Vauxhall Zafira (2005 - 2014) 1.8i SRi 5d (2011/11) Owner Review
Want to know everything there is to know about this car?
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Summary
What does this car say about you?
Not much.
What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
It's a bus.
Would you buy this car again and why?
No. But then I didn't chose it and it was never aimed at me. As cheap family transport I can see why they sell but they are cheap for a reason.
What are you likely to buy next?
Ford Focus/Audi A3/VW Golf.
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Buying experience
Type of dealer you bought from?
Didn't buy from a dealer
Did you buy this car new?
No
What price did you pay?
£0
When did you buy the car?
September 2011
Did you get a good deal and why?
N/A - This was a hire car.
Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
I had this car on hire for 6 weeks.
What was the dealer like?
N/A
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Driving it
What's it like to drive?
In short, not wonderful. The sports suspension on the SRI model kept body roll in check and gave it quite a sharp turn in but at the expense of ride comfort which I found too firm (though it was better than the A3 Sport I'm driving at the moment). The steering didn't have much in the way of feel but was weighted reasonably well. However the most lacklustre part of the whole car was the gutless engine. It was at best adequate when driving solo, but shown any sort of load or even worse, a hill, and it struggled. And to add insult, it averaged 35mpg.
What's it like to park?
Not too bad. Visibility is fair and as the back of the car is vertical, it was quite easy to park. I would though suggest parking sensors (mine didn't have them) as you can loose low bollards below the rear window line (though this is true in any car).
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Living with it
Have you had any problems with the car?
Over the 6 weeks I had it nothing went wrong, though the arm rest between the front seats was quite loose.
What's most practical about your car?
It is a spacious car for it's size and is at its' best in 5 seat mode. However the middle bench seat is bulky and not easy to fold and it was a surprisingly difficult car to get in and out of due to a combination of high door sills (a good few inches higher the interior floor level) and bulky sports seats. The handbrake lever was also difficult and uncomfortable to use.
Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
The folding rear most seats. Beyond that it had so little equipment there is little to comment on.
