Many people are now buying small SUVs as a family vehicle and the Vauxhall Antara is spacious and very reasonably priced.
The Vauxhall Antara is well equipped, has a lifetime warranty and feels well built on the interior. There is only one option of engine and that is the 2.0 litre diesel, which is unrefined and is noisy. It also lacks the necessary power for driving around town.
Neither the manual nor the automatic gearbox is efficient, with the manual making it difficult to select the gear you need. The automatic transmission takes too long to switch cogs and these are problems that the company needs to address. There is also the matter of loose steering and soft suspension, which makes the car roll when cornering.
On the road the Antara does absorb bumps, but it still makes your body bounce around a lot, which can be uncomfortable for anyone who suffers from motion sickness. The noisy diesel engine also revs with a loud noise when driving on the motorway.
Unfortunately, off road it does not get any better. There have been no major faults reported for the Antara and it does come with a lifetime warranty which covers up to 100,000 miles. The quality of the interior is good with soft touch materials being used to make for greater comfort. In the boot there are just 370 litres of luggage space, but the rear seats do fold down to provide a larger area when needed.
There are some cut price deals on the go at the moment, so asking for a discount is good policy when you go to look at the car. The basic models have a good level of equipment, but higher spec cars will have air con and cruise control so it may be worthwhile paying the extra.
Running costs for the Antara will vary according to which transmission you choose. The manual box will achieve 37.2 mpg and the automatic will give you 32.8 mpg. Not outstanding figures, but not to bad for a thirsty SUV. The lifetime warranty is an excellent policy and will ensure that you do not get landed with extremely high mechanics bills.
Vauxhall is not renowned for high resale values, but there are ways to combat the amount of depreciation on your car. One of the answers is to buy a set of car mats which will assist in keeping the inside of the car as good as when it came out of the showroom. In addition, a unique set of car mats will make your car look more stylish and will add to the comfort level for both you and your passengers.