2004 Vauxhall Zafira GSI Turbo from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing - although the 'InSP' light was appearing at 10,000 miles when it's not due a service until 20,000 miles, the local dealer said it must be a factory programme error and it just needs resetting, will call in to fix asap.

I love this car - its the perfect combination of everything and suits me perfectly! I used to drive a 400bhp Sapphire Cosworth which I loved for the speed and fun factor, plus it came with full Recaro black leather, but no safety elements other than ABS. It was also 14 years old and started to get unreliable, and drank fuel with 11mpg around town and 24mpg at best on the motorway.

I then changed to a BMW 320d Touring - I loved the diesel economy and the performance was fairly good too, but the space inside for my family was far better than the Cosworth and suited our luggage needs, but it didn't have leather and wasn't as much fun, but did have safety elements.

I needed a mix of the two ie something that was fast, fun, looked the part, better economy than the Cosworth, but with similar performance, ideally with full leather, lots of safety equipment, had space for luggage, and space for granny and granddad would be a huge bonus too, and new, reliable and under warranty - and only one thing ticked all the boxes, the Zafira GSI Turbo!

I originally wanted one in silver, but decided that the Arden Blue was the colour to go for as it not only stands out over the rest of the Zafira range (as only the GSI comes in this colour), but you can't fail to notice it when on the move!

I bought with 1 owner at 10k miles for £16,200 from a competitive car supermarket, which was a bargain considering it cost nearly 24k new, as mine has the full Recaro leather option with 5 stage heated front seats.

The seats all feel excellent quality and the front seats are very supportive on long journeys. The middle bench is comfortable too with a full 3 point centre seatbelt and centre arm rest, which folds down and becomes a storage area and 2 cup holders.

The middle row also benefits from 4 heater vents (2 in between the two front seats and 1 under each) and darkened/tinted/sun protection glass from the middle back.

The rear 2 seats are also full leather and surprisingly can fit a 6'2" adult in in reasonable comfort for short journeys, especially if those sitting in the middle are not the tallest, and so the middle bench can be pushed forward towards the front seats for extra legroom for rear passengers. They also come with integrated cup holders.

Safety is paramount on the GSI model too featuring ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), EH-PAS (Electro Hydraulic Power Assisted Steering), TC (Traction Control), ESP (Electronic Stability Control) and 10 airbags! (drivers wheel, passenger dash, drivers + passenger seat airbags and 6 curtain airbags).

Security is good with a factory fitted standard immobiliser, alarm and deadlocks, and the rear comes with a load cover to hide the boot contents.

The GSI has stiffened suspension compared to the rest of the Zafira range, however it wasn't lowered in order to retain some comfort. The ride is certainly comfortable although you can feel the bumps and potholes in the road, however you wouldn't be buying this car for anything else other than a sporty ride!

The tyres can give off some road noise due to their size, but overall it's quite quiet inside with very little engine noise (which feels strange to me after hearing air filters sucking, exhaust booming and dumpvalve whistling on the Cosworth!).

Performance is excellent with very little turbo lag and no turbo 'pull' due to an all round torque band from 1,500 revs way past 5,000, in fact it feels as if it comes alive -again- past 5k where the 16 valve engine really starts to kick in and make use of the air!

The fuel computer is also very handy in this situation with a variety of functions available, most notably 'Instant Consumption', 'Average Consumption' and 'Range' ie estimate of how many miles you will get with what is left in the tank, and usually it's not a lot if you have a lead right foot like me!

Unfortunately Vauxhall in their infinite wisdom didn't fit the Astra or Zafira models with a 6 speed gearbox, hence at 75mph the engine is at 3.2k revs - peak turbo boost area, so even though you are not racing, the turbo is on full chat and so fuel economy suffers. 70mph returns around 35mpg, where as 80mph returns around 28mpg - both with no one else in the car! (thankfully the standard cruise control can help with motorway economy!).

My wife has been using it recently (and doesn't want to give it back either! So much for Daddy Cool!) for around town use and averaged 250 miles out of the 58 litre tank which is only 19.5mpg! Still, you wouldn't be buying this car for its economy, more for its outright raw cheeky rally car engine in a sensible family car with comfort, and for that, I can't fault it nor would I change it!

Just be careful if you drive a hot hatch and you see me at the lights, as not only will I leave you standing in standard form, I have my eyes on a 247bhp-292lb/ft chip upgrade, which will undoubtedly boost the 0-60 of 7.6 seconds to the mid to high 6s!!!

