Vauxhall Meriva road test reports and car reviews

Vauxhall Meriva 2006

I bought the Meriva 1.3cdti in Feb 2009. I had a Skoda Fabia before and was used to thick front pillars. This vehicle is a dream to drive, loads of room and very economical as well - 46 mpg combined.

Vauxhall Meriva DESIGN 2007

I bought my Meriva to replace a Zafira 1.6 which had a fault from new that Vauxhall couldn’t fix (the revs always dropped off when pulling away). Well, this Meriva has the same problem and I totally hate this car. It’s power is crap for a 1.6 design, 5th gear is almost useless. The seats are rock hard, seating position crap, the interior condenses up far to easy, especially the rear windows. The blind spot is a total disaster. The stereo jumps from station to station for no reason. Long after it’s stopped raining you got to use the wipers because of the water running from the roof. I’m constantly having to keep the steering wheel in the middle, if I let go the car veers to the left (the garage swears the tracking in ok). I can honestly say this car is nowhere near as good as the Zafira... I will never buy another Meriva. I have totally lost confidence in Vauxhall and am eager to sell this Meriva and again accept my huge loss in money. I’d advise a good long test drive... then say NO THANKS!

Vauxhall Meriva 1.7 cdti 2004

Well made, comfortable, reasonably quiet and does just under 60 miles to the gallon. I’ve had it since new (5 years) and absolutely nothing has gone wrong. The only expense has been servicing (budget about £100 per year). Would I recommend it? Certainly - but take a test drive first to check the rather notorious blind spot to the right hand front.

Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy 1.8 2006

The space use is brilliant, love the cup holders and trays in the rear for my Mum and my son alike. The boot, with its extra under floor storage is really good. The acceleration/pick-up is swift which makes it good for motorway and town driving. The leather interior is easy to keep clean and warm to sit on. It’s a little costly on fuel but you can’t have everything.

Vauxhall Meriva 2004

We got the Meriva one month after our daughter was born. We owned a KA then; we couldn’t get the pushchair in the back and it gave you back ache to put her in the car seat! This car is perfect for a new family or if your adding to your family. In fact, my parents like the Meriva that much they now own one the exact same colour. Overall: brilliant for space, smooth drive and easier for families.

Vauxhall Meriva CDTI 2006

I have used the car for 2 trips, from the UK to Lisbon and back. On the superb roads - Santander onwards, I used up to 95 mph where circumstances permit. 100 mph needs 3650 rpm (approx), hence at 90 mph it is not overstretched. Diesel consumption for those journeys averages 47 mpg, which to me is fantastic. With driver only, but with a fully laden / back seats flat Meriva. The only gripe being the thick pillars either side of the windscreen and they do obstruct peripheral vision. I have also used my Caterham CSR 260 for that journey, but the Meriva is a far better and relaxed proposition for such long journeys.

Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 Life a/c 2007

I’ve been driving this car for about 9 months now and I’m very pleased overall with it. The space is fantastic and my little girl loves being higher up and able to see out from her (Isofix) car seat. It can lack a little punch sometimes from setting off but I hardly feel the need to race off from the lights so suits me fine. The only downside are the side pillars on the windscreen, which took a little getting used to as they do get in the way of visibility sometimes, especially on roundabouts. All in all I think it’s a wonderful family car and very flexible. Something I would definately buy again.

Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 2004

I have had several cars over the years varying from Ford Fiesta to Ford Escort and now drive a Rover 45. Due to a crippling illness I have trouble with my back and needed a car that I could get in and out of easily. Also have a 12 year old that I taxi around with his friends. Test drove many cars, including Renault Scenic, Renault Modus etc... The Meriva is far the best car out there and it is large enough to house 3 rowdy teens and hubby along with a large boot for accessories. I am only 5ft and hubby is 6ft so we needed a car small enough for me yet large enough for him. The Meriva ticks all the boxes. No problems with acceleration when at full capacity and I live on the side of the mountain!

Vauxhall Meriva Life easytronic 2007

Like the car, spacious and comfortable. Quirky gearbox with heavy fuel consumption.

Responses to this review

I am thinking of buying a Mervia 2007 1.6 Life easytronic (AC) with semi. auto box. Are the gear boxes ok and when people say heavy fuel consumption what do they mean by heavy? - Ken Horn from Hertfordshire

Vauxhall Meriva 1.7cdti 2006

My Meriva is my Tardis on wheels! I needed a vehicle which for 99% of the year transports just me and my business goods around the country but for 1% accommodates trips out with family and friends spreading into the back seat. A Vectra served me well but the overall length and boot projection made parking and manoeuvring in strange locations a bind. I cannot believe the Meriva is based on a Corsa chassis. The internal space is huge -legroom front and back is phenomenal and is not provided at the expense of the standard boot space (as with some mpvs). Flexspace drops the rear seats in a flash to a massive loading area, with no lip at the tailgate to negotiate and several handy anchorage points to tie everything down (not family and friends!). The car handles like a mini hatchback and the common rail engine provides excellent poke at the lower end of the gearbox. It will cruise for ever and on long, fully loaded journeys returns 45mpg with ease -which is pretty good for the planet and the purse. The solar reflect glass -available on the top models -is an added luxury in hot weather and an essential security feature when loaded up. I challenge any manufacturer to offer me a better vehicle for my needs (however a private helicopter may do nicely!) PS to Peter Mahoney (post 9.11.2007)..... 23 years ago we had a baby + a toddler + all associated necessities (pushchair/ travel cot/high chair/nappies/food/clothes) all neatly stashed in a two door Fiesta for regular 5 hour journeys. Children of today have it too easy!!

Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 8 valve enjoy 2004

I love the car but the fuel consumption is heavy with only 30 - 35 mpg. Apart from that the car is great.

Vauxhall Meriva 2006

I have had my Meriva six months its good to drive and good on fuel about 45 to 50 mpg. My wife has certain difficulty getting in and out of most cars but not whith the Meriva , we gave a lot of thought to which would be the best car for us and tried a few on test but only meriva ticked all the boxes . Ours is a 1.6 petrol and it runs so smooth it is very nice car in all respects ,if there is one thing I would like that it does not have is arm rests, maybe some one out there knows if i can get them from somewhere.

Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 2007

My wife and I had a baby recently and the Vauxhall Corsa we owned just wasn’t big enough to cope with the army of supplies that you need when transporting a little one around. It was also difficult before to get him into the baby seat in the back. I thought that something in between a car and an MPV would be perfect and the Vauxall Meriva is exactly that. The interior space is magnificent and the FlexSpace system that allows the 3 back seats to be moved independently is a stroke of genius. Luckily, and importantly, it also performs well. The 1.4 engine gives me exactly the amount of acceleration and cruising speed that I need. Running costs / fuel economy are pretty good too. The only negative, and it is a very small one, is that the visibility from the drivers seat is not as good as I would have liked. However, this car is leased and I am so happy with it that I will be leasing exactly the same model again.

Vauxhall Meriva 1.6

OK car, have 3 kids, aged 7, 5 and 1, and find it a bit a squeeze when all in, no real pick up from the off but is quite good on the old mpg. Very reliable, but again, not as big on the inside as looks from the outside.

Vauxhall Meriva

I have a young family and needed a car that is the size in between a normal car and a MPV. The Meriva is just about perfect as it is the same size as a Vauxhall Corsa in width and length but is built higher to afford the room that is traditional with Vauxhall's Zafira. My wife also finds that she has increased visability and a greater sense of safety. She was also concerned about parking a larger vehicle but has found that this is not a problem with the Meriva. This is an excellent choice for a smaller family and the Meriva also looks very pleasing on the eye.