Should you buy one?

It’s not a bad choice at all as an affordable, compact – but not ‘small’ family car. The MPV has been pushed out in favour of less space-efficient ‘crossovers’, and as small MPVs go the second generation Meriva is a pretty clever thing, and well made in a way that Vauxhall didn’t always get right.

Buy with care, and this could be a uniquely effective solution to your urban commuting and family errands.

We mean it about buying with care though. Tempting as the diesel’s headline economy is, the engines have not survived the test of time and expensive failures are common even on well-maintained examples. Avoiding issues needs specialist and proactive attention. Grab a clean, late and low mileage petrol turbo and you might find yourself lost when choosing a replacement.

What we like

Low cost, much improved quality, clever storage features

What we don’t like

Diesel unreliability, the general low-cost, low-maintenance life that a used Vauxhall has often had, and the fact that it’s the last of the clever small MPVs. The Crossland X is trendy looking – but it’s nothing like as clever.