Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £16,495 to £24,995
Brilliantly packaged, lively, well-built.
Fussy cruising, wallowy ride, dull interior, not as safe as the best.
One of the cleverest MPVs, but lacks flair.
That dull facia is logically arranged, the driving position is high and commanding, and you get the fine view out typical of an MPV - except that the thick windscreen pillars can get in the way. The gearchange is light and easy, although the lever is perhaps mounted a little too far back for shorter drivers.
The Zafira has punchy performance, crisp steering and surprisingly agile, sporty responses. On a smooth road, it's a lot of fun. We just wish the suspension was better damped.
The 2.2 and 1.8 are lively cars with plenty of pulling power for a full load. The 100bhp 1.6 is slower, but still quite a perky performer. The turbodiesel, with 100bhp, is quite rapid enough too. For true performance, the GSi is a real live-wire.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Vauxhall Zafira
wrote on 06 02 2008
wrote on 25 11 2006