THERE have been a bewildering number of different Vauxhall Zafira models since 2005 so it’s worth checking around to find the best price.
Don’t buy without full service history. Anyone who hasn’t kept it up deserves not to be able to sell.
They make an excellent family car with seven easy fold seats as standard, two of which fold up from the boot floor.
Engines are 1.6, 1.8, 2.0-litre turbo and 2.2-litre petrol, but the best bet would be the 1.7 or 1.9 diesels with 110, 125, 120 or 150bhp.
The top 2.0-litre turbo petrol is the one for enthusiasts, with no less than 197bhp on tap.
All drive the front wheels through a five-speed gearbox but the 1.6 is slow and the 1.8 struggles too.
Zafiras have good handling and hold the road better than some others in the midi-MPV class. The ride is comfortable and the whole car is quiet and refined.
Interior
As well as the folding rear seats, the middle row also folds and slides forward. The Zafira packs in loads of family friendly features including storage all around the cabin.
There’s plenty of space for five adults and with the rear seats down, good stowage space in the boot. The third row seats are only suitable for children.
FAST FACTS
Vauxhall Zafira
Price: Pay about £5,560 privately for an ’06 06-reg Active, £9,300 from a dealer for an ’09 09-reg Exclusiv.
Mechanical: 120bhp, 1,910cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 116mph
0-62mph: 11.4 seconds
Combined mpg: 47
Insurance group: 14
CO2 emissions: 159g/km
Marks: 9/10
Main rival: Renault Scenic