The slow death of Vauxhall?

[lesapandre]

Have a look at this review of the Mokka if you want a flavour of how terrible they are. If even the Vauxhall-loving champion of the underdog AROnline couldn't avoid giving it such a thorough pasting, it must be bad.

 

Of course the Mokka isn't really an Opel/Vauxhall at all (aside from being descended from the Corsa C), but a GM Korea product with different badges glued on.

Ooooppps. Yes I see. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Back to what I said about the Antera and Sintra.

 

GM have stuck their hard earned badge onto any old shit and wonder why their reputation is in tatters.

 

 

My ex Brother in law bought an Antera six months ago. It was cheap apparently.

 

I didn't laugh, much.

[martc]

I fear that the only Vauxhalls we will see before much longer are rebadged PSA vans.

 

They could drop Vauxhall completely and re-badge the vans as Bedford. (or Commer or Karrier, or even Dodge).

[Felly Magic]

I was so happy to hand back the keys of the rental Mokka I had for 5 weeks, and actually cutting myself on part of the dashboard trim when I reached for something in the passenger footwell, seats were hard as rocks, and no way in hell were they leather, something made from cheap plastic that even Lada would have rejected in the 1980s. The reason why so many Mokkas are about is down to what I've said earlier, mobility, it's the default choice on the scheme. Nobody in their right mind would actually buy one. A horrid 6 speed box, shift light coming on at just under 2500 revs, and this was a 1.4 turbot pezzle. That 1 car sums up what is wrong with the Vauxhall brand, overpriced shite, that is not actually fit for purpose

[flat4alfa]

I saw this and felt that the knife is being stuck in from gov depts to kill off Vauxhall in the minds of the public

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43987134

A criminal investigation has been launched into Vauxhall Zafira fires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed.

The DVSA has teamed up with Luton Borough Council's trading standards officers to investigate Vauxhall.

 

Zafira weren't built at Luton to start with.  Wasn't Opel just as 'slow' in Europe or I missing something?

[Lacquer Peel]

Luton is Vauxhall HQ.

[flat4alfa]

Yes of course, but similar Opel investigation in Ireland 

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/opel-recalls-8-200-cars-in-ireland-over-fire-risk-fears-1.2653557

 

GM stated it was a RHD thing

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20151022/ANE/151029944/opel/vauxhall-may-recall-some-zafiras-on-fire-risk

GM sells the Zafira through both its Vauxhall and Opel brands in various markets. It said only some right-hand-drive models, sold primarily in the UK were affected, alongside smaller numbers in markets such as Ireland, Malta and Cyprus.

 

Yet

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhall/zafira/93176/vauxhall-zafira-fires-manufacturer-facing-a-criminal-investigation

Vauxhall immediately initiated an ‘inspection and rework’ programme, contacting owners of the 234,938 affected cars – which was swiftly upgraded to a full safety recall, with the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) helping to ensure no potentially affected cars slip through the net.

[Bobthebeard]

Plenty of newish Vauxhall stuff around here. Mainly the chunky faux SUV stuff. Although to be fair the demographic is about right.

[AMC Rebel]

https://imgur.com/gallery/3o4FQkr

[face]

Shame they are dropping the Corsa VXR - for some reason I really like them.

[xtriple]

Not read the whole thread, just this one page as my interest in Vauxhall lies somewhere between none and 'couldn't give a fuck!'. But, I just want to defend this Astra estate I have borrowed. It's an 08 and done 182000 miles and not had an easy life with my mate Colin. As a car, it seems to me, fine. The bits that matter: engine (horrible diesel but seems okay to me, goes well enough doesn't sound too bad) gearbox, (5 speed, easy to change gear and when you consider I haven't driven a manual car in years because of a dodgy leg, I would notice if the clutch or gearbox was hard work) and brakes (excellent) then it's a decent car.

 

It rides well, steering is good: light but precise, engine pulls well, no noises from the suspension or brakes and everything works. Granted, the stereo is rubbish (but the dollop has 20 odd speakers and amps up the ying-yang) there are no cubby holes to put stuff, no armrest and manual rear windows. The plastics are a bit low rent but all still complete after 10 years of abuse and the seats are comfortable enough. It's no high quality product, nor is it a 'barge' t waft about in but as a means of transport, it's fine and seems to have been for 182000 miles.

 

Perhaps my expectations are not representative of the buying public, but it honestly seems okay to me. Every person I have seen in the last 2 days that has seen the Astra has sneered and derided it, the nicest comment so far has been: 'not bad... for a Vauxhall!'.

