Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport review - can it beat BMW, Audi and Mercedes?

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Is Vauxhall's Insignia Grand Sport up the the challenge set by the leaders of the compact executive car class from BMW, Audi and Mercedes? Straight after its Geneva Motor Show reveal, we took the Insignia Grand Sport on a road trip to Munich and Stuttgart in a bid to gauge its quality...
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[@szakalbarnabas87]

Why would you want to compare any Insignia to a BMW/Audi/Mercedes? It's competitors are Passat, Superb, Optima, Mazda6 etc

[@s.n.6211]

No

[@s.n.6211]

@Jupp SchlabuttAre you stupid?

[@s.n.6211]

@Jupp Schlabutt Kannst du Deutsch sprechen?

[@s.n.6211]

@Jupp Schlabutt Na dann. Der Insignia ist erstmal fast fünf Meter lang und übertrifft damit sogar die E-Klasse und den BMW 5er. Von der Technik bleiben beim Insignia bleiben keine Wünsche offen und er bringt sogar teilweise Oberklasse-Features mit. Er ist super verarbeitet, tolle Sitze (besser als die Plastiklandschaft im Arteon beispielsweise) ein hochwertiges Head Up Display, einen Spurwechselassistent. Und das größte Argument ist ja der Preis!

[@s.n.6211]

@Jupp Schlabutt Also mit dem Golf würde ich den Insignia nicht vergleichen, das sind zwei ganz andere Welten. Soweit ich mich entsinnen kann, ist der Insignia größer als der A6 und 5er.

[@georgiivanov61]

Isn't this car 50% cheaper than its "german rivals" BMW, Audi and Mercedes?

[@calbackk]

I am a first time Opel owner since 2018, and from an ownership pint of view Opel beats at least the big three in my opinion. Very reliable and in the rare case of a problem it is inexpensive to fix. Who cares if there are a few bits of hard plastic in som places, why is that such a big thing among car reviewers. Besides, all Opels are really good looking today.

[@mohitaquarius1996]

it sure looks sharper than any of those mercs audi or bmw

[@tesla.8410]

Audi's interior might be better, but its not 10,000€ worth of better. Plus their service is total shit - and it really shouldn't be, because their reliability is about as good as Fiat. I switched from an A4 to the new Insignia and I couldn't be happier - finally a premium car that has a premium ownership experience.

[@barrycarrigan5584]

Should of bought a Benz

[@s.n.6211]

The interior looks premium in the Insignia.

[@AndrewKNI]

Is the Insignia not more likely to compete with cars like the Ford Mondeo, Kia Optima, VW Passat etc.? Bit unfair to pitch it with prestige cars, although on looks and price it wins hands down.

[@lungulet]

Andy K. UK Yap!I don't get it why he insist that much on comparing this Opel with such expensive brands.... People that look for an Opel Insignia or Kia Optima, or Passat, Mondeo, Peugeot 508, Renault Talisman, Mazda 6 do not look after Mercedes E, Audi 6 or BMW 5 becose they are so much more expensive. So... why this comparation?

[@barrycarrigan5584]

Price yes , looks are you blind.

[@Leehow80]

Exactly. The price is way cheaper so why compare. Plus they failed to highlight it is actually a german car and didn't visit the opel factory in Germany!

[@1973retrorabbit]

The interiors of Vauxhall/ Opel Insignias are in fact built by the same company in the same factory by the same people as Audi... I used to work for that company... It was one of their big boasts.

[@alimosa4165]

John Barr people dont know that opel use matireals like audi and bmw

[@jokerface4491]

The AGR seats of the Opel Insignia are more comfortable than Bmw seats and Audi seats This video doesn't give any real comparison and based only on the illusory reputations Jd Powers 2016 Survey reliability : Buick/Opel : Third place Audi: Eleventh place Mercedes : Twelfth place BMW : Fourteenth place LMFAO

[@beagle7622]

The Buick was built at Russelheim as is the Opel,Vauxhall & Holden versions. I heard it may have been built in China but it’s not .Really Objectively what do you get for your extra money? A badge.

[@CrimsonStallion21]

Well said....I feel the reviewer is also biased towards the german cars on "illusionary reputations"....he doesn't really get into specifics of what it doesn't do as well as the. Morever there is such a thing as optimal engineering....perhaps vauxhall is able offer all those toys at a more affordable price because they are most likely not over engineering things.

