Review Vauxhall Zafira Tourer MPV

"The interior is highly practical and with prices undercutting Ford's S-MAX, the Zafira Tourer is an attractive option" Think of the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer as a more upmarket and stylish replacement for the Zafira and a more direct competitor to the Ford S-MAX. As of its launch at the beginning of 2012 the Tourer will be sold side-by-side with the Zafira but with prices for the Tourer starting at £21,000 – about £6,000 more than the car it effectively replaces. The engine line-up and chassis have both been updated for a more stable and involving driving experience with better performance and cheaper running costs. Our pick would be one of the 2.0-litre diesel engines – the 163bhp unit in particular – as we expect the petrols will be costly to run. Drive4.1 /5 Handles well but isn’t too exciting. Diesel engines are best It's always difficult to make a great handling MPV and very few can pull off the trick. The Zafira Tourer gets close as it always feels incredibly stable and predictable. There's a lot of grip and not too much body roll but you can have more fun driving a Ford S-MAX. The diesel engines suit the car best, particularly the 163bhp 2.0-litre CDTi which is cheap to run and provides plenty of power. We’d recommend avoiding the 1.8-litre 138bhp petrol engine though. The turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine is much better. Comfort4.3 /5 Spacious cabin can seat five adults and two children in comfort The Zafira Tourer is a big car with plenty of space inside. The middle row of seats can slide forwards and backwards to improve legroom for rear passengers. We’d suggest that the rear seats are only really suitable for small children though. On the move, the suspension comfortably soaks up rough roads and external noise is kept low. With optional adaptive dampers fitted drivers can choose between Tour, Sport and Normal modes that can make the ride softer or stiffer. Reliability3.9 /5 Safety and reliability looks promising but only time will tell Most of the Zafira Tourer's components have proved themselves elsewhere in the Vauxhall line-up. The front suspension, the 1.4-litre turbo engine and 2.0-litre diesels are used in the Vauxhall Meriva and Vauxhall Insignia, with all the parts boasting a good reliability record. The Zafira Tourer hasn’t yet been crash tested but a five-star rating is likely. Buyers can specify lane-keep assist, forward collision assist and blind spot monitoring too. Practicality4.7 /5 Seating for up to seven with the flexibility of a van-like boot The spacious cabin gets seating for seven and adults can comfortably fit in the second row, though they will struggle to fit in the rearmost seats. The seats can be folded away individually depending on what's needed. With five seats up, there's 710 litres of space and with only two seats up there's 1860 litres. A clever new arrangement means you can fold the middle seat down in the second row and turn it into an arm-rest for each of the outer passengers. Value for money4.2 /5 Well-equipped basic models but higher-spec cars get plenty of gadgets Entry level models do come with the basics like electric windows and air-con and some pretty basic cars come with front and rear parking sensors. As you move further up the range you’ll find cars equipped with automatic climate control, tinted windows and panoramic windscreens. Zafira Tourer prices start at £1,200 less than the Ford S-MAX. Running costs4.1 /5 Diesel engines are best, particularly the ecoFLEX model If you’re worried about running costs then the best option will be the ecoFLEX model which boasts CO2 emissions of 119g/km and 62.8mpg. Alternatively, for a little bit more power the other 2.0-litre CDTi engines – even the 163bhp – are quite cheap to run with an economy figure of 52.3mpg. Although the petrol engines are quieter and smoother they are costly to tax and fuel.