Hi, I've been given a Vauxhall Insignia while my Exeo is being repaired, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a side-by-side comparison of the two:
Comfort and Ride - Both cars are on 45 profile tyres so we're comparing them fairly. The Insignia softens the bumps in the road better than the Exeo but is less well damped, the effect is that although bumps are less jarring the car does tend to bounce more - something that my six year old daughter made comment on. Both cars do a decent job of controlling body roll and neither is better than the other in this respect. Road noise, though, in the Insignia is noticeably louder than the Exeo. The cabin in the Insignia has more knee room for the driver however the smaller steering wheel and overly sculpted seats force you into a driving position that makes you feel as though your upper body actually has less room (and on the subject of steering, the steering on the Insignia is much lighter and gives the driver almost no feedback). Rear occupants also get more leg room but my daughter found the higher window line gave an impression of having less room overall.
Engine and Gearbox - The engine is fairly quiet for a diesel, about the same as the Exeo's, however it has a much narrower power band and feels much more diesel-like than the CR engine in the Exeo which is actually quite petrol-like in terms of its wide, linear power delivery. The clutch in the Insignia is much lighter and bites more progressively than the Exeo's which is a bit of an on/off switch by comparison, however, I'm not convinced that my Exeo's clutch is working as it should and was due to have it looked at this week (until someone drove into the side of my car!). The gearbox on the Insignia is horrible! It's clunky, stiff and has a very long throw - making changing gear quite an effort, the Exeo's gear box by comparison feels much slicker and precise.
Practicality - The Insignia's boot is huge and very usable (although there is some intrusion into the boot space by the rear suspension), the Exeo's by comparison is a bit smaller but is square and dead flat with no intrusions from the side or from underneath. The side mirrors on the Insignia are better positioned and offer a better view than the Exeo but the rear view mirror is all but useless as the narrow, curved rear window seriously limits what you can see in it. The shape of the rear also makes it more difficult to judge the postion of the Insignia's rear bumper when reversing and is not helped by the lack of parking sensors.
Overall - Both cars have their merits and limitations: The Insignia has more space but paradoxically feels more closed in than the Exeo due to its higher window line, driving position and cluttered cabin layout. The Insignia softens road imperfections but is more bouncy due its poorer damping. Ultimately I still prefer the Exeo as it is much better to drive, feeling more direct and precise than the Insignia which feels quite detached by comparison.
Comfort and Ride - Both cars are on 45 profile tyres so we're comparing them fairly. The Insignia softens the bumps in the road better than the Exeo but is less well damped, the effect is that although bumps are less jarring the car does tend to bounce more - something that my six year old daughter made comment on. Both cars do a decent job of controlling body roll and neither is better than the other in this respect. Road noise, though, in the Insignia is noticeably louder than the Exeo. The cabin in the Insignia has more knee room for the driver however the smaller steering wheel and overly sculpted seats force you into a driving position that makes you feel as though your upper body actually has less room (and on the subject of steering, the steering on the Insignia is much lighter and gives the driver almost no feedback). Rear occupants also get more leg room but my daughter found the higher window line gave an impression of having less room overall.
Engine and Gearbox - The engine is fairly quiet for a diesel, about the same as the Exeo's, however it has a much narrower power band and feels much more diesel-like than the CR engine in the Exeo which is actually quite petrol-like in terms of its wide, linear power delivery. The clutch in the Insignia is much lighter and bites more progressively than the Exeo's which is a bit of an on/off switch by comparison, however, I'm not convinced that my Exeo's clutch is working as it should and was due to have it looked at this week (until someone drove into the side of my car!). The gearbox on the Insignia is horrible! It's clunky, stiff and has a very long throw - making changing gear quite an effort, the Exeo's gear box by comparison feels much slicker and precise.
Practicality - The Insignia's boot is huge and very usable (although there is some intrusion into the boot space by the rear suspension), the Exeo's by comparison is a bit smaller but is square and dead flat with no intrusions from the side or from underneath. The side mirrors on the Insignia are better positioned and offer a better view than the Exeo but the rear view mirror is all but useless as the narrow, curved rear window seriously limits what you can see in it. The shape of the rear also makes it more difficult to judge the postion of the Insignia's rear bumper when reversing and is not helped by the lack of parking sensors.
Overall - Both cars have their merits and limitations: The Insignia has more space but paradoxically feels more closed in than the Exeo due to its higher window line, driving position and cluttered cabin layout. The Insignia softens road imperfections but is more bouncy due its poorer damping. Ultimately I still prefer the Exeo as it is much better to drive, feeling more direct and precise than the Insignia which feels quite detached by comparison.
