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.
The driving position is fine, all seven seats are comfortable for most sizes, and grander Zafiras have standard-fit air-conditioning. Where it falls down is in its ride comfort, with underdamped rear suspension allowing it to heave and bounce on poor road surfaces.
Not only is the Zafira roomy, it makes brilliant use of its space. The two rearmost seats fold, flattened-out and face-down, into the rear floor when not needed, with a carpet to cover them. They then swing up and clamp into position when needed, complete with three-point belts. The centre seat row is a sliding bench, which reclines or can be folded up into a vertical sandwich and slid forward to make a big load space. With seven seats in use, boot space is meagre.
The stereo is neat and simple with a separate display to deter theft, remote controls in the steering wheel and good sound quality.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Vauxhall Zafira
wrote on 06 02 2008
wrote on 25 11 2006