sprung and under-damped, but then so are all of the German offerings these days.

It's hard to buy a genuinely bad car these days, but the Insignia certainly isn't an exceptional one.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 15th May 15:57

framerateuk

2,935 posts

213 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Had one (2013 model) as a courtesy car when my Megane was off the road after an accident.

Bland. Boring. Uninspiring.

Managed to have both a bouncy and harsh ride at the same time. Hated it by the time I gave it back. Was glad to be rid of it, but then it did serve it's purpose and got me around when I would otherwise have been completely stuck. Couldn't imagine owning one though.

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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My wife gets a new one through work every few months. Not actually a bad drive, the diesel is a bit noisy compared to others but it's comfortable, spacious, well equipped and returns decent economy. As a company hack they fit the bill nicely. I also think they're the best looking car in the class. Dull and uninspiring? Probably, but no more so than a cooking spec diesel A4, 3 series, mondeo, passat...

TommoAE86

2,962 posts

156 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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agree with those not won over. The ones I drove (there have been 3) were "fine", but nothing special, I hated the driving position and the lack of power, the economy wasn't even that great. The steering was numb and from the passenger seat the ride was terrible (however it improved in the driving seat).

one to avoid in my experience

mcbook

1,442 posts

204 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I think it's a great looking car. Can't comment on how it drives but certainly better looking than most others in the class. However, I am aware that looks are completely subjective and others might hate it.

aarondbs

Original Poster:

883 posts

175 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
quotequote all
I wouldn't buy one obviously as its not a German class brand.

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Nice looking/dull/boring/a million mpg - sounds good to me - think I'll take a serious look!
'exciting' usually equates to temperamental and/or expensive & hard to live with

FiF

48,687 posts

280 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I would a quadrazillion times more rather have a Passat than an Insignia. Which statement is most definitely not to be taken as an approval of the Passat but more a .... you know what I mean.

Dreadful. At first thought it Insignia was nothing special but nothing particularly bad either. After two days hated it with a passion. The only thing I can find good to say is that the boot takes a lot more stuff than you would expect given the shape of the saloon / hatch.

M3DGE

1,979 posts

193 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Stenn said:
My wife gets a new one through work every few months. Not actually a bad drive, the diesel is a bit noisy compared to others but it's comfortable, spacious, well equipped and returns decent economy. As a company hack they fit the bill nicely. I also think they're the best looking car in the class. Dull and uninspiring? Probably, but no more so than a cooking spec diesel A4, 3 series, mondeo, passat...
From this I assume she's on GMFM plan - me too. The new 163 horse diesel is nice and returns 50+ MPG easy. The kit level is great - and always has been. There is a reason why these are outsell Mondeos and other rep-mobiles - they are simply a better beast.

M3DGE

1,979 posts

193 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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aarondbs said:
I wouldn't buy one obviously as its not a German class brand.
....your key word here is 'class'....it is built in Russelsheim...

Eagerbeaver

386 posts

228 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Insignia.

It's bland, dull, boring, uninspiring, virtually an invisible car.

I love them. Great hire cars, not sure if I could bring myself to buy one but when you are sick of attention, it is nice to just disappear. Not many cars do this as well as an Insignia.

framerateuk

2,935 posts

213 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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M3DGE said:
From this I assume she's on GMFM plan - me too. The new 163 horse diesel is nice and returns 50+ MPG easy. The kit level is great - and always has been. There is a reason why these are outsell Mondeos and other rep-mobiles - they are simply a better beast.
Mine was only returning mid 40's when I had it. That said, as it was a rental car, no idea how it was treated before I had it. I wasn't impressed at all.

aarondbs

Original Poster:

883 posts

175 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
quotequote all
M3DGE said:
....your key word here is 'class'....it is built in Russelsheim...
and the key element to the statement was the tongue lodged firmly in cheek.

blank

3,761 posts

217 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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M3DGE said:
From this I assume she's on GMFM plan - me too. The new 163 horse diesel is nice and returns 50+ MPG easy. The kit level is great - and always has been. There is a reason why these are outsell Mondeos and other rep-mobiles - they are simply a better beast.
I only got 50mpg a couple of times from a 165PS CDTI Astra. Overall average was 46 over 13k miles. Wasn't great IMO. And the NVH on the GM diesels is so far behind the competition it's a joke!

Some of the higher end Insignias are £400 per month on the GM scheme though and that seems like a lot!

wombleh

2,365 posts

151 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I had a new one as hirecar recently, 1.8 petrol. Completely gutless, not bad MPG on the motorway, interior was pretty uninspiring and not all that comfortable. Price new is £16k for that model, not my cup of tea but seems reasonable value.