VAUXHALL ZAFIRA People Carrier 1999‑2005

I have owned my current Zafira for 10 years. My previous car was a Zafira. I have had occasional hiccups with DPF filter but judicious use of Diesel Magic bought from Halfords has been efficacious and I have never had the filter replaced and my present car has done 181,000 miles.

The versatility of this car is outstanding. Perfect for the larger family and the extended family. We have toured Europe extensively and the Zafira has never let us down. I much prefer the driving position to most saloon cars which for me makes the longer journeys more bearable.

On our last journey to France at Christmas we had 7 adults in the car plus a roof box full of luggage and we cruised along the Autoroutes at 80mph without complaint and with winter tyres reached the ski slopes comfortably.

I cannot praise this vehicle too highly. It has been an endurable servant and friend. Guess what my next car is going to be? Correct!

Since writing the review below my driver's side mirror glass has fallen off, the speaker has fallen out of the door and the plastic around the centre console has warped and pulled away from the dashboard.

I think you probably get the idea that I am not too enamoured by this car - it's a fantastic concept but really badly designed and built using the cheapest materials Vauxhall/Opel could find.

Steer very clear!

i put up a review when i got my 1.8 auto a year later it is still a great car iv put 22.000 on it in a year and its so reliable just been serviced and new pads and tyres and had a cam belt change when the water pump went but thats the only touble iv had as you can see iv gone well over the avrage yearly milage as every zafira owner says the seats are exellant it a car a van what ever you want it to be likes a drop of petrol around town but on the motorway its brilliant on fuel so swings and roundabouts

the air con is great really powerful if you need a very good useful car get one you really wont be sorry im selling mne in november but im rplacing it with a GSI so i really dont have a bad word to say about my zafira

This is a great family car it's a smooth ride everytime and because the rear seats fold flat you could fit a whole family packed adventure in the boot.

We needed a bigger car for family of 4, on the flip side i wanted something with a bit of Ooomph about it, there was only one car that stood out from your average bland MPV's, the Zafira GSi.

This car looks fantastic and still turns heads after being on the market for a decade. The 7 seats and variety of seating arrangements is absoultely fantastic.

It offers a firm yet not to harsh ride on the road and for a vehicle of it's size offers fantastic road holding, backed up with fantastic performance.

Maintenance costs have been average, and with a car that has done 91000 miles, it still feels fresh and pulls incredibly throughout the rev range and gears.

This does come at a cost though, MPG can be quite hard to stomach at times and it feels as if i should be paying rent at our local Shell garage as we always seem to be filling it up, tax is around £260 per year and insurance costs for a 29yr old male, with 8yrs no claims are all around the £1000 mark.

But, everytime i get in and drive the car, it puts a big grin on my face!

I bought the zafira just over 9 months ago, second hand from a local dealer because it had a full vauxhall dealership history and I remembered those ads on the tv back in the late nineties where they showed how the seats could be rearranged in all manner of ways.With the rear sets down you virtually have a small van , with all seven up you virtually have a small mini-bus!The amount of stuff you can shoe horn into the back of one of these cars is nothing short of amazing and with those two extra spare seats up you can carry 6 passengers though in the spare seats you might like to put the more diminutive of the bunch!The zafira 1800 petrol engine is very nippy , responsive and reliable and considering how high it sits on the road , the handling is not bad too.So as a practical choice the zafira ticks all the right boxes , it's reliable, easy to drive , quick and spacious, what more could you ask for?Well , for me , a little bit of driving excitement wouldn't be a bad thing , the zafira is tame , with a capital T.It is a bit like eating vanilla ice cream , its pleasant but you do find yourself thinking of chocolate , sprinkles and caramel sauce half way through eating it.Maybe I am being unfair, after all it never pretends to be a Mustang and Iam no Senna , that's for sure!

love the reliability of my car and have driven to paris and back to north wales, also have driven several times to cornwall. This car has never let me down and in the last 4 years ive only had to buy 3 tyres for it.

the downside is the mpg...great on motorway runs i get 40 mpg but on the local school runs im getting less than 20mpg.

my oldest sons are now 10 and 8 and its getting a tight fit in the back for them.

We have had this car for 5years, it has prooved to be a bullet proof workhorse and is definately one to consider if you have two or three kids especially if one still requires a buggy. The extra seats come in very handy and it is a benefit being able to keep one in the closed position. Road tax is a point to consider being in a higher group also if you do not maintain the car ie a regular service then the fuel consumption will go south. One issue we have experianced is the car appears to use oil but there are no leaks or blue tint emmisions. MOT time has always looked favourable and being a Vauxhall any parts required can be sourced at a reasonable cost. The Zafira is not the best looking mpv around but reliability is assured, our car is used on a daily basis for work & play and has never given any major cause for concern.

This car does what its for. Use it for everyday with kids to school and shopping with up to 7 people or go to France, Italy for holiday with 3 kids plus a half a house of staff. It has became a great family member. still comfy after 8-900 miles of constant driving even in snowy monutains thanks for its traction control snow driving assistance.

what you expect from a 1.8i automatic? in town its a bit heavy on fuel so it is not for a single student who cannot utilieze it.

All in all, we love it.

We were looking for a family car which would accommodate more than our 5 members if needs be. The Zafira's 2 additional seats in the boot fold out really easily and give reasonable leg room for kids - too small for adults on anything but a local journey though. The boot without the seats folded out is HUGE. We've had no mechanical issues since buying this (old!) model 3 years ago. The electrics on the other hand are temperamental - I've already had the central locking rewired at a cost of £80 and when it recently stopped working, decided not to have the work done a second time. For an older car, it is reasonably fuel efficient, and when compared to say, the Ford Galaxy, which is in a similar price range second hand, it burns less fuel (no more than my previous Peugeot estate of same age) and is much smaller and easier to park! It's not the lightest vehicle to drive but for it's age I think it's an excellent, reliable, family car. And apparently they hold their value reasonably well.