[@joako2706]

The gap between premium brands and mainstream brands is closing with each generation . Merc nowadays have some awful reliability problems , horrible fit&finish (look at the trim from the New E-Class) and their transmissions are nothing to write home about . BMWs drive fantastically but inside are poorly made and are home for infinite electric problems . Audis look good on the inside but again S-tronic failures and too much VW sharing deludes the brand . So all in all this OPEL is at least at the level of the Three Big from Germany .

[@jcooper_]

It would be a competitor for BMW, Audi and Mercedes if it was priced like them. Since it starts well under £20,000, however, you should be looking at the Mondeo, Mazda 6 etc. It's like asking if a Tesco value pizza will beat a Dominoes one

[@Runeakb]

As a Dane, I hope the Tesco pizza is the good one :D Domino's here is utter rubbish :D

[@Arturo124]

At least they offer good prices. Not like typical Danish fast-foods.

[@91drunkenmonkey]

So all i got from this was "its got toys"

[@abdjr.247]

I am so excited for this car!! It's coming to America as a Buick and is priced very competitively!

[@ruicvt]

Is this a review on Insignia, or BMW, AUDI and Merc propaganda??

[@jimg.9981]

Insignia 2, same space as a mercedes E-class for almost halve the price.

[@nick3551]

I own a 2.0l Grand Sport Elite (automatic), it has all the bells and whistles and is a joy to own. It had 10500 miles on the clock when I purchased it and it only cost £15000 - this you cannot beat.

[@kevinharnellproductions]

I’m getting mine tomorrow 😊 - so excited, Any tips on best mpg ?

[@nick3551]

@@kevinharnellproductions mine's a diesel, but can be quite thirsty if you're heavy on the throttle. Hope you're enjoying your new car.

[@JRLJamielin]

Instead of shaming a British car brand, we should be praising Vauxhall for producing a car that, whilst not revolutionary, does everything most people need from a vehicle, at a price that is hard to argue with. Well done Vauxhall!

[@adilator]

It's an american owned german based brand you idiot.

[@JRLJamielin]

Ahhh, the typical 'idiot' insult when you have got a point to make but are too illiterate to make it in a fair and decent way. Typical. Anyway, yes it's owned by Americans, soon the French, and Headquartered in Germany for now, however the principle remains that Vauxhall has two plants in the UK plus a head office that keeps thousands of British people employed, so next time you try to insult someone through your keyboard, why don't you engage your brain first? Moreover my comment was focused more on the car, which looks ok, and seems to represent good value for money next to the alternatives. Next time you make a comment please do so respectfully.

[@EinkOLED]

Vauxhall is a british rebrand of german owned Opel

[@FsFredOfficial]

vauxhall is just a rebrand. All cars are designed and engineered by Opel, which is german.

[@JRLJamielin]

I agree, as stated in my original response, Vauxhalls are however, tuned and adapted for the British market, an Opel Insignia is different (very slightly) to a Vauxhall Insignia in terms of chassis, suspension and steering tuning.

[@samanthawoodward7551]

I have a insignia VX 2018 which I had chipped to 210bhp. Will see off some BMW and Audi no problem. I also think it's unfair to put it up against cars twice it's price. It's great value and super comfy. Mine was £18k 2 years old.

[@Runeakb]

Those AGR seats offer superior comfort and support for a price where normal people can participate. But the bloke in the video didn't really mention so much about that. If he had, he had probably compared them to the most pricey Merc S class seats, and "Oh unfortunately the £500 AGR seats don't really match the Merc's seats, what a pity"

[@xenongames7533]

what I learnt from this video that car is a good allrounder

[@tocmelea]

The real compensations should have been with Passat or Mondeo. Sad, because it is a good idea of a review,

[@RetroAndMore89]

The best comparison would be to the Skoda Superb, also a very great, but not expensive car. However, Vauxhall is one of the few automakers which production will remain in Britain... So, in a few years after all cars in Britain died you'll olny see normal people driving Vauxhall or an BMW Mini if you don't want to pay extra import toll.

[@clanmac66]

? Only the Astra is made in the UK.

[@DK07x]

clanmac66 astra is made in more than one country...

[@clanmac66]

Yes, but if you read the post I was replying to, the only Vauxhall actually made in the UK was the Astra at Ellesmere port.

[@stephengrose890]

Simple guideline for auto critics: * Always compare apples with apples. * Always compare within a similar price range. * Provide facts, engine specs, safety features, fuel consumption. * Comment on those things one can only tell from driving e.g. road/engine noise, cornering, brakes etc. * Don't bag a car just because it's missing some particular thing you like that others may not require. * Take value for money into account. * Last but not least - be objective and fair.

