Vauxhall Carlton Saloon 1986-
  • Economy

    Value

    4 out of 5 4.0

    A lot of car for the money.

    Costs

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Showing 20mpg around town, not bad for a straight 6 that's 12 years old. 30mpg on a run.

  • On the road

    Driving

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Quite agile for a big car.

    Performance

    3 out of 5 3.0

    It's no 24v GSI, but will show a clean pair of heals to a 2.5 V6 Omega.

  • Living with it

    Reliability

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Usual Carlton problems, starter motor failure and fuel injection relay, both cheap to fix. No other problems in 2 years.

    Image

    2 out of 5 2.0

    Dated now, it looks like a grandad car, but can still top 130mph with 5 up and a full boot (on a private test track of course).

    Comfort

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Very comfortable, even on longer runs. Bags of rear passenger space and the boot is huge.

  • Security and Service

    Security

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Standard-fit alarm works ok, the deadlocks are good.

    Service

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Main dealer service is only £147, very good. It's a shame the customer service was not as pleasant.

  • Problems and Ownership

    Problems

    Engine

    A couple of starting niggles, but on the whole excellent, still pulls strong after 110k miles.

    Other

    Ownership

    Did you buy the car new?

    Used

    Would you buy the same model again?

    No

    Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?

    Yes