Vauxhall Meriva reviews

Every day I hate my Vauxhall Meriva more, I'm afraid. I bought it new in January 2015 and it was my first experience of an electronic parking brake. On the test drive the salesman showed me how to move off by getting it in gear and just driving. We happened to stick to flat roads - no inclines - and all was well. The morning after I'd bought it I was going uphill towards a roundabout in a queue of traffic. And as there was a long wait at one point, I applied the EPB and put the car into neutral. When I was able to move forwards uphill, I put the car into first gear, got to the biting point with clutch and accelerator, the EPB light went off and the car rolled backwards. I was stuck for the next ten minutes, because whatever I tried the car just kept rolling backwards towards the car behind me in the queue. I assumed it was my fault... but in the weeks since I would estimate that a random 10-20% of the time on hill starts (even on quite slight inclines) it will roll in the opposite direction to the gear selected. After reading the manual closely and trying different starting routines I still have the same problem. You just never know when it will occur. Our drive at home has a slight incline and I park facing downhill so I select reverse gear when I park before switching off the engine as the manual suggests. When I come to start the car and reverse out of the drive it will roll forwards a random 10-20% of starts. Once it's rolled it will usually roll in the wrong direction several times before finally deciding to go the direction you want. I've taken it back to the dealership but all they say is there's no fault when they test it. I am beginning to suspect this is just the way of EPBs. I am rapidly losing confidence in driving this car and thinking I'll have to take the loss on exchanging it for anything that doesn't have an EPB.

Where do I start? The parking brake? The cornering? Acceleration? Doors? Ok so first off, why anyone would put an electric handbrake in a car without hill hold assist as standard is beyond me. Hill starts are noisy and nail biting and my clutch is taking a hammering in a desperate attempt to stop the thing rolling backwards. The cornering - think Bambi on ice.... the back end of the car has almost deserted me several times. Acceleration? If you'd like to overtake anything, please avoid the woefully underpowered 1.4 Petrol. It cant pull off from junctions at any speed, joining a motorway or duel carriageway is often dicey and the lack of power really doesnt help the hill start issue. Whoever designed the doors needs to go back to school. However, as a small family runabout, it's decent. The driving position (once you learn to peer round the front pillars) is good, it's actually very easy to park and accommodates a family and all their day to day stuff very well including things like car seats. Always enough space for the weekly shop, isnt too bad on fuel around the doors and oddly, the more you find youself encouraging it up a hill (living wildly if you can get any faster than 25mph on an incline) you kind of start to bond with the thing.

I have so much hatred for this car, it's one of the worst designed cars ever. It is ugly, incredibly annoying, and does not functional well. As you will have already seen in other reviews, the hand brake doesn't work and the car will roll in random directions. The car doors will lock automatically when the car is moving but when you stop at traffic lights it will assume you have parked and unlock at quite possible the worst time as this is when they are needed most if you are in rough area!. Oh, and if the lights turns green you won't be able to pull off quick because the hand break will still be on. Then there is the comfort. When you're in it, it's fine. If you can get in the car that is. The backwards car doors are so incredibly frustrating. Try to open the door from the outside, the sharp metal corner bottom will whack in to your shins. It's happened multiple times. Try to get out, and you'll shoulder barge it will no success because you forgot that some moron thought it was would a good idea to screw the doors on backwards for no additional benefit, and then when you do close the door it will cut the back of your calf. This car is absolutely awful, there's a reason that it's cheap, the designer should be shot!

I changed my car recently because my youngest daughter had twins and the pram would not fit in the boot of my Vauxhall Agila. The Meriva I purchased has a much bigger boot space and the configuration of the rear doors makes it easier to fit the baby car seats in and also to access the space when putting the babies in the car or taking them out. The downside of changing is a higher cost road fund licence and less fuel economy. I am spending around 20% more on fuel than I was previously. On the plus side the car is very comfortable, performs well ( it is the Turbo model) and we can get our weekly shop in the boot of the car, rather than having to put some bags in the interior. The versatility of the rear space means that one can carry quite big loads easily. The on-board computer, curiously, does not offer as many options as my Agila 1.2S - no option to monitor mpg or what effect one's driving is having on fuel economy, just a simple trip meter. However, overall, we are very happy with our new vehicle as it helps us to help our daughter (who doesn't own a car) manage the transport of our grandsons. i have to say that the level of service we get from our local Drive Vauxhall dealer is first class.

