Hire Car Hit or Miss - Vauxhall Insignia SRi 

Nice to see the Insignia get a positive review. Having owned two I think they're cracking cars and much underrated.

This is the most underrated car.

I currently have the 140bhp 2.0cdti, and am thinking of upgrading to the 170bhp Vx line, which I think you were driving. I too have encountered the stalling issue, but believe it is more to do with the stop/start (eco) technology. Set off slowly with low revs , as us old fuddies can, the eco cuts in and stops the engine. Dip the clutch and it re-starts. I always turn the eco off now, have never stalled since, and still manage 55 to the gallon! Update: I have now swapped the 14 plate 140bhp Design Insignia for a 16 plate 170bhp VX Line Sri, in red. Completely different car, and much better to drive. Due to the larger wheels and lower gearing, economy has dropped to 50 mpg. Still pretty good though. Strangely the start/stop system seems to work differently on this model, and I find the higher revs when it restarts help to combat the stalling issue. Weird!

Nice to see standard car reviews once in a while. Well produced video 👍🏼

The sat nav def takes a postcode, just type it into the same field as city/town. I have one, it's a nice car

great demo...enjoyed learning about this certain car as ive had my eye on them for a month...still abit more research to do before I decide but a great looking car

Had the 2019 insignia estate sri auto (so no stalls) in Australia as a rental and was surprised at how it felt so premium. The touch screen has improved since this model and also drove great

Had no problems with the one I had lovely car nice speck and had no problem with the sat nav does this guy know how to use it !!!!!

Understand it’s long geared, torque limiters come into play in gears 1 & 2 . Remapped stage 1 (200bhp) and it shifts. Ecoflex 162hp standard is £35 a year road tax. I get 45mpg knocking around on 200bhp, 655 miles to a tank.

Well put together - Agree with the positive comments. I had one with work recently, really liked it so I bought one! Also agree with the ‘stallability’ at lower speeds. That’s my only negative point to an otherwise fantastic vehicle.

Upgrading from a very responsive Vectra 150hp ''Design'' which I so love as the power is there when it's needed -To a Sri 163hp limited edition. Found the video very helpful.Thank you.

Loved the opening 😂

Hiya Nice to see a standard car being reviewed. Would be nice if you can do a budget car once a while.

Great video, our other car is a VW Passat Turbo Diesel and we have the same problems as the Insignia you cannot pull away at junctions or roundabouts in any gear but first it seems it's a diesel thing or they are all very high geared or something, funnily enough i was at the Motor Show in 2008(i think it was 2008) at Earls Court when they launched this car i always thought if i had to buy a Vauxhall it would be an Insignia they are very good cars with nice interiors and are very comfortable indeed.Look forward to your next review.

Nice to see a good honest review about the Insignia SRI, just to address a few points you raised, you can put post codes into the Sat Nav, details are on page 65 in the manual, also there is no spare wheel because it's actually an optional extra when you buy the car and the car rental company must not have opted for it, I can't agree about the stalling issues you had I think that maybe more down to your driving technique/style, I find it no easier or harder to stall than any other car.

Mine hates hot weather, no grunt at all from the line until you get some boost.. when it is cold, it is fine. I really do love mine.

Excellent review 👏

Great honest review, and I appreciate this is a few years old now this video - But, despite the 1.8 petrol being glacially slow this is the only downside, it gets the job done, and is a considerably more reliable prospect than the diesel. Terribly underrated these Insignias, and are very much a German car, despite what many people think or choose to think.

I have this car and I love it. I totally get the stalling thing. wheel spin it or stall, especially in the wet.or just dont risk pulling out in a tight gap

I have the car insignia Sri VX-Line line 2014 163hp. About a month and I love the car it is nice car for the price . Good review.

For satnav. Where it says town or the very top bar. Put postcode there. Takes you exactly where you want

When I first got mine it only stalled when the eco mode (start/stop) was on and it didn’t get enough revs, seems to need a lil extra revs taking off when in eco mode, never had an issue with stalling since I realized this I now also never use the eco mode

I have an auto 2.0 cdti limited edition and have to say i am really impressed with it

I've owned three of them they're great 👍

I've just bought a 16 plate cdti 170 Sri lost count how many times I've stalled it must be doing something right now as i havent done it for a while. I love it now great car happy days..