 

What am I missing?

[rml2345]

No idea. I had an '11' plate Astra as a courtesy car for a bit and share much of your experience. It was a 1.4 petrol but seemed perfectly adequate transport. Perhaps that's the problem? In an era where brand image is everything and cars themselves are becoming more anodyne, adequate isn't good enough.

[beko1987]

Amys Zafira is actually quite nice to drive... Granted it has 'that' stereotype about it, and when I work on it I swear at it lots, but whenever I've driven it, apart from the awful notchy gear change it's been fine, has more get up and go than the gooner, and the gooners got a smoll turbo!

[sam simmons]

Yesterday i handed back my Astra as a company Renault Megane has been supplied to me but i will say the Astra was a nice place to be slugging along the m25/m2.

 

Fuel consumption was worse than stated and the ride was a little harsh but it was the sri version and i preferred it to the company Focus i had last year..

[Cavcraft]

Probably irrelevant, but I asked over two years ago now about the latest Astra GTC. They kept saying dates sort of three months in the future, and nothing ever seemed to happen.

The latest gen of Astra are nice looking cars, but a three door version will hopefully look better still.

 

The Astra H Sports Hatch are one of the best looking cars of that era, a black or dark grey-ish XP would make me happy.

[chatsharris]

I remember my first experience of a Mokka. I had sailed from Plymouth, only expecting to be away for a week or so. Two and a half months later we came alongside in a scottish port and got given weekend leave so I thought ace, I'll save money on a hire car, and just win a motor instead! After that plan failed spectacularly, back up plan was to get an Astra sized hire car and blast down overnight to see the missus.

 

I got to the hire car desk, and they looked through their computer and said 'Mokka okay?'. I really didn't want to, everything about it I think is pointless and my brain was screaming "I'd rather walk barefoot through dogshit and broken glass!".

 

Unfortunately, as it had already been a long day and I just wanted to travel 400 miles and get my leg over, I said "That's fine".

 

I got out to the car park (Amongst all the Astras that you know, I actually bloody wanted!) doing the forlorn clicking of the unlock button because I didn't listen to the hire car person, as soon as I heard the word 'Mokka', I went in a daze - like when people get told really bad news and they go into autopilot. I eventually find the car and am immediately underwhelmed. I put my bag in the back, not a massive bag but immediately half the boot space is gone. Not a car for travelling with lots of people and their luggage.

 

I eventually get in and start it up, expecting at least a competent diesel to chug me along home. NOPE, 1.4 turbo petrol that is so wheezy and slow I genuinely thought something was wrong with the car, despite it's odometer just bursting into the fourth digit. I got it out of Glasgow Airport and started chugging towards Bath. I used to be based up this way and travel down to Plymouth most weeks. However, the road layout has changed since then and I spent the first hour going towards Edinburgh. Bollocks.

 

After a while I got sick of the DAB radio, I was going at a constant steady speed but yet it couldn't pick up many channels and it was always skipping and sounding like absolute arse. I was totally unaware that it had bluetooth connectivity, and it was a total arse setting it up. Eventually got it set up and back on the right road down. I had noticed that the car was not planted at all, it seemed to bounce all over the road like a spring lamb on speed. After several long hours (I took a wrong turn again and started heading towards London at one point), I finally got back to Bath with my back in absolute tatters, my ears ringing from the din of a poorly chosen engine and a fuel tank that was nearly empty because low 30's is acceptable MPG for a run.

 

I was only home for 36 hours, and I spent a good portion of that on the phone to Europcar, trying to swap it for absolutely anything. I'd have taken anything at that point! Unfortunately it was a no go, so instead I traipsed back up the line (the right way this time thankfully) and practically threw the keys back at them. Even with cruise control set at 70mph, I only saw 36ish MPG. Piss poor.

 

Hire car roulette. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

[lesapandre]

Interesting website about Vauxhall in their prime. In this case the late 50's Cresta.

 

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-pa---velox-cresta

[bramz7]

I worked with someone who had been given a Mokka as a hire car, and was quite entertained by the adjustable seats which had an insane amount of adjustments available. The rear seats were horrific, however. To be fair, I feel a lot of moderns follow that trend now, even my friends high spec 3 Series has horrible rears, not like the sofas in some of the stuff I have had.

