Vauxhall Meriva (2003 - 2010) 1.6 16V Life 5d (AC) (2003/53) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

At the time of buying I thought it said that I was one of the "in crowd!"

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They all thought it was very smart, and a real bargain!

Would you buy this car again and why?

No, I would not buy another Meriva. After living with the vehicle for the past 18 months, too many poor design features have become apparent. (coupled with the dreadful engine problems for a 3 year old vehicle). I became that worried about going on a long journey that I had to take out breakdown cover - the first time I had done this in over thirty years of driving.

What are you likely to buy next?

I have already exchanged the Meriva for an older Astra Estate. I became that fed up of the Meriva. Every time I looked at it I felt distressed to think of all that money wasted.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£5,995

When did you buy the car?

September 2005

Did you get a good deal and why?

Yes, we had a good deal. The car was very competitively priced at the time (it was only 19 months old from date of registration).

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

To accommodate my wife's back problems.

What was the dealer like?

Very Good. Very Friendly and very efficient.

What's it like to drive?

Smooth at speed, but a bit jerky around town. Front door/windscreen pillars blind spots proved very annoying.

What's it like to park?

Took a bit getting used to - lot of blind spots to rear.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Yes. Two instances of engine trouble. Had an EGR valve replaced under the Network Q guarantee in Nov 2006. In March of this year, faced with £1,000 repair costs when pistons rings wore (causing oil burning) and valves began sticking, causing severe misfiring and cutting out, I decided it had to go.

What's most practical about your car?

The height of seating and load space.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The Flex seating.