Get one!!! They aren't cheap, but if you can afford it, you won't regret it!!! :)

I thought I would leave a comment to your survey of the Zafira gsi turbo.

One of my friends has one and I have drove it, what can I say well its true about everything.

Upgraded the wheels, 5 t.v's, dump valve, chrome engine components and it still goes off the mark.

So we put it to the test a 2.0 16v turbo vs 1.6 16 superchipped very nicely run in Saxo vtS.

Yes a Saxo, the Zaff got off go a good start Saxo not far behind. By the end of the quarter mile the Saxo had sneaked in the front. So 200 bhp+ vs 155 bhp+ and the Saxo won, but give me a Zaff anyday!!!

The Zafira GSi is by far the best car I have ever purchased. Apart from the fuel economy (ave 25-28 MPG) it is fantastic. I use ours for not only the usual family jobs, running the kids about, picking up large awkward objects from shops and DIY shops, runs to the dump with piles of rubbish, but also for towing a caravan.

It makes an excellent 2 to 7 seater, kids love the rear two fold flat seats, the recaro fronts are superb too. Later cars like mine (early 2003 onwards) have better seats, including a proper seat belt for the middle seat in the 2nd row (you only get a lap belt on earlier cars).

This is the best tow car I have owned too. It is effortless, stable and has bags of power, almost too much! Its the only Zafira that can tow a decent weight (1500Kgs), and mine has the Vauxhall detachable tow bar which when removed is invisible. My caravan is light (1200Kgs fully loaded), but this car feels like it could tow the 1500Kg limit easily.

It makes me smile every time I drive it too - having owned a string of hot hatches, including a Peugeot 205 Gti and 206 Gti, this is just as fun, but in a different way. Its no sports car, but in a straight line it leaves a lot of cars for dead with shocked drivers faces looking on. You can drive this across country briskly, but only in a straight line can you really drive like a nutter!

Overall though, if you need a practical car to do everything, including making you smile, the Zafira GSi is the car you need. I personally love the styling on the outside too - nothing drastic, but smart with a hint of muscle.

I also have just purchased a 2004 zafira gsi, my previous car being a lexus is 200 se, a brilliant car.

Needs a must as my ever expanding family has just expanded once again, I shopped around for a mpv. I tried and tested several, the zafira gsi being the first one and being a dad who still hasn't grown up yet, this was the one for me. The recaro seats are so comfortable (especially on long journeys).The engine unbelievably responsive and very torqey.

Exterior styling I think is nothing less than eye catching or even, dare I say it?Head turning.Forget the fuel consumption, who cares?Ill definitely be chipping this one up and adding a few sensible mods like a dump, exhaust etc. The arden blue is the colour I chose and I think its also the best colour. If your like me and have a house full of ankle biters and need a spacious 7 seater, but still refuse to grow up!then seriously. GET ONE!!!

'adding a few sensible mods like a dump, exhaust etc.'

A dump valve, a sensible addition to a Zafira...LOL, now I've heard it all. They sound great on an Impreza or Evo, but stupid on almost everything else.

Dump valve sounds silly on a Zafira?

It's a turbo isn't it?

Still turns heads and gets more smiles than looking at a Evo etc, plus mine beats most of them now as well. :) :)

How about a lightened flywheel, stronger clutch, bigger turbo, bigger injectors, bigger air flow meter, bigger exhaust, bigger intercooler, bigger air piping, bigger air filter, bigger brakes, and bigger 19inch wheels and much MUCH BIGGER smiles on all 7 faces chasing anything under 275bhp.

However that said bigger fuel bills too like around 20mpg :(

But well worth it. 45000 miles, FSH, and all for change under £11k.

I, like most other gsi zafira owners (dads) needed a large family car that ticked all the right boxes and don't regret it for one moment.

Although that said, the only other car that I wanted was an Audi RS4, but that was still £6000 over what I had or I've spent.

I'd recommend paying less for a high miler, and playing with it IF AND WHEN IT GOES WRONG, rather than paying the right money for one with low miles.

I'd always get a standard one and play with it myself rather than one that has been messed with already.

But that's just me; most people are happy with the basic 192bhp.

I'd much rather pay £1000 less for a car without history if it looks, feels and sounds right.

Bomb proof Vauxhall engine if looked after.

Great drive, great looks, great all rounder.

Thinking about getting a Zafira VXR soon YUMMY!

I WANTED MORE!!

Yea it all sounds good, but in what is effectively a transit van?? What about the bus aerodynamics? What about the weight? Must be nearly 2 tons. You'd have to spend quite a bit to get it to match a standard cossie or the sort.