[sierraman]

Its hard to imagine 20 years ago people ripped the piss out of the Frontera, at least it was capable off road and had a workman like quality to it. The mokka doesn't do anything well.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Having had the old insignia as a company car I can say it’s not bad, at least not when they’re new. The new insignia looks quite nice too and I’m sure it drives adequately. The trouble is they’re not the sort of car you aspire to, you’d never buy one with your own money, you settle for them as a company car or hire car.

 

I wonder whether lack lustre sales is the reason they’ve decided to start putting “Turbo” badges on everything like it’s the 80’s all over again. Of course it has a fucking Turbo, just like every other diesel since 1988.

 

its not the diseasels that get turbot badges oh no that's reserved for the 1.4 pez!

[Felly Magic]

I'd love to meet the design team of the Mokka, and club them all to death, when a 16 year old Ford Focus 1.8 petrol with 90k under it's belt is far nicer to drive, and much better made, and is ten times comfier, you know that car is utter wank. It is a cheaply made car, being 'sold' at a very high retail sticker, the top of the tree 4wd gutless turbotpetrol is worth no more than about £12k list, not over £25k! No wonder people avoid Vauxhall like the plague. GM have never really had the ability to fine tune chassis to suit the proper enthusiast driver, they just had a bad habit of giving platforms too much horespower so they torque steered into the nearest hedgerow. 

 

Ford are doing a bloody good job of imploding currently too, the last range of Transits seem to want to spend every minute on a 4 post lift, and dealers are being simply apathetic towards customers, I knew this would happen with the made in Turkey vans, I've witnessed Turkish build quality first hand, it's not good. Vans now it is difficult what to go for, not a single one is what you would call quality, and Merc really are tarnishing the brand with rebadged Datsuns & Renners for a very inflated price

[Asimo]

I knew this would happen with the made in Turkey vans, I've witnessed Turkish build quality first hand, it's not good. 

 

My 12 year old Turkish Ford van hasn't faulted in the nearly five years I've had it and looks good for plenty more years too if I keep loving it.  

 

I don't think the problems with the new Transits are assembly quality as much as wrong design priorities.

(Gearbox too weak for torque peak? - fit dual mass flywheel.  DMF fails in warranty period? - add patch to engine control software to   stall if driver tries to "lug" in too high a gear. etc etc)

 

Back to Vauxhalls.  I had nearly 100,000 miles in this.

People used to rubbish these because they were only rebadged Opels, and say that they would be the end of GM-UK / Vauxhall.

[catsinthewelder]

I can agree with that, our Turkish built transits have been pretty reliable but have issues of poor design such as flimsy door stays that are ripping apart at 2 years old and diesel soluble door seals that run underneath the filler cap and are fucked after 6 months.

[catsinthewelder]

The slow death of my Vauxhall is complete. HGF, leaking petrol tank and now completely siezed drum brake. I've spent the afternoon trying to fix it at the side of the road but fuck it, time to call Tom.

 

 

[Bren]

Back to what I said about the Antera and Sintra.

GM have stuck their hard earned badge onto any old shit and wonder why their reputation is in tatters.

An ex neighbour chopped in his previa for a sintra. He summed the car up in one word.

 

"wank"

[Sir Snipes]

I actually quite like the look of Mokkas, especially the facelift. I can't comment on their capability, suitability, value for money etc and the chances of my buying a new one are absolute zero but they look alright for a modern, chunky hatch.

[twosmoke300]

Oh god the sintra- forgotten about those . The horror the horror !

[anonymous user]

I hire cars quite regularly (well I normally drive a Land Rover) it is a very long time since I have been offered a Vauxhall, usually it's a Nissan, so around here they seem to miss out on the hire market. My sister-in-law had a Corsa and was very happy with it as it was small and easy to park. (She has no interest in cars) My nephew borrowed it when he started work, as a free car he was happy, but bought himself a Golf. A colleague wants a newish car I suggested an Astra and she wouldn't contemplate it. All the ones I've driven and been in seemed ok, but somehow they are now deeply unpopular.

[Timewaster]

That's the thing, the Astra is okay.

 

Not great, not wow, not where do I sign?

 

Just okay

[Frogchod]

If they were comfortable they'd be ok.

In all my years of company astras and Vectras I've never understood how someone could walk into a showroom,sit in one and go "yeah, this is comfy, where do I sign "

Most of the other guys in the company thought so too.

We all did serious mileage, FTP's were very rare. Still, nobody liked them and certainly wouldn't part with their own money for one.