Vauxhall Zafira Tourer - Page 1 - Car Buying

Thursday 1st July 2021

Good morning all. I was all set to bite the bullet on an S-Max when I discovered what good value the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is. I prefer the styling of the S-Max but for equivalent age/mileage I could potentially save myself a few grand by going down the Vauxhall route.
What I’d like to know is, is there anyone on here with experience of the Zafira? What should I be looking for, real world MPG etc. Or perhaps I should stick with my original idea and go down the Ford route.
For reference I haven’t driven either and will be sorting out test drives over the next couple of months.
Any help would be greatly received. Many thanks

1,196 posts

95 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

Zafira's are just about everywhere, so they can't be bad..!
Honest John's real MPG site is my go to for accurate MPG.
The S-max will probably feel nicer inside, but if the saving is that much, definitely worth considering the Zafira.

Best of luck

wiliferus

4,214 posts

226 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

I am in a similar quandary, especially as over the last few months SMax prices have really crept up. I curiously started looking at the beginning of the year. Had an age and spec in mind and they were hovering at £6k.
Covid has done its work and the equivalent cars are now fetching £8k and good ones move very quick.

I’ve toyed with the idea of other MPVs. Trouble I’ve had is I’m looking at Tit X spec, and none of the other manufacturers look like they come close. Even the Vx in Elite spec (hard to find on a Zafira Tourer) looks a bit low rent compared with the Ford. Volkswagen Tourans are smaller and leather is exceptionally rare.

Also having driven Vauxhall’s as company cars for the last 24 years I have an irrational dislike of them. The head choice for VFM is the Tourer, I’m just not sure I can do it.

1,196 posts

95 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

wiliferus said:

I am in a similar quandary, especially as over the last few months SMax prices have really crept up. I curiously started looking at the beginning of the year. Had an age and spec in mind and they were hovering at £6k.
Covid has done its work and the equivalent cars are now fetching £8k and good ones move very quick.

I’ve toyed with the idea of other MPVs. Trouble I’ve had is I’m looking at Tit X spec, and none of the other manufacturers look like they come close. Even the Vx in Elite spec (hard to find on a Zafira Tourer) looks a bit low rent compared with the Ford. Volkswagen Tourans are smaller and leather is exceptionally rare.

Also having driven Vauxhall’s as company cars for the last 24 years I have an irrational dislike of them. The head choice for VFM is the Tourer, I’m just not sure I can do it.

I think that's where a lot of people end up at. The Ford's seem like a much nicer purchase, nicer design inside etc.

Dolf Stoppard

1,391 posts

150 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

Do you like to drive in an angry manner and not look after your car? If so, go for the Zafira. If not, go for the S-Max.

StealthGreyST

Original Poster

35 posts

166 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

The problem is, I’d prefer to be in an S-Max as I’d like a 2016 onwards titanium or titanium sport. But these seem to be 15k minimum for models under 50k miles. For a newer, lower mileage Zafira, I can save myself 4-5 grand. Unfortunately I need to also buy a second car for the station so I’m limited to spending around 18k for both cars.
So stretch to an S-Max and buy a shed, or get the Zafira and something a little bit more comfortable/expensive for the station. Hmm

1,196 posts

95 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

StealthGreyST said:

The problem is, I’d prefer to be in an S-Max as I’d like a 2016 onwards titanium or titanium sport. But these seem to be 15k minimum for models under 50k miles. For a newer, lower mileage Zafira, I can save myself 4-5 grand. Unfortunately I need to also buy a second car for the station so I’m limited to spending around 18k for both cars.
So stretch to an S-Max and buy a shed, or get the Zafira and something a little bit more comfortable/expensive for the station. Hmm

I'd try a Zafira first, see if it is nice enough for you. You may find that it is perfectly adequate and justifies the significant saving.

runboy

244 posts

209 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

Have you considered a SEAT Alhambra? I love the electric sliding doors and boot, still gets comments from kids on the school run of "oooooh"!

Mk_berks

26 posts

112 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

Station car will just deteriorate (mine did). Despite car price increases there are Aygo/C1s for not too much of you want to keep it cheap and the downstream running cost savings are worthwhile. S max is built on a bigger platform than the Zafira, longer wheelbase I think, more comfortable, might be more robust (age old Ford v GM debate!).

Glosphil

4,859 posts

262 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

When driving for a charity I drove both the moll l Zafira & the S-max. The Zafira seemed to have more room in the third row of seats. Also the S-max had no way to store the boot cover if it as removed - unlike the Zafira.
I preferred driving the Ford.
Would a C-max be big enough?

StealthGreyST

Original Poster

35 posts

166 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

I need a car with three proper seats in the back hence the two choices I’ve looked at so far. I’ve got two boys (10 and 6) and a daughter who’s 9 months. Having the two extra seats in the third row just means there’s extra options for the kids and don’t all have to sit together. The boys don’t live with me so for the majority of the time it will just be my daughter in the back but I’m not ruling out a 4th child in the next couple of years.
I did have a look at the Alhambra but it looks even more like an Uber than the Zafira and I’m not big fan of it’s looks.
There seems to be such little choice in the used market for S-Max’s for the spec I want and within budget. I’ll have the car for at least 5 years so want to be happy with my choice.
The ‘station car’ will be used occasionally to do the 150 mile round trip to pick my boys up so needs to be relatively comfortable and capable of decent miles

Sir Bagalot

7,056 posts

209 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

We had a Zafira Tourer.

Had. As in sold it. Sold it for no other reason that it was s

te.

It's smaller. Middle row of seats, that middle seat is small. Yes, it's cheap, but you soon tire of the size. Boot is small. Seats are small.

So. What was it replaced with? A Galaxy. Only thing wrong with it is no sliding doors, people who have owned a MPV with sliding doors will testify what a godsend they are!! It's a second car.

If we were a one car family then it would be a S Max.

samoht

7,176 posts

174 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

Mk_berks said:

S max is built on a bigger platform than the Zafira, longer wheelbase I think, more comfortable, might be more robust.

Yeah, S-Max and Galaxy are both on the Mondeo platform, so a class larger than the Astra-based Zafira. GM was clever to squeeze seven seats onto the Astra floorplan, but can't beat the laws of physics. Although both seat seven, they're not exactly direct rivals, depends how much space you want I think.

IT Geek

1,965 posts

71 months

Thursday 1st July 2021

SMax’s are dearer for a reason, we had one and it was the most reliable car I’ve ever owned and we got crazy money for it when we sold it.

1,196 posts

95 months