Vauxhall Meriva review

‘Class-competitive’ is the best way to describe the Meriva’s running costs. Obviously, fuel economy and emissions figures vary from model to model, though Vauxhall’s engines are all pretty good in that regard. Indeed, since the facelift, they've been improved to class-leading levels. Watch out for the ecoFlex badge, as that means it’s an economy special: a 1.6-litre 110bhp versio with stop-start manages 74.3mpg and just 99g/km of CO2. That means free road tax: impressive for a vehicle this practical. As for petrol, even the most powerful turbo manages nearly 45mpg.