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Insignia dash
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But the positive impressions stall somewhat on the road.
The 160PS 2.0 diesel we sampled is no better than average on the noise front, and throws vibration back through the cabin under medium acceleration and back through the gear lever most of the time. There's also too much wind noise around the wing mirrors and front doors. The engine itself is powerful enough, certainly compared to the 130PS version that's likely to be the best seller.
The 160PS model is £250 more expensive, but has the same 154g/km CO2 figure and, according to Vauxhall, claims the same 48.7mpg, although we'd be surprised if it were quite as economical in the real world. The only other gripe on the road is the artificial feel of the steering. You know your movements are changing the direction of the wheels, but there's no sensation of a direct link.
The ride quality seems good, both at motorway speed and in more urban conditions. However, a longer drive back in the UK will reveal more than the Austrian roads General Motors chose for our test.
Both Vauxhall and Ford have talked up their respective cars' ability to take on models considered a rung further up the prestige ladder, which is why we've picked the VW Passat and Honda Accord as rivals here, rather than traditional volume players such as Peugeot, Renault and Citroen.
However, on the all-important costs equation both manufacturers trip up, not against the VW Passat, which has an almost identical pence per mile, but against the Honda Accord.
It's all down to residual values. While the Accord is awarded 40.2% retained after three years from Emmox Carcost, the Passat gets 33.0%, Insignia 30.3% and the Mondeo just 28.9%. That gives the Accord, easily the most expensive car here, a clear costs victory, which is why it's 'our pick'.
It's worth noting, though, that because only the higher-power, 160PS 2.0 diesel Insignia was available for a full test drive, and due to discrepancies in the way Ford, Vauxhall and VW organise their ranges, we've compared it to the 140PS Mondeo and 170PS Passat. However, had we driven the 130PS Vauxhall it would have recorded 49.9 pence per mile, although a lower-powered 140PS Passat would have emerged victorious overall at 47.0p. In the latter comparison the Mondeo and Accord models would have remained unchanged.
Drivers stepping into an Insignia from a Vectra will think it's Christmas, but those already used to the refinement and quality of the Honda or even the Mondeo, will find less to get excited about.
The new Vauxhall Insignia is a very good car, but not a great one.
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