VAUXHALL ANTARA road test reports and car reviews

Vauxhall Antara 2.0 CDTi 2009

Great car with Xenons, leather, heated seats, European sat nav, bluetooth all as standard. Upgraded 20" wheels with irmscher chrome side steps. Been to Disneyland - sat nav a joy. Guided us in Paris, found restaurants, petrol stations and general points of interest. Not great on fuel but it depends what you compare it to. I manage approx 26 - 28mpg. Not bad for a big truck. Kids love it as does the wife who has a Chevrolet Captiva LTX auto. She needs the seven seats apparently. To summarise: try and find the same spec as standard on the opposition and then check the price.

Vauxhall Antara s 2.0dti 5 speed 2008

My wife and I love this car; excellent value for money BUT haven’t had the car a year yet and completely out of the blue, 3.30pm on a Friday the alarm starting going off. The car was in the garage so I thought a fly or spider must be creeping about in the car setting off the sensors, it went off about 3 annoying times, checked car windows, boot, etc then thought no more then 3am next morning off she went again, again many times we read the handbook again to try solve it but no luck, so we took it back to the dealership in Canterbury who’s workshops said they were too busy to look at it but finally told the service man that we will give the number of the showroom to our tired and stressed neighbours for him to explain. Anyway, took car in workshop, put machine on it and according to them the machine indicated that the alarm HAD NOT gone off and all was well, but our tyres had 9mm of tread! What’s our tyres to do with anything? So have got to try tomorrow to get booked into another Vauxhall dealership - Caffyns and wait to see their outcome! who advised us to leave the car unlocked which is the only way to stop the alarm trying to reset itself. I would like to add that our Antara is good on fuel also, Andy Dunk of Kent - which dealership are you using please? Andy, our dealership advised AA assist and it appears that they dont know one end from the other!

Responses to this review

Steve , sorry for the big delay, just posted another review, have a look a my response to your question there - Andy Dunk from Kent

Vauxhall Antara S Auto 2008

Yes me again! Well the tilt sensor was re-set and the car is collected at 16.30hrs on Friday 5th June. Saturday the 6th June 02.47hrs woken up again with the sounds of the Bloody Antara’s alarm going off, manage to turn it off a bit of sleep then 05.50hrs yes the alarm goes’ off yet again. 08.20hrs the car is back in the workshop at my so called Vauxhall dealership. Oh guest what my Zafira is waiting for me. Workshop manager tells me that they will change the Tilt Sensor so leave the car with them. Five days pass with no updates decide to ring to find out what is happening. Informed that alarm has been re-set and the car left on various different area’s of the forecourt and for five days it has not gone off. When asked why the Tilt Sensor had not been changed was told that it didn’t need changing as it has not gone off. Pick the car up on Thursday 11th June 17.30hrs and manage to use the car for a few days and manage to get the mileage up to 500miles I AM STARTING TO ENJOY THE CAR and trying to put all the problems behind me. Thursday 18th June laying in bed trying to get some sleep as I am up at 04.00hrs on an early shift in the morning, just fall asleep when I am woken up a 23.30hrs to the sound of the cars F*$%^@g alarm going off again. Manage to re set it yet again. Friday 19th June drive to work and back, 80miles round trip , been home for ten minutes after a fourteen hour day when yes the alarm activates yet again. Guess where I’m off in the morning!!!!!!!!!! LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ZAFIRA AGAIN.

