Skip advert
Advertisement

Vauxhall Adam review - stylish, but is it fun? - MPG and running costs

Vauxhall’s Adam has style but lacks substance

Evo rating
RRP
from £11,860
  • Almost infinite personalisation options, appealing looks and interior
  • Occasionally tough ride, Fiat 500 and MINI are nicer cars

This is one area where the Adam scores well, as most versions possess strong eco figures. Of the normally aspirated engines, look out for EcoFlex variants, as these come with start-stop to make them cleaner than regular versions. Budget on EcoFlex cars adding 3-5mpg over standard cars, with the attendant emissions also falling enough to see the EcoFlex 1.2 and 1.4s dip into Band C for VED. Economy runs from 52.3mpg on the non-EcoFlex 1.4s to 57.6mpg on the EcoFlex 1.2, with emissions ranging from 115- to 125g/km.

The 1.0-litre can improve economy to 56.5mpg, while the Rocks turns in an identical figure, and the same 115g/km with this unit. The Adam S is in VED Band E, thanks to 47.9mpg and 139g/km. BIK rates start at 17 per cent and insurance groups run 3-10 for the hatchback and 2-10 for the Rocks, while the Adam S sits in 15.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Vauxhall offers fixed price servicing or monthly packages from £15, as well as a Service Club that provides other benefits like 50 per cent off MOTs. Vauxhall recently dropped its Lifetime Warranty (which was limited to 100,000 miles), so buyers now get a three-year/60,000-mile standard warranty, which can be extended by 12- to 36 months for a fee – the 100,000-mile ceiling still applies, though.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

ZeroNine Ford Focus ST review – Ferrari 599 pulling power in a hatchback
ZeroNine Ford Focus ST – front
Reviews

ZeroNine Ford Focus ST review – Ferrari 599 pulling power in a hatchback

Leicestershire tuning firm ZeroNine has given the last-of-the-line Focus ST a new lease of life with a series of performance upgrades – and Ferrari 59…
14 Nov 2025
Used Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7, 2014 - 2020) review: the original hyper hatch for under £10k
Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7) front
Reviews

Used Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7, 2014 - 2020) review: the original hyper hatch for under £10k

We were always huge fans of the Mk7 VW Golf R. That its successor has never quite lived up to its high standards has only underlined how good it was
11 Nov 2025
Best Aston Martins – from brutes in suits to howling hypercars
Best Aston Martins
Best cars

Best Aston Martins – from brutes in suits to howling hypercars

Aston Martins often trade heavily on emotion, but there are a few that are revered by the evo team that are as beautiful to drive as they are to look …
14 Nov 2025