[@toonlad4091]

For the money..... the insignia is hard to beat. I just bought a white 2018 (june) 2.0 vx line nav estate with 11k miles for £15,000, the equivalent merc was a 2015 c220 sport with 50k miles...... no brainer really.

[@haydenfyfe885]

A car like this. It's the All New Opel Insignia, Shaped like the 2018 Holden Commodore drive off Lift back and Tourer. The Vauxhall Insignia (Opel) is comparable to the Jaguar XF, BMW 5 series, Mercedes Benz C Class and the Audi A4 Quattro.

[@alexanderdunning6586]

Loving all the rage in the comments. Actually thought it was quite informative, and useful especially for people wondering whether a used German car is 'worth the extra'. Vauxhall themselves suggested the move up-market, benchmarking it against said market seems entirely reasonable to me. Calm down everyone.

[@NAGULNR2]

I love the quality of this video :P

[@bogdankobulov5781]

INSIGNIA BEST !!!

[@Dr.Rashdan]

So what do you think guys should i buy mercedes CLA 180 or opel insignia Both about the same price

[@ScottZ370]

Great lower end company car, nailed it saying if you've been offered this then don't feel too disappointed

[@Fastwunz]

Pretty car especially in the green

[@tonibiru]

The experts no nothing... This car is gorgeous... And Opel is Opel

[@jimhumfryes2803]

I have the Tech Line Nav 2.0 170PS Diesel and think it's brilliant!

[@HellBound_Uptempo]

In these days LED headlight technology playing a crucial part in vehicles look, let take an Audi for instance(A6) between 2011-2016 not much difference in terms of ''lift'' however Matrix Headlight technology...what else to say...

[@Arturo124]

Why oh why did not you show that Emerald Green colour w/o video-filters ????

[@eddieconroy212]

What a bullshit review! All he did was slag it off compared to rivals which it shouldn't be compared with. It's rivals are Ford and VW. If your going to do a review make it relevant will you!

[@BoraMarkovic]

Its the same dumbfuck that reviewes super cars for this channels and somehow manages to make a boring video while driving a crazy cool lamborghini.

[@andrejkostovski8023]

well i dont really know but i think it can compete with a4 3 series and c class? But it definetly beats Ford and VW what do u think?

[@JAnx01]

Andrej Kostovski "But it definetly beats Ford and VW what do u think?" Nah. Ford Mondeo is a great car and the new VW Passat is also said to be very nice and it has the DSG gearbox which is one of the best on the market.

[@eddieconroy212]

Compared to the Mondo I would definitely go with the Insignia. The new Passat is a good car but a bit dull.

[@andrejkostovski8023]

i dont know but passat doesnt seem that good

[@Unknown-rk9qm]

Insignia is great car, but we cant compare it with BMW,AUDI or merc. But to be honest we cant compare with Ford and VW either, insignia is something in the middle

[@rustinn5390]

What's the song that plays at 3:10?

[@ivannikolov8527]

What is the engine in this particular car?

[@fundiver198]

So the Insignia is not quite as perfect as cars costing 10.000 to 20.000 £ more. That is hardly a surprice to anyone. The real question is, do you actually care about those very subtle details and, lets be honest, a load of badge snobbery? Or do you just need something practical, comfortable, safe and reliable with enough room for your family?

[@BenzinioB]

I dont think you can find more car for your money in any competitor. It is a great package. And there is an GSI model, the top of the range which is quite nice actually.

[@scottasafc1937]

Not anywhere near the German cars but looks a ton better than the outgoing car. How about putting it up against ford, Volkswagen and even Kia in the next one.

[@stratrovarius]

Of course you "forgot" to mention what kind of crap would Audi, Merc or BMW offer for the price of this Insignia. Right?

[@ThCMoAZeR]

i own that insignia :) now it has 350bhp :) and alot of extras that i installed

[@ThCMoAZeR]

and mine average fuel was 40mpg driving it not to hard on a 2000miles trip

[@NordicMeatShield]

Why would you compare it to cars that cost twice as much?? ..it's a great car for the price range

[@CAR_NL]

Well, the whole idea of the first Insignia was a competitor of the 3-series, C-class etc. But because they failed, they didn't want to compete with this cars anymore with this mk2 Insignia. So, this comparisson is a bit strange.

[@seawork3449]

Completely missed the mark on the rivals there. I think this sits with the Mondeo and the Superb.

