Used Vauxhall Adam 2013-present review

There’s a growing trend in the car industry to offer small cars with premium equipment and smart styling. It works well for retired people who need to downsize from a bigger, more luxurious car into something with smaller running costs. And it works for city types that want high-tech gadgets, but in something they can park. The Vauxhall Adam is the car that hopes to please both.

As mentioned earlier, there is a growing market for posh city cars, so the Adam doesn’t have the market all to itself. It’s got to compete with the likes of the Fiat 500, the VW Up and Smart Fortwo coupe.

The engine range consists only of petrol power. The range starts with a slow but smooth 69bhp 1.2, or either an 86bhp or a 99bhp 1.4. These engines were joined later by a 113bhp turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder and a 148bhp 1.4-litre turbo.

If you’re hoping that the most powerful Adam is something of a mini-hot hatch, think again. It’s nippy, but there isn’t much point in revving the engine out because it has plenty of torque in the mid-range. The brakes are beefier and it gets altered suspension, but it isn’t involving enough to be fun. Regular versions of the Adam make much more sense, particularly the 1.0-litre turbo, which is punchy and has a six-speed gearbox.

Sadly, the driving experience isn’t as impressive as the 1.0-litre engine. The ride is brittle: it fidgets over scruffy surfaces and thumps over potholes and ridges in the road. This is a particular problem on cars with big alloy wheels and sports suspension. The Rocks models all get a jacked up ride height and all-season tyres, but they aren’t any more comfortable and those tyres kick up quite a bit of road noise. The steering is much better suited to city driving rather than blasting along a country road because it's light and doesn't progressively weight up in corners.

Space inside is also a letdown. Leg room in the rear is very tight behind an average height driver and the boot is tiny. It also has an awkward parcel shelf that needs to be put down manually every time you go to close the boot, otherwise, it’ll block your rear vision. There aren’t many clever storage bins around to hide your belongings away in and the glove box is only big enough for the owner’s manual. Leg and head room up front are fine, though.

The price for an early 2013 Vauxhall Adam with a relatively high mileage will be around £4000, but you’d be better off spending between £4000 and £5000 for either a 1.2 or 1.4-litre petrol with under 50,000 miles.

Increase your budget to between £6000 and £8000 and you’ll find examples of the turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol and Rocks models, and many 2014 and 2015 cars. Spend more than £8000 and you should be able to find an Adam with the 148bhp 1.4-litre engine that is found in both the S and Rocks S variants, or a good 2017 car.

The entry-level 1.2 petrol has an average economy figure of 53.3mpg and £120 road tax while the 1.4 is rated for 51.4mpg and £120 tax. A downsized 1.0 turbo-petrol was introduced around 2014 and it has an average economy figure of 57.6mpg and £30 tax. When that engine is fitted to a Rocks model, the economy drops slightly to 55.4mpg, but it still fits into the £30 tax bracket.

The more powerful 148bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol in the S and Rocks S isn’t cheap to run because it only manages 47.9mpg and costs £140 to tax in the Adam S. This drops to 44.8mpg and £155 tax in the Adam Rocks S.

All models registered after 1st April 2017 will set you back £140 per year to tax because they will be charged under the new system. Servicing costs are very competitive and insurance is on par with rivals too. One thing to consider though, if you want to keep the benefit of OnStar and the onboard wifi, it’ll set you back a yearly fee of £89.50.

If you can find one, the 1.0-litre turbo is a really nice engine with more than enough power in the Adam, however, there a greater number of 86bhp 1.4 petrol examples around for less money. While it won’t set your pants on fire in terms of performance, it is a least an economical, smooth and capable engine.

We would recommend that you stick with the standard Jam specification because it’s fine for most people's needs with air-con, 16in alloy wheels, Bluetooth, a digital radio and USB media input.

Our favourite Vauxhall Adam: 1.4 Jam

The Smart Fortwo coupe is much easier to park because you sit up higher and have a better view of what’s going on. It's shorter, too, and it has a very tight turning circle. It doesn’t have rear seats which will be a problem for some, and the boot is an odd shape that hampers practicality.

If you want style, the Fiat 500 is very cute and thanks to its diminutive size and ‘city’ mode power steering, you’ll have no trouble fighting your way through town traffic. Finding a good one is easy because there are loads of them around.

The VW Up is one of the very best small cars available thanks to a number of refined engines, a spacious interior and fine handling. The Up is also the one you’ll need if you use the motorway a lot because it has a comfortable ride and well-shaped seats.

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