Testimonials from Vauxhall drivers

Vauxhall has been trading in the UK for over 100 years, and by now we've learnt what to expect: a decent range of cars that are as pleasant to drive as they are reliable, whether for the daily commute or a one-off family getaway.

Here, three British drivers tell us what they like about owning a Vauxhall.

Gary McAloon, Vauxhall Monaro
40-year-old Gary McAloon works for a financial services company in Colchester. He drove a VW Passat for several years before switching to the 349hp Vauxhall. Gary, who is married and has two children, uses the Monaro day-to-day for commuting, for pleasure and as a taxi service for his family.

"I bought this car secondhand at around the time the new 6-litre version came out - though why you would ever want to sell it is beyond me. It's the original 5.7 litre Moreno that Jeremy Clarkson raves about, and every word he says is true. I personally plan to drive it until the wheels fall off, it's that much more enjoyable than any other car I've driven before or since.

"I had always planned to buy something smart and a bit more executive-friendly if I ever got promoted to senior management, like a BMW or a Mercedes, but when it happened those cars just struck me as dull. The Monaro, on the other hand, jumped out at me from the instant I sat in the driver's seat.

"I just love driving it, it doesn't matter where to or what for. A couple of months after buying it I had a business meeting in Germany, and I thought what the hell - take the car. I'm so glad I did. On the autobahn I got it up to 150mph; it was fantastic, the car didn't even rattle at that speed.

"Then for my birthday last year, my wife paid for me to do a track day at Snetterton Circuit. My racing skills were awful, but the Monaro went a long way to making up for it. I left many more expensive cars for dust, and that feeling of really being able to open up on the track was just brilliant. We actually have another day booked in three months' time.

"On top of all that, it's also remarkably practical. There's plenty of room for the kids in the back and it has a large boot. Sometimes I do the school run in it and put my foot down a little to scare the kids. Jamie, my youngest, already loves it - he's going to be the motor nut of his generation in our family.

"A lot of people make jokes when I say I took a Vauxhall to a track day, but it really doesn't bother me. The car is fantastic, it doesn't matter what the badge says. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Anna Marsden, Vauxhall Zafira
Anna Marsden lives and works in Bicester, Oxfordshire, as a stall trader at local markets. She bought a Vauxhall Zafira because it fits with her business and with her growing family.

"I have three kids and a shop stall business, and I wanted a car that could cope with both. It's as big as a transit van with all the seats down, but when I'm not working I can fit the kids in plus a couple of mountain bikes, a big picnic, and whatever else we need.

"We do a lift share system for the kids at school, and because I can fit six in with the second row of seats I'm a very popular mother. Plus we have a lot of family, and the extra room is a great help when we go out together.

"When we travel long distances, such as going on holiday, my husband and I take turns driving - but the Vauxhall really is my car. He drives a Ford Mondeo most of the time and complains that the Zafira handles like a bus, but it really isn't so bad - and I do use it like a bus anyway!

"As far as the stall goes; with all the seats down it's got room for all the framework, sides and the counter, as well as all the stock and my other stuff like chairs and the cash register, too. Plus loading and unloading is a cinch. I usually have my stall up before anyone else in the row - which means I can steal a little early business!"

Greg Woods, Vauxhall Astra
Lancaster University student Greg Woods, 23, has been driving a Vauxhall Astra, his first car, for two years. He is currently on the third year of a Biological Sciences degree.

"I never would have chosen something as big as an Astra for my first car had it not just fallen into my lap - one of my parents' neighbours was offloading it on the cheap because he was leaving the country. It was old even then, and had done plenty of miles, but it had also been well looked-after.

"Now it's been two years since I bought it, and the car has done well over 100,000 miles. But I'm loath to get rid of it, because nothing seems to go wrong. The interior looks a bit scruffy, but besides needing a new exhaust pipe when I got it and a new battery last winter, it's been almost without fault.

"It isn't as cheap to run as say, a Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta, but then I've got plenty of use out of the larger back seats and boot. I play in a band, and whenever we play out of town we take my car because it's the biggest. There's room for most of a drum kit in the boot, and we pile the rest up on people's laps in the back seats. Of course, because I'm driving, I don't have to put up with the discomfort!"

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