This week Nicholas reviews the Vauxhall Meriva. Read Nicholas’ other impartial reviews. Ed
This is the Meriva, a people carrier from Vauxhall which really puts the family first.
It’s hugely effective as a tool for getting your clan about, but it comes at a cost. When you drive it you really get the impression you, the driver, have made some real sacrifices, as every practical plus point is balanced by a dynamic negative.
Ideal for motability scheme and young families
For example, the rear doors open from the opposite side to the fronts, allowing such easy access to the rear seats that the Meriva is now my default recommendation for anybody looking for a car on the motability scheme, provided the boot is big enough for any equipment.
It is far from a gimmick and will make a real difference to anybody trying to juggle toddlers and shopping into a car. And with the solid central pillar, it is finally a safe system, no longer deserving the term ‘suicide doors’. But the turning circle is huge, and it made a meal of manoeuvring around the local skate park. As you do.
Well-built cabin
The steering is light and the ride suitably smooth, making for a pleasant drive. But it’s not a fun car – if you want a spirited drive with your family wagon, choose a Ford C-Max. It feels polished however, with a well built cabin providing plenty of hidey holes to lose family debris in.
The view over the dashboard suits the driving style – airy with no illusions of sportiness, which is an honesty I like. And while the push button handbrake that helps with hill starts gave me a heart attack the first time I grappled with it (sorry if you were in the white car I nearly rolled back into), I have a feeling it will prove useful once you have got to grips with it.
1.4 petrol engine woeful
Unfortunately, the 1.4 petrol engine I tested was woeful. It feels like it struggles with the weight of the car, and whilst diesel and turbocharged petrol engines are available for more effortless progress, it’s a shame the 99bhp of the base model doesn’t have the strength to open a packet of crisps.
It will return 46.3mpg across a variety of roads, which is respectable, but its exactly the same as the more powerful 120bhp turbocharged engine, meaning there is no economy penalty in choosing the sprightlier engine.
Family first
This is a car designed with the needs of the family coming first, resulting in a versatile interior, seats that flip roll and slide, and even an amazing lifetime warranty that now comes on all Vauxhall models.
It is true that it is uninspiring to drive, yet as a device for getting a family or those with mobility problems from A to B, it is very effective and well worth a look.
Score: 7/10
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