Advantages: The extra rear seats are always with you folded under the floor
Disadvantages: You have to empty the middle row to get the rear row out, no sliding doors

...Introduction ---------------- In 2003 I took the option to opt out of our company car scheme and use an allowance to purchase my own vehicle. I bought a Vauxhall Zafira Elegance 2.0 DTi from new in July 2003. This was the top of the range diesel and I added to it Vauxhall's Technical pack, Winter Pack and Climate Control. Vauxhall of course are part of the American General Motors (GM) Company and you can find the occasional GM sticker on it. Other parts of the world know them as Opel. The Zafira is generally classed as a mini MPV, it's essentially based on the Astra (old model now) floorplan and is a bit like an Astra estate that's been stretched upwards. There are a lot of mini MPVs on the market now but the Zafira is (certainly was) one of the few to fit a third row of seats into this space. I'm sorry but a vehicle... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Roomy, easy to drive and fairly economical
Disadvantages: Horrible blind spot and electrically unreliable

...own a Zafira. The economy is surprisingly ok for this type of vehicle, about 35 miles to the gallon (sorry I don't do the litre conversion, comes of being born in the 60s). Having said the above I will be changing the car asap due to continual electrical problems over the past 18 months. Firstly the alarm started to go off in the early hours of the morning (no I wasn't popular with my neighbours). Unfortunately it took the Vauxhall garage, three diagnostic tests to find the fault. In the meantime they first advised me it was the change in temperature. Then it was a fault in the rear heated window. The rear window was replaced (over £200 via our windscreen insurance) The problem continued and was finally put down to the heating element in the side, rear window. That was replaced, and after much negotiating and pointing out... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Economical and environmentally friendly
Disadvantages: Sometimes finding those autogas filling stations is a challenge

...THE VAUXHALL ZAFIRA The Vauxhall Zafira was launched in 1999 with the 1.6 and 1.8 litre petrol or 2.0 Di diesel engines. Air conditioning was standard in all but the entry level model. However, in 2000 the entry or base level was discontinued and the Zafira was left with the Club, Comfort and Elegance models. In April 2002 the Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) / petrol dual fuel option was introduced with a 1.8 litre engine and by August 2002 a 1.6 litre LPG dual fuel option arrived in Comfort trim only. Later in the year there were 1.6 and 1.8-litre LPG Design dual fuel models available. The Zafira was innovative when it was launched. Seven seats over three rows were squeezed into the people carrier, but due to the pioneering Flex7 system, you could fold up to five of them to suit any journey. Safe handling is also ideal for drivers... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: 7 seats, decent drive. Ours is silver.
Disadvantages: Not a lot - a bit ugly.

...Pleurisy now diminishing, what say I launch into a 5-year progress report on our much respected, if not exactly loved Zafira. According to Wiki, the Zafira was named after a Hungarian porn actress called Zafira. She recently underwent breast enlargement because one breast was larger than the other. Hey - same's true of my hands. We should meet. Here's an early disclaimer: I know bugger all about cars. I let mankind down. I am as worthless as a worm. I can drive. I know where the petrol goes. So, purpose of disclaimer is to get people who watch Top Gear off my back from the off. There will be no talk of bhp, torque or carburettors. Hey -I spelt it right. No red line. Cool. This will be a simple explanation of experience/costs/likes and dislikes and practical stuff like wot I do know about. All technical stuff will be dispelled... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: ALL ROUND PRACTICALITY, ESTATE,SALOON, VAN.
Disadvantages: ENGINE NOISE AT HIGHER SPEEDS.

...Ihave now owned my Zafira for 2 years and I can say it is probably the most practical vehicle I have ever owned. The advantage over the Galaxy,sharan,alhambra clones are the use of the extra two seats. I have owned the Alhambra and found that when you needed the extra two seats you had to either leave them in folded. This cut down your available load space, or put the very heavy seats in every time. With the zafira the rear two seats fold into the floor, so are available all the time. It is a one handed job to prepare the vehicle for " bus mode". If you need to carry that awkward load on a Saturday for that inevitable DIY job the Zafira comes to the rescue. Just fold up the rear bench seat and slide the rear seat towards the front seats, and there you have it a van. The only problem I have found with the 1.6 is I feel it is a little... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Easy steering, lovely action, everything to hand, nets and storage space good, versatile seating.
Disadvantages: Lack of storage space when all seats being used, rear lights keep blowing.

