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Hatchback
The Signum is a fabulous motorway cruiser, thanks to its soft suspension and flexible, economical engines. However, that same soft set-up means it can struggle on twistier roads - there's plenty of body roll, especially at speed.
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And, although the Signum's light steering aids parking manoeuvres, it provides little in the way of feedback. At least the steering wheel adjusts for both height and reach, and the seats are very supportive. As a result, it's easy to make yourself comfortable, especially as the controls are well laid out and easy to use. The Signum's dash is based on the Vectra's, which means it looks too ordinary and downmarket next to the Signum's executive rivals. It's also effectively no more than a four-seater, but the real trick is its clever FlexSpace system. This enables the rear seats to be folded down individually or together, and the two outer seats also slide back and forth, so you can choose between extra legroom or boot space. And, when you want maximum boot capacity, it's very impressive.
Running Costs
One of the main criticisms of the Signum when it was launched was its list price. They are more expensive than the Vectra and the 3.0-litre diesel costs almost £25,000. Not many people wanted to spend this much money on a Vauxhall. However, as a used purchase, the tables turn. The Signum depreciates astronomically from new, so it has become a cheap and good-value second-hand purchase. Depending on which model you go for, running costs should be reasonable, too. The diesels all have decent fuel economy and low emissions, particularly the direct-injection models. Our pick of the bunch, the 150bhp 1.9-litre CDTi, returns 47.1mpg. Insurance costs are reasonable, too - even the 3.0-litre diesel sits in group 12. Compare that with group 15 for the BMW 520d, for example. If it goes wrong, it shouldn't cost a bomb to fix. Vauxhall parts are generally cheap and servicing costs are average.