Hi Brian,

Having had an Insignia in my last three month of employment before retirement in 2010, your entry was of more than normal interest to me.

Looking through the above entries, no one has mentioned the "electric button handbrake". I am sure that whoever was involved in the design and approval testing had never tried it out on a steep hill. The handbrake was either "fully on" , or "fully off" , allowing nothing from the 'handrake' for the co-ordination of clutch and throttle control to obtain a smooth take-up of power when doing a hill-start.

I also hated the "adjustable knee support" strip across the front edge of the seat

Also, if I remember correctly, there was a problem with the rear tailgate. Whenever it was opened whilst covered in rain droplets, these ended up pouring down the tailgate window to the hinge end and spilling over into the load area. You think we similar have problems with our Tourers. Ours is a few spots compared to the Insignia's deluge.

Insomnia springs to mind.....

However, I did have an 05 Mondeo Titanium tdci as a company car a few years back and the performance was amazing:}

Most manufacturers now use this handbrake technology in conjunction with hill hold assist

Can you actually buy a bad brand-new car nowadays? I don't mean the odd lemon that never works right, but one where the whole model range is problematic. Of course, many new cars still don't compare to the 75 anyway, but I mean not comparing against that.

Hey Brian you still living at no.26? Booked your pressie today via Herpes!:eek:
Dont tell me you have moved ffs.:panic:

it was my new car brian had a drive of, the adjustable knee support is on the sri, mine is an se and doesn't have them, as for the handbrake when i took it down to show my dad he has a very steep drive and i very nearly put it through his garage door until i realised if you hold the handbrake button it will stay on untill you release it. i like my new car and hope it will be a lot more reliable than my k turbo, but when i get out and lock the doors i don't turn and look at it like i did with the zt and it'll never recieve the love and attention the zt was given. but sadly the mgzt/75 are getting old now and won't last forever

Hill start seems like an invention to a problem that never used to exist though. Fit a proper handbrake that you can release slowly as you find the biting point and you don't need electronic gizmos to hold it for you. Seems like its just more to go wrong.

I know 1 day I'll have to have a car with this, but with how sensors etc can just break suddenly, I'd always be slightly worried part of the electronic handbrake may just brake locking it on while driving down the motorway....


As for the insignia, I've never been in 1, but the styling is slightly more inspiring than the mundano. Personally think it looks very similar to the MG6, which, if MG keep a presence in the UK long enough, will probably be my next car.

All about weight saving which equals better mpg which equals cheaper road tax. Lots of little changes add up.

In fairness, electronics are reliable. Mechanicals are not. Our handbrake compensators etc fail.

Electronics need to be protected from water and oil etc. But generally won't wear out.

But then, I'm in electronics.

A Holden with it's badge replaced! ;) :D