Vauxhall Tigra 1.6i Review

Overall Rating

Superb looks, Lots of equipment. Not too impractical.

Driving experience totally at odds with sporty appearance. Known reliability problems. Interior has the same looks and shiny cheap plastics as old Corsa.

I had been saving up for a Vauxhall Tigra for a while, and I hadn't bothered to test drive one until I got near my savings budget. Once I got behind the wheel and drove the thing I could not believe what a disappointment it was! I was so surprised that I drove three examples to make sure the first was representative.

I (like many others) had fallen for the showroom appeal of these cars. They are unbelievably pretty, have lots of gadgets (especially the 1.6 litre cars) and look as if they would be really fun to drive.

In reality, although it is more fun to drive than the old style Corsas-that isn't saying a lot. I suspect a lot of Corsa owners "traded up" and so they did not realise how far off the pace the Tigra is.

So what's wrong with the way it drives? Almost everything - The way it handles, the soggy brakes, the steering that has no feel. The engines will rev and give good motorway cruising speeds, but everything the Tigra gives to the driver it gives grudgingly. It's not just that the Ford Puma and other coupes are better to drive. Most modern non-sporting Fiestas, Kas, Peugeots are far better.

I did a fair bit of research into the reliability of Tigra so I would know what to look for. The news is not good, engines had to be redesigned in 98 to resolve a problem with the sticky EGR Valve. What this meant to the driver was mis-firing and very poor performance on affected models.

Build quality seems to be a bigger issue with the Tigra than with the Corsa. The problem seems to vary - some owners never had a problem and others had problems you wouldn't believe. I would recommend only buying one of these from a Vauxhall main dealer and covered by a Network Q warranty.

The Tigra was a car for the nineties - all spin, no substance.

Members' Comments onBarty.'s Review

• mike greenhough. on 2nd Jun 2002

  Having owning a vauxhall tigra for 1 1/2 years now,This review is a untrue many people that i know are impressed by the handling and performance from this standard car of this small coupe yes the brakes are soft this is because they have bigger brakes than a corsa they are the same as the 2.0 vectra so this is why they are soft

• bentos. on 4th Jun 2002

  HAVING OWNED A TIGRA 1.4 FOR 18 MTHS WE HAVE NOTICED SUBSTANTIAL RELIABILITY PROBLEMS. SPONGY BRAKES BEING A LARGE ISSUE. THE OVERALL STOPPING POWER OF THIS CAR IS VERY LIMITED STATING THAT IT IS SOLD AS A SPORTS PERFORMANCE VEHICLE (SOMEWHAT SCARY). RELIABILITY WITHIN ENGINE COMPONENTS (EXAMPLE GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE) CAN PROVE EXPENSIVE AND TEDIOUS. MY OVERALL FEELINGS TOWARDS THIS VEHICLE IS STEER CLEAR AND SAVE THE MONEY FOR A BETTER VEHICLE.

• Rich. on 18th Dec 2002

  People. The striking similarities between the Corsa and the Tigra are easily explained. They are both built on the same chassis/platform. What are you doing expecting good things from Vauxhall anyway? Yes, I know they make good engines most of the time, but I can't credit anything else about them I'm afraid. A standard Vauxhall depeciation value would be enough to scare a dare devil. For goodness sake buy a Honda Type R if you want something to rave about! The Tigra should be left to people who "just drive" cars

• allan. on 28th Jun 2003

  This review seems some what harsh, if the car was that bad they would not sell, I have owned mine for a short time but it is the best car I've driven. My friend's think it is sexy and I'm always wearing a smile behind the wheel. I hope Vauxhall push ahead with the plans for the new Tigra, this car is set to be a classic and I plan to keep mine for life, nothing else on the road at this price range comes close, Ford Fiesta and the other clones, NO THANKS.

• camilla on 18th Nov 2003

  I've had my P reg Tigra since January this year with 58k on the clock. For the first 6 months, everything was rosy...then the cam-belt went - £300 to fix...and now just recently the EGR valve has become faulty and needs to be replaced and the exhausts are blowing (£450 quote to repair the lot). I do love the style, shape and drive of the Tigra...but I have to say I'm not impressed with the extra costs to keep the car mobile! Anyone else had similar problems?

• MikeTheSwede on 17th Jul 2004

  Oh man...what did you expect for that kind of money? A Dodge Viper??? Now READ THIS: Ive owned a Tigra for 3 years . True fact is that no other car in that pricerange comes close to be better. Brakes are just fine, its anti-locking system might take some time getting used to. Engine (1,6 litres) is more than enough for this type of car. It handles VERY well in corners, but what you have to do when you buy one is to check the tyres, original 185/55 from factory are rubbish. I put on 195/55 GOOD YEAR EAGLE and it handles like a dream (Again, for a car in that pricerange). The body is well put together and stronger than cars in the class. Only negative thing about the car is that they were quite expensive when new, but that is no problem as they dont make them anymore. However, when buying a used one you get exellent value for money.

• princess2b on 7th Jan 2006

  I have always loved the tigra and when i was able to get my own car, that what i got. I loved it, it looks great and its a smart car. I have had the car now for over 12 months s reg and now i am having problems that i am not happy about. The car started to lose water and i had to fill her up everyday. I took her to a garage 450 pounds to pay and now the car is blowing big puffs of smoke ..I dont know what to do all i know is that there is more money to pay. Have anyone got any ideas on how much this will cost and does this happen all the time with tigras?