First impressions...
The initial impressions of the car’s look and feel are positive. Some people have argued the car is a bit ungainly and ugly on the road, but I have to disagree. Classic small car styling points are here in abundance, and the “wheel on each corner” approach definitely puts the car into the ‘cute’ category a’la Fiat 500.
There are more than 30,000 different styling combinations on the Adam, and the approach by Vauxhall has generally been to attract a modern and young audience to its otherwise rather stuck in the mud customer profile. To be fair, it looks like for the most part it’s worked - the Adam is not a bad looking car at all, and with excellent styling options it really does stand out on the road. In fact, I prefer it to Fiat’s offering…
Inside…
The impressions of the interior are initially good. There has been quite a lot of thought gone into storage - you’re bound to be carrying loads if you’re travelling around the city, and excellent cubby holes and storage areas can be found in abundance. The driving position is good, if a little low, and the visibility from the large door mirrors is second to none. In fact, combined with all-round parking sensors, I don’t think I’ve ever driven an easier car to park. A major plus point for the Adam.
The styling inside can of course be customised, and in general it’s a really pleasant place to be. I don’t find Vauxhall’s menu/steering wheel option system the most intuitive, but everything is exactly where you need it, and as already stated visibility is fantastic. The plastics are well thought out and actually it feels a lot more premium than you’d imagine...the only downside is I found the touchscreen system a little bit fiddly and tacky.
How does it drive?
The Adam has a ‘city’ option for lighter steering around the traffic, but in all honestly it’s a pretty redundant feature. The car’s steering is as light as it gets anyway, and I didn’t think adding something else that removed even more feel from the front wheels was really worth it. Having said that, the Adam is a brilliantly ‘chuckable’ car - with bags of grip and fun to be had in the corners. The engine options are pretty standard for a model such as this, and at times felt a little down on power on country roads, but they really held their own around town. Nippy and responsive, the Adam was a remarkably easy car to drive comfortably and safely. An increase in engine options and a sportier turbo version will improve the general driving experience, but around town, you could do a lot worse. I didn’t particularly enjoy the suspension setup - it left me feeling a bit ill after prolonged country driving, but its firmness around town was expected and appreciated.
In terms of running costs and practicality, the Adam ranks up there with some of the best, and in many ways outperforms the MG3 I reviewed a little while ago. Mpg figures are quoted as around 55mpg at best, and although there are cars out there in this sector that will outperform that, not many are quite as cute, zippy and nimble.
Overall
From what I can see the Vauxhall Adam beats some other cars in this category hands down. Vauxhall have gambled with this model, and nobody is quite sure whether it’s paid off yet, but the Adam is a thoroughly enjoyable car to drive. It has its niggles - country roads and long journeys would be a pain, and boot space/room in the back isn’t exactly ideal, but I’m sure the target market won’t worry about this too much. With a few more engine options the car would also really suit a sporty/hot hatch version. One to think about Vaxuhall?!
The Vauxhall Adam comes in at just above £11,000 for the more desirable models - with options pushing the price as high as £17,000. The base model does however only end up being around £1,000 more expensive than the MG3, which although fun is in comparison a car you’d always regret buying instead of this. The nimble drive, roomy and stylish interior and bewildering array of customisable options makes the Adam a leftfield but highly worthwhile car to spend your time in.
Customise your own Vauxhall Adam on its very own site.