Good reviews 👍

Owned a 2015 Sri cdti 170bhp for 2 years, Brill car, sat nav is great, I stalled it a few times for the 1st month or 2 though!!

I have brought one recently, agree with everything you have said, apart from the stalling, had it for 4 days, not stalled at all, but the satnav, I could hit with a hammer, it's shocking and the worse one I have ever used.

Hi.great review and good Car

Ive got the 2ltr 2014 ego and its been brilliant for the 4 years ive owned it..130 to fill the tank and get around 800 motorway miles never had any problems with it

Hi petrol ped. Really enjoyed your review. I own a slightly older version of this car myself. I know you're used to much faster cars but which car would felt faster ? The insignia or the Passat estate you tested ? Also how did you find the ride of the Insignia? Many commentators have said sri models are very bumpy in town and larger wheels make it worse. Also just as a comment it would be nice for us petrol heads to know the engine output stats of the models you've tested :) cheers.

those alloys look amazing

Thanks...

I got one for a taxi, and it shifts and even though it's a diesel it is sooooo quite and smooth. Well happy .

Nice balanced Insignia review.

Unfortunately its not just the Insignia that suffers from this problem of stalling when setting off it affects all modern day diesel's as they run a higher pressure fueling and that's why they stall

Great cars, the reliability stats are rubbish due to the fact that Vauxhall’s are used heavily by company reps, who thrash them , where as a Lexus IS used by private buyers who tend to treat them well

great video was it a 1.6 diesel or 2 litre ? ive a 2016 sri 1.6 ecoflex agree with u on pulling away spool the turbo a little first ! had a passat before and seriously think my insignia is a big step up !

I think the stalling may have been a one off. I have had no such problems. I did however have frequent stalls in the 2.2 Mondeo which I had before the Insignia. My main problem with this Insignia is its scary tendency to slide at high speed. It hust not feel as secure as the Mondeo. Otherwise, it's a fine car.

Ive had my diesel vx line insignia about 5 weeks and not stalled it once!

Really don’t know how you stalled it so many times in the time I’ve had mine maybe twice I’ve stalled,and as for hard to start mine auto started the times I did stall.

I own one and I can't fault it, lovely car ,,,,

Nice review enjoyed watching but 8/10 for driving performance??

Ice got a big black insignia and I call it the executive . It's doesn't like me as all I do is she ok run and a trip to town occasionally traveling tiny country lanes.. It's a great car but I need a little van because I also put my mower and strimmer in it a lot 😀

happy owner of a 2016 insignia 2.0cdti diesel. though mines isnt the SRI, its the SE model with half leather interior in a lovely pearlalecent blue colour (possibly best feature of the car) such a comfortable car to drive but from getting it after a 2016 SRI corsa, the insignia just doesnt have the fun factor i had with the corsa when it came to the corners. plenty more power than the corsa obviously which is a plus but if it helps you out, my car too is very easy to stall. i believe it is down the no bottom end torque, requires a fair amount of revs to get it going. though for 167 bhp, it can definitely put rival cars of similar size from other manufacturers in there place, . not bad for a big family hatchback.

I own one of those and I've never stalled it

i have a 2.0 diesel elite 160bhp chiped and dynod to 205bhp very good cars

I have the same car, no stalling problems.

hello. great review, what fuel consumption did you achieve on average

I agree, my insignia is brilliant, and yes mine bloody stalls too easily to

I just bought a 2009 1.8 petrol. love it......not as economic as the diesel, but hey ho, its good for me. Does what it says on the tin.

I have the same model, ive never stalled it, drives like a dream. Perhaps that car had an issue

Hired a near identical car about 3 weeks ago. And was equally impressed. It had the stop start technology, which I don't care for, but I've never liked stop/start on any car I've driven. The fuel consumption was staggeringly good, even with the stop/start eco switched off. I didn't get the stalling issue, so maybe an isolated problem? In fact I've just put a deposit on an Insignia SRI tourer !!

Get an Auto, no stalling. Suits the nature (big comfortable cruiser) of the car better. I've got the Elite Nav 2.0 CDTi which is an Auto and has more equipment. Full leather, heated and electric drivers seat. Heated steering wheel. Touch pad. Digital dash. Dual auto climate control. Your right about the mirrors.

Insignias are easy to Stall, at least mine is as bad. I'm used to it now but when I had a hire car for a week I immediately stalled it when I went back to mine

I like this car

0-60mph in approx 9 seconds is about average for this size of engine and car.....

