Vauxhall Crossland review 2024

Item: Vauxhall Crossland Review 2024
Author: Phil Hall

Practical and affordably priced, the Vauxhall Crossland has its virtues, but others in the class offer more for the same money.

Quick overview

Practical cabin
Big boot
Keen engines

Drab interior style
Roly-poly handling
Cheap feel of materials

Search used Vauxhall Crossland for sale

The Vauxhall Crossland is a tale of two halves. On the one hand, here is a very practical, versatile small SUV that makes the most of its interior space. This lends the Vauxhall Crossland a versatile feel and there’s also a big boot, so it’s a car you can choose with your head and feel perfectly satisfied you made the right decision. On the other side of the equation, the Crossland is the slightly, well, frumpy sister to the sharply styled Mokka. It’s also some way off the driving standards set by the likes of the Ford Puma or Skoda Kamiq, so the Vauxhall Crossland is always going to remind you that it’s an also-ran in this sector every time you get in it to go anywhere.

For some, the wallowy handling and almost total shortage of steering feel will not matter a jot as they amble around in the Vauxhall Crossland. After all, it does the job and demands little from its driver. It also comes with very good engines in the form of turbocharged 1.2-litre motors with 120hp for the manual gearbox versions and an extra perk of 130hp with the automatics. As a consequence, the Crossland has a reasonable turn of speed when it’s required.

Other drivers will miss the option to enjoy a quiet road when the opportunity arises and the Vauxhall Crossland also disappoints with the materials it’s put together from. There are too many hard, cheap-feeling plastics inside for it bear comparison with many in this small SUV class, never mind the class leaders like the Audi Q2. Balancing this, though, is the versatility the Crossland provides thanks to a sliding rear bench seat in all models. You also get a decent infotainment set-up with colour touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto fitted to all versions.

All of this makes deciding on a Vauxhall Crossland a tick box exercise. If it ticks all your needs and they don’t include driver involvement, it’s a thoroughly acceptable small SUV. For anyone who wants some fun from their car, you’d better placing your tick on a different order form.

Infotainment, comfort and practicality

Starting in the driver’s seat, the Vauxhall Crossland gives a great account of itself as there is more than enough adjustment for any size or shape of driver to get comfortable. The steering wheel moves for height and reach, while in the GS Line and Ultimate trims there’s also what Vauxhall calls an ‘active driver’s seat’. This is a seat with electrically adjusted lumbar support and additional fine tuning thanks to an extendable seat cushion to give extra support under your legs. It makes for a fine driving environment set-up, and the Crossland also comes with lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition as standard across the range. Go for the top two trims and you also get a panoramic reversing camera. On a more luxurious note, the Ultimate trim has heated front seats and steering wheel, as well as Alcantara suede upholstery.

In the main dash display, the GS Line and Ultimate models have a 3.5-inch digital display in addition to the two main dials, but the Design does without this. In the centre console, the Design model has a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen for its infotainment set-up. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to be easy to operate with alongside your phone. In the upper two trims offered with the Crossland, you get a larger 8.0-inch infotainment screen that also features integrated sat-nav. Of more importance are the dual USB chargers with these trims in place of the single USB port in the Design model.

Moving into the rear cabin of the Vauxhall Crossland, access is good through the wide-opening doors, so it’s no problem loading young children into their car seats. All models come with Isofix mounts for kiddy seats in the outer rear chairs of the Vauxhall. There’s a reasonable amount of room in the back for two adults, but it’s a squeeze to fit three in across the bench as the Vauxhall Crossland is a bit narrower than a Skoda Kamiq or Ford Puma. Still, head room is good and you can fit three kids in here without any complaints. It’s a shame Vauxhall only offers the sliding rear bench as standard in the top spec Ultimate model as it does give the Crossland owner more versatility when fitting in a mix of people and loads.

Open the tailgate of the Vauxhall Crossland and there’s a 60-40 split and fold rear seat that, when tipped down, frees up a maximum of 1255-litres of space. That’s among the more generous in this class and it’s the same story when the rear seats are in use as the Crossland has 410-litres of cargo room to play with. In the Ultimate model, this can be extended up to a very generous 520-litres, though you have to bear in mind this comes at the expense of rear leg room for passengers.

2017 Vauxhall Crossland engines: how does it drive?

The Vauxhall Crossland was launched was revised in 2021 in a bid to improve its rather mediocre driving manners. Unfortunately for Vauxhall and anyone choosing a Crossland, the changes were not enough to have any real impact on how the car drives or to better its very run of the mill manners. In town, this isn’t a particular problem as the Crossland is quite compact on the outside, making it simple to fit into parking bays and the higher trim levels come with a panoramic reversing camera to make life simple. There’s decent vision from the driver’s seat when parking, too, while light assistance for the steering means you don’t have to give your biceps a workout when twirling the wheel.

Head on to the motorway and the Vauxhall Crossland’s steering becomes more of an irritation as it needs continual small inputs to keep the car tracking on your intended course. It makes the car far less relaxing to drive than, say, a Ford Puma or Skoda Kamiq. The Vauxhall is also more susceptible to crosswinds or the side draft from big trucks as you go past, which again means the Vauxhall Crossland requires more driver attention more of the time than many of its rivals. Add in a fair degree of wind noise from around the windscreen and door mirrors, plus road noise that makes itself heard at higher speeds, and the Crossland is vary far from worrying the class leaders in this sector for refinement.

