hi, i am test driving the new insignia sports tourer 2.0l cdti design tomorrow!
long distance, will be doing about 200 mile.
what should i look out for?
is there anything anyone would like to know?
spoke to the rep and he said up to know all design models have come with sat nav built in!
thanks
Edited by Pugugly on 02/06/2009 at 23:25
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You lucky....
Green to the back gills!
I cannot do anything new car wise until Nov 2010, so no point in me testing anything just yet - I am looking at the VXR spec - may do a test though, just to make sure, get the feel of the vehicle, if you get what I mean!
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I hope the build quality is better than the 3 examples on display at Vauxhall's Heritage Centre recently.
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How did the test drive go today?
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hes crashed hes crashed
oops wrong sketch
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Can you explain in more detail please Dave?
BB - I think you may be right! Hope not though or if he has, he is ok!
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Can you explain in more detail please Dave?
I recently went to the "drive it day" at Luton. Looking around the 3 cars (2 hatches, and an estate sorry, Wagon) the attention to detail under the bonnet left a lot to be desired. For example, where individual wires or multiple wires branched off from the main wiring loom, the way the tape was wrapped around it was shoddy to say the least. A car not yet 2 months old with the tape coming unraveled. Other wires going to sensors on the engine, hanging vertically down with openings at the top of the cable sleeving that could allow water ingress. 3 or 4 earthing points on top of the suspension struts, with a wire coming from each earthing point. Why not just connect the 3 or 4 wires to one earth point instead of having multiple stand off posts?
Inside the cabin was very well screwed together, but I found it more cramped inside than my Vectra-C, along with the boot space looking smaller as well. I also didn't like the positioning of the handbrake either. Instead of being horizontal and perhaps pulling it on at say something like a 30° angle, it was already at approx 30° at rest and something like 80° when applied. It just didn't feel right, and I imagine anyone who suffers arthritis (or other dexterity problems) would find it more uncomfortable to apply than I did.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 30/05/2009 at 15:26
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Thanks for the heads up Dave - I have until next Nov to wait, so will see how the feedback, test drives, etc., continue.
Shocked about the wiring being taped on a new car though and the earths?
Oh, it is not as if they are important or anything is it?!
When you say, estate wagon (made me chuckle!) compared to say the Astra H estate, (that I have now) the Insignia dwarfs it then?
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For example where individual wires or multiple wires branched off from the main wiring loom the way the tape was wrapped around it was shoddy to say the least. A car not yet 2 months old with the tape coming unraveled. Other wires going to sensors on the engine hanging vertically down...
Sounds like it could have been a preproduction or early production test model where measuring probes had been attached to the wires and the car thrashed around the block a few times.
I don't like GM cars as a rule but the Insignia has kind of grown on me. Except every time I see the estate version I think it's an Audi.
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Vauxhall / Opel seem to me to be missing the point with the Insignia Tourer.
You don't buy a Vauxhall estate to impress the neighbours. You buy it (or rather your company buys it new, or you buy it privately secondhand given the rate it depreciates) to do a job of work for you. This is the wrong sort of vehicle for the stylists to be let loose on, resulting in an excessively tapered rear end, restricted luggage space and an appalling view out.
Jamike, before making up your mind also try estate versions of the Ford Mondeo and a Skoda Octavia. Both have more room than an Insignia, and I would guess (though I haven't yet tried an Insignia) both are at least as good to drive. And both deserve the title 'estate'.
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try estate versions of the Ford Mondeo anda Skoda Octavia.
Agree with you about the Octavia especially, still a proper estate, but it's still more or less the car it was when first released some 10? years ago, or at least still recognisable as such.
I hope when it's replaced they have someone with a bit of common keeping an eye on the designers.
Almost to a car all other (not MB or BMW but huge cost) estates are now lifestyle sport hatch things, shadows of their former proper estate car selves, considering how huge many have become externally they've not done a very good job.
Vectra estate like C5 estate (and Pug 406) were huge and reasonably squared off proper load carriers, their replacements though huge externally have managed to lose sensible tailgate openings and rounded off and slanted the upper segments making them almost useless as load luggers.
Avensis estate seems to be a good compromise, probably as close to new Mondeo as you can get, seems pleasant drive in (proper) auto diesel form (LHD i've tried, don't know if RHD auto diesel is available yet).
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GB, we're on the second generation Skoda Octavia (recently face lifted). It is not the same car released ten years ago.
I like the look of the new C5 estate.... but only could get it if I opt out of the company car scheme.
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`Insignia looks very good in white !
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`Insignia looks very good in white !
As do lots of VAG cars like the Audi A3 and VW Scirocco.
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Don't mention Sciroccos - Autocar had a preview of the R version - awesome....wallet emptying looks.....:-(
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I don't get the Scirocco, looks like someone has sat on a Focus side on profile to me.
Interstingly talk above switched from Insignia to Mondeo and Octavia. The Ford was initially introduced as the estate, the hatch and saloon being added later. The initial model is usually that accepted by the general public as "the car".
Edited by gmac on 30/05/2009 at 23:37
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Interstingly talk above switched from Insignia to Mondeo and Octavia.