I know you've driven lots of exotic cars in your time but this is a very good review of a cheapish, good value family saloon. I've a pre facelift Insignia SRI CDTI auto remapped to 207 bhp as my workhorse car. Steering's dead/lifeless but road holding is pretty good and even with 18 inch alloys, it rides fairly well. It's raison d'etre however is it's ability to effortlessly cruise at speed. 2,100 rpm at 80 mph so 38 mph per 1,000 rpm. Makes for a very relaxed motorway cruiser. The standard version of my car does 8.9 seconds to 60 mph and top speed of 135 mph so it's no slouch and as it's a diesel with strong mid range (258 lb ft), it feels faster than the figures suggest. With the remap, it's pretty quick. 0-60 mph is easily under 8 seconds and I suspect the top speed will be 145 mph now that it has the power to exploit the gearing more. Coupled with the refinement of the Insignia, it's very easy to speed without even trying. I've driven much faster cars but the 310 lb ft torque in my remapped Insignia makes for quick, effortless progress. I was on the motorway the other day accelerating off a slip road and looked down at the speedo. I won't tell you what speed I was doing. 😉

had a cdti elite insignia for 18 months and although it was a decent enough car the reliability was woeful, best kept as a rental!

Do the Vauxhall insignias have the same engines as the Opels?

You should test biturbo one with flexride it's much much faster and better

Just bought a 2015 sri insignia 1.8 hatchback......First thing i did was get on Ebay for a space saver wheel......Brand new £90 .....worth every penny....

My man can't handle the biting point

Quick note, you shouldn't drive with seatbelt plugged in where there are no passengers, It will deploy those airbags should you hit anything

I have the vx line 167 and I always stall it lol

I own a sri 20 cdti it will pull of in 1st with no throttle

any idea what gear box a 2012 2,0 cdti sri 160 hp has cheers

I hope dad rents the car. XD

Had an insignia 2012 A20DTH engine, it fookin seized on me. Apparently it's a common fault on these engines due to a faulty pickup oil pump seal. Cock-up at d factory. Just check insignia's on ebay, loads of them with Seized Engine.

I have this car I absolutely love it, I've had 600 miles out of a tank and it's only £30 road tax for year. Worse thing about it is like you said I stall it all the time it's quite embarrassing sometimes. 😂

We had one of these in 2011 can't believe a hire car company would want 20" alloys or that they're still buying them???

Sat nav is fine! Learn how to use it ;)

Hi, I am picking up exactly the same model and colour in a couple days meanwhile, could you let me know the fuel economy please?

my dads got that car but eco flex

Silly wiper on the rear

I like vauxhall. Normal

The hatchback with the rear wiper is horrific.!! I prefer the classic sedan like the Buick Regal

i have a 2016 sri mine has a spare wheel i think hire cars don't have spare wheels you have to ring a tyre company if you get a flat that's what i was told and your wright in saying the 1.8 petrol is pants i think it needs a turbo as it is very flat on performance .

I know what you mean with the stalling business its a trate i think of them mate

Hit

Nothing wrong with this iv had 1 for 3 years

0-60 in 9 seconds! That's slower than the early 1990 2.0 Cavalier SR1. Must be hard to rate these cars after owning more luxurious and faster motors.

at 4.07 you made me larf when you lied by saying there`s "loads of legroom in the back" i think not looking at THIS video!

If you aren't used to driving diesels then you would have problems with stalling. Diesels much better suit an auto.

Are you mad? 8/10 for equipment LOL. I would say 6 and that is being polite. As for the looks of the car ok yeah not that bad. But still it looks a feels CHEAP.

Yeah same wheels 19"...diesel engine.

great car let down by its engine, shame, great vid though

the only issues with this car im afraid is the person behind the wheel

learn to work a clutch

You'd have got a better nought to sixty if you hadn't have wheel spun, schoolboy error.

The 1.8 is just terrible. It's rough, slow and it's not even economical.

sat nav takes postcode and it stalls cos you cant drive!

It weighs too much, the vxr weighs 1820 kgs, that’s the same as the much bigger and beautiful vxr8. Saying that iv got a vectra 1.8 sri and I will probably get a 160 sri vxline next.👍

20" alloys on a Vauxhall ? What a joke !

Looks bland and uninteresting inside and out. Good review though