Always competitive when new, the Meriva is good value for money as a used buy too. Resale is easier than the previous, rather unappealing Meriva, and as the number of surviving cars reduces you may find the unique design and practicality of the Vauxhall Meriva B means the best examples will always have loyal buyers looking to replace worn out or broken ones.

Equipment levels are pretty good and like most Vauxhalls, they’re cheap to run and easy to maintain, particularly if you DIY.

All the engines in the line-up are efficient and the change from large petrol engines to smaller turbocharged units means huge improvements in economy. CO2 emissions are low across the board and the most powerful 1.4 Turbo 140 emits just 156g/km – less than the 1.7 CDTi. The greenest engine is the 1.3 CDTi which emits 129g/km of CO2 and averages 58mpg.

Vauxhall Meriva reliability

The previous Meriva was hit-and-miss when it came to reliability. The Vauxhall Meriva Mk2’s improvements in quality and engineering mean a petrol one should last well, if looked after, but the old reputation hasn’t been banished as the diesel versions are not particularly long-lived or reliable.