An excellent car for all m purposes - high seat gives excellent visibility of road and environs. 1.6 engine provides high mpg at 70 mph on motorways and economy in town, quick acceleration when needed, well spaced gear ratios allow smooth changes and low rev cruising economy. The boot and 'back-seat-folddown' give enormous 'bootspace' like a van. With all seats in place she carries 5 adults comfortably or 4 adults well spaced , all on very comfortable seats. She corners at quick speeds firmly, holding the road safely. Power steering is a breeze. A delight to drive in all conditions. Vauxhall should promote the model much moor and would then sell many more. The motor critics nonsense about high cars having stability problems is rubbish in this case. When other drivers are my passengers they always remark on the comfort, quietness, steadiness in corners etc etc. - never complaining about the car at all. I love this one and its predecessor Meriva. Bargain price too. 70,000 miles on the clock now and still economical on fuel - if a bit low on the green issues and high on RFL - worth every penny of that.

I have had many Vauxhalls over the years and this is the one that I like least. It is nowhere near as good as the Mk1 Zafira which I had previously. The main problems are 1. The electronic parking brake is, at best, annoying and at worst dangerous - several times it has failed to hold the car on a very slight slope and is very annoying in a line of stop - go traffic. The old hand brake was far more reliable and easier to use. 2. The seats are very like the old vinyl type - cold in winter and warm in summer (this may only apply to the SE, which is a fairly high spec model) 3. The owners manual is poor, it does not distinguish between the various trim levels so it is difficult to know which features are fitted. 4. No proper, full size spare wheel. I know this applies to many cars but it should be included on car costing nearly £20,000. I have used my spare wheel in the past in circumstances where an inflation kit would not work. 5. Poor rearward visibility. I could go on but I think the message is fairly clear! Sorry to be so negative

I would be happy to recommend my car as a reliable vehicle to others Its a great family car, and I feel very safe when driving it, the body is strong, and the car has plenty of space. There is very good vision all round as it is quite high up, I find there is however one area that could be improved when you are turning right you have to take into account the frame of the window can partially block your vision. This is why only gave it 4 stars in performance. The car is very heavy so is not built for racing but travels well and is quite good on fuel. I have had my car for eight years from new and have not had any major repairs up to now. The body work is as good as new and shows no sign of rust. Because the car is quite high up if its a windy day it is more likely to be affected by winds on the motorway but obviously as a driver you take this into account and drive accordingly.

We love our Vauxhall Meriva! We are on our second now and we are really pleased. Our current car has now come to 60000 miles and only because of this we may well look at replacing it. There have been no problems, other than replacing tyres, and one battery and I do believe that it could continue to provide reliable transport well into the future. This car is our daily transport and has been used to transport any number of different loads, and to different places (the school run, family holidays - including to Guernsey, Scotland, Northumberland and many times to Cornwall -, shopping, regular visits to the Tip and used for work). The performance and mpg that we get from the 1.3 diesel has been impressive and when travelling at speed I have to remind myself that it is only a small engine. We will be sad to move on from our car.

Good concept as a car. Practical shape with good capacity for size of car. Clever rear seat options. Controls easy to use. Serious design fault with "A" pillar arrangement that causes a dangerous blindspot on both front quarters. This should never have reached the production stage without a rethink. The Easitronic gearbox is rather jerky in full auto mode but better in manual mode when it becomes a clutchless manual and becomes more involving for the driver. However this system is long-term unreliable and not really fit for purpose. When it goes wrong --- note that I say when, and not,if, then it becomes staggeringly expensive to repair. From personal experience I would advise against this system. If you require an automatic, then play safe a get a traditional torque converter system.

This is the second Meriva I have owned. I had the first one for 8 years and found it practical, versatile and reliable. I am fairly happy with the new model but does it really need to have SO many controls? After a year I still don't know what all the buttons do and the air conditioning is a complete mystery. I never know whether it is on or off - quite important when it significantly affects the engine power. Still - overall I like the car and the visibility is much improved on this model. The only thing I really hate is the electronic parking brake. What's that about? OK if you have three feet, I suppose. Inching up an incline in a traffic jam isn't too much fun. PLEASE, Vauxhall, if a good old hand brake is good enough for most of your other models, why not for the Meriva?

I bought my Meriva in January 2015 with just 680 miles on the clock and have done 5000 miles in 5 months. In that time the only annoying thing is the EPB (electronic parking brake) which took a while to get used to but overall I don't have problems with it now though it does catch me out occasionally on inclines. The 1400 petrol engine is under powered and it does not like hills. But on motorways when in cruise control it seems to cope well with hills which is good as I drive on the M4 & M5 for about 90% of the mileage. I'm 67 and this car suits my needs. I like the parking sensors and the good high view and I can still park it in my garage. I wish that the pockets in the doors weren't so awkwardly small. One decent pocket per door rather than 2 small awkward ones would be better.

