SEVERAL NEW cars have been launched in Ireland this year, which, in normal circumstances, would have caused a major motoring stir. For a start, there was the arrival of the Vectra-replacing Opel Insignia. Then, the latest Toyota Avensis hit the market.
The latter has been the bread and butter of the large family segment for years in Ireland and, alongside the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo, it has been one of the best-selling cars in its class.
Meanwhile, lacklustre sales of the Vectra and its failure to spark life into Opel’s family car offering have been turned around by the introduction of the Insignia, the current holder of the prestigious European Car of the Year title.
The future of the Opel brand remains a source of contention as it parts company with US parent General Motors and falls under joint control of Canadian car parts company Magna and Russian car company Gaz – while getting some financial assistance from the German government.
The irony is that just as the brand’s name was featuring more prominently on news and business pages than in the motoring press, its production team has been building cars that are among the best to roll out of the Rüsselsheim plant.
STYLING
Avensis **
Insignia ****
Opel’s Insignia is one of the best-looking cars in the family car segment. It’s incredible to consider it could ever share a badge with the outgoing Vectra. Parked in any driveway it has a way of catching the eye that other family cars simply can’t match.
Opel has clearly been pushing towards giving the Insignia some premium class credentials, and while it can’t afford to do this through too many extras, it can at least score points in terms of eye-catching appeal. Whereas Toyota likes to play it safe for fear of offending anyone with its design language, Opel has been brave enough to attempt to add some sporty styling to the staid family market, and it has paid off. This car proves that you can offer more daring styling and still not offend.
Inside, the cabin looks and feels well-made. The materials are bright and feel good to the touch. The controls are intuitive, with most likely to be familiar to Opel owners of the past.
Admittedly, the new Avensis is a much better looking car than before, with the styling tweaked to give the impression of a much bigger, more executive car.
There is a much more prominent grille, and the headlamps, while making the car look a little bit like someone with a face-lift, do drag the design into the 21st century and give it a more Lexus-like appeal.
While the dimensions are pretty much the same as before, Toyota tells us that the wheels have been pushed out to give the car a more solid stance and improved handling. Inside, the Avensis is nowhere near as smart as the Insignia, with rather drab plastics and interior colours.
Side by side, the Insignia is a much better-looking car. It has the edge in terms of design, both inside and out.
For the company car driver, if you got an Avensis you’d feel like you were just another mileage warrior, but the Insignia would suggest you’ve had a promotion. At a time when wages are static or falling, it’s the little things like these that carry the most status.
Inside and out, the Insignia is a premium quality car that could sit next to the likes of the Audi, BMW or Volvo, if it weren’t for the front badge. Best in class to Opel in this category.
RELIABILITY and QUALITY
Avensis ****
Insignia ***
Toyota never has any need to worry here. Stroll up to any taxi rank and you will see a Carina older than most Premiership footballers with 500,000 miles on the clock, and there’ll be a driver happy to bend your ear about the car’s phenomenal reliability record. “Serviced every 500,000 miles with just a wrench and a prayer and it keeps going. . .”
Not that Opels don’t last as long, but they certainly can’t match Toyota on reliability awards for their cars. The Avensis doesn’t feel as special inside as the Insignia does, but you just know that you will encounter fewer faults with your car than an Opel owner.
For example, our Opel, which had 6,000km or so on board and has seen several suitors in its half-year on the road, was already starting to show the signs of strain, no thanks to its 19” wheels. In Opel’s favour, the plastics inside give a far more premium look and feel than in the Toyota, even if they are perhaps not as hard-wearing. Both cars are new and our crystal ball can’t predict what the future may hold for them, but past history would suggest that the Toyota is the car you would want to be in, five years down the line.
DRIVING
Avensis ***
Insignia ***
When you start to quantify just what the owner of this type of car wants, you need to put yourself in the mind, or in this case, the backside, of the potential owners. If you want to look good and feel proud of your car, then you’re probably already leaning towards the Insignia.
If so, then a word of caution. The steering in our test car was far too light, and the car felt unsettled at motorway speeds, not helped by 19” alloy wheels. We’ve already driven previous versions with smaller wheels and they felt better, so trust us that when it comes to wheel choice on an Insignia, you need to choose substance over style.
The Insignia has a wonderful chassis and does encourage you to push on through twisty roads if that is your wish, and while the 130bhp diesel we had was noisy, it was geared well and encourages easy long-distance travel. Cars fitted with the FlexRide system allow for the steering and dampers to be sharpened up, but this is a €1,374 option.
