Used Vauxhall Grandland X review and buying guide (2018 to 2021): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Vauxhall Grandland X should you buy?

The engine matters far more than the year on a Grandland X, because the 1.2 PureTech petrol carries a serious timing belt fault across the whole 2018 to 2021 run. Its belt runs in oil, and as it degrades the debris can block the oil pickup, starving the engine and knocking out the brake vacuum pump. There's no year of the 1.2 that's clear of it.

That makes the 1.6 diesel automatic the one to look at first, since the belt fault doesn't cover it. There's little on record about the diesel either way, so it's the lesser risk rather than a proven one. The plug-in hybrid only really makes sense as a business car, so a private buyer's better off with the diesel.

Which Grandland X engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.2 PureTech petrol is the engine to treat with caution. It's the same belt-in-oil unit the Peugeot 3008 uses, and its timing belt can break up in the oil. The debris clogs the oil pickup, which starves the engine of oil and can kill the brake vacuum pump, leaving you with a hard brake pedal. The fault spans every year the Grandland X was sold.

If you still want a 1.2, only buy one where the seller can show what's been done about the belt, with the oil changes on time throughout the history. It was sold with the EAT8 eight-speed automatic, and one owner of a February 2018 1.2 EAT8 used for short trips found the stop/start quit within weeks, with battery trouble on top. That's one car, not a pattern.

The 1.6 diesel automatic isn't covered by the belt fault, which is why it's the lesser risk, but there's no long record behind it either. The plug-in hybrid falls outside the belt fault too; its catch is that it only adds up when it's run as a business car, so it's not the obvious pick for a private buyer.

What should you check when viewing a used Grandland X?

On a 1.2 PureTech, watch the dashboard from a cold start to the end of the test drive: a low oil pressure light or an engine management light points straight at the belt fault. Press the brake pedal several times with the engine running, too. If it goes hard and heavy, the servo's lost its assistance, and that's a car to leave alone.

Ask for the service history and any invoice for belt inspection or replacement, and ask the seller outright whether the oil pressure light has ever come on. Once the engine's warm, pull up at a few junctions and see whether the stop/start cuts in and restarts cleanly. One owner's short-trip 1.2 automatic lost it within weeks, so ask whether the battery's been replaced.

Sit in with the dashboard lit and make sure you can read the screens without squinting, because one owner found the information on them hard to make out. The same owner had to reset the clock by hand every time the clocks went forward or back. Neither is a fault, but they're things you'd live with every day, so check they don't bother you.

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 Grandland X cost to run?

What do Grandland X owners like about them?

It's a quiet, comfortable car to travel in, and it's easy to drive, so it doesn't wear you out on a long run or in slow traffic. It's not a car that asks you to work at it, which is what you want from a family SUV you'll use every day.

There's a lot of room inside, so it doesn't feel cramped with the whole family on board. That space is the main thing the Grandland X has going for it, and it's what makes it an easy car to live with when you're carrying people and their stuff week in, week out.

• The Grandland X offers a quiet, comfortable, and easy driving experience for owners.
• The interior of the Grandland X is noted for being very spacious.
• The Grandland X offers a roomy interior, making it a practical and comfortable choice for families on longer journeys.