Vauxhall Insignia (2008-2017) Review

Many family car buyers think they need an SUV, but they’d be better off saving a fortune and buying a second-hand Vauxhall Insignia instead. Its boot space remains particularly competitive, and is larger and more practical than many modern SUVs, even if their rear seats might offer more comfort.

Why have an Audi or BMW when this Germanic machine does what they do for far less? That the pretty shape still has a certain amount of elegance – it’s really ageing well – only bolsters our enthusiasm for the well-priced Vauxhall.  

We'd recommend one of the newer 2022 cars; these had new engines. The 1.4T is a good all-rounder for those who prefer petrol. If it's an older car you want, the 1.6 diesel is worth a look.  

The Vauxhall Insignia’s direct rival was the Ford Mondeo, but they were discontinued in 2022. The Volkswagen Passat has served for decades too, while other challengers included the Peugeot 508 and Citroen C5, the latter being superseded by the C5 X. 

The Vauxhall Grandland could be considered the most modern equivalent, while newer rivals still include the Passat and 508. The latest BMW 5 Series is a premium alternative, and there's also the Skoda Octavia with its gigantic boot. 

This was not a premium car so it didn't offer the BMW or Audi quality – or, saying that, even a Volkswagen Passat. That’s not to say this was poor, though. The plastics inside didn't have a luxury finish, but they were still robust and solidly constructed, and not too shiny or scratchy to the touch. As mentioned, the top half of the dash was surprisingly plush at first glance, and it was only when you ran your hands lower down that you noticed more unyielding materials.

Facelifted cars were a bit more elegantly finished than earlier models. Vauxhall used more rich-looking trim and cleared out (some of) the buttons from the dashboard. The infotainment screen was sharper and a new set of instruments looked more contemporary.

Insignias had good quality seat upholstery, with the multi-material choices in some versions being particularly appealing, especially as the seats themselves were so good to sit in.

There were a couple of generations of infotainment during this Insignia’s lifetime. Early cars used a colour screen, but it didn’t offer a great deal of functionality and didn’t easily pair with smartphones. After all, when it was new, smartphones had barely been invented.

The 2013 system was a big step. It was based around an eight-inch touchscreen with a crisper display and much simpler, more intuitive graphics. This system was easier to use and more comprehensive.

Insignias with the Navi 900 IntelliLink system featured Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. This super-useful smartphone connectivity tool was, however, optional on the more basic R700 Touch system.

Top-spec facelifted Insignias had a part-electronic instrument panel that packed more functionality to a colour screen ahead of the driver. It was another premium-style feature that we liked, and think is worth searching out in a used car.

Front-seat space was superb. The Insignia had a staggering range of adjustments for its driver’s seat. It slid so far back on the runners that even those who thought they were tall would barely be able to touch the pedals. The steering wheel adjusted for height and reach, and there was a good amount of seat height adjustment, too. It meant everyone could find a perfect driving position – another example of how the Insignia prioritised the driver.

The only slight black mark was that it wasn't easy to judge where its extremities were. This was a very large car and the interior seemed designed so you couldn't quite get a sense of where its corners were. 

The rear seat was, like the chairs up front, very comfortable. It was firm and supportive, with lots of under-thigh padding for business people stuck in the back from Slough to Glasgow. Legroom was decent, too. Headroom was the issue – even sub-six-footers would've found their head pressed against the roof when they leaned back, which was a disappointment for a car this large (the Insignia measured more than 4.8 metres long and over 1.8 metres wide).

Oddly, boot space was average, despite measuring 500 litres with the seats up. It was a very long space, but there was far too much intrusion from the wheel arches, plus a big, awkwardly-shaped step in the floor as it met the rear seat-backs. The opening was vast, though, creating an almost walk-in space, and there was (just about) enough width at the rear of the boot to accommodate a set of golf clubs mounted sideways.

The seats split 60:40, and folding them opened up 1,470 litres of space. This was a large amount, although that slightly awkward shape meant you may not have made full use. The 2017-on Insignia was much better in this regard.

Isofix mounts for child car seats were fitted to the outer rear seats as standard, and the wide cabin made them easy to use.

The engine lineup was tremendous, which we’ll attempt to simplify by concentrating on the mainstays. The range opened with a 1.8-litre non-turbo, which is still best avoided. It was gutless to boot. The 1.4-litre turbo was and still is a better choice. It was a smaller more powerful, and more fuel-efficient unit. 

