Vauxhall Insignia vs Volkswagen Passat
Figures updated
The Vauxhall Insignia and Volkswagen Passat are two of the UK's most popular large family cars. We compare the B (2017–2022) Insignia and the B9 (2024–) Passat on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 383,026 real MOT tests.
The short answer
The Volkswagen Passat comes out ahead, with the bigger boot and the better MOT record; the Vauxhall Insignia is close on everything else.
- The Volkswagen Passat has the biggest boot: 690 litres, 200 more than the Vauxhall Insignia.
- The Volkswagen Passat has the better MOT record. Like for like on age and mileage, the Vauxhall Insignia fails its MOT about 20% more often.
| Figure | Vauxhall InsigniaB (2017–2022), 5-door hatchback | Volkswagen PassatB9 (2024–), 5-door estate |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | – | £41,350 to £51,170October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door hatchback | 5-door estate |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 490 litres / 1,450 | 690 litres / 1,920 (best) |
| Length | 4,906mm | 4,917mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,863mm | 1,849mm |
| Height | 1,455mm | 1,521mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 122–174 PS | 150–272 PS (best) |
| 0–62mph | – | 7.1–9.3 sec |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2017) | ★★★★★ (2024) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel | Hybrid, Petrol, Plug-in hybrid |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 50.4–70.6 mpg | 40.4–52.3 mpg |
| CO2 | 105–147 g/km | 7–159 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.7p a litre, today's UK average | – | £1,162 (50.4 mpg) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £1,221 (55.4 mpg) | – |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £1,221 (diesel) | £1,162 (petrol) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 102Average | 122Well above average (best) |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 31.9% | 28.6% (best) |
| Failed at 3 years old | 16.4% | 12.1% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 18.5% | 13.9% (best) |
| Failed at 10 years old | 34.4% | 29.8% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Coil spring (5.9% of tests) | Tread depth (3.4% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Nothing stands out |
| MOT tests analysed | 199,578 | 183,448 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Large family car | Large family car |
| Owners' average miles a year | 10,700 | 12,000 |
| On sale | 2017–2022 | 2024 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Vauxhall Insignia or the Volkswagen Passat more reliable?
The Volkswagen Passat. Like for like on age and mileage, the Vauxhall Insignia fails its MOT about 20% more often (reliability scores 122 and 102, where 100 is average). 28.6% of Volkswagen Passats and 31.9% of Vauxhall Insignias failed first time in 2024.
›Which is bigger, the Vauxhall Insignia or the Volkswagen Passat?
They're almost the same length (4,906mm and 4,917mm). The Volkswagen Passat has the bigger boot: 690 litres against 490.
›Which is safer, the Vauxhall Insignia or the Volkswagen Passat?
Euro NCAP gave the Vauxhall Insignia 5 stars (2017) and the Volkswagen Passat 5 stars (2024). Euro NCAP makes its tests tougher every few years, so ratings from different years aren't directly comparable.
›Should I buy the Vauxhall Insignia or the Volkswagen Passat?
The Volkswagen Passat comes out ahead, with the bigger boot and the better MOT record; the Vauxhall Insignia is close on everything else. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.