VAUXHALL

10 February 2012

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2009 VAUXHALL INSIGNIA reviews

VAUXHALL INSIGNIA reviews by year of make: 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 Read all reviews

Number of reviews: 13

David Beattie, Northern Ireland

Vauxhall Insignia 2009

I have been a Vauxhall owner for 20 years, but never again. I have always bought second-hand and have never had any problems, so when I retired from work I bought a new Insignia 2.0t. The first year saw no problems, but after that things went down hill. So far it has needed three steering racks and two steering pumps; the steering is still moaning and pulling left all the time making the handling very bad, even scary at times. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve had the steering checked and aligned, paying for this every time. The dealer has told me the steering needs to be aligned often because of the size of the wheels. Funny, a lot of Insignias have the same size of wheels?! If I manage to sell this car I will never buy Vauxhall again.

Submitted: 06/12/2011 13:06:40

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Al, Hampshire

Vauxhall Insignia SRi 2009

A very good family car. Good ride, spacious, huge boot, very good value but..... Minor teething problems (Ignition failure three times) and the car battery went dead last week (replaced with new one immediately by Vauxhall under warranty in Woolston, Hampshire) They knew there was a problem with car batteries in Insignia’s and have offered to try to diagnose the problem to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The dealer I bought the car from in Lymington "Pats Garage" were worse than useless - they offered no help, no advice and "we can look at the car in 10 days time if you can get it to us". "we have no knowledge of such a fault on the Insignia" "The car battery is not covered under warranty"

Submitted: 08/05/2011 18:52:04

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C Mac, Fife and Kinross Shires

Vauxhall Insignia 2009

This car is excellent, built like a 3 series and very good value. It has full heated leather, AFL xenon, sensors and 3D sat nav. The only thing that lets it down is the terrible 1.8 vvt engine. I strongly urge you to choose the diesel variant. I was averaging 26.9 mpg! I now get more from my Vectra VXR auto, madness. But truly one of the best built VXs I’ve ever owned.

Submitted: 25/03/2011 08:45:11

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Gary Gibson, Yorkshire

Vauxhall Insignia sri cdti 160 2009

Bought it 12 months old in October 2010, excellent road holding and performance getting aroung 52mpg on a motorway, which I’m very pleased as I average around 20,000 miles per year. Had to take it back as the rear lights were letting in water. As a convenience to me I didn’t have to take it back to the dealer where I purchased it, but one closer to where I work. Both of them were replaced so may be best to check yours. Apart from this hiccup the car has been excellent.

Submitted: 15/02/2011 21:59:12

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Glenn, Middlesex

Vauxhall Insignia 2.0T Sri 2009

Good Bits: Blisteringly fast, responsive, chuck aboutable, fun to drive, looks good. The power, just goes on and on. Mid bits: Fuel consumption but what the heck when the car is that much fun. Bad Bits: They made it out of plasticine and sticky back plastic. Too many rattles in the cabin and bits falling off. This is a superb car let down by the interior components and body build. It really is a star to drive.

Submitted: 10/02/2011 14:47:31

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Noel Carlisle, County Down

Vauxhall Insignia 2009

Vauxhall Insignia 2009 pre registered, purchased through "Network Q (Vauxhall)" on March 2010 and driven only 3886 miles. I have been driving for 49 years, driven over one million miles, and driven most types of cars. I have always treated my vehicles with respect. I suffered a breakdown on the road and the RAC informed me that the clutch had burnt out. Never have I burnt out a clutch. At 3886 miles this seems absurd. Towed to the local Network Q/Vauxhall dealership who stated that, unless a mechanical fault can be proven, the repair will be my responsibility as they take the view that it is driver error. This appears to be a general response by the company when this occurs as other low mileage Insignia owners appear to be in the same position. My local Network Q dealer has removed the clutch and informed me that it is indeed burnt out and I am therefore liable for the repair costing £1600. I contacted Vauxhall directly and they are refusing to accept any responsibility whatsoever.