Vauxhall Antara S Auto 2008

Hi - ready for another interesting instalment on my Antara Nightmare? Well, after my last two reports things have moved on somewhat. After nearly three weeks with out my brand new Antara I was given the good news that Vauxhall had agreed to replace the car for another branded new one - HURRAY! Nearly another two weeks past before I could pick up the replacement one. Last Saturday came, I arrived at my local Vauxhall dealership at the time agreed , signed the paperwork then the salesman disappears for sometime after say he was going to bring the car around. After twenty minute the salesman was seen talking to one of the managers then they disappear into the office of the dealership owner. Another couple of minutes past then I am informed that the vehicle had not been taxed and that the admin lady was off - they could not tax it as the computer had gone down. I’m about explode and I have informed them that if I didn’t collect the car today then I would be leaving with my money, but luckily they managed to contact the lady concerned and the matter of tax was resolved. So off I went with my lovely new Antara happy once again. Didn’t use the car Saturday as a BBQ and beer was the order of the day. Sunday; went out for a drive with the family the car was great, it was everything we expected comfortable and nice to drive. Monday and Tuesday used the car for work and got to play with some of the toys in it, the cruise control, the auto light and wipers. The auto box was proving to be money well spent , but the parking sensors were proving to be c@*p. Got home from work Tuesday afternoon, parked up, leaving the car on the drive. Then all of a sudden the alarm came on. I’ve managed to turn it off and didn’t think much over it. So that evening we drove to the beach and had fish & chips on the sea front then drove home. Wednesday came, the wife had the car she went out in it and loved it. She would never drive the old Passat saying it was too big! But the Antara she love’s. The only moan at this point was that it drinks fuel. Wednesday afternoon about 4pm the alarm sounds on the car. Go to check on it find nothing wrong with it. Alarm reset; twenty minutes pasts the alarm goes off again. This time it would not reset. Bleeps, flashing indicator, lights etc and continue about every 20 minutes for three hours. Not happy now I call out the AA (Vauxhall Assist) the AA man arrives, looks at the car say "What’s this?". Having never seen or worked on an Antara before. He admits that the AA has no information about them, but to take it back to Vauxhall in the morning. So we could get some sleep that night the battery was disconnected. Thursday morning forced to take a day off work, call the after sales manager tell him the problem, told that it just needed an alarm re set and to bring it down straight away. Drive down they check the ECU and tell me that the alarm tilt sensor was the problem then hand me a set of keys for yet another Zafira this time a petrol one great (yes like the diesel its c*@p). I was told to go home and they would ring later. Well later that afternoon the after sales manager rings, leaving a message on the answer phone advising me that it is a problem with the tilt sensor and they will be working on it in the morning and will ring lunch time on Friday with an update. So since place my order for the car on the 14/4/2008, which was picked up the on the 28/04/2008 which lasted one day (45miles) before it broke down. Then picking up the replacement vehicle on the 30/05/2009 which lasted five days (220 miles) before braking down. I am left wondering what I have done. Vauxhall / the dealership so far have had no offers of compensation for what I have been through I am still waiting to see if Vauxhall will cover the months insurance which I paid for a vehicle I didn’t have and the cost of the admin fee that I was forced to pay to change the registration on my insurance policy for the replacement vehicle. I can’t say very much more than if you want to be out of pocket, have permanent stress then the Antara is the car for you!!!!!!!!!!! In August I am meant to be driving down to Disneyland Paris I don’t think I can trust the Antara making the journey, so it’s looking like more expense to change my travel plans. I have sought legal advice and we are now thinking out having a refund and taking legal action, because I have lost all faith with the Vauxhall and the Antara. What should I do? Because of the Vauxhall Partners deal I won’t be able to buy the same type of new vehicle with the same spec for that type of money. Any suggestions?

Vauxhall Antara 2009

C**p on fuel, and I mean C**P!

Vauxhall Antara 2008

Yes it’s me again with my Antara update. Well Saturday has come and yes still no Antara. The Service Manager contacted me in the week to tell me the Cam Shaft sense has been changed, but this has only caused Pandora’s Box to be opened. The car has some many faults on it that I have been advised to reject the car and send it back to Vauxhall. So it is now being dealt with by the gods at GM Motors as to if they will replace the car with another new one. What do I do?

