• Economical 1.5 diesel
• Autos don’t suffer much penalty
• Avoid the 2.0-litre petrol if you’re after economy

What are the running costs?

Those hoping for a tax-busting plug-in hybrid will have to look elsewhere. The Insignia didn’t offer any electrical assistance in any guise.

The economy champs are the diesels, with both the 1.5-litre 122hp and 2.0-litre 174hp units returning up to 60+mpg in real-world driving when paired with a manual transmission. This figure drops to 56.5mpg when the automatic gearbox is added. CO2 emissions for both are similar, too, so it comes down to pretty much how much performance you’re after.

The petrol engine is thirstier, naturally, but the 200hp 2.0-litre doesn’t disgrace itself compared with the diesel, with real-world fuel consumption of 45+mpg and competitive CO2 emissions.

Servicing and warranty

You could opt to pay monthly for a fixed-price Vauxhall service plan to help spread the cost, with instalments that should be easy to swallow – these can be passed on to the second owner.

Servicing for the petrol to be cheaper than for the diesel and plug-in. When new, the warranty for the car was a standard three-year or 60,000 mile deal. This could be extended for a fee, and is transferrable to the second owner.

Reliability

• Overall Vauxhall Insignia reliability should be decent
• A few recalls for pre-facelift model
• Strong interior with plenty of hard-wearing materials

Vauxhall’s reliability record is middle-of-the-road, but with the exception of the very well-publicised Zafira fires a few years ago issues tend to be confined to small niggles rather than massive mechanical problems.

The latest Insignia features a 1.5-litre diesel that has already been seen in the Astra. It’s too soon to tell if this units is reliable, but it is used throughout the Stellantis group.

Otherwise, the Insignia’s been subject to seven safety recalls, which range from an incorrectly mounted windscreen to cracks in the turbocharger oil return pipe. When purchasing a used model, make sure these safety recalls have been completed.

For the day-to-day, the Insignia feels solid and well-built. Most of the interior fittings are made from dense, good-quality plastics and should stand up well to the test of time.

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