The Zafira as a separate model may no longer be there, but the name lives on. You don’t have to be an experienced spotter to see that the badge is now being stuck on a more luxurious Vivaro bus. This makes the Zafira still ‘multi-purpose’, but certainly no longer the midi MPV of yesteryear. About that model: the petrol engines were Opel’s own 1.4 and 1.6 Turbo, diesel was possible with the 1.6 and 2.0 CDTI. In 2016, the Zafira received a facelift, after which the design was again in line with the then new Astra.
Zafira: space and flexibility
It is no surprise that many chose the Zafira Tourer because of the space available. “The biggest advantage of this car is the enormous and, above all, flexible space. Even the 2 extra seats in the third row are fine,” said a 1.4 Turbo driver. “You don’t want to take it to the south of France when you grow up, but it is fine for transporting half a football team. You quickly fold everything and then easily slide a bicycle inside, without having to half disassemble it.”
“The 7 seats also work fine,” writes a diesel driver. “It takes some getting used to, because it could be a bit more user-friendly, but because the middle seat can be folded flat, for example, you can give the passengers extra space because the outer seats can be moved further back.”
When it comes to MPV flexibility, there is still some room for improvement on the Opel, notes another CDTI driver. “The smart things of the Renault are certainly missed at this stage, and they are not always small. What large storage spaces the Scénic has (and within reach) compared to that Opel! The Zafira really cannot offer that convenience of ‘where do I put it away?’ A 1.6 Turbo driver points out another striking fact: “It turns out: no child seat or booster seat is allowed on the middle rear seat. Not a selling point, to say the least, a midi MPV where a child up to 12 years old is not allowed to sit in the middle of the back seat.”
There is something striking to say about the trunk: “The trunk space is excellent and because I chose a five-seater, there are two boxes under the upholstery, in which you can store all kinds of things. The pump for the tires is on the left and the tow bar on the right,” says the owner of a 2013 Zafira Tourer. Indeed: unlike the first generation Zafira, users of the Tourer could opt for a five-seater. A point of attention if you are in the market for a used Zafira Tourer.
AGR chairs are popular
Zafira drivers are remarkably positive about the seating comfort. Users who opted for the AGR-certified chairs in particular are very satisfied. “The AGR seats are really great, they provide you with the right support and make long journeys a pleasure,” is one of the many enthusiastic responses. However, it does take some users some time to find an ideal sitting position, due to the many adjustment options.
Road manners Zafira Tourer
Another point where the Zafira Tourer scores is the driving experience. Not only the road holding, but also the sound comfort is regularly mentioned as a plus. “The car moves very smoothly in traffic, grips the road well and can be driven in a sporty manner,” says a 1.6 CDTI driver. “You can achieve good cruising speeds and get good fuel consumption figures in return for this car. The car also continues to drive and steer very well. When accelerating and taking fast bends you will of course notice the 1,700 kilos, but this car does not have to show itself to be better than others.”
The Zafira even occasionally evokes sporting ambitions. “What really surprises me is the handling in the corners, which I take at high speed and that is also possible. The car won’t get upset easily. However, a bump in the bend can sometimes cause unexpected situations because you then notice that there is 1700 kg under your butt,” writes another user whose car has the same motorization.
“During normal use, I find it quite quiet in the car. The speed experience is due to the high seat and the good acoustic insulation layer,” adds a 2.0 CDTI driver. “The cornering behavior and acceleration are very good for an MPV. I find the comfort excellent.”
A point of attention is the electronic parking brake. Several users indicate that it does not activate automatically when the engine is turned off, which can lead to surprises. “You would think/expect that the software is programmed in such a way that situations such as parking are recognized and that the car takes the ‘activate electronic handbrake’ measure. But no: that didn’t happen and the car rolled backwards out of our sight. Fortunately, we remained innocent because the rain gutter in the parking lot caught the car, but wow, what a warning it was when we returned…”
Infotainment and controls
People are less positive about the navigation and communication system. Several users have reported outdated map data from the start, and navigation sometimes gets lost. “I’m still not very enthusiastic about the Navi900,” writes a user after about 5,000 kilometers of experience. “He can hardly handle an iPhone and the operation, with the button that is at the same time a rotary and push button, is very prone to errors. When you want to press, it easily turns accidentally, especially when you’re driving.”
Disruptions and irritations
Now that we’re talking about infotainment, it’s not just the operation of that system that causes irritation. “I have already had the Navi900 radio/navigation fail twice. Everything is black as if it resets itself, only after a few minutes does it turn on again,” said the rider who already criticized the operating concept. “Dashboard (navigation and radio) spontaneously shuts down every now and then. The system does reboot itself automatically, but it is not something I expected,” another rider also shared. The driver of a younger copy from 2017 also has to deal with this malfunction. “To date, there have been virtually no problems to report, only the infotainment fails. For no reason, after a few seconds the system restarts.”
Another irritation concerns the previously favored AGR seats. “The AGR seats suffered from some side play. That turned out to be a known problem, for which clips were installed under warranty,” writes an owner who had to deal with this. This solution did not provide any relief for another rider. “Had both front seats secured with clamps at the dealer. This solved the problem, at least for a while… several months later the chair remains a problem. They cannot solve it, Opel Netherlands does nothing.” What Opel can do something about is the power steering, which in some cars ‘sticks’ around the center position. “The ‘hanging steering behavior was a known problem and has been resolved with a software update,” writes one of the drivers who had to deal with this. The problem has also been resolved for others.
This driver, like a few others, also reports creaking in the back of the car. “When driving over a roundabout, which is common nowadays, a creaking sound is heard when leaning over the rear. Is it the suspension, is the chassis twisting… or something else? Needs to be resolved! Very irritating,” writes one of these drivers. “The cause of these sounds has been searched for, but as always, the source has not been found. Just turn up the radio,” he concludes.
Two diesel drivers suffered from worse complaints: they were unlucky because their turbo gave up the ghost prematurely, for one driver this happened after 15,000 kilometers, for another about 35,000 kilometers later.
Opel Zafira: conclusion
Spacious, quiet, good road holding and ditto seats: this is how owners characterize their Opel Zafira Tourer. Although there is little to complain about in terms of space itself, the number of trays and compartments in the interior is not as large as some competitors, but there are two folding rear seats. In practice, these are mainly used for the transport of children who play sports and are suitable for this purpose. Those who do not choose a seven-seater get extra luggage space under the floor. The Zafira is not completely trouble-free and the infotainment and navigation system is also difficult to manage. Nevertheless, most users are quite satisfied with their choice and there are plenty of owners who drive around with virtually no problems.
2023-09-10 14:00:37
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