Submitted: 05/02/2011 21:25:31

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Janet, Lanarkshire

Vauxhall Insignia 2009

I loved the test drive of my Insignia and thought, yes this is a nice car. Had 16000 miles on the clock when I bought it. Only bought my car in March 2010 from Peter Vardy in Motherwell. Was driving my 13year old son to school on Wednesday 10th November. When I arrived at his school I could smell burning and saw some smoke coming from the bonnet. I thought what’s wrong? I had to get to work so I thought drive to Motherwell and take my car to Peter Vardy to assess it. Didn’t reach Motherwell did I as my clutch went and I was stuck on a busy road. Contacted garage and they sent recovery vehicle. I was told they would not look at car until Monday. Got a call on Tuesday and I phoned back to be told I would need to authorise gear box to be taken off to look at clutch. Girl said you will need to pay £229 for this and I said "thats terrible what about warranty"? You have got to take gear box out to find out whats wrong. I said I only bought car 6 months ago and I am going to get a big bill. Are we selling dodgy cars Vauxhall??? I have authorised to take gear box out and the girl will phone me on Thursday to tell me the big bill and damage costs. This is not good enough Vauxhall who are advertising life time warranties on TV. It’s a bad day when a new car presents big problems. I am angry and will not be buying another dodgy Vauxhall car now... Will let you know how it goes. If big bill I am going to Watchdog, local newspaper to inform and getting legal advice...CAR WARRANTIES AIN’T WORTH THE PAPER THEY ARE WRITTEN ON... WHAT A CON

Submitted: 18/11/2010 10:35:48

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Paul Jones, England

Vauxhall Insignia 2.0D 130BHP SE 2009

The Insignia inside and out looks good on the eye and it has a number of toys which make it more appealing than some other more expensive brands. However don’t be fooled from my experiences with 2 separate Insignia models the issues with this car far out way the looks and toys. 1. Leaking back doors - happened on both cars 2. Faulty Fuel Filter causing car to stall whilst in motion. This happened to mine on the motorway causing a serious incident whilst my wife was driving and my 2 sons 6mths and 3 yrs old where in the car. Mine was swapped out by Vauxhall Motors directors office due to this. 3. Front bumper comes away from driver side of car - happened on both cars 4. Information display fails - happened on both cars 5. 2 amp drain on battery when car not being used, requiring new dash wiring loom and fuse box. Due to this and parts in short supply the car is off the road now for 2 months! I would seriously recommend you consider another car...Sorry Even as a company car could you put up with these issues given the poor emissions and high tax band? I some ways I wish this was my company car instead of my A4 at least it would be going back soon :)

Submitted: 16/11/2010 20:51:57

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Kenny Gillespie, Inverness-shire

Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv CDTi 2009

Nice to drive but an oil change after 9000 miles !!! When is the next one going to be ???? Previously had a Mondeo and a Passat and did NOT have that problem. Customer service not at all helpful, "it must be the way you are driving the car"!!! Looks like my first and last Vauxhall.

Submitted: 16/11/2010 20:42:13

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Tom Robinson, London

Vauxhall Insignia TDI automatic aircon satnav 2009

Incredible spec for the price. Awful implementation of that spec. Flashy looks, expensive looking cockpit. The complete triumph of form over function. Terrible all round visibility for the driver with tiny tiny windows, view obscured by pillars and headrests and even a great bulge in the roof right in the middle of the windscreen. Electronic everything - from handbrake to aircon, to seat adjustment to wing mirror adjustment - with no manual override. The electronic handbrake and ventilation system in particular were a nightmare. The doors are so wide and curved outwards (with thick curved plastic mouldings on the interior that it’s often impossible to get out of the car when close-parked in a multistorey car park. To add insult to injury the central moulded drinks holder and armrest separating the driver from the front seat passenger makes it impossible for either of you to get out of the car on the opposite side. Can’t fault the roadholding or actual performance, it was as smooth and sweet at an illegal 90 as it was at 60. No question, you get a lot of flashy-looking swept-back car hight performance diesel for your money. So if you want a car to impress and drive fast in, go for it, but if you want a well designed easy to use, practical, safe and easy to understand vehicle at this price don’t get blinded by the spec. Go rent one for a couple of days from Europcar, that way you can endure the weeping frustration of it’s castastrophically impractical design and baffling user interface for yourself.

