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Original poster

Vauxhall Zafira - come and tell me about yours ...

34 replies

Plonker · 29/11/2008 21:43

...do you like it?

First and foremost, is it reliable?

Are parts easy to come by / reasonably priced?

What do you like most about it?

What do you like least about it?

...and VERY IMPORTANTLY - Would you recommend it?

My beloved Scenic has died a very painful and premature death so unfortunately we have had to cut our losses and look to a new car - we are looking at the Zafira.

It looks lovely and practical and seems to fit the bill for us (have 3 dc but regularly look after my dn(neice) and dn(nephew) so the extra seats would come in very handy.

However, I don't know anyone personally who has this car so please come and tell me about yours ...

All replies gratefully recieved

OP posts:
Original poster
Plonker · 29/11/2008 21:44

Sorry, should have said that its a 1.6 exclusiv model that we're looking at ...

OP posts:
PurplePillow · 29/11/2008 21:46

Can'y help I'm afraid but, I will be watching this thread with interest as I have my heart set on the zafira as mt next car

PurplePillow · 29/11/2008 21:47

Oops got my T's and Y's mixed up there

mrsmaidamess · 29/11/2008 21:50

I think ours is a 1.6 (not sure)

But I know its a Zafira!!

Its a good car, really good for long journeys, not so great for pootling around town.

The seats in the back back back as we call them are fine for kids up to about 12, then its a bit of a squash. Also boot space is seriously compromised if you use them. But the seat configurations are adaptable and practical.
Its got good poke, seems reliable (its my husbands company car so maintenance is one thing I don't have to worry about, thank God)

I would recommend one.

scrappydappydoo · 29/11/2008 21:53

We have one - I do like it but i have to say if I was looking now I wouldn't go for it - mainly in that when all the seat are up there is very little boot space and cos its got a bench 2nd seat row you'll have trouble getting 3 car seats across.. It is nice to drive though and has so far been v. reliable hth

SleighGirl · 29/11/2008 21:54

My mechanic raves about their reliability. My CM has one so I had a close look at it but I discovered that if you have 2 car seats in the middle row you can't fit a 3rd child as well (even if they are not in a car seat). I'm 5' & a bit and I'm too tall for the rear seats.

So I'd say it depends how old your dc are? If they are older and 2 can use booster seats without backs then you should be okay.

Boot space with rear seats up is tiny.

ButterflyBessie · 29/11/2008 21:59

I have one and love it

Mine is from 2004 and has three proper seat belts in the back seats, some of the older ones have a lap belt in the middle which isn't so good. Also the middle seat can be moved forward seperately so my kids can clamber through to the back two seats and strap themselves in

However if you have all seats up, there is no room in the boot

PillockOfTheCommunity · 29/11/2008 22:01

We had one as a hire car over half-term as I went away for work and took the kids (NEVER again!)
I liked it, but as others have said the seat configurations aren't always that great. I had two 17yr olds, a 5yr old and an 18mth old with me. The centre seat in the middle row was next to useless, other than the cup holders that are on the back which are great when you keep it folded down
I had the smallest in his car seat behind me, and this meant that we couldn't fit anyone in the centre seat. I had to put the 5yr old in the back row as the 17yr olds didn't fit.
There is no leg drop space in the back seats so anyone sat there has their legs folded in front of them which isn't great once you're over 4ft!
It was useful to be able to have just one seat up right in the back and all the luggage for 5 of us for a week went in there, but it had to be packed carefully to stop it falling on the 5yr old

It also has a very annoying blind spot because of the large pillars.

I'd probably not buy one tbh, it only really works if you'd be doing very very short journeys with no luggage, or you only have 5 of you.

Original poster
Plonker · 29/11/2008 22:04

Great feedback thanks

My children are 8 nearly 9 (has booster cushion), 5 (has maxicosy rodi high back booster) and 16 months (has britax duo plus isofix).

My plan would be to put dd1 on booster on one of the boot seats, dd2 to be in the middle back on hbb and dd3 to be in the middle back in stage 1 car seat (obv this is assuming dd1 and dd2 don't fight over who goes in boot!!) then hopefully I would have enough room in the boot for the buggy and baggage? Does that sound reasonable?

Am v v pleased to hear that it is reliable

OP posts:
SleighGirl · 29/11/2008 22:13

Yes that sounds doable but there will be much more space if you put the booster cushion in the middle row & it will be easier to flip the seat forward for someone to climb in the boot IYSWIM

PillockOfTheCommunity · 29/11/2008 22:16

Ooh yes, that was the other thing we found - ds2 had to go on the opposite side of the car to ds1 in the boot because otherwise it was tricky to get ds1 in or out without having to unattach the car seat every time. Only made the mistake once!

Ponders · 29/11/2008 22:18

Do not get a petrol engine, they eat fuel, get a diesel

Have had mine (2.0 dti) over 5 years & it's been ultra-reliable-touch-wood. Small adults can fit in the boot seats, as long as the middle row is pushed forward slightly (it's on flexible runners so it can be positioned anywhere).

