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

...I have owned my Zafira (elegance 1.8) for coming up to 3 years. It is a V reg. and has been a lovely vehicle to drive, comfortable and easy to get passengers in and out. Children love it due to the height and added visibility for them. The 7 seats have been a godsend at times, but having to remove the boot cover bar each time and store it at home can be a pain in the proverbial. The boot space with 5 seats is very spacious, but minimal with 7. I do have a huge concern with the visibility from the windscreen ,on each side, due to the roof support blocking a significant amount at certain times, e.g turning out from a junction. I've only had one near miss (that was one to many for my liking) and the experience taught me to be even more vigilant when checking the coast is clear. This is a common complaint from others I know who... Read review

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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

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Advantages: flexibility of inside, comfortable seats
Disadvantages: semi thirsty in town/city driving

...As a granny, I need a car that can take various combinations of adults, children and babies. As a person with arthritis, I need a high seated car, with ewide opening doors, comfortable, back supporting seats and roon for a wheelchair. As a lady with a job in central London I need a car that can cope with all the traffic jamx, and still not cost too much to run. It sounded like an impossible combination -and then I saw adverts for the Zafira. I tried out a Zafira one weekend as a rented car, and was smitten. I get my cars on a 3 year lease from Motability, so I was interested in how much of my Disability Living Allowance it would take = every last penny, and it has been well worth it. The down side is the high initial deposit on the lease. The advantage is the flexibility, and the comfort. We have tried just about every internal... Read review

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Advantages: Spacious, Number of Safety Features.
Disadvantages: Not great value for money

...The Vauxhall Zafira is one of the most popular compact MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) on the market. Out of all its competitors it accounts for 40% of all 7 seater MPV Sales. *~*~*Which model am I reviewing?*~*~* I am reviewing the Vauxhall Zafira Life 1.8i 16v petrol model with 140bhp that we hired for 4 days. It is the latest model from Vauxhall after recently being revamped last year, it is a 5 door model with a seating capacity for 7 passengers. The Zafira does come in different engine sizes as you would expect the smallest being a 1.6i and the largest being a 2.0i Turbo with 240bhp. *~*~*Styling*~*~* The New redesigned Zafira is a lot sleeker and sexier than the previous model however it is still not that easy on the eye. Less aggressive styling makes it a bit more family car orientated than people carrier, also... Read review

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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

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Advantages: Flexibility
Disadvantages: Uncomfortable 2nd & 3rd Row Seats

...It was back in 2002 when I had to make a choice of replacing my Saab 9-3 Aero or my MINI Cooper (both 3 door cars) and embrace the world of parenthood and dull, practical cars. My world sank as I had to trawl the showrooms and sit in Scenics, Galaxys, Picassos, Streams etc - lugging an empty child seat and pushchair to make sure that they fitted. We wanted a car with automatic transmission car and in the end plumped for a Zafira 1.8i Elegance in Star Silver. I didn't even bother with a test drive as the previous year I had a contract hire 1.8i auto Zafira for about 6 months and from my vague goldfish memory, recalled that the car was "OK" to drive. I got a good deal on the car and as always my wallet led my heart. £18,800 list. (Metallic, Auto, ESP, Side Airbags and Curtain Airbags) The deal was £16,800 with 0% finance over 3... Read review

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

.... The driver is rewarded with height adjustable steering wheel and seat, and the all round visibility and driving position is very good. White dials for the speedo and rev counter hint at sportiness but that is all they do. The 1.8 16 valve engine was pretty tight for the first few thousand miles, but has loosened up nicely and not only feels better to drive, revving more freely, it also gives slightly better fuel consumption now that it is worn in. Though the performance is nothing special, it copes well in all conditions including lugging the family up the M1 with luggage. It also stays fairly level when cornering, making it feel very safe, unlike many cars of this type which tend to roll quite a bit because of their height. If you and your family were regularly making extended road trips, you might just find the Zafira a little to limited... Read review

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Advantages: Highly versatile yet not unwieldy with 7 seats in a smallish package
Disadvantages: luggage space when all seats are in use is small, can be affected by crosswinds

...belts though Driving/performance....... Lets get this straight, I enjoy driving a good car and I enjoy a bit of either fun or performance (I own a V12 Jag XJS for performance and a Land Rover ex military for fun!) but driving the Zafira is not the yawn inducing experience that I imagined. The 1.8 16V engine has 125BHP and is actually quite quick, 0-60 is faster than the old Golf GTi believe it or not. Handling is safe and secure but not wildly entertaining and there is a traction control system and ABS to sort you out if you get a bit wild. So it goes well, the seating position is nice and high up, which I like and the handling is predictable but pretty good. All of the controls are nice and easy to hand and the car is actually lovely to drive. Only one niggle and that is that it is a bit low geared for motorways, ie at 80 mph... Read review

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Advantages: Comfortable & Stylish, Carries 7 people, Used Models Cheap and Plentiful.
Disadvantages: Poor Engine reliability and Rear door defect issue

...a closer look, the section of door where the retaining bar which stops the door swinging out, is bolted to, had begun to crack. Eventually the piece of door fractured totally and now the door swings out in high winds. I found on one internet site, lots of reports stating this was a common problem with some Zafira's. All in all though, the 1.8 engine gives enough power to carry a full load of seven and providing they don't have lots of bags, it can make for a comfortable journey. Used models of 3-4 years old are readily available for around £5000. I would love to up-grade to the newer fully sun-roofed model one day!... Read review

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Advantages: seperates the kids, stops the fighting
Disadvantages: luggage space when all seats in use

...are up. You can fit a few shopping bags in the back but when you lift the boot they have a tendancy to fall out all over the floor. But if you don't need all the seats you can simply fold the rear seats into the floor, this takes a matter of minutes and is not heavy work. The seats are very versatile and all move backwards/forwards or fold away so you can really fit in a lot of stuff in the boot if needed. We have brought home the bedroom furniture in the boot with no problem. I think the looks of the car are excellent, but each to his own taste. I find the 1.8 petrol to be sufficiently powerful and am pleased with the pulling power and the handling of this car. We tow a trailer when we go on holiday every year and the vehicle has had no problem coping with this. I love the hand controls on the steering wheel for the radio... Read review

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