Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer vs Ford Mondeo Estate

Why the comparison?

If you need to ask, then where have you been? The Mondeo and the Insignia (Vectra replacement) are both massively important models for their respective manufacturers. Fleet favourites in regular hatchback guise, the estate versions of both add some additional luggage space for all those sales samples. In their various iterations throughout the years - be it Cortinas and Sierras from Ford and Cavaliers and Vectras from Vauxhall - they have always battled it out for sales volume. But which one to go for?

How are they similar?

The Insignia and Mondeo are so closely matched when it comes to specifications and size that badges aside there's very little in it. They both offer massive choices of engine and trim levels meaning there's one to suit almost any budget, while with the seats up the boots in both measure 540-litres of luggage space. Actually, the Mondeo offers two litres more, but that really is splitting hairs. Both are comfortable to drive, ensuring those trips between business meetings are as painless as they can be.

Pick a middling 2.0-litre turbodiesel model from each maker, as most buyers will, and they are remarkably close on performance, emissions and consumption. Ford's 138bhp 2.0-litre TDCI reaches 62mph in 9.6 seconds, returns 47.9mpg on the official combined cycle and emits 156g/km. The Insignia musters 128bhp from its 2.0-litre turbodiesel, reaches 62mph in 10.9 seconds, manages 47.1mpg and produces 159g/km of CO₂.

Both look smart in their estate bodies, the Insignia perhaps turning more heads thanks to its newness. Inside they're both very comfortable, the Insignia bettering the Ford for interior quality, it feeling almost premium car inside - some of the Mondeo's plastics are a touch shiny and hard.

How do they differ?

In some respects these cars are so close you can barely get a cigarette paper between the differences. However, there are variations and many of them are fairly significant. Although the figures above look in favour (just) to the Ford, when you look at pricing you could actually have a more powerful 2.0-litre turbodiesel in the Vauxhall for the money that Ford is asking for the Mondeo. Trim levels are slightly more generous on the Vauxhall too, though why neither manufacturer offers Bluetooth telephone connection as standard on cars aimed specifically at business users is a complete mystery. Service intervals on the Vauxhall trump the Ford, with Insignia drivers waiting 20,000-miles between services compared to the Ford's 12,500-miles.

Vauxhall is adamant that its Insignia is bigger than its Vectra predecessor; it's not. Neither is it as spacious inside as the Mondeo with all the seats down, the Ford boasting 1,733-litres of luggage space over the Vauxhall's 1,510-litres. Getting stuff in the back of the Insignia is easier though; the Vauxhall's boot opening is vast. Where the Mondeo outshines the Insignia is on the road. The Vauxhall is a sharp driver, but it's not got quite the finesse of the Ford when the roads get interesting, the Ford steering with real crispness and handling very nicely indeed. The Ford feels huge on the road though, its dimensions bigger than the Vauxhall - and almost every parking space you'll ever try and slot it in.

So which one would we have?

That's a trickier question than ever to answer. The Mondeo would win us over for its superior driving dynamics, but the Vauxhall isn't that far behind the Ford on the road. It also offers a better value package, the Griffin-badged car cheaper than the Ford. It's also better looking, the Sport Tourer might lose some ultimate carrying capacity to the Ford, but we'd probably have it over the Mondeo. However, it is a very close run thing.

Kyle Fortune