Vauxhall Antara S AUTO 2008

After seeing a used 08 Antara S Auto on the forecourt of our local Vauxhall dealership, I thought what a great looking SUV and at a good price. But at that point I had no intention of changing my VW Passat but still went ahead and booked a test drive. I went on the test drive taking my wife and family. After the drive we all agreed that it was a great family SUV and was impressed with box standard features, so much so I that I ordered a brand new Antara S Auto. I was told that my order would take about two weeks before it would be ready for collection, so in that time I started reading various reviews on net. Most of the reviews I read made the car sound good but concerns were raised about MPG. Last Wednesday came, blue sky, warm, a great day to collect our brand new Antara, with five miles on the clock; only my second ever brand new car. I was like a little boy again with a new toy. I was impressed, the ride was great, it was comfortable and the automatic box was proving to be money well spent. I was that impressed I drove the twenty miles to my mother-in-laws just to show her the car. She was impressed so much so she asked to go for a drive in it. On my return home the kids had come home from school they saw the car and asked to go out in it. So off we went driving two miles to the local petrol station... I filled up, got back in, three attempts to start the thing up, didn’t think much of it at this point. Go off for a drive doing about ten miles before stopping to collect a takeaway pizza. Whilst the wife is collecting the pizza one of my children ask to sit up front and experience the heated front seats after hearing about their mother switching them on during the day causing my bum to become a bit warm. So I went to start the car... nothing - the engine turns but does not fire up. After fifteen minutes I managed to get the car going and drove home. Thinking that it might be the chip in the ignition key causing the immobiliser to stay on I have decided to try the spare key to see if that solved the problem. Wrong! No it didn’t. So what started out to be a great day ended up with me thinking - what I have done? The next morning jump in the car to see what happens with a cold start. Straight away the engine starts and this happened on three occasions but the engine management light was now on. Now very p@#+~d off with the car. I have telephoned the dealership telling them I was not happy and that I was wanting the problem sorted out. The salesman, with his tail between his legs, comes out speaks to me... a mechanic comes out to have a look at the car. Now, with the engine warm again, it won’t start. The CMU is downloaded and a SENSOR on the CAMSHAFT has developed a fault and will need to be changed. So my brand new car that I have owned for less that 24 hours, with only 45 miles on the clock is in the workshop. Having spoke to the Servicing Manager this morning (Saturday) I have been informed that the part is on order and will not be delivered until next Wednesday as it is being shipped from Germany and I properly won’t have the car back until NEXT Saturday. What have I purchased? I can’t review the car anymore as I haven’t got it. This explains why you don’t see many Antara’s on the road. What I can review is the 09 Zafira 1.9 CDTi - the loan car - it is c**p. HOPEFULLY IF I GET THE ANTARA BACK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE CAR IN A BETTER WAY. If not the VW 1.9TDI 130 Saloon is a fantastic family car that does on average 620miles on a tank of diesel (62 LITRES). I WANT IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vauxhall Antara 2.4i E 5dr 2008

I’m pleased with this new car, it’s much better than I expected. This is a company car and as such it offers a very flexible working and family car. It has all mod cons and drives well enough. Would I buy one? Probably not. Although there is nothing dreadfully wrong with it, there’s nothing that exciting about it either and price wise I think there are more exciting cars on offer.

Vauxhall Antara S Model 2008

We test drove the Antara and were very impressed with it. After also test driving the C Crosser and Outlander Captivia we have ordered ours and are looking forward to taking delivery of the car.

Vauxhall Antara S 2007

I have had an Antara for a year now and it has performed perfectly everyone who travels in it is impressed by its ride qualities and interior space, off road it is more that capable as an SUV and despite getting it very muddy it has never got stuck, I would recommend anyone looking for this type of vehicle to consider one.

Vauxhall Antara 2.0 CDTi 5dr

I’ve not had my Antara long so can’t give it top marks...yet. So far it has delivered on every level with a very smooth and comfortable ride and excellent mpg for a car of it’s size. It looks more stylish than a lot of 4x4s out there and is priced very well for the market.