We were a little disappointed as we searched for a new car on the AA site thinking that full recommendation and checks by the AA had been completed. However, we bought the car in good faith only to find that the one of the tyres was the wrong size to all the others, and spare had a wrong valve on it. I visited Kwik Fit as I thought the tracking was out and they advised me of this. On the way home I got a flat tyre, luckily someone stopped and helped me out. When I got home I contacted Peterborough Car Supermarket and explained they came out and got me another tyre, but I still dont have a spare as yet, I am hopeful to get this Monday. I dont have a problem directly but I think your site shouldnt give the impression that you (the AA) have checked or sourced the vehicle.

At the seat height and distance from steering wheel that works best for me, visibility is very poor when approaching roundabouts and making right turns owing to the very bulky door / windscreen pillars blocking the view. Otherwise, it's a very useful vehicle and fairly economical. It is a good height for my somewhat disabled parent to easily get into the front seat and the boot area accommodates a collapsible wheelchair very well. I do find that putting the back seats down is a bit of a faff but the fully flat surface is helpful for bigger loads (and pets). Engine-wise, I wish I had gone for the larger one as 1400cc isn't always enough oomph. Acceleration is not very punchy. However, it does get up to a good speed and hold well on motorway driving.

I got my Meriva 3 weeks ago. I was initially a little anxious about the electronic handbrake but it’s actually rather nifty and I got used to it in no time at all.  As far as fuel consumption goes I don’t think it’s worse or better than what I drove before but I have no complaints.  The interior is spacious, plenty of legroom in the back, which is something I particularly wanted as my son is growing fast and needs space to move.  I love the high driving position. My son loves the suicide doors, he thinks they are cool.  The 1.4 can be a bit sluggish on a steep incline but that’s probably just because it’s a big change from my previous car which was s 2litre engine.  All in all I’m really pleased with it.

We bought our Meriva SE in 2017, it had just 14000 miles on the clock. At first it was sluggish at best, did not like hills and felt as though there was no power in it. However we had to get the AA out who told us it needed a new ignition coil and spark plugs. Since then it has been purring. It pulls well. It gets up hills with no problem at all. The only other things we have replaced were the back coil springs that had snapped. We like the look of the car and the doors which open differently, we have a panoramic roof which we like too. It's economical on fuel and it has a prompt to tell us to change gears. We have not had any issues at all with the parking break thankfully.

Only had the car about 2 months, so can't comment on reliability. It's very comfortable and easy to drive, and it's power is excellent, especially compared with the 1.3 version I used to have. Economy is good at over 40mpg, though this is far less than Vauxhall claim! Very easy to change seat configuration. Annoyances include large gap between sun visors, and no pull-out tab to cover that, indicators that sometimes cancel unexpectedly, and sometimes don't cancel at all, no spare wheel (the emergency inflation kit is useless for anything other than a small puncture - a blow-out and you're stranded. No in-car bluetooth system for a phone fitted as standard.

I bought the Meriva as I was happy with my Corsa and wanted a larger car. This model is pretty much a larger version of the Corsa. It is very adaptable with seats collapsing to fully flat. It has a high seating position and adjustable driver's seat height and steering column. It is incredibly reliable and well made. The only minor drawback is that although it is a 1.5l engine, it takes a while to accelerate, however it more than makes up for this as it maintains its speed very well with minimal accelerator pedal depression. Would strongly recommend this vehicle for family use or comfortable travel in a hatch-back.

I like my car and am reluctant to change it. The main reasons are its practicality. For such a compact car there is loads of space for carrying all kinds of cargo and I particularly like the way the rear seats fold giving a flat floor. It has proved very comfortable, reliable and economical on both short and longer journeys. I would perhaps consider a Meriva B but have reservations. Yes, the seats fold in the same way so there isabout the same amount of space, but the car is 9 inches longer and no more economical, so what is the advantage. Also there is no spare wheel!!!

Went from Zafira diesel to Meriva petrol and automatic to manual, Meriva did not come in auto. Diesal was to expensive as a local transport car. Lovely car for driving, still prefer an automatic. Hate the rear doors they face the wrong way, novelty at first but not very useful and get in the way most of the time. Petrol wise more eco than the diesel. have a 1400 turbo engine more than sufficient and just as sporty with some oomph when needed. All in all a good runner and happy with the purchase. If I had the money would go back to the Zafira for the room.

Its a bit sluggish with a load and on steep hills. Has some quirky steering and pedals but you get used to them. Even on monitored and tested driving the fuel is just guzzled averaging 5.1 miles per litre (main bugbear) seems its not the only meriva to have a fuel issue and is common but comfort space and reliability are extremely good even with family and luggage (4 people) still spacious. Dodgy brake fluid warning design so if warning light shows stop immediately or as soon as safe there is little margin there.