[@WatashiwaToyotaHondadesudesu]

thats pretty cheap for such a nice car

[@MrBlueEyesTV]

don't just say "it has lot's of toys", tell us exactly what equipment/technology there is. Don't be vauge

[@ThCMoAZeR]

now i own this exact car same reg and everything with alot more added features :) if you lot want pics let me know its now 350bhp wiith lots of upgrades done by me :D

[@ThCMoAZeR]

and i done a tri pt o poland from uk and back with 39mpg so its really good but when you push it it gose low like every other car

[@andydolan3557]

What mpg did you average before the engine remap?

[@brennuscarolus]

How's it like driving a right hand drive car in a left hand drive country?

[@captainjack6890]

Lexus is the only company to have taken on the German trio with any amount of success. Everyone else have come up short. Other companies have produced decent one-off models but the Germans pretty much have it their way

[@sansuthan1059]

What a great Opel. Normal for an German Car

[@Sherukka]

Audi has maybe the most booring interiors? There are other who does their job better. Real leather and syntethic is not a serious "battle" today because some of us don't want real leather because of obvious reasons and real leather is nowadays covered by a layer of plastics anyway.

[@alexbaxter9512]

You're too used to testing German premium cars that come for road tests fully loaded with options, the Insignia has far more standard kit than the 'premium' Germans. My 2010 elite insignia had a heap more kit than the 2013 F31 BMW 320D luxury that succeeded it, (it also happened to spend much less time off the road too). Sorry, I don't buy into the notion that BMW, Merc and Audi are better built either, and that's from practical experience, not a few thousand km on a jolly..

[@marinoint]

The question is, for the price of Insignia, what kind of shitty BMW can you buy? Exactly.

[@RMD36000]

'Our last and final stop' .....

[@tripsadelica]

I feel sorry for you guys because the Australian version of this car (Commodore) has the two litre as the BOG STANDARD engine...none of the 1.6 jobs as in Europe. The top of the line, the VXR, has a 3.6 litre HF 6 with all wheel drive.

[@maherdaibes9344]

for the money its worth more then all the other rivals

[@L77yma]

How to blow the Auto Express monthly budget on a single review ! Next review flies car to Australia to see how it compares to the Holden.

[@martinwood9014]

It could twice as good as bmw, but brits still more concerned by what others perceive. Badge snobs.

[@Hargan]

This is not a review, it is a comparison with cars that are from the class above

[@darthfader1970]

Not a review by any means,for the money it's a very good car and much improved on its predecessor

[@JustMeTalking]

So Insignia is a safer family car in that I can park it on my driveway overnight and not have knife weilding thugs breaking into our house for the keys, unlike BMW, Merc and Audi owners.

[@walkaway6777]

its exterior certainly looks better than mercedes...interior is much better than audis...much more value for $ than bmw!!

[@Kenny_P_abz]

If it's as comfortable as he says it is it'll beat any Audi I've been in. Long trips = sore hips in Audis in my experience.

[@clanmac66]

Surely, if you are going to see if BMW 3 series and Mercedes C class, you need to got o South Africa where they are made and not Germany where the Insignia is made.

[@stubones]

It's a major step up from the previous generation but the engine choices are utterly pathetic for a car aimed at the lower end of the executive market.

[@patrickhaase2362]

cool car made in good old Germany!!!

[@arnoldmbuthia2687]

The older Vauxhall insignia vxr had almost 400bhp and 4 wheel drive... Why is it in the range of 200 bhp? It's like a Peugeot

[@TSL86]

Nobody builds better interiors than Audi? Really? Please....

[@TSL86]

Another gem...if there is no financial caveats, you would go for a benz instead of the Vauxhall? really!?... why not a freaking Bentley...

[@Romulan2469]

20 inch alloys for a 260 HP engine? Insane... I bet they get curbed so easily and the ride as about as comfortable as a mother's pushchair on a cobbled street.

[@dontcare32123]

Truly excellent ride on the 20s if you put the standard fully adaptive suspension into Tour mode.

[@sinan5636]

Dont mind those idiot BMW fanboys. This car is true competitor of VW Passat, Merc C class, BMW 3 and Audi A4. prev gen was designed to do it the same but had some weaknesses but this gen Opel really approached its aim to be " premium alternative" so close. with a 5 metre long e class competing body it has AGR seats, all heated/front cooled seats, massage function on front, intellilux lightning, torque vectoring in 4x4 models, flexride magnetic chassis control system and many things. probably cool interior options like nappa leather which was an opt in prev gen will be added soon. the thing is, Opel branded one begins at 25.500 euros in Germany where vaux one is just 18000 pounds. because of brexit chaos Vaux keeps the price as lowest as it can.

