Why do people buy vauxhalls?

[S9JTO]

My mum and Dad have always had a Vauxhall as their primary car, as well as a run around. They've never had any real problems, always bought from nearly new and practically ran into the ground.

As much as I try to persuade my Dad to try something a little more adventurous/different I understand why they continue to buy them... Value for money, decent interior/exterior, decent performance and for them at least, reliability.

[PurpleTurtle]

I always loathed Vauxhalls. I think a lot of it stems from this dick who lived across the road from my mate when I was 15, he was a few years older than us, joined the BiB with the objective of becoming a traffic copper, used to swan around in a Cavalier SRi 130 thinking he was the absolute dog’s bks. The rest of our gang were into classic Fords/VW’s, this bloke just stuck out as a bit of a nob, and through him I’ve always associated the brand with small penised little Hitlers. Totally irrational I know, but there you go.

We had an Insignia as a holiday rental a few years ago. It was staggeringly good at what it was required to do, very comfortable to drive and I actually found myself liking it. It felt like some form of redemption!

[vsonix]

jimbo761 said:

Ah Vauxhall... The Cavalier was a good car. The Vectra was not.

Don't forget the last of the Cavaliers after the Ascona derived shape was still a Vectra. Ours were pretty decent.

[Kingofthelea]

I have to echo the majority of comments above to the positive. After my Golf R lease came to the end I had a moment of ‘sod the neigbours, I just need a tool to go to the tip and work’. I ended up getting an Astra Elite with leather, nav, apple play, heated steering wheel and heated seats (front and back!) for £127 a month. A total and utter bargain.

It drove well, with the 1.4 turbo it was fairly nippy, and little features that were great like the heated seats automatically coming on when it was cold, and simple, easy to use menus and free WiFi for the kids.

That said, the plastics were crap, and not once did I feel proud of it or look back as I left the car park, but, as a cheap method to get from a-b in comfort with all the kit, it was hard to knock.

That said, a 340i came along with 40 miles on the clock at a stupid low price so I sent the Astra back early. Seems my inner PH won, I needed six cylinders and a bit of soul after all!

[Too Drunk to Funk]

F1GTRUeno said:

LuS1fer said:

F1GTRUeno said:

Because there are Vauxhall dealers everywhere and because there are already tons of Vauxhalls on the road.

Car fans might hate them but make up a tiny percentage of the buying public.

They do a bunch of limited editions and know their audience. They have decent deals for monthly payments for people that don't wanna shop around and just get the most convenient thing.

Plus they're British which seemingly counts for something to people too.

It's really not hard to see why they sell so many cars. They're as white goods as they get and people buy a lot of white goods.

Good points but only the Astra and Vivaro are made in the UK and I can't see that lasting much longer, once Brexit kicks in and Peugeot streamline their production to maximise profits, something Vauxhall-Opel couldn't manage.

Of course, the name Vaux may be French originally, there being a town of that name.

True enough but to the average punter they're British aren't they?

Doubt that'll change for a good while unless they do genuinely move all production abroad which would cause a stir.

Strangely enough Vauxhall took their name from a place called Vauxhall in South London.

[fido]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/kia/optima/94864/kia-...

I think this review sums it up. Vauxhall still cuts it at the bottom end of the market. Personally, I loathe them and sneer at friends who drive them - only thing worse would be some badly made French car, or Nissanult.

[cootuk]

Cheap finance at the dealers?
I know plenty of younger people that aspire to an Audi, but in reality don't have the money when they look at prices down the dealer.
They aren't happy going through a lease company or waiting for a cheap deal, so something trendy like a Mokka on 230 down and 230pm fits the bill nicely.
It's the monthly payments that sell a lot of them

[02joe]

I've had nothing but good experiences with the brand. So much so that I now own my third. For the money I spent on my most recent one I could have bought the German equivalent, but I don't suffer from badge snobbery and think it is one of the best cars I will ever own.
2001 Astra Coupe
2009 VXR8
2014 VXR8

[brrapp]

My daughter is currently driving a 2010 1.6 Astra which she bought last year with 60000 miles for £2000. I serviced it when she got it and was surprised how cheap the consumables are, less than half the price of an equivalent Jap. She cracked a headlight and I was amazed to find a replacement for just over £30. She regularly drives it on 500 mile trips home in comfort , reasonable speed and over 40 mpg. It gets left at a ferry terminal for days and occasionally weeks at a time and never fails her.
Yes, a ford is a more engaging drive(though you get used to the Vauxhall's relaxed style) and a Honda of the same age might prove more reliable in the long term, but for the money it cost to buy and run, she'd struggle to get better for the price she paid.

[M3DGE]

They have improved greatly in recent years - although of course so have most manufacturers. I worked for GM's finance company from 2001-2010 and only came off the staff car programme last year. I had about 50 different models in that time so feel able to comment with some experience!
The worst were the earlier vectras, although the facelifted version that came out about the time I joined was OK. The best were the late model hot vectras, I loved my 3.2GSi.
The Zafira was groundbreaking when new but now left behind by the competition as the seats are difficult to move.
The Astra is the car that has come the farthest IMO. Never a bad car but the ones I had in 01/02/03 were dull and badly equipped, and even in 2.0 SRi mode not great drivers cars. I bought my last one, a 16 plate 1.4 turbo elite - drives great, quick enough, economical and loaded with toys. Expensive at list price but who pays list?
Finally the insignia does what it is designed to do, monster motorway miles in comfort with the sort of toys reps love - was one of the first to get cruise and DAB as standard.
I'm not a Vauxhall fanboy. My other car is now an A4, and it's excellent. But Vauxhalls are perfectly decent motors and stand up well to their opposition - Ford, Nissan, the French.

