Used Vauxhall Antara review and buying guide (2007 to 2015): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Vauxhall Antara should you buy?

No Antara year stands out as the safe buy, and that's because the record is thin rather than clean: there's no established fault for the model, just a handful of owners' reports and recalls. What separates a good one from a bad one is paperwork. Diesels built from late 2010 to 2015 were recalled because the particulate filter system could overheat and set the lower engine cover alight, so insist on proof that work's been done.

The December 2010 facelift brought a newly developed 2.2 CDTi diesel, but don't treat the later cars as sorted. Most of the owners' reports involve 2012 to 2014 Antaras, covering gearboxes, transfer boxes, an engine failure and a leaking sump, so a late car deserves just as close a look as an early one.

Earlier cars have their own history. A 2009 service bulletin was reported to cure a jolt from diesel automatics between 45 and 60mph, and some 2009 diesel automatics threw up an ESP warning with an unresponsive throttle, which a dealer traced to the pedal sensor and which can come back after repair. Every UK Antara has five seats, since the seven-seat version was never sold here.

Which Antara engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

None of the Antara's engines has a clean record, and the diesels carry the clearest warning: they've had trouble getting the particulate filter to regenerate, on top of the filter fire recall. The 2.4 petrol barely features in the reports either way. That sidesteps the filter, but it isn't proof the petrol's sound, so you're buying on less evidence rather than better.

On the 2.2 CDTi, one 2013 car's engine failed outright and the dealer quoted £5,600 to replace it. Another 2012 car went into limp mode at 29,000 miles with faults pointing to the injectors, and a third showed a fault its dealer hadn't met before, with a new manifold and a stripped engine proposed as the fix. Each is a single car, but together they're a reason to want a 2.2's history in full.

The 4x4 system has its own reports. A 2012 car's transfer box failed and its owner was quoted £2,500 for a replacement, and on another Antara the transfer box bearing burst through the casing, which the garage put down to one tyre wearing more than the rest. The 2.2 came either with front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual, or as a 4x4 with a six-speed manual or automatic.

The gearboxes don't escape either. A 2012 car needed a new gearbox, clutch and flywheel after a bearing failed at 50,000 miles, and a 2012 automatic bought with 40,000 miles on it briefly lost drive on the motorway, which the supplier diagnosed as a solenoid valve fault. A 2.2 4x4 owner also reported a stiff change into second, fourth and sixth.

What should you check when viewing a used Antara?

Get down and look at all four tyres on a 4x4 before anything else. They should match in size and be worn evenly, because one owner's transfer box failure was blamed on a single tyre wearing faster than the others. If the seller can't say when the tyres were last replaced as a set, ask why.

Ask for written proof of recall work: the particulate filter fire recall on diesels from late 2010 to 2015, and the starter cable recall on 2013 to 2015 cars with stop-start, where heat could damage the cable and let the starter fail on the move, with a fire risk. A filter warning light, or a drop into limp mode on the drive, is a reason not to buy.

Work through every gear on the road. Feel for a stiff change into second, fourth or sixth, and on an automatic hold a steady motorway speed on cruise control, watching for the revs flaring while drive drops out. Between 45 and 60mph, check there's no kick when you ease back onto the throttle.

Look at the tailgate, where the handle and number plate light housing can rub through the paint and let rust start. Check the boot lock opens and shuts properly, pair your phone to the Bluetooth, since one owner had both fail, and look under the engine for oil, as one 2014 car's sump needed resealing at 22,900 miles.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Vauxhall Antara cost to run?

What do Antara owners like about them?

The four-wheel drive does its job without you thinking about it. Most of the time it drives through the front wheels alone, and when the road turns slippery it sends drive to the rear as well, all on its own. Facelifted cars from late 2010 got retuned springs and dampers, which made them better to drive both on tarmac and on rougher ground.

Inside, the later cars are easier to live with. The centre console was redesigned with more places to put things, the dials got clearer graphics and the cabin lighting was improved. Earlier cars don't have these changes, so if a tidy, practical cabin matters to you, it's worth aiming for one sold from December 2010 onwards.

• The Antara provides generous room for passengers, including ample leg and head space in the optional sixth and seventh seats.
• The revised Euro-5 compliant engine range offers increased performance, along with reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
• The Antara offers improved efficiency across its range of manual and six-speed automatic transmissions, available with front or all-wheel drive.
• The vehicle's handling on and off-road is enhanced by a revised chassis, featuring updated spring and damper settings.
• The cabin features a redesigned centre console with additional storage, new materials, and clearer instrument graphics and lighting.