Comments on: Vauxhall Insignia takes aim at Ford Mondeo

By: Dave G

Dave G — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:21:26 +0000

12 months with an Insignia…previous car Audi …insignia equal in all dept’s but looks better…Vauxhall have no problems with this car …just the badge snobs to contend with…but they never buy them anyway…
Im laughing at there “Marketing Controlled Brains” lol

By: Car

Car — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:31:56 +0000

Dave, I’d like to know why you have decided to brand the whole range of Vauxhall cars as being “rubbish?” Can you expand on this comment please?

The Vauxhall Insignia won European Car of The Year, poor cars simply don’t go around winning awars like that.

By: Absolute Titanium Design Company

Absolute Titanium Design Company — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:15:50 +0000

It looks good for me. But not from the whole. I think ford is better

By: Jez

Jez — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:29:33 +0000

I’m due to hand back my 55 Vectra 120 SRI CC in January and am thinking Mondeo or Insignia … ?

Keen to confirm how the new insignia SRI looks in the flesh I tried to hunt down a demo or just a viewing.. no luck here with my fleet team, it seems there is a large waiting list to test drive.

There must be 100′s of company car employees about to choose a new car, at least Vauxhall could do is plop one in show room attached to the plant in Luton, I just want to just to see one !!

By: Darren

Darren — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:01:35 +0000

The Insignia is by all accounts a great car. A good choice of efficient and powerful engines, comfortable, refined, economical and well balanced. It’s Achilles heal may well be the very people who bring it to market. As nice as the Insignia will be, it is only a mass produced fleet car. But Vauxhall will treat it in in the same way as Ford treated the Mondeo in 2007, as if it was the latest effort from Bugatti or Ferrari, a specialist car for special people. Nice idea but unfortunately a dream, it’s a car for Ken Smith, and his boot full of samples. Ford let the Mondeo slip into a situation where production was stiffled, a 6 month wait was the norm for a family hatch with a 2 ltr diesel under the bonnet. You could get an F430 quicker and people have voted with there feet. There are now hundreds of Mondeos parked in compounds going nowhere because the bubble burst and the honeymoon period came and went while Ford stiffled. Don’t go the same way Vauxhall, it’s just the next family hatch, let it go.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:00:45 +0000

Looks good from some angles but has an absolute, unequivocal fault. It’s a Vauxhall and I am afraid to say that they are rubbish. Poor quality (interior and exterior). Ford over them every time. Until they redress the inherent design flaws (recent diesel engine problems) I wouldn’t touch one with yours…………

By: Brianirl

Brianirl — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:27:47 +0000

Never understood the appeal of the Mondeo. Rear lights are particularly unattractive. Current Vectra is admittedly a bit dull and interior is a bit plain. The Insignia really is right on the button. Can’t see any faults. Saw it at London launch and will definitely be ordering one for January. Well done Opel / Vauxhall

By: shiv

shiv — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:36:46 +0000

if you ask me i prefer the insignia. the car looks much much better than the mondeo. It is said to be more reliable. Its interior surpasses even some of the mercedes and definitely the mondeo. It is also cheaper starting from 18k-25k. I even prefer it to a bmw. On the whole i am more likely to buy this car rather than a 60k bmw or the mondeo.

By: Rob Evans

Rob Evans — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:20:28 +0000

I have owned a Vectra 1.9CDTI 150 Elite for a year and a bit and love it. That said, I’ve never driven a Mondeo and if I owned one of those, I’d probably love that too.

The fact is that without a test-drive, I’m staying open to all possibilities, however from a purely looks basis, I think the new Insignia has a little more curvy-sexy to it than the new Mondeo… even though I like the new Mondeo quite a bit for its looks.

I am definitely upgrading to something new when my warranty expires (incidentally, around the time the Insignia is released)… Really though, it will come down to a number of things for me:

1: Gadgets – I LOVE gadgets and the Vectra is full of them. If a new car can top my current gadget arsenal, I’ll be very happy. My current car has auto-dimming rear and driver-side mirrors, lights that bend round corners, a great infotainment system and even a button that turns the glove-box into a cool-box to keep that champagne cold for the picnic on Box Hill… loving the gadgets – did I say that already?!?

2: Engine size, power & efficiency. I want 300BHP and 50MPG and 0-60 in 6.5 and Tax band D or lower… is that really all that much to ask for? (However, realistically, I’ll setting for the same spec but at around 200 BHP – totally achievable).

3: Probably least important is the cost, but still a factor, I wont spend more than £35,000 on any car… and I wont buy a BMW even if you GAVE me £35,000 – don’t ask why… it’s too long a story.

Suffice it to say that if Vauxhall can provide a clean, safe, dynamic drive with an assortment of funky new gadgets and enough zoom zoom, I’m in.

By: Ali Duff

Ali Duff — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:03:15 +0000

If the Insignia looks as good in real life it will be a MUCH better looking car than the mundaneO. Have been looking at vectra vs mundanO recently and would by the Vectra as it is better quality car but just cannot get excited enough about the looks. Seeing this I may just hang on a while. Oh, and the 4wd version should be fun !!

