Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Elegance 16V

Firstly I drive a 2.2 automatic and it's an elegance model.

Well I have three children all under four and iv found I need to put two children right in the back and my youngest on his own in the middle row.

Still find it increasingly odd that it has a lap belt.

I can do approx 120 miles on £20 which is brilliant considering it's petrol.

The engine is very nippy too considering it's family wagon.

The interior itself will not last long at all, it's cheap and nasty and just made appallingly.

Overall though I wouldn't change it for anything :)

its not 7 seater..it is for 4 adults and 3 children that means children means just children not good for 5 adult and 1 child.

Good points: Flexible seating in the Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Elegance 16V is fab but back seats are only for young children or contorsionists! Cheap to tax and insure for a 7 seater. Absolute doddle to park. Be warned though for one of the nations favourite mpv's few toddler car seats fit properly in it and group 1 car seats shouldn't be used in the rear seats which limits flexibility of seating.

Bad points:

To be truthful I wish we'd never brought it! It has been to the garage it feels like every other month since we got it! We have got through so many tyres i've lost count. Our dashboard looks like blackpool illuminations we have so many warning lights flashing! When we took it to the dealer they explained that normally 1 fault comes up maybe 2 or 3 - ours had over 50 and said it was impossible to pin point what was the actual fault and we would just have to drive it round until it came to a complete stop! Touch wood it's still going (this was 2 years ago the lights started flashing) but I would hesitate to take it on a long journey! It also refuses to start if there is less than half a tank of petrol and is not parked on a completely flat surface! My poor dad has been called out 6 times to take me to a petrol station to put in £5 so it will start. Seats are really uncomfortable on long journeys. Air con broke after first use and it drinks petrol, oil and water. MPG rate is appallingly bad in my opinion. £60+ to fill up and that averages us 300 miles. The mirrors shake on it, central locking doesn't work (yes we have had the keys checked) and so every time we open the doors the alarm goes off. It just has a mind of its own. Interiors are really plastic and flimsy which would expect in a club but not for elegance model. Would never buy another one and can't wait for 6 mths time when I've paid off the car loan and can get another car!

Very convenient to have very large boot most of the time but able to get out 6th and 7th seats at a moment's notice. Nice high driving position once you get used to it. Load carrying is impressive. Despite the bad points above, I have been very pleased with my Zafira which I have had from new 5 years ago. I have 3 children of my own and it was a born for car-sharing on the school run, plus 2 of my kids learnt brass instruments. Also great for car boot sales! However, I now have only 1 child on the school run so the cost side is more important and I will be changing it for a less CO2, more fuel efficient car.

We have owned our 1999 1.8 Elegance for 8 yrs & it has served us well! kids are grown up now & have cars of their own. But used to get all their bikes etc stored in rear with out to many problems. We pull a small caravan and carry all my fishing gear now. Will probably keep it till it dies. One tip is KEEP it regularly serviced & change the cam belt when required & it should last a long time!

Enjoy driving it, easy and good for a family. Back windows not electrical, had to replace the alarm remote a couple of times.

Had an 01 Elegance 2.2 until recently. Unfortunately we were hit from behind while stationary and the car was written off. I am impressed with the strength of the car because we drove it home afterwards. We had the car for 3 years and the only problem we had was with the cam chain snapping. This apparently is a known fault with these engines. We are going to buy another one but are going to steer clear of the 2.2 and probably go for the 1.8 instead.

I bought a Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Elegance 16V (its a 51 plate) 6 months ago. It's dec 2007 now, not needed anything except petrol doing roughly 30/35 to a gallon not needed oil water or anything else put a little screen wash in ready for some oil now done about 4000miles the seven seats are excellent. I have 4 children, my oldest (14) sometimes comes with us but mainly I only have the other 3 with us it takes us 5 with room in boot for a rather large Asda trip easily. We go to the coast in the summer and it cruises fully loaded at 70, it's a great family car will update this review on a regular basis interior is a little bland and hard to keep clean but OK up to now.

This Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Elegance 16V is a really good car and I loved it - unfortunately I had to give it up as I couldn't afford to run it any longer as it was rather heavy on petrol but it was a very nice car. I would recommend this to people who have a big family and like room in a car - they are very comfortable and also a lovely drive.

We owned this 1.8 Zafira Elegance petrol model from new in 2000 for 14 months. It was a company car and covered 40,000 miles. It was used for commuting into work from a Scottish country town into Edinburgh city centre and business trips along motorways and 60mph 'A' class roads.

The driving experience is mixed. In town it's fine for an MPV. Gearing is set up for nippy performance from a standing start and it's easy to drive. The driving position is satisfactory and you sit up highish with a decent view over other vehicles - but not as commanding as a full-size MPV or SUV. It's OK on country roads but on a motorway it's a dog. That town-biased gearing means that 70mph in top 5th gear is noisy and high-pitched. You keep wanting to change up but realise that you're already in top gear. It's no fun if you cover a lot of motorway miles and explains why Zafira 1.8's are rarely racing down the outside lane!

The cabin is a sombre place with too much black plastic and, on my model, fabric. Everything is solid and easy to use but uninspiring. The on-board computer is comprehensive but don't depend on the reading for amount of range left in the petrol tank - mine ran out early! Space is good for front and middle occupants. The rear seats are fit for kids only but adults can bear it for short journeys. The seating is versatile. The rear two seats fold flat into the floor, the middle bench slides back/forward and folds flatish and the front passenger seat folds flat - great for carrying loads and very practical. But that middle bench does not split fold and I'd prefer removable seats. Equipment on the Elegance model is fine but the single CD player delivers a harsh, digital sound. If you like your music quality sound then you'll be disappointed. Aircon is included and is a must for any MPV. Full electric windows and remote locking also feature.

Build quality was poor on my car. The CD player jammed within two weeks. The safe-mode engine management light also made an appearance within two weeks and the tailgate rattled badly. Generally, the whole build is innovative but weak. The dealer was also hopeless with the car returning three times in the first few months of its life with little interest shown for customer care.

Image is bland for this car. I know it's a mid-sized MPV but it has 'dumpy' styling rather than anything special. It says family car through and through. There is no angle that is pleasing to the eye or unique externally. It's functional and fine for those who just want their car as a simple mode of transport. There's no passion in this car.

The fuel tank delivers a short range and economy is not great because of that short-gearing. Otherwise it won't break the bank as its a Vauxhall and it held together.

Should you buy it? Only if you want a means of transporting the kids on a reasonable budget and don't care much for the driving experience or passion of owning a car. Watch out for that awful short-gearing when on motorways which will really grind the driver down over distance. It's practical but otherwise forgetable. Early models have little stiff competition in this sector as it's better than a Megane Scenic or Toyota Picnic etc. But later models make sense only if you need those extra two rear seats as the newer crop of five / six & seven seater MPV's are better such as VW's Touran (boring but better build), Honda's six-seater FRV and Ford's five seater C-Max.

We wouldn't have bought another first-generation Zafira but I can't comment on the new model.