Boot space is mahoosive with rear seats folded under & middle row pushed right forward - v useful for carrying furniture etc

Headroom is massive & spoils you for ordinary cars - you feel as if you're falling down a hole when you get into one of those

Main drawbacks are:

the middle seat doesn't split, so if you want to push it forward to access the rear seats everybody sitting there has to get out first (bit of a PITA)

if you are out somewhere & decide you want to use the rear seats (we call them the back back too mrs mam ), there is nowhere to stow the boot carpet & the luggage cover except precariously balanced in the tiny remaining space

if you buy a pre-2003 model the middle seat only has a lapbelt

it is v short of sensible storage in the front

also, although we have not yet been troubled by this (touch-wood-again), the spare is underneath the car in a fairly flimsy bracket & they get nicked

ours used to be serviced at a main dealer but we go to a lovely local back-street bloke now & it's much cheaper

SleighGirl · 29/11/2008 22:25

Ponders I'm 5', after 5 minutes in the boot I was uncomfortable!!!!

Poledra · 29/11/2008 22:29

My dad is on his third Zaf, he loves them. He likes having the extra seats for the gcs, but they are not good for adults (tho' I did do a 3 hour journey in extreme circs, once. Was very cramped, I'm 5'10''). My sis also has one. They seem to be very reliable - the only big problem my dad had with one of his was fixed by Vauxhall as it was still under warranty and was nost probably a factory error.

I do not have one because I find them a bit plasticky in the cabin and also they do not take 3 carseats in a row for 3 under 5 .

Original poster
Plonker · 29/11/2008 23:04

Can you access the boot seats via the boot? What I mean is, if one boot seat is up and one is down, can you access the seat by climbing in the back?

Its a newer model and has a 3 point seatbelt in the middle - is this seat big enough for a booster cushion?

Ponders - really don't want a diesel - are the petrol engines very bad at drinking fuel?

OP posts:
OnceAPillockNowAnAngel · 29/11/2008 23:07

You can get to the seat through the boot if the other seat is down and nothing is in there. With a pushcahir and/or shopping you wouldn't be able to.

No, the centre seat is not big enough for a booster IMO.

Get a diesel, I don't drive diesels usually but honestly woulnd't have known it was one at the fuel economy was fab, on a par with my 1.4 petrol clio!

SleighGirl · 29/11/2008 23:07

yes you can access by climbing in the boot with one seat down (provided no one has parked too close)

The middle seats are all the same width it seems to be the backed boosters that are too wide to get 3 car seats across, I think you could possible get 3 booster cushions across especially if you got slim ones. Shoulder are wider than hips IYSWIM.

Original poster
Plonker · 29/11/2008 23:17

Thanks

I really don't want a diesel - my Scenic was a diesel and died a horrible, expensive diesel-related death, lol, its really put me off!! Plus, I don't do much motorway driving and figured the lower petrol costs should save me money??? ...they're also cheaper to buy

OP posts:
herbietea · 29/11/2008 23:31

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BecauseImWorthIt · 29/11/2008 23:33

I went from a Scenic to a Zafira, and have had ours since 2001.

We have done 67,000 miles in ours and it has been pretty reliable. The only real issue has been the air conditioning unit, which has failed regularly, at least once every other year.

I have also just had to have the water pump replaced, a new exhaust and it's started to use more oil.

But I really like it. It's a 2.2 Elegant, so it's great driving on the motorway.

I don't do massive mileage, so don't worry too much about petrol consumption.

I don't have small children, so the car seat thing has never been an issue.

We also have a top box, so that if we need to use all 7 seats we don't have a luggage problem. I have, though, been away with 5 adults and 5 sets of golf clubs and there was plenty of room.

herbietea · 29/11/2008 23:38

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Ponders · 29/11/2008 23:43

Mine's just passed 50K miles & has only needed routine servicing (so-far-touch-wood, I am so superstitious about saying things like this! )

On the one warm weekend we encountered this summer it did hiccup at the end of a long journey with the a/c on, but stopping & restarting cured that; in 5 years we have not yet had to spend anything on the a/c (but will get it checked out next summer)

I get 45mpg (500-600 miles per tankful) & the 2.0 tdi engine is lovely to drive. I have driven the latest model (2006) & didn't like it as much as the older one tbh - it has a very peculiar handbrake

Ponders · 29/11/2008 23:45

plonker, sorry, didn't answer your Q about fuel - the 2006 one I had briefly was a petrol engine & it seemed to use twice as much fuel as my diesel. I didn't keep strict records but it was def a lot worse

cat64 · 30/11/2008 00:05

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mumlove · 30/11/2008 20:57

I love mine, it's good because as a childminder I can put up the boot seats as and when I need them.
I also have 3 car seats across the middle row. All britax a high liner, first class (in middle seat) and evolva 123.