Petrol Insignias are fairly rare though. Most were sold with a diesel engine, of which the 2.0-litre CDTi was the most popular This was sold in a multitude of power outputs from 120PS right up to a 195PS Bi-Turbo (and a rare all-wheel-drive version for better winter traction), but the 130PS and 163PS motors were commonplace.

This wasn't a particularly smooth-running engine, with a gravelly nature, but it settled down brilliantly on motorways to an extremely refined and (that word again) effortless cruise. It responded strongly to the accelerator and was, overall, a strong albeit workmanlike engine.

If you travel more at mixed speeds, the rattles of the 2.0-litre engine, especially an older one, might grate. The 1.6 CDTi is a better bet. This engine produced 136PS and wasn't the fastest against the clock, but it was less droney and smoother.

The auto ’box wasn't great, but it did the job. Rather like the six-speed manual, in fact, which was far from memorable but wasn't excessively awkward or obstructive to use.

On the motorway, in facelift guise, the Insignia was excellent. Noise levels were very low, and the wind whistle was kept at bay. All engines faded into the background and the Insignia did a very convincing impression of a Mercedes-Benz.

It was a pity the engines weren't a bit quieter, particularly the 2.0-litre diesel, which spoiled the car’s in-town refinement. The larger diesel felt old fashioned, the 1.6 offered less vibration and low-resonance rumble – although even this was far from the ‘whisper-quiet’ motor promised by Vauxhall’s advertising.

The Insignia in post-facelift guise was sold with some particularly large alloy wheel options and it’s worth noting these generated a bit of tyre roar at speed, particularly if the car was running cheaper rubber.

It was way back in 2009 that Euro NCAP crash-tested this generation of Insignia. The results shouldn’t be compared to more modern cars, as the tests have undergone a decade of (more stringent) evolution since then, but it’s still fairly reassuring that the car scored 94% for adult occupant protection and 79% for child occupant protection. Safety assist was pretty good at 71%, although pedestrian protection was a woeful 40% even then. We dread to think what the score would be if it were tested to today’s standard.

Front and side airbags were fitted to all Insignias, along with side head airbags which stretched from front to rear, although the seatbelt reminders only covered those in the front. 

Isofix was only for the rear seats too, and there was no passenger airbag cut-off switch, nor any knee airbags. At least electronic stability control was fitted to every Insignia of this era.

As standard, the car came with a tyre repair kit, but new car buyers could choose the option of a proper spare wheel – a full-size one at that.

Over time, the Insignia was reported to have various issues. These included oil leaks, a failing wiring loom and interior switches, dodgy stereos, noisy rear brakes, faulty gearshift cables, a noisy transmission and dual-mass flywheel issues, the latter being a costly repair. 

Most of these issues should be resolved, but it's worth checking when buying used.  

The range is massive, so it's best to look at the insurance group relating to your used buy. For now, we'll look at the cheapest and most expensive. 

The cheapest car is group 14, but this is the dreaded 1.8 VVT we spoke of earlier. The newer 1.4T cars start one group up. 2.0 CDTi cars start at group 16 and span to 26. The VXR-engined 2.8T Elite tops the charts at group 38.

Again, like insurance, the road tax varies depending on the model. The cheapest is the 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX range, emitting just 112-116g/km of C02. Put simply, this will cost £35 per year for cars registered before 31 March 2017. It's worth checking as some iterations of this engine emitted slightly higher C02, putting it into an entirely different band. 

All of the 2.0T 16V 4x4 cars emitted 229 g/km of c02. Buy this and you'll be £2,340 lighter on the first tax year, defaulting to the standard rate of £190 afterwards. Buy a 2.0T registered before 31 March 2017 and this will drop to £735. The issue is that you'll pay that every tax year.  

The Insignia model range was broad, with Exclusiv and ES at the lower end, moving through SRi to Elite at the top. In addition, there was the sporty SRi VX-Line and the all-singing Elite Nav. 

Post-facelift models included a Tech Line, which had everything any self-respecting company car driver could've wished for, plus a smart-looking Design version that ended up being one of the better sellers. Vauxhall then started filling in the gaps with versions such as Energy, which had a bit more kit than SE, but not as much style as Design. 

We told you it was confusing. Did we mention there was also a Limited Edition that was anything but limited? Thought not.