Opel Insignia - great second hand choice in 2022

Opel Insignia A can be a very good choice when buying used car in 2022 and here is why

When it first came on the market in 2009 the Opel Insignia drew a lot of attention thanks to the attractive design, new name, new platform and more. Actually it was one of our favorite cars in terms of design, at least in its class of midrange sedans where it is competing with VW Passat, Citroen C5, Toyota Avensis and many more.

The very first generation Opel Insignia had its problems though. After the initial positive feedback and attention it got some issues occurred. The problems that were reported by consumers and car professionals were related to:

Sluggish automatic gearboxes
Unreliable diesel engines - big oil pump issue causing many engines to fail
Nice design but overweight - sporty driving only in the top of the range petrol engines
Interior quality issues

All these problems and some others caused the Insignia to loose its value pretty fast and actually right now it is one of the cheapest used cars in the segment but at the same time one of the best equipped. You can find 2010 models fully equipped with leather, navigation system, electric seats, dual zone air-conditioning and much more for less than 5000 Euro.

Which Insignia to choose in 2022?

2016 Opel Insignia dashboard

If you are currently searching for a second hand Insignia we would recommend you to go for the facelift model after 2013 and if possible after 2015 when Opel updated not only the exterior but the engines as well. If it was our money today we would recommend:

Stay away from the 2.0 CDTI engines until 2014 (160, 140, 163 bhp)
Facelift models with 1.6 (136 bhp) and 2.0 (170 bhp) are the ones we recommend, they come after 2015 in sedan, estate and hatch variations.
The 1.8 petrol engine is fine for models 2009-2012 but a bit underpowered for the estate version

We have tested the 1.6 136 bhp facelift model with automatic gearbox the other day and it is a fine car, nicely equipped and looking good.

Do not expect sporty driving from this combination though, it is more of an economy commuter and highway eater rather than a sports sedan. Still, I was surprised how powerful this small engine feels and the car pulls really quickly from most gears. Also it is quite a refined engine, even at high RPM and speeds.