1996 Vauxhall Tigra review from UK and Ireland

Poor wet-weather starting; hard to localise where the problem lies.

That omnipresent Vauxhall fault: the dreaded engine management warning light, making repeated and apparently spurious indications which are disconcerting to say the least! Our Vauxhall Omega 2.0 16V GLS does exactly the same, but at least its engine totally stalls in sympathy.... talking of which, the problem with both shaky cambelt engineering and faulty sensors, idle valve switch issues, etc., seems as much a feature of the Tigra as it is with the Omega. Presumably Vauxhall don't want the small car owner to feel left out on the nightmare front??

A nice looking car but dreadfully uncomfortable in both the front and back (at least for those of us at 6 ft), with irritatingly difficult front shoulderbelt placement, which if not careful routinely jams in the door as you close it, wrecking the paintwork!

Paintwork generally has various flaws - again a critique levelled at the Omega (at least of 1995-1996 vintage) and perhaps other Vauxhalls too.

I have zero faith in the mechanical and electrical reliability of the car, feeling that each little noise might be the start of a cambelt disintegration or whatever - Vauxhall have shown a shabby attitude towards customers over repeated cambelt failures (despite new belts being fitted at specified intervals) and I'd guess that the Tigra is as vulnerable to sudden 'explosive surprises' as the Omega.