By: car crazy

car crazy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:40:19 +0000

Has anyone actually driven a mondeo I do 80,000 miles a year and change my car every six months give or take I have had 2 mondeos never again the vectra is better built and more economical the mondeos seats are less confortable and the controls are poor ok it handles a bit better but 12 vectras in 7 years says something. all you change is the suspention every 60,000 and the oil every 7,000 and she will clock up the miles I have put 160,000+ on 3. ford Fix Or Repair Daily

By: Chris Cunningham

Chris Cunningham — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:37:56 +0000

I’ve been running a Honda Accord 2.4 Auto Exec for the last three years. I’ve covered just under 37,000 miles and in all that time I haven’t had to replace a even light bulb. No faults whatsoever,nada, zip, nothing. The car is rock solid with no rattles or excessive wear and tear. My accord is excellent to drive, responsive and handles beautifully.

I bought a Honda after suffering three years of appalling BMW service and a 3 series that basically just fell to pieces. The replacement 3 series with the same level of euipment as the Accord was £36,000, the Accord was £22,000. Easy decision. The alternatives such as the Audi was cramped and the Saab option was just an old car with a new jacket.

This weekend I test drove a new honda Accord and bought it on the spot (after some impressive haggling). It wipes the floor with the competition in almost every respect. My advice – take one for a test drive. I’ll never buy another European car every again. The japs just know how to screw together a high quality vehicle.

Oh and I’ve also had Fords and vectras in the past and they just fell to pieces as well.

By: Eddie White

Eddie White — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:53:28 +0000

I cannot agree that the Vauhhall looks better than anything in the class. Judging by the press it has received the handling has not changed much either since the Vectra.
Mind you, I have had a Mondeo Titanium 2.0 diesel on order since November 07 with no delivery date in sight. Might this be the undoing of the Mondeo?
Merc and BMW give you nothing for your money so I am off to look at the new Honda.

By: Wobbletastic

Wobbletastic — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:20:34 +0000

I don’t like the look of the Mondeo (especially the front and back), but at least it doesn’t look as stupid as the rest of the current Ford range. What Ford need is to bring back the Capri complete with RWD and inject a bit of fun into things! There looks to be something wrong with the Insignia too… it could be that the bonnet slopes too much, whatever it is I cant help thinking it looks a bit odd.

By: simon

simon — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:29:06 +0000

The Mondeo is a bloated tank with a poor engine range. The interior looks like a typical Japo/Yank barge (cheap and muddled). GM has good engine range which will only get better. Sharper design and looks and smaller overall size put this leagues ahead of the Mondeo and the Mondeo is sooooo ugly! Insignia for me please when a much liked Vec Sri goes back.

By: Soulja

Soulja — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:00:40 +0000

I was waiting for Vauxhall to improve on the looks of the 07 Vectra and have to say they have done a brilliant job, although not quite a 3 Series (that’s a car you can’t keep up with), but getting there. However it has beaten the C-Class on it’s looks – Sorry Germans, but gotta speak the truth.

As for the interior, I’ve not checked it out yet, but God I hope it’s a bit less cramped than the previous Vectra!

As for head on head with the Mondeo, that is a diffcult one indeed, Ford got there first but then vauxhall managed to catch up, maybe I should just cast lots.

But nice try both Vauxhall and Ford, cos at the end of the day, I know what I like and thats a BMW 3-Series!!!

Keep on trying!!!

By: bob smith

bob smith — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:33:18 +0000

I m sorry but why is vauxhall and ford being mentioned in the same sentence as bmw or mercedes? you would seriously need your head looking at if you brought one of those over a bmw or merc!

By: br

br — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:16:42 +0000

I’ve been running the latest Vectra for the last 2 years and 60k miles – for me it does exactly what I need (that is need, rather than want) from a car:
Cheap to run (£160 pa servicing)
Over 30mpg (petrol auto and a lead-foot)
Seats five and all their luggage, or will carry four bikes, a roof box, four bikers and enough stuff for four bikers
Cheap on tax (company car)
Quiet, good stereo
Good enough handling, and very good at high-speed cruising, even in winds
And more importantly, has never let me down

And I’m due a new car, so will either take another Vectra as a company car, or a nearly new one as a private car.

By: acky

acky — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:46:08 +0000

the vauxhall has been playing catch up with ford for years now and it looks like they will be doing it for a long time to come ? yes the new insignia looks good but looks aren’t everything . keep trying vauxhall .

By: Ecosseman

Ecosseman — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:37:06 +0000

Being a Vectra owner I have been waiting to see what the replacement will offer and have to say first impressions are excellent. The Insignia certainly has the looks – better than the new Mondeo – but will it’s interior live up to Vauxhall’s hype? The Vectra has acres of plastic and one of the most uninspiring dashboards in it’s class of vehicle. Also, let’s hope they have got the chassis right this time – the Vectra, while an excellent motorway cruiser, just doesn’t feel ‘safe’ on roads with twists and bends. Vauxhall have got the styling right so if they get the interior and drive to the correct standards then perhaps Ford should watch their backs!!!! I shall look forward to the test drive.