What is so surprising is the massive improvement made by Toyota between this Avensis and its predecessor. Here is a car that has been tuned especially for the Irish market, and it shows. It isn’t dynamically that thrilling, but it’s better than the old one – and is really comfortable. A five-hour trip in the Avensis is not a trauma. The car rarely feels flustered.
Overall, the Insignia just edges out the Avensis when it comes to comfort and cornering. It feels more mature and capable, and there is an air of confidence in its chassis that reassures the driver.
It would have won out in this category, were it not for the steering. It was ridiculously light at higher speeds and hampered our enjoyment of the car.
If that’s the result of fitting 19” alloys, Opel simply shouldn’t offer them in the first place.
ENGINES
Avensis ****
Insignia ***
There’s a new EcoFlex version of Opel’s 2.0-litre diesel available, which will sit in tax band B, but it will be a 160bhp diesel and will be more expensive than the 130bhp version we have tested here. The 130bhp engine is good, if a little vocal, but it takes a full two seconds longer to get to 100km/h. This engine does occupy Band C though, with emissions of 154g/km, so you will pay more for road tax than with the Avensis.
Toyota has done a superb job with its diesel. Sure, it can be a little noisy when pushed hard, but it has all the performance and asks you to pay just €156 per year in road tax – and the purchase price is significantly cheaper than the Insignia for the equivalent power.
RUNNING COSTS (ECONOMY, ROAD TAX, DEPRECIATION)
Avensis ****
Insignia ***
The Avensis is cheaper to run by virtue of having lower emissions, costing €156 to tax per year. The Insignia is Band C, with road tax of €302. Fuel economy of 5.8l/100km in the Insignia isn’t bad, but the Avensis is more fuel-efficient, requiring just 5.1 litres to cover 100km. Depreciation is likely to be lower in the Avensis. A 2006 2.0 D-4D Avensis from a main dealer with 50,000km will cost you around €15,000, while a 2006 Vectra diesel from a main dealer with the same 50,000km will cost just €11,950, hinting that the Toyota will better retain its value.
EQUIPMENT and SAFETY
Avensis ***
Insignia ****
The SE model in the Insignia is a great specification, with 18” alloy wheels, electronic parking brake with hill start assist, climate control, rain sensitive wipers, six-disc CD autochanger and a remote control security alarm. The Avensis is significantly cheaper, and you can have the Strata version of the 2-litre diesel for significantly less. The Strata is one of the higher spec models and gains 16” alloy wheels, air conditioning with climate control and leather covered multi-function steering wheel, while all Avensis models get ESP.
Sure enough, it doesn’t look or feel as lavish as the Insignia, but the Avensis is €3,075 cheaper. It scored 90 per cent for adult occupancy and a five-star result overall in the Euro NCAP safety tests. Opel’s Insignia scored higher for adult occupancy with 94 per cent, also a five-star result.
VERDICT
This was much closer than we initially expected. When we picked up the two cars we were seriously concerned that the Toyota was going to get blown away by the gorgeous-looking Opel.
Certainly, in terms of image and appeal, Opel wins hands down. Even the most avid Avensis fan must concede the Insignia is a better-looking car, inside and out. Both are equally spacious, although rear seat headroom is much better in the Avensis. Opel has pushed the new Insignia right up to the border with premium level counterparts.
Behind the wheel the Avensis surprised us greatly. Pitting the two cars over the same stretch of road, the Toyota gave the Opel a serious run for its money. It might not always have felt as composed or smooth, but it’s incredibly capable. The Insignia’s light steering feel was a serious flaw.
Then there’s the fact that the Avensis offers better value, costs less to run and will probably hold its value better than the Opel, over time.
So, overall, while the Opel wins our heart for its premium look and feel, in the current climate – where head, and wallet matter most – the Toyota shades it for us.
Opel Insignia 2.0 CDTi 130PS 5dr SE – €31,395
Engine:1,956cc four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power:130bhp, 300Nm torque
Transmission:six-speed manual
0-100km/h:11.3 seconds
Top Speed:202km/h
Economy:urban
7.7l/100km (36.7mpg); extra urban – 4.7 l/100km (60.1mpg); combined – 5.8l/100km (48.7 mpg)
CO2 emissions:154g/km
Tax band:C (€302)
Bootspace:490 litres
Price:€31,395
Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D 125bhp Strata – €28,320
Engine:1,998cc four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power:126bhp, 310Nm torque
Transmission:six-speed manual
0-100km/h:9.7 seconds
Top Speed:200km/h
Economy:urban – 6.6l/100km (42.9mpg); extra urban – 4.3l/100km (65.7mpg); combined –
5.1l/100km (55.4mpg)
CO2 emissions:135g/km
Tax Band:B (€156)
Bootspace:509 litres
Price:€28,320