It's called a motoring forum ;-)
I thought the Mondeo Estate came out after the saloon and hatchback. I certainly saw (and sat in) hatchbacks long before dealers had any estates. I agree the estate looks best - not as long as the saloon either.
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The car was initially designed as the estate part of the kinetic design and shown at the Paris motor show 2006 as such. tinyurl.com/m6bzgb
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looks like someone has sat on a Focus side on profile to me
I know it sounds like sacrilege to "diss" the Focus but the current version is plain to say the least.
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I know it sounds like sacrilege to "diss" the Focus but the current version is plain to say the least.
I only noticed it because I live less than 10 miles from a Ford plant where everyone drives a Ford and saw this car side on at a junction (I was on the bike so take notice of these things) which wasn't quite a Ford but wasn't quite different enough for me to say hey that's an X.
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Apart from wanting/thinking I want a decent size car the Scirroco is very cheap on our company scheme at the moment. In 1.4TSI DSG especially so. Must be residuals.
Then again I could get an Audi A5 and be no worse off than I am now I think - well a little worse off. And due to the deal on the A4 SE Executive I'd be a fair few pounds better off per month. Not that a Mazda6 is that bad.
But I saw the Scirocco R version in a magazine... very nice.
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jamiev, do tell us how you got on. I like the look of the new Insignia. But to get one I'd either have to opt out of the company scheme and take some money or hope they at Vauxhall/GM back to the list.
The company scheme for many decades had Vauxhalls. Since 2007 it does not. At one time we used to buy thousands of cars per year.... Must have had an impact. We had a deal direct with VX for good discounts.
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hi all, test drive went well. overall a nice drive, better than an astra sri 1.7 cdti!;
average mpg on motorway at 70mph for 1 hour was 46.3. average for the whole day 38.9 mpg (1 hour on motorway at 70mph, 3 hours of country lanes and city driving plus an hour of stop/start on motorway for 40 mins)
what was good;
1. drivers seat more comfortable, electric lumbar which moves up and down aswell as forward and back! electric up and down seat, a lot wider than the astra seats!
2. drivers seat goes back a long way (good for very tall peolple)
3. small shelf on the door where i rest my right arm when steering was padded out so nice and comfy!.
4. more pockets for driver.
5. bottle holder had a sliding clamp thingy which could hold mostly different sized bottles securely
6. cruise control was easy to use. had an on/off switch so could be easily set once deactivated
7. cruise control works from 20 mph
8. got 5 adults in it ok, adult in centre rear was 6 foot and had about 3 inches spare before touching the roof
9. with baby seat in rear the passenger in the front had plenty of leg room, unlike the astra and the focus!
10. boot width space was good, got large buggy in easily
11. indicator arm actually snaps into a postion, unlike the astra where the arm comes back to orginal position
12. sat nav came with live traffic reports when choosing destination.
what was bad;
1. hand brake is close and at a high angle when applied
2. with left arm on arm rest i couldn't touch the cruise control. bit annoying when cruising on motorway and changing speed etc.
3. sat nav did'nt find some address! not touch screen. could'nt seem to enter a postcode to find a destination!
4. boot height small (starts curving in after about 12 inches or so!)
5. boot door is very heavy
6. rear bumper sticks out a lot so there more distance to stretch over to get stuff in/out of the boot
please feel free to ask me any more questions
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What was the refinement like.ie road noise,wind noise,engine noise etc.
Were the tyres quiet or noisy?
How was the suspension?Hard,soft,just right etc.
Overall what was the car like to drive? For example some cars are just cars(boring) , where as some are an occasion to drive.ie every time you drive it,it puts a grin on your face.Other cars are just annoying and you cannot wait to get out of it!
Cheers
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hi, road noise and wind noise almost zero!
engine noise was slightly more noiser than my astra 1.7 sri cdti.
and even more noiser when standing outside of the car while it's running!
suspension seemed just right.
was more inviting to drive than an astra.
nice cruiser.
sometimes i didn't realise how fast i was going! doing 70 mph felt like 50 mph!
thanks
jamie
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hi, forgot to say that to start the car the clutch has to be fully pressed down!
bit annoying!
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So does a friend's A3 and my work Honda - good practice as well.
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That's what I've always done with manual boxes, saves stress on the starter motor and makes me worry less about leaving them in gear!
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That's what I've always done with manual boxes saves stress on the starter motor
Is it just a shaft between the clutch and the gearbox that doesn't get spun if the clutch is depressed - does that make much difference? And does it wear out the clutch instead? Just wondering if I should be doing the same.
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I have always been taught to start with the clutch down for both of them reasons, ive done it for so long its now second nature
I guess its leas wear and tear on the Starter Motor, as it only has to spin the engine, and not the engaged gears (although in nuetral) and the clutch its self (thats my understading anyway)
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On an advanced type RoSPA course I was told to start with clutch depressed. Nothing to do with wear and tear. It was in case the gearbox stuck in gear. Also taught/told to move gearstick left/right in a manual.
Still do both to this date. Well over ten years ago now.
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