[CarbonXKR]

I'm in to year two of a two year lease of an Astra 1.4T and cannot fault it. It handles well, has a surprisingly good 0-60 time and 150hp. You jump in it, start it up and the heated seats come on automatically on a cold day and gradually reduce in temperature, it has apple car play and android auto working great, well put together and only cost £117 for its first service. I'm on a 6 x 23 contract and pay £131 per month - what's not to like??
I also have an XF-S which costs about 3 times the price of the Astra and has no fancy gimmicks compared to the Astra despite being top of the range. However for touring Europe and long distance driving, the Jaguar is the better car, but for going to the shops and commuting back and forth to work, the Astra is ideal.

[MC Bodge]

Do people really worry about what the neighbours might think (and particularly about whether it is German enough?) when they buy a car? Really?

[goldstar500]

CarbonXKR said:

I'm in to year two of a two year lease of an Astra 1.4T and cannot fault it. It handles well, has a surprisingly good 0-60 time and 150hp. You jump in it, start it up and the heated seats come on automatically on a cold day and gradually reduce in temperature, it has apple car play and android auto working great, well put together and only cost £117 for its first service. I'm on a 6 x 23 contract and pay £131 per month - what's not to like??
I also have an XF-S which costs about 3 times the price of the Astra and has no fancy gimmicks compared to the Astra despite being top of the range. However for touring Europe and long distance driving, the Jaguar is the better car, but for going to the shops and commuting back and forth to work, the Astra is ideal.

I am looking at buying a 2017 astra sri auto (1.4t) and at approx 11k-£12k for a car with less than 10k miles these look very good value..(i wouldnt buy new though)

Why because i want a good value daily driver and i like the look of it...

Edited by goldstar500 on Monday 19th February 10:56

[PurpleTurtle]

MC Bodge said:

Do people really worry about what the neighbours might think (and particularly about whether it is German enough?) when they buy a car? Really?

I think it's more a case of what their mates think, or what strangers on PH might think about them, or what other people in the Traffic Light Grand Prix think.

The older I've got and the higher up the property ladder I get I've noticed neighbours give less of a st about what Eurobox they drive. too much other stuff going on in their lives and they just want something that is functional, reliable, safe and doesn't cost the earth to run.

[culpz]

People still buy them for many reasons. It could be the brand that they like and buy into, it could be down to good experiences with them in the past, it could simply be personal preference and liking certain models, etc.

I, for one, am not a huge Vauxhall fan, if i'm being honest. However, i don't knock other people that are and enjoy what they offer. They're certainly popular, that's for sure, so they must be doing something right

[nonsequitur]

dieseluser07 said:

As a car brand they seem to have gone hugely downhill in terms of quality, styling and reliability.

Why do people buy them? Even their hot hatches are unreliable and poorly reviewed.

Also every vauxhall taxi i have been in has had creaking doors and an engine management light on, im not even lying. All the other brands are okay.

I'm on my fourth Corsa now. I like 'em.

[Ali G]

There have been utter dogs in every car manufacturers range at some point or other. The discerning purchaser should select the optimum model to suit personal requirements and preferences (which may mean paying through the nose for a particular badge).

Vauxhall/Opel have built some truly fabulous cars in the past and also a few dogs.

Current Astra was European car of the year and is top notch - the 1.6 turbo 200 bhp (petrol) should be a PH favourite!

If looking for non-diesel hatchback with decent capacity engine and wide selection of dealerships whilst supporting UK manufacturing then Vauxhall is pretty much the only game in town.

And current Astra is very well built (by scousers) a great drive and stonkingly good vfm.

Also looks good (imho)

[AngryPartsBloke]

I worked for a Vauxhall dealer for a few years, my dad and 3 when i was growing up and i've had 2 myself. Obviously that's the place where you're going to see one's go wrong but i never had any issues with them, always found them really pleasant to drive in terms of layout/ergonomics. I've had 2 pretty highly specced new 1.4 turbo Astra's as hire cars and thought they were great.

[LuS1fer]

Ali G said:

There have been utter dogs in every car manufacturers range at some point or other. The discerning purchaser should select the optimum model to suit personal requirements and preferences (which may mean paying through the nose for a particular badge).

Vauxhall/Opel have built some truly fabulous cars in the past and also a few dogs.

Current Astra was European car of the year and is top notch - the 1.6 turbo 200 bhp (petrol) should be a PH favourite!

If looking for non-diesel hatchback with decent capacity engine and wide selection of dealerships whilst supporting UK manufacturing then Vauxhall is pretty much the only game in town.

And current Astra is very well built (by scousers) a great drive and stonkingly good vfm.

Also looks good (imho)

European Car of the Year has never meant anything, some right dogs have won it.
Ellesmere Port is on the Wirral, not in Liverpool
As for the only game in town for UK manufacturing, try
MINI – MINI, MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman - Cowley
Honda – Civic and CR-V - Swindon.
Toyota – Auris, Auris hybrid and Avensis - Derbyshire.
Nissan – Juke, Qashqai, Note, Leaf and Infiniti Q30 - Sunderland

[Ali G]

LuS1fer said:

European Car of the Year has never meant anything, some right dogs have won it.
Ellesmere Port is on the Wirral, not in Liverpool
As for the only game in town for UK manufacturing, try
MINI – MINI, MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman - Cowley
Honda – Civic and CR-V - Swindon.
Toyota – Auris, Auris hybrid and Avensis - Derbyshire.
Nissan – Juke, Qashqai, Note, Leaf and Infiniti Q30 - Sunderland

Point taken - reasons for buying Vauxhall remain too. Mid capacity petrol engined hatch-backs appear to becoming scarce 'though.