Vauxhall Insignia review
The Vauxhall Insignia is a stylish, comfortable, and great-value family car that offers a premium feel and a brilliant driving experience, all for a surprisingly affordable price.
Author: Charlie Harvey
22nd Dec 2025 – 8 mins read
The Vauxhall Insignia arrived in 2008 as a much-needed replacement for the old Vectra, bringing a new level of style and refinement to Vauxhall’s family car lineup. The second-generation model, launched in 2017 and known as the Insignia Grand Sport, took things even further. It’s a genuinely handsome car that’s much bigger and more engaging to drive than its predecessor. The Insignia is designed to offer a comfortable and sophisticated experience that rivals more premium cars, but without the premium price tag. It’s packed with technology, has a great range of efficient engines, and is a wonderfully relaxing car for long journeys. While the boot isn’t the biggest in its class and rear headroom is a little tight, the Insignia’s blend of sharp looks, comfort, and incredible value for money makes it a very smart choice.
Pros
- Fantastic value for money, both new and used
- A great selection of trims and efficient engines
- A comfortable and enjoyable car to drive
Cons
- It's not as practical as some key rivals
- The swooping roofline limits headroom in the back
- Top-spec GSi models can seem a little too expensive
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The inside of the Insignia is a very pleasant place to be. The dashboard is smart and logically laid out, with a driver-focused feel. It’s dominated by a crisp seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes as standard, even on entry-level models. This system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily mirror your smartphone’s apps on the car’s screen.
While the Vauxhall badge might not have the same premium appeal as a BMW or Audi, the Insignia’s cabin quality is impressive for the price. The materials feel good, and everything is solidly put together. Higher-spec models feel genuinely upmarket, with features like a larger eight-inch screen and a premium Bose sound system.
Comfort
The Insignia is an exceptionally comfortable car, making it a brilliant choice for drivers who cover a lot of miles. It’s designed to be a relaxing long-distance cruiser, with a smooth ride that soaks up bumps and a quiet cabin that keeps wind and road noise at bay.
The driving position is excellent, and there’s plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel to help you find the perfect spot. It can comfortably seat four adults, and thanks to its sheer size, there’s plenty of space for everyone to stretch out.
Quality
The second-generation Insignia represents a big step up in quality for Vauxhall. The cabin feels well-built and durable, with a good mix of soft-touch materials and solid-feeling switchgear. It might not have the rock-solid feel of a premium German rival, but it’s more than a match for mainstream competitors like the Ford Mondeo and Skoda Superb. Vauxhall’s reliability record has been a bit average in recent years, but the Insignia feels like a robust and well-engineered product.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
The Insignia is a big car, which translates into plenty of space for passengers. There's lots of room up front, and those in the back are treated to generous amounts of legroom. Four adults can travel in real comfort, even on long journeys.
The only slight issue is rear headroom. The car’s stylish, swooping, coupe-like roofline looks great from the outside, but it does mean that very tall passengers might find their heads are a little closer to the roof than they’d like. For most people, however, it’s a very spacious and comfortable cabin.
Boot space
One area where the Insignia Grand Sport hatchback struggles slightly is its boot. At 490 litres, it’s a decent size, but it is smaller than what you’ll find in key rivals like the Ford Mondeo and the cavernous Skoda Superb.
That said, the boot has a simple, uncomplicated shape and a large hatchback opening, which makes it easy to load bulky items. If you need more space, folding the rear seats down expands the area to 1,540 litres. And for those who need ultimate practicality, the Sports Tourer estate version offers a much larger 560-litre boot.
Driving
Driving experience
The second-generation Insignia is a far better car to drive than its predecessor. It’s not quite as sharp or engaging as a BMW 3 Series, but it’s a very accomplished and enjoyable car on the road. The steering is nicely weighted, giving you a good sense of connection with what the front wheels are doing, and it feels secure and confident through corners.
It’s a car that manages to feel both comfortable and composed, making it a great all-rounder. It feels right at home cruising on the motorway, but it’s also more than capable of putting a smile on your face on a winding country road.
Performance
There’s a broad range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from in the Insignia. The diesel options are a great choice for high-mileage drivers. There’s a 1.6-litre diesel with either 108bhp or 134bhp, and a more powerful 2.0-litre unit with 168bhp.
The petrol range consists of a 1.5-litre engine with either 138bhp or 163bhp, and a punchy 2.0-litre engine with 197bhp. None of the engines feel underpowered, and they all offer a good blend of performance and economy for a car of this size.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
The Insignia is a big car, but it’s surprisingly efficient. Unsurprisingly, the diesel engines are the most frugal. The 1.6-litre diesel is the star performer, capable of achieving up to 57.6mpg in official tests, which is an excellent figure for such a large car.
The petrol engines are also impressively economical. The popular 1.5-litre petrol can return up to 44.1mpg. With a wide range of engines on offer, you can choose the one that best suits your driving style and your budget.
Value for money
This is the Insignia’s trump card. It offers a huge amount of car for the money. From new, its starting price was significantly lower than its premium rivals and even undercut mainstream competitors like the Ford Mondeo. This makes it an absolute bargain on the used market. You can get a nearly-new, well-equipped example for a fraction of its original price, making it one of the smartest used family car buys around.
Reliability & Warranty
The Insignia is a relatively new car, but Vauxhall’s general reliability record has been fairly average in recent years. As with any used car, a full service history is essential to ensure it has been properly maintained. From new, all Vauxhalls come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which is standard for the industry.
Safety
Safety features
The Vauxhall Insignia is a very safe car. It was awarded the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, with high scores for protecting both adult and child occupants.
All models come with a generous amount of standard safety kit, including a seven-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, cruise control, and automatic lights. Higher-spec models add more advanced active safety features, such as front and rear parking sensors and Vauxhall’s brilliant IntelliLux LED matrix headlights, which provide amazing visibility at night without dazzling other drivers.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The Insignia is available in a wide range of trim levels, so there’s something for everyone.
Design: The entry-level model is very well equipped, with a seven-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, air conditioning, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
SRi / SRi VX-Line Nav: These trims add a sporty flavour, with sports front seats, a rear spoiler, and ambient interior lighting. The VX-Line Nav adds a sporty body kit and larger alloy wheels.
Tech Line Nav: This trim is aimed at business users and adds built-in satellite navigation and front and rear parking sensors.
Elite Nav: This luxurious trim adds leather seats, heated front seats, a premium Bose sound system, and clever IntelliLux LED matrix headlights.
GSi Nav: The range-topping model gets a full sporty makeover with a unique body kit, 20-inch alloy wheels, a sports chassis, and a head-up display.
Engines
There’s a great choice of efficient petrol and diesel engines.
1.5-litre Turbo Petrol: Available with either 138bhp or 163bhp, this is a smooth and economical choice for everyday driving.2.0-litre Turbo Petrol: A more powerful 197bhp petrol engine for those who want a bit more performance.1.6-litre Turbo D Diesel: The most economical engine in the range, available with 108bhp or 134bhp. Perfect for high-mileage drivers.2.0-litre Turbo D Diesel: A strong 168bhp diesel that offers a great blend of performance and economy. A twin-turbo version with 207bhp is available on the top GSi model.
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