1996 Vauxhall Tigra review from UK and Ireland

Exhaust Gas Re-circulation fault within weeks of buying it from Vauxhall Dealer. Network Q warranty covered this, but took 3 days to repair.

Front brakes and disks needed replacing twice, at 45,000 miles and 64,000 miles.

Hand brake cable went at 64,000 miles.

Rollers and cam belt were recommended to be replaced at service at 55,000 miles. Something to with the Cambelt tensioners.

Rear bearings on both sides caused noise on braking at slow speeds. Needed replacing at 72,000 miles.

Head gasket fault picked up by white smoke emissions from exhaust and now needs replacing at 72,000 miles - just hope the cylinder head is OK or the car is worth less than the repairs!!

Recently, left stalk switch started failing, indicator would bring on full beam.

I am currently driving my first Tigra which is a 1996 P (verde) bought second hand in 1998, simply because I liked the look of it and was fed up with my Vauxhall Astra.

The Tigra is a fantastic car in the way it looks, still turning heads and the way it drives. The performance is not that of a true sports car of course.

I am a hard and fast driver and the Tigra responds well, I find it excellent for both long-haul journeys and short town trips.

I am starting to find the finish of the cabin rather dull and old looking, nice layout and good quality, but not futuristic like you see today in new cars. Headroom may be a problem if you are 6' or over.

The Tigra is a great small car for those who want something that looks and handles better than the rest, but problems are mounting with it and the vauxhall dealers are expensive so I am going elsewhere for a new car soon!

Nice while it lasted!!