I test drove an Insignia yesterday, the 160 BHP Sri diesel on 18" alloy wheels. I like the seating position, could do with the seat going a little lower but overall a good position with both armrests working well. The gearchange is much improved and the interior quality is good. I do find though the diesel engine to be noisy, more than in the Vectra and at motorway speeds I thought it would be quieter. I also found the ride very harsh, I cannot imagine how bad it must be on a rough surface with 20" wheels. There were a few vibration noises here and there and for one year old car the brakes felt soft.
So overall I am not impressed, I think it looks great and the interior is a nice place to be, but the noise and ride and probable ever growing number of vibrations mean I will not be getting an Insignia.
I also test drove a Focus 1.6 diesel, not really a Vectra alternative I know but I quite like it, good ride and very precise steering with superb brakes. The engine felt quite slow even compared to my 1.8 Vectra which is considered slow off the mark, thought a 115BHP diesel in a smaller car would provide a little low down grunt.
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