Submitted: 31/12/2009 20:47:53

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Scott, Renfrewshire

Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi 160 SE 2009

I’ve never owned a Vauxhall before but this has surprised me. Very capable overall with the main highlights being refinement and ride. It’s a heavy car and as such don’t expect anything more than average performance. The interior is superb, I wasnt expecting 1/2 leather. Overall, a top all rounder. Ive had Mondeos (previous and newest model) and many other cars over the years but this would be my top choice again.

Submitted: 10/12/2009 12:55:01

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Clarence Prior, England

Vauxhall Insignia 1.8 SE Saloon 2009

I find the electric hand brake system is a problem and difficult to operate in some traffic situations, i.e., at traffic lights and on a slight incline. Also, the automatic lighting system is a constant annoyance - always on, every time you start up the car. The wide window frame to each door panel obscures vision and there is a some road & wind noise when driving on motorways & A roads.

Submitted: 26/10/2009 09:21:39

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Syd Taylor, Staffordshire

Vauxhall Insignia Diesel 2009

No matter how you look at it, there’s nothing vexing about the new Vauxhall Insignia. It pulls a clever trick, appealing to everyone, offending no-one and yet emphatically escaping the clutches of blandness. Styled to signify swift and sleek executive authority, it nonetheless embodies enticement that would not make it displeasing to any enthusiastic user of our over frequented roads. It has the panache to please the sleek wine bar afficionados and the dash to awaken longing in the fume filled chest of the young petrolhead. In short, there can be few motorists on the road today who wouldn’t feel, not just "at home" behind the wheel of this superior machine, but, indeed, empowered to impress - not in a showy way - but a sophisticated way. The cabin is a comfortable business-like place to be. Emboldened by contemporary flashes of cool minimalistic chrome with touches of black and grey, it’s like an expensive suit tailored for comfort. Yet it’s designed with a subtle flair for the progressive boundaries of taste that serve to enliven the sheer ergonomic excellence of the overall concept. The external proportions are certainly not modest, but the contours bespeak purpose. Smoothly aerodynamically clean, even at rest the impression is gained of an automobile that will simply swim through the air with the least possible resistance like the terrestrial counterpart of a regal marine mammal. "Wow!" exclaimed my Fine Art trained neighbour whose cynical critiques of all my press cars make me think that he should really have directed Pininfarina: this was indeed an accolade. Anchored to the road on large tyres, the Insignia propels itself forward in a long legged eager manner. A Gucci shod ballroom dancer would not glide across the polished sheen of a fine floor with less fuss or more poise than this winning machine. The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder 130bhp diesel engine (there’s a 160bhp version of the same engine) drives through a six speed gearbox with well chosen ratios. Sixth gear is almost an overdrive ratio so motorway cruising is effortless. Despite this, however, economy is nothing to write home about and an overall consumption of 49mpg is certainly not class leading. On twisty roads it’s easy to handle and good to drive. The ride is smooth and the car remains composed even if you do hit bad surfaces. The most popular model is the one described here, but the range of choice is wide with four petrol engines ranging from 1.6 to 2.8 and one 2.0 diesel. Prices start at £17,130 rising to £29,755. On todays troublesome, stress inducing roads the onus is increasingly more and more on the vehicle and the technology it embodies to relieve the strain on the driver through lots of electronic jiggery pokery. I can tell you, having subjected myself to every possible mode of tribulation from tailbacks to road humps and having experienced in one journey a lifetimes quotient, courtesy of highway contractors of every description, and forbidding detours, that the Insignia is an enjoyable car to drive.Thankfully it is not bland and uninspiring like so many cars today and when pushed hard it can offer an involving experience. I arrived at my destination with every remaining hair on my thinnining pate in tact. In a lesser model of car I might have torn out every strand. As it was, I simply settled myself more comfortably in the very supportive upholsterey, adjusted the ventilation to cope with rising blood pressure and laughed at the idiocy of the outside world, secure in the splendid, rationally conceived safe haven that was my Vauxhall Insignia. Better than a Ford Mondeo I concluded.

Submitted: 23/09/2009 11:05:30

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Number of reviews: 13

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