Due to comapny car allocation changes I have been offered one of these as a replacement for my Volvo V70 D5 (which is excellent). Any one have any thoughts on this relatively new model from Vauxhall? Other than badge snobbery will I lose out in spec and performance against my Volvo.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
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I personally find it rather dull, its exterior design, that is. I would expect it to behave much like the Vectra.
Vagelis.
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I can only comment on the looks, having sat next to one on the A41 yesterday - and I really liked it.
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My thoughts are that your company's got money to burn. As I'm sure HJ will confirm, the Signum has been an unmitigated sales disaster so far, with only a handful leaving the showrooms.
So, while I suspect your company will get a remarkably good deal on one if it buys, the resale value will be hole in the pocket territory.
In a contest between a V70 D5 and a Signum there is no contest.
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My company will not pay a penny for this car as it is on 'long term evaluation' from Vauxhall. I think this is a subtle way of registering as many of these slow selling cars as possible.
Anyway thanks for the comments, I have had a string of Volvos over the last couple of years and I think a change is as good as a rest (and at least I can hand it back in a couple of months if it is a disaster!)
Regards
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If you think the Signum is a waste of money you should see what VW are doing with the Phaeton in Germany.
One company 'who shall rename nameless but who work in close partnership with the motor industry' has 30 Phaeton's bought at a discount from VW (V6, V10D and W8 engines)as company cars.
A year later they are getting rid of them - not because of quality issues I might add, but becuase they didn't really need 30 more company cars and only bought them as a deal sweetener.
They are selling them for between ?25,000-?30,000 for cars less than 12 months old and with less then 5000km on the clock.
The only stipulation is that they must not be sold on the open market. Half of them have already been bought by staff as second cars, but there are just not enough staff to buy them all and so they are offering them to their neighbours, friends and neighbouring businesses.
I wouldn't mind the V10 diesel one!
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I did a market research on Sunday and the mock ups I had to comment on were following the Signum's lead! I don't know what market the Signum falls in to but the manufacturer - not disclosed - of the prototypes must think there is one. There was a Signum lurking in the corner and I had a sit in it. Same as the Vectra in the front with the exception of a large loss of headroom due to the overhead "airline" type storage cubbies. Although the most you would be able to store in the whole thing would be a pair of sunglasses for all occupants. Plenty of room in the back but as a Vectra hatch exists and an estate looms and the interior is no better than the Vectra, the question to ask of the Signum is, why?
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I actually saw a Signum (badged as an Opel of course) on the road in France this week. It was a cab. Suddenly, all became clear. Why else would a manufacturer make all that fuss about the possibilities of the back seat unless it was to sell direct to the cab and chauffeur-driven hire car trade?
Secondhand buyers beware...
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Designing a car like the Signum or Phaeton is like discovering a cure for which there is no known disease. The Phaeton had sold less than 2700 units the last I heard.
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Designing a car like the Signum or Phaeton is like discovering a cure for which there is no known disease.
Or, as Clarkson put it:
"To what question is the answer a £70K VW?"
(not quite sure about the actual figure, but you get the idea...)
Splodgeface
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Or, as Clarkson put it: "To what question is the answer a £70K VW?"
Or even " To what question is the answer a £700k VW"
see www.tinyurl.com/dfwk
Wouldn't you just love to have a blast in one?
0-300 kph in 14.0 secs 1001bhp!
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I see that Arnold Clark up here are advertising brand new Signums for £4000 off list price.
Prompted me to think - thus the search for previous posts - I have never seen one of these on the road yet!
Anyone know how many have been sold?
Also, I have seen very few new style Scenics on the road either - is there a supply problem with these?
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I've seen a grand total of 3 since launch ( and I do about 7/800 miles per week)...looks very anonymous on the road. Seems like a car without a market to me ...might as well buy a Vectra estate and have done with it.
Mind you I've only seen about half a dozen Vel Satis; and they had over a year head start!
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I understand the Phaeton but not the Signum,and also saw one on the road the other day and thought that it was really quite a good looking car.
VW Golf vs Audi A3
VW Bora vs Audi A4
VW Passat vs Audi A6
VW Phaeton vs Audi A8
Now VW seems to be wanting to sell the same quality cars as Audi which is the strange thing in the VW/Audi thing (with the obvious exception of the Bora), but have to agree that the Signum doesn't really fit in or against any range/car.
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Having said that there is no rival to the Signum, and thinking about an earlier post having seen it as a taxi, is this a natural competitor to the Merc E class (in taxi mode)?
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GM certainly do seem to have produced an 'orphan' to rank alongside the Avantime, 166, Scorpio, 607, Safrane et al.
They did have a tricky problem, though. The respected Omega needed replacing and GM's european brands are not strong enough to take on the Germans in a status obsessed market. So what to do? GM tried to offer something different and, predictably, have failed. Would a conventional alternative have succeeded?
If GM are serious about competing in this market will they have to follow Ford's lead and buy a suitable brand? How much would BMW cost them?
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Wrighty,
Since your company proposes to give you a less good car that's costing them less money, they'll presumably compensate you by paying an allowance/salary supplement.....
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"Since your company proposes to give you a less good car that's costing them less money, they'll presumably compensate you by paying an allowance/salary supplement....."
My company are involved in the motor industry and we benefit from long term loan examples of most vehicles, the Signum just happened to be available at the time. I subsequently managed to negotiate my way out of it and back into another V70 (phew - lucky escape, judging by the previous comments)
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The latest deal in yesterday's papers up here? Buy a new Signum and get a free new Corsa with it.
Now when Renault boimbed with the Vel Satis etc, they got hammered - why not Vauxhall?
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