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Sorry, first car post, won't make a habit of it.
Been to see a '59 plate 1.9 diesel zafira today and quite liked it, in fact I'm taking the Mrs back on Monday for a test drive (it I'll be her car anyway).
It has full service history and only 25k on the clock and looks in pretty good nick.
Having done a bit of online research, it seems there's a few DPF issues but are they particularly common? Are there any other issues which i should be weary of?
Cheers
I've never met a good Zafira owner.
Not owned one but have hired them quite a lot in the past. Theres lots I like about them but give thought to the rear seats and how you envisage using them, really you can either seat 5 grown ups or 2 grown ups and 5 children. Deploying the extra seats makes the middle row very cramped.
The drivers seats can be quite uncomfortable too - I've only driven the SRi models so I don't know if the seats are the same in all specs but I found that the seat squabs are quite bucket-seat like and that can mean you're sort of hanging from your hips rather than sitting on your sit bones. Seems fine for about 50 - 60 miles then it starts to drive you mad.
Good point about seats, especially with alps trips in mind. Boot seats will rarely be used,only really need 4 seats but larger cabin than current c max.
I think they get a bit of a pasting on here, but my other half has had one for nearly 2 years and its been faultless.
We bought a 1.6 petrol Exclusiv for £9995 brand new with a lifetime / 100'000 mile warranty, so it's worth getting a price on a new one before buying used.
It's not going to set your world on fire, but if you need a biggish vehicle and don't want a Berlingo; they're pretty good IMHO. It's not a vehicle you're buying to enjoy the pleasures of the open road, but they go from A-B without fuss.
The interior is particularly a lot harder wearing than her previous C-Max and Picasso which both started to look worn very quickly.
They're obviously old technology and they do have a high depreciation, but when you're only paying £9995 brand new; it's not too much of a pill to swallow. The equivalent new C-Max was £6k more and whilst a Touran would have been lovely; it was £10k dearer.
I've got one its as Amplebrew said they're great for load carrying and go from A to B
Yeah got a 10 grand (with Vauxhall patynet disvount) 1.8 pryrol last year, its big inside had 2 bikes, trailer, buggy kids bike race kit and a weekks gear for wife and 2 kids on our hols last year
Its not the fastest, especially keeping mpg reasonable
But for the price its been brilliant
I find the front seats desperately uncomfortable on them.
Other than that, they seem ok.
Girlfriend has had one for the past couple of years and it's been crap. It's a 58 plate 1.8 petrol Sri and while we like the driving position and the seven seats and they all fold flat turning it into a van it hasn't been the most reliable.
The gearbox and a clutch plate went on it after about 60000 miles costing £1000 and now it needs a new power steering pump. Gear change is rubbish as well, the throttle seems to be set up wrong. When setting off it either wants to stall or it jumps forward so you end up revving the nuts off it while slowly letting the clutch out.
It must be a duff one cause they can't all be this bad. She can't wait to get rid.
Are DPF's an issue on all modern diesel cars? Can you tell I'm new to this car buying lark
I have a 10yr old 1.6 petrol, and it's only ever needed routine servicing (assuming the occasional track rod end is a wear and tear part). It's on 125k now, and is getting relegated to the run around car imminently, when the current jalopy gets replaced (probably with a Grand Picasso for the 3 separate rear seats).
My Zafira has served me well and been an excellent workhorse.
One of the reasons we bought the petrol was because we didn't want any potentially expensive diesel problems. There isn't really much to go wrong on the 1.6 or 1.8 petrol engine; they're an old unit that's been used in numerous different models over the years.
My other half does 12k a year, so it wasn't worth paying the extra for a diesel anyway.
DPF and EGR problems aren't particular to Vauxhall though, google 'DPF problems' or 'EGR problems' whilst inserting your manufacturer of choice and it'll bring up numerous results.
I hired a 1.8 petrol.
It drank fuel at a stupid rate, had the performance of a 1.0 Metro and handled like a Hovercraft.
I got it from Enterprise Bangor got really fed up with it after 4 days and 1000 miles so drove into Enterprise Reading and swapped it there and then for an S Max. I was so relieved to get a car that was nice to drive again.
matt_outandabout - MemberI find the front seats desperately uncomfortable on them.
+ 100,0000 on Vauxhall seats
Do you enjoy driving?
If Yes, then a Zafira isn't the car for you.
If no, like quite a few people on here, and you consider a car a necessary evil to transport bikes and children around in then it'll be fine.
Who cares they look abysmal!
If you are tall or very long of leg, then don't get one. I found the rental one we had unbelievably uncomfortable, with knees around my ears and jaggy plastic bits wherever my legs rested. Awful thing. We had a touran for 4 years, and other than being massively boring was a bloody brilliant family car.
Being 6ft I'll take note of the driving position whilst on the test drive but really it'll be the wife's car and she's only 5'6".
Not to bothered about the car driving enjoyment, that's what motorcycles are for 🙂
I've just looked at an 08 Zafira. Top spec, all the gadgets, in good condition. [b]BUT[/b] it is the 1.9CDTI engine, and looking online has really put me off. It seems they have a lot of problems.
[url= http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/vauxhall/zafira-b-2005/?section=good ]Honest John review[/url]
[url= http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/index.php?threads/cdti-150-cambelt-failure.249549/ ]Vauxhall Owners Network Thread[/url]
[url= http://www.reliabilityindex.com/buying-guides/view/1810 ]Turbos can fail, and so can alternators, oil pumps and flywheels on the 1.9CDTi engine.[/url]
It has really put me off an otherwise great car 🙁
Do you enjoy driving?
If Yes, then a Zafira isn't the car for you.
If no, like quite a few people on here, and you consider a car a necessary evil to transport bikes and children around in then it'll be fine.
This...
I have one, its fine, but its a car. I say fine, just had to do the door locking/frayed wiring fix (A known problem). And the engine management unit had to be replaced under warranty, poor design on the first models... And the mass flywheel needed replacing at 80,000, along with the clutch.
However, now done 100,000 miles in it, carries bikes and we tow a trailer for camping holidays...
Had one for years, crap in so many ways but does exactly what I need it for. Commute to work ( mostly traffic ) tick, carrying several kids and or family from time time, tick. Tip runs tick, camping trips , tick. Cheap to own, tick, not worried about it being damaged or nicked, tick !
Nothing says "I have given up on life, and proud of it" like a zafira. If you want somthing to fit loads of kits/stuff in how about one of these.
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Can be had for £2k
An aventime??? Talk about niche! Auto trader has 3 of the about 250 left on the road which ain't bad as they only sold just over 700!!. I've never seen one much less driven one, fair dues it looks nice but what it like to own Tom?
I don't know what it's like to drive, I'm not that brave. It's the single speed full sus, enduro fat bike of the family car world.
Driven 100's of them over the years and have to say NO. they are crap!
Well 2 different friends of mine with large young families have them. In both instances they were getting through previous cars at the rate of more than 1 a year (neither family are car oriented and just drive things till they break and get another). In both cases the Zafira has lasted over 3 years so far. In my book that is the best possible advert for them.
Would I have one. Not on your life 🙂
[b]@h1jjy[/b] - Could you elaborate a bit more? Is it a driving experience thing, or reliability?