[@hush12hush]

21 mpg IS MORE than a bit rubbish! What a put off to ab otherwise beautiful piece of work.

[@Zippyboy93]

Does this review guy wear Adidas work out pants?

[@owenrichards2622]

How come the car is displaying the speed in Km/h when it's British registered?

[@batkodimitrov3183]

Owen Richards you can change that from the car's menu.

[@TheNuno190]

Owen Richards considering its a digital display,there is probably a mph/kph option

[@owenrichards2622]

+ Nuno Rosȧrio that's what I guessed too but it was funny how he was guessing the speed in mph for us rather than just changing it on the trip computer

[@arnoldmbuthia2687]

Unfortunately, it's competitors now are the likes of Ford Fusion

[@TerribleTimes]

Why did GM sell off Vauxhall ?

[@navdeepdhesi7720]

Steamin Steven They were struggling to make profits with the brand

[@fix-and-drive-diy-repairs]

thought mazda6!

New Insignia have unresolved automatic gearbox problems, personal experience...

[@johnny6476]

Aivar Vahenõmm Buy a manual then. 😂

[@nemanjareljic]

Opel can be compared to WV, PSA, Renault, Toyota, Honda.... Not premium cars like BMW, Mercedes...

[@-DC-]

so you test a car in a configuration no one will actually buy then be critical it's not quite as good as cars costing 15 grand more haha you may as well give up!

[@g00dfeeling]

Buy Alfa Romeo Giulia if you want something better than German premium.

[@macbuff81]

Mercedes: overpriced and bad quality (I had a beautiful C class one. Drove nicely had beautiful lines, but after only 80k the electrics as well as some basic mechanical parts broke down...this was during the dismal DaimlerChrysler period). Peugeot has truly beautiful and inspiring interiors, but sadly crappy reliability. Audi, also overpriced and boring. If one could combine Audi build quality (not the Q models, they are pretentious crap) with Peugeot interiors, then we would combine the best of both worlds.

[@05p03]

Why are you even comparing this to a merc/bmw/audi anyway ?

[@Nastypsychoboy]

Great job, that's 6 minutes and 18 seconds of my life completely fucking wasted.

[@iluminati76]

28k did he say?...haha...good luck with selling them.

[@EdGeyy]

Comparing a car to rivals which are better than it over and over again makes for a decidedly dry review to watch. Don't get me wrong, it needs to be pointed out, but come on.

[@Soulvex]

I'll stick with my vauxhall omega.

[@davidwpatterson]

Since when did audis have the best interior? Have I just had a stroke?

[@grahamevans3635]

This is with out doubt the most incredibly dull car review video i have ever seen.

[@bmwman540]

did he really say 21.5 mpg. over 1400 miles. That is shocking.!!

[@johnny6476]

bmwman540 he said it but didn’t show it on the trip computer.

[@robertday8619]

But you also forget to say that even Vauxhall come above the so called premium brands of Audi,BMW & Mercedes in the JD Power reliability survey!!!! and the Vauxhall is much cheaper and much better value for money!!! But if you're a BADGE SNOB go ahead WASTE YOUR MONEY WHO CARES! I CERTAINLY DON'T 😂🤣😂🤣

[@cjdacka]

Holden Commodore :(

[@tomigun01NZ]

Seemed rather a pointless exercise, no one expected it to be squared up against an Audi BMW or a Benz, I'd rather know where it stood against its competition such as the Passat and the Mondeo.

[@turley463]

let's hope this one don't catch fire like some other Vauxhalls. even if it does it'll not be their fault though, never is.

[@_chipchip]

Betteridge's law of headlines is one name for an adage that states: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no."

[@_chipchip]

Great review anyway :)

[@sr71blackbirddr]

Since when has BMW,Audi, and Mercedes been vauxhalls rival I think Auto Express need to get there feet back on the ground and do some real journalism. Shouldn't this be compared to the Mondeo,Mazda6,Peugeot508and Renualt Laguna. Must be spending to much time ragging supercars giving them a distorted view of what ordinary people drive.

[@JackKing12.]

It's a Vauxhall...you are not comparing apples with apples...

[@sbomorse]

I'd rather have the Skoda Superb.

[@mickbutterworth1943]

Owned one now for 6 weeks had to change the continental tyres this is the worst car I have owned for road noise sounds like a wheel bearing at 30 mph horrible on motorways vauxhall say nothing wrong with it .

[@junaid1463]

you might as well compare it to rolls royce