Vauxhall Frontera Estate 2.2 dti

Author's product rating:   

Safety	Good
Comfort	Satisfactory
Road Handling	Good
Security	Excellent
Looks	Satisfactory

Advantages:	cheapish to run, good driving height
Disadvantages:	some annoying blind spots

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

We recently bought a s/hand frontera to replace the espace which a neigbour kindly wrote-off for us whilst we were eating our tea. After the usual insurance nightmare - despite being fully comp etc - we were left without a work vehicle for the best part of a month.

When the insurance company finally paid-up, after a string of very assertive phonecalls - suprise suprise we couldn't replace the vehicle we had lost. So, cheque in hand we went looking for something simillar.

We eventuqally found the Frontera - 7 seats, like the espace, diesel, like the espace, towing tackle, like the espace, and we could afford it.

I was a bit sceptical, at first, but had a test drive and was pleasantly suprised. The car drove well - a bit agricultural in performance - but hey, there are speed limits. We took the plunge and have had nearly 12 moths trouble free motoring so far, the parts are reasonably cheap - very much so when compared to the espace - a set of roof bars for £28, full set of locking wheel nuts - to include the spare, less than £20.

The car tows well enough, runs along at 70+ on motorways and autoroutes and keeps up a decent average speed so long as you keep the revs-up. Fuel consumption and overall comfort don't quite match the espace, and although it is a big vehicle - a lot of that space is fresh air under the floor - the internal space is a bit limited - especially compared to the espace. Rear seats fold forward well and the extra "dicky" seat in the back is ok for little people, althouth as it is rear facing you have to do a colour check on them at regularly intervals to avoid the technicolour yawn!

Not had the chance to do much off road - but I am pleased to say it has a proper set of levers to engage low range and four wheel drive - none of this ponsy constant 4x4 or button pressing nonsense! This vehicle has to be stopped and you have to do the job properly to get into 4x4 mode!

I like it, it has a nice high seat - just under my bum height - which makes it dead easy for us bad back sufferers to be able to reverse in and swing your legs into place; you are nice and high and can see over the tops of lesser vehicles, the road holding is good - it is a long wheelbase. The tyres are huge and not as expensive as you would think, I doubt I will live long enough to wear-out all that tread.