...We had to purchase a new vehicle very quickly as we only own one and our previous vehicle caught fire - we only had two free weeks use of our insurance company's car. The Zafira was an easy winner. It is very light to handle and the steering action is lovely. I have a family so versatility of space was a necessity. We have carried all sorts of sports equipment in the back - some large. We have used it for changing after sports events as well as changing babies nappies!! We have even carried long thin items of bathroom trim home, being able to poke the length through the back seat armrest whole, as it unfolds.We have transported a halfdrum sized barbeque and stand too, with the back seats down. Another advantage of the Zafira, for someone not very technically minded like me, is that the alterations to the seating/storage are very straight... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: It's big
Disadvantages: Visibility

...system is so easy to use and a great bonus not having to remove seats completely. There are plenty of cup holders about and the extra cigar lighter right in the back is very useful when we plug our camping fridge in for long trips. In our old Zafira, we had a dark outer colour and so had to have a light interior. Vauxhall have realised the error of their ways and put a dark interior into later models. It is very easy to keep clean. Driving is what we have a car for and it is a real pleasure in a Zafira. Raising the driver's seat is great as you feel quite high up which should help visibility. However there is a blind spot created by the door posts at the front which makes you waste time at junctions by having to crane your neck. I'm not a great fan of Vauxhall gearboxes as I find them clunky. Getting from first gear to second can... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Versatile, well equipped and well built.
Disadvantages: Looks

...The laws of physics used to be fairly strictly followed by car manufacturers until the wide acceptance of the people carrier as a damn good idea. Initially resembling vans with seats, the VW Sharan/Ford Galaxy/Seat Alhambra changed all that by making good, large cars with versatile seating arrangements and lots of equipment. However, the laws of physics dictated that these had to be large on the outside to be large on the inside - adding to size, cost and fuel consumption. Right then, said Vauxhall, we'll ignore that scientific rubbish and create a car that is smaller than a full size people carrier on the outside but just as big on the inside. For a family of six, this was fate - so we bought one. Built on the Vauxhall Astra platform, the Zafira makes the most of this fairly short wheel base in two ways. Firstly, the bodywork... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: I only have to keep it for 9,000 miles. Drives OK
Disadvantages: boring, dull, ordinary and a bit outdated

...I am currently between company cars and have been using the services of Avis to fill the gap. They ask that you return a car before it gets to 13,000 miles so I am currently changing cars about every two months. The latest loaner is the much vaunted Vauxhall Zafira club, which I picked up early in the week and have now had for about 1,000 miles. Looks and Styling 2/5 = It's a Vauxhall, never renowned for their styling or attractiveness, it has all the character and style of a loaf of stale bread, and it is about the same shape, no matter, I don't need it for its pulling power. Build Quality 3/5 Unusually for a Vauxhall it seems to be quite well put together, although the noise that the boot lid makes when closing lets it down badly. It isn't very well lined up and the noise... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Seating Versitility / Interior Space
Disadvantages: Spare Wheel / Blind Spot due to A Pillars

...I decided to buy an MPV when my third child was born and we could no longer fit in our old Nissan Sunny. It was the large boot or the option of two extra seats that clinched it for me. I also worked at a port where the Zafira's were imported and they were described to me as 'well put together' by the lads that drove them off the ships (seeing the way they drove these vehicles this was a good endorsement) and they were right it is well put together, it feels very sound and strong. Once settled on the Zafira finding one proved more difficult that I had imagined, second hand ones were still quite expensive (a good sign!)and new ones were either too expensive for me or too basic (man's got to have a CD player!). Anyway I found a company on the net that were importing Zafiras for that same price as a two year old secondhand one. Now I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful