Opel Zafira

Review on a resale Zafira 2, 2010 model. The best part is in the handling. Corners well and body feels heavy and solid. Power is lacking but sufficient for most average MPV users. Overall, a good package and comfortable vehicle for the family. Last row seats are not suitable for long distance.

Like this car but out off after reading about the worldwide recall of this model in Oct 2015 due to sudden fire risk, picked up a Honda stream instead for safety and cheaper maintenance.

I've driven this car for more than 2 years and can give my 2 cents.

Solid build, good quality interior. The size is just right, not too big nor too small. The driver's height, gear and steering are just in the right position and angel. The leather steering feels good. The leather used on the seats are of good quality, still very new after 2.5 years.

The drive is very stable and safe. However, it's not made to be driven like a Jap with quick step-and-go. So in a jam, it's FC is high. If you're > 70% city drive, you may incur high FC. I ply expressway 70% to 80%, the MTA gives me 7.5l to 9.5l per 100km.

MTA is a manual without clutch, very unique in the market where the gear bounce back to the centre after every gear change. Opel sales people will teach you how to drive without the jerks. The MTA helps to improve FC, yet without the weight of an auto gear-box.

To improve FC, the trick is to switch to neutral when down slope (especially on expressway) and car will glide without losing speed, but may even pick up speed.

Conclusion, the only aspect I wish for improvement is the engine noise and engine smoothness. I don't foresee selling my Zarifa.

I have been driving Zafira for about 6 months and really enjoying the comfort and spacious cabin very much. You can feel the car is very safe when closing the solid doors. Fuel consumption is 10.5KM/Litle, which is quite reasonable for MPV.

Good customer service by Ms Ting.

If you are looking for an economical 7 seater MPV, with 5 star safety features and German quality, this will be a good choice.

This is my third Opel and I must say the quality of the build keep getting better. Unlike the version (Zafira A) reviewed by Zenman, this version is a big leap forward in terms of reliability, FC and comfort.

Everything a family needs in a MPV the Zafira has it. Basic in its performance but the fuel consumption is relatively decent compared to other MPVs in its class. Not being so heavy footed you can easily do 12km/L.

Good all round car for an averaged sized family. Compared to other MPVs, continental and Japanese alike, Opel would be the sensible choice.

A "one-star" for reliability is a complement, but that is the lowest I can go. Pls have a option for "disastrous" reliability.

March 2002 Bought Opel Zafira, brand new S$112,988.

16 April 2002 Unable to start engine. Towed to service centre.

28 Mar 2005 Car suddenly lost power while travelling along expressway and whole car jerked. sent to service, told due to tuning problem.

30 March 2005 Same problem recurred, sudden lost of power. Sent back. Changed "FUEL INJ CTRL UNIT" S$1796.68.

13 April 2005 Same problem again. Damned pissed off. This time changed "CONTROL UNIT,ABS HYD". Funny thing, they changed back my old " FUEL INJ CTR UNIT" and waived the charges, because I already paid S$1796.68 two weeks ago.

21 April 2005 F**** same problem again. Went back workshop, now realised "THROTTLE VALVE BODY" problem, blamed it on the Shell petrol 95 that I was using, said they already wrote to SHELL and highlighted this problem to them!

16 Jan 2006 Kenna the same problem again. They cleaned up the "THROTTLE VALVE BIDY" again.

25 May 2006 Brake Caliper Rear leaked and faulty. Need to replace. Total charges S$1756.14

16 June 2006 THROTTLE VALVE BODY choked again.

17 August 2006 Couldn't stand the "LEMON" anymore, trade-in for a HONDA ODDYSEY S$92,000, Brand new car.

Not a single problem till today (52,000 km) Superb handling, superb reliability.

Dimension of car and engine capacity is ideal on Singapore roads and road-tax structure.

Open the door and you could feel the solid German engineering. The door closes with a firm sound giving a sense of quality and security. It's a Enroncap 5-star safety car anyway. The cockpit and hand brakes resemble that of an airplane.

The gear box is an auto cum manual. Use the manual, it runs 13km per litre, even more if on highway coupled with good driving habits.

No problem fitting adults in every row.

Car feels very steady and handles well that you'll be tempted to trade-in your Japanese car.

I've driven the Zafira for quite number of times and i think its a good car, although the price is a bit expensive compared to a japanese or korean car. Comfort-wise is good since the car is quite spacious, but the only letdown is the engine which jerks everytime it changes to a higher gear, not like other makes. But overall its a good car for those with big family. I think the Zafira is a good buy.