Vauxhall Cascada (2013 – 2018) Review

Vauxhall Cascada (2013 – 2018) Verdict

Good quality fit and finish. Impressive refinement. Easy to drive.

Automatic gearbox isn't the best. Not exciting to drive. Lacks the prestige of a premium convertible.

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Vauxhall Cascada (2013 – 2018) handling and engines

• Engines range from 1.4 Turbo to 2.0 CDTi BiTurbo 195
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 32–48 mpg

There are two petrol and two diesel engines in the Cascada range. The entry point a 140PS 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol, but for those who tend to drive on motorways or A-roads, it would be wiser to pick the 1.6-litre petrol or one of the diesels. Vauxhall offers the 2.0-litre CDTi with 165PS and the 2.0 CDTI BiTurbo with 195PS.

The 165PS 2.0-litre diesel offers the best blend of performance, economy and price. It is a few pounds cheaper to buy than the 1.6-litre petrol, but it offers more torque (350Nm versus 280Nm) and better fuel economy (54.3mpg versus 42.2mpg). That said, the 1.6-litre 200PS petrol is a good choice – it’s quiet and offers decent performance, if you can forgive unimpressive - but not atrocious - fuel economy.

The top engine is the 2.0-litre BiTurbo diesel, which thanks to twin turbocharger delivers 195PS and an impressive 400Nm of torque. If you regularly need overtaking oomph on A-roads, or if you spend a lot of time on the motorway, then it’s the pick of the range. However it’s only offered in top Elite trim and costs just shy of £30,000.

Alongside the standard manual there's an automatic gearbox which suits the Cascada’s character. Vauxhall offers a six-speed automatic in conjunction with the 1.6-litre petrol, but specifying it reduces power from 200PS to 170PS. The auto is also offered with the 165PS 2.0-litre CDTi. It’s not a bad automatic gearbox, but it will sometimes change down a gear unexpectedly or hold on to a gear for longer than you’d like.

Whichever engine you choose, you’ll get impressive refinement at low revs. At idle the Cascada sounds just as quiet as a fixed-roof car and that continues when on the move unless you accelerate hard. Even with the roof down wind noise is barely noticeable until you reach motorway speeds and engine noise, while always apparent, is hushed.

That helps maintain the relaxed character of the Cascada. This is not a car for high speed cornering, but is much more at home on A-roads with long, sweeping turns where the nicely weighted steering and smooth gear changes make for effortless progress. The suspension, while firm, does a good job of absorbing bumps, even on the larger 19-inch wheels. That said, ride quality could be a little better over more severely cracked and potholed roads, so a smaller wheel size is advised.

If you tend to drive on particularly tight, twisting B-roads then the Cascada isn’t quite as nimble as you might hope. It’s a heavy car and that really shows when cornering. The Cascada is not lithe or agile enough to be as exciting as smaller soft-top cars.

Vauxhall Cascada (2013 – 2018) interior

• Boot space is 280–750 litres

From the outside the Cascada is very reminiscent of the Astra and that theme continues in the cabin – the instrument binnacle and centre stack look very much like those seen in Vauxhall's popular hatchback, right down to the dials. That’s not especially bad news – the material quality is very good, plus the controls are well finished and pleasant to operate.

It’s not all positive, though. The centre stack itself is very cluttered, with a confusing number of buttons to control everything from radio to ventilation. On the plus side, the colour screen at the top of the stack is clear and generally easy to use.

The lower SE trim grade comes with fabric upholstery, which isn’t exactly luxurious and does nothing to make the Cascada feel any better than an Astra, but if you go for a higher Elite model you’ll get impressively sumptuous leather in a variety of colours. It really does help lift the ambience and gives a noticeably more upmarket feel.

The roof is internally lined in a soft fabric that looks and feels like a traditional hard-top car’s headlining. You can barely see any structural rods or bars, so you could be forgiven for thinking the Cascada was a coupe from inside. That said, rearward visibility isn’t great through the small glass rear window.

The roof retracts auotmatically with a simple button situated by the electronic handbrake, with no manual release clasps to operate. It takes 17 seconds to raise or lower fully and it can be used on the go at speeds up to 30mph, which is handy if your caught in a sudden shower, or if the sun comes out while you’re waiting in traffic.

Practicality is generally good. The boot is 280 litres, which isn’t bad, but you’ll have to sacrifice a lot of that if you plan on folding the roof down. Access isn’t great either – the boot lid isn’t very big so the opening is much smaller than that of a Volkswagen Eos. You can fold the rear seats forward and there’s a through-hatch, which expands boot capacity to a more useful 780 litres, but you’ll still be restricted to non-bulky items.

One of the major plus points for the Cascada is passenger space. There’s room in the back for two adults, although access isn’t great and headroom isn’t too impressive with the roof up either. But with the roof down, rear seat passengers will be perfectly comfortable unless you’re travelling at motorway speeds, where wind buffeting will become a problem.

Standard equipment is competitive – 18-inch alloy wheels are standard, along with parking sensors, cruise control, DAB radio, air conditioning and Bluetooth. Moving up to the Elite trim adds perforated leather seat upholstery, heated front seats, automatic lights and wipers and dual-zone climate control.

Standard equipment:

SE models come with an active rollover protection system, remote control roof operation, 18-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, CD/MP3 CD player with DMB digital radio, aux-in socket and USB connection, Bluetooth, three-spoke leather-covered steering wheel, cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, sports front seats, electric windows, rear parking distance sensors, LED rear lights, remote control alarm system, electric parking brake, multi-function trip computer and FlexFold rear seats with remote electric release.

Elite trim adds dual-zone climate control, perforated leather seat facings, heated front seats, sports front seats with extendable seat cushions, front seats with tilt and four-way electrical lumbar adjustment, a flat-bottomed, heated leather steering wheel, rain-sensitive wipers, automatic lights with tunnel detection and digital high beam assist, anti-dazzle rear-view mirror, front fog lights, electronic front seatbelt presenters and a windbreak.

Vauxhall Cascada (2013 – 2018) models and specs

On sale until July 2019

On sale until April 2015