Should you buy a used 2009-2017 Vauxhall Insignia?

Whether the Insignia is a good buy depends on your expectations and budget, and we’d recommend shopping around and trying the alternative used cars for sale within your budget first. It offers a lot of space and big-car security for a low price, and the attributes that made it popular when new are still relevant today. An early petrol one at the lower end of the market could last much longer than you expect and cost relatively little to maintain, offsetting the poor economy.

However, the diesel models have not aged well – good torque and economy when new is little comfort if you’ve bought an expensive, low mileage late car and been stranded by engine failure. It’s a cheap part that fails and most cars could be fixed before problems occur, but when buying secondhand it’s another thing to worry about,. With so many used cars on the market, the Insignia is outclassed in most areas.

If you really want an Insignia diesel, we’d buy from a dealer and make sure it has a good warranty. Some dealers with workshops may even consider replacing the oil pump seal before sale, perhaps as part of the timing belt and water pump service many cars will be due – and in that case the Insignia offers a big, comfortable hatchback with good economy for a low price. If you’re getting something newer, lower mileage, or usefully better equipped for the same money, then the Insignia can be a sensible purchase.

What we like

Undeniable motorway competence and stability, advanced technology on later models, old-school repairability of petrol versions, the stealthy 2.8 V6 4x4’s performance.

What we don’t like

Inefficient blend of size, space and weight, timebomb 2.0 CDTi engines, lacklustre handling and refinement on early models