On more rural roads, the Vauxhall Crossland’s steering is less of an issue, but what does become apparent is the wallowy suspension that lets the car lean too much in corners. If this was the only symptom, it wouldn’t be such a problem and you could forgive the Vauxhall this for a cushy ride. However, the suspension picks up on ruts and dips all too easily and transmits them in feel and sound to the cabin. As some compensation, the Crossland has decent grip in corners and its compact exterior dimensions mean you don’t have to worry when you encounter oncoming vehicles on narrow lanes.

Engine choice in the Vauxhall Crossland is now down to a pair of 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol motors. These come in 110hp form with a six-speed manual gearbox or a 130hp motor with a six-speed automatic transmission. The 110hp with manual ’box is the better bet for most drivers, though the gear change has a shift that feels too long and undefined, while the clutch is also not the best and leaves you guessing where the bite point is. With the auto, shifts are smooth but it can be reluctant to change down a gear when you press hard on the accelerator pedal, which hampers the Crossland’s ability to get past slower moving traffic. Neither engine is especially refined and you will feel some vibration through the steering wheel and pedals, whereas a Ford Puma or Peugeot 2008 with their three-cylinder motors are much smoother.

Value for money: how much does a 2017 Vauxhall Crossland cost to buy and run?

Vauxhall fires up the Crossland range with the Design trim that costs from £20,260 for the 110hp model with the six-speed manual gearbox. Opt for this trim with the 130hp engine and six-speeder auto and you’ll pay a further £2100 on top of that. Next up is the GS Line trim that begins at £22,725 for the manual, with the auto again costing a further £2100. At the top of the range sits the Ultimate, which goes from £25,590 for the 110hp manual, but the auto version for this trim costs an additional £2140. Some time spent comparing new car deals should net you a saving of up to £2000 on a Vauxhall Crossland, depending on the trim version. Choose a nearly new car with around 5000 miles under its wheels and you should spend from about £18,500. A three-year old Crossland with 30,000 miles to its credit will cost from around £14,000.

The Design is the entry-point trim to the Vauxhall Crossland range and it comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, lane departure warning, and traffic sign recognition. It also has a driver fatigue alert, automatic emergency braking, hill start assist, and cruise control with speed limiter. Comfort is taken care of by air conditioning, electric windows all round, and a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen for the infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that plays through six speakers. Next in the Crossland range is the GS Line that has 17-inch wheels, rear privacy glass, black roof, and red or chrome window trims. A panoramic reversing camera is included, along with automatic high beam control. You also get a 3.5-inch digital display in the main instrument cluster and 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav. The GS Line also comes with climate control, a front centre arm rest, and Vauxhall’s active driver’s seat with electrically adjusted lumbar support. At the top of the pile is the Ultimate trim with two-tone alloy wheels, silver-painted roof rails, and keyless entry and starting. It also has heated front seats and steering wheel, Alcantara suede upholstery, an adjustable height load floor, and a rear bench that can slide to vary load capacity and rear passenger space.

Running costs for the Vauxhall Crossland are broadly similar to its rivals that use the same sort of small capacity turbo petrol engines. Combined fuel economy for the 110hp 1.2 motor works out to a best of 48.7mpg in the Design trim, or 46.3mpg in the versions on larger wheels. It’s the same with carbon dioxide emissions, with the Design emitting 129g/km and the others up to 138g/km. With the 130hp 1.2 engine that comes with an automatic gearbox, average fuel consumption is 46.3mpg in the Design model and 44.1mpg in the others. For CO2 emissions, the Design with auto transmission offers 136g/km and the others up to 143g/km. This means all Crosslands fall into the £230 bracket for first-year road tax in 2022-2023, while the 1.2 110hp models are in the 30% Benefit in Kind category for company car tax and the 130hp engine is in the 32% band. Insurance for the Crossland is calculated on groups 14 to 18 depending on engine and trim.

Verdict: Should I buy a 2017 Vauxhall Crossland?

The Vauxhall Crossland does an adequate job of being a small SUV, but in a class where there are many talented contenders this is not enough to stand out. There are things the Crossland does well, such as the amount of room and adjustment for the driver and there’s decent luggage space. However, the cabin is far from the most stylish place to be.

It’s a similar story with how the Vauxhall Crossland drives. Yes, it gets the job done and the engines are willing. However, the ride is not as cosseting as that in many of the class leaders, and refinement at higher speeds lets the side down for the Vauxhall. As a result, the Crossland is a car you buy for its keen pricing rather than more appealing reasons.

What could I buy instead of a 2017 Vauxhall Crossland?

Ford Puma

The Ford Puma has become the go-to small SUV for many drivers, and it’s easy to see why. The Puma is stylish, great to drive, affordable, and it’s practical too. The cabin is well put together and roomy, while the boot is simply huge once you get used to the idea of its extra underfloor space. It’s also available with hybrid power, but not a full EV version. The Puma is the best in its class when it comes to driving fun, and this is allied to a composed ride, even in the performance ST version.

Volkswagen T-Roc

This is where Volkswagen gets to let its hair down and have a bit of fun in the SUV sector. Where the Tiguan and T-Cross are more sober affairs, the T-Roc has funky looks and offers buyers more in the way of personalisation in the way the car looks inside and out. It also gets all of the basics right with a comfortable ride, good handling, and a wide spread of engines. You can also get a T-Roc with all-wheel drive, but there’s no hybrid option and nor is the T-Roc much fun from the driver’s seat.

Nissan Juke

There are few more striking cars to look at in the small SUV class than the Nissan Juke. It’s more well-stocked handsome than its predecessor while still retaining a distinct look, while inside the Juke now offers plenty of space and lots of safety equipment included with every model. There’s a hybrid model to broaden the engine line-up, but the Juke has a firm ride that means it’s only average for the class when it comes to driving pleasure and comfort. Still, Nissan has priced the Juke very temptingly.