*This is a collaborative post. Please see my disclosure policy for details
The lovely folk at Vauxhall kindly asked if we'd like to take their Vauxhall Crossland X on an extended test drive. We decided to take the Crossland X to Yorkshire with us as we visited the gorgeous borough of Calderdale.
Our current car is a Vauxhall Zafira with 7 seats. We love it as the boot space is huge and easily fits all of our camping gear in and is ideal for the multiple camping/ road trips we take across the year. My children also love to fight in the car, especially when they are touching each other! I like that our current car features 3 rows of seats so the children can all have their own space and to be honest, I'm unlikely to change from this configuration in the next few years. Because of this, I don't think the Crossland X is the car for us but I do think it's an ideal car for those who often drive a car without another adult in the passenger seat. I would LOVE to own a Crossland X for myself (as our second car) and can definitely see myself using one to get around town, ferry the kids to various clubs after school and take the kids out for the day when Steve is working. Here's why:
1 - On Star - your fabulous personal assistant
On Star is an absolutely fantastic feature of the Crossland X. It's basically like your own personal assistant. You have to pay an annual subscription fee but if you drive around a lot by yourself or are the only adult with kids in the car, I think it will be a lifesaver on many occasions. To activate On Star, you can use your phone app, or simply press the On Star button by your wing mirror. On Star then connects to a real-life personal advisor who can help you with multiple situations. If there was another adult in the car with you, I think this feature could be a bit gimmicky as the other adult could just use their phone to google the answers to a lot of these questions but if you're a stressed-out parent driving the kids somewhere or driving by yourself, I think you'd find it really useful. Here's how On Star can help:
- Locate the nearest drive-through coffee shop and divert your in-car Sat Nav to take you there.
- Quickly locate the nearest public toilets and divert your in-car Sat Nav to take you there,
- Automatic crash response - if you're involved in an accident and your airbags inflate, On Star will automatically connect, an advisor will chat with you via the car speakerphone, a report will be sent to the Vauxhall service centre with your exact car location and description and the emergency services will be deployed if needed. All without you doing anything! As a solo parent with kids in the car, I would love this extra reassurance and feeling that I wasn't alone in a time of need.
- Roadside assistance - if your car breaks down, simply press the On Star button to organise assistance with the AA
- Medical emergencies - if you need urgent medical assistance, simply press the On Star button and the team will organise this for you. They'll automatically know your vehicle description and exact location and pass this on to the relevant emergency services.
There's also a mobile app which can display your car's diagnostics (eg oil levels or tyre pressure), can unlock your car doors remotely, can locate your car for you if you can't remember where you've parked and link-up to the in-car Sat Nav system. This is just a small selection of what On Star can do!
2 - Wireless phone charging
The Vauxhall Crossland X knows how important it is to stay connected and there are USB points built into the dashboard and a wireless charging spot too. When I'm in the car with the kids by myself, the last thing I want to do is run out of phone battery or for their iPad to run out so this feature is super important to me.
I would have liked to have seen USB sockets in the back of the car as well as the front - this would have made the kids super happy too.
3 - Intuitive features
The Vauxhall Crossland X is such a breeze to drive. It's most definitely the easiest car I've ever driven. The Vauxhall Crossland X is super intuitive and many of the car's features are automatically activated so it's one less thing for the driver to worry about. Lights and windscreen wipers are automatically taken care of and the car's Sat Nav system will automatically switch to camera view when you reverse - there's definitely no faffing about with buttons.
The car's Sat Nav system worked seamlessly for us - it's all integrated and actually easier to use than our current google maps. The map on the main dashboard screen is large and easy to follow and there's a smaller display with directions behind the steering wheel too. We only found ourselves in the wrong lane once which I think is some sort of miracle.
A feature that Steve really liked about the car was being able to automatically link his iPhone up to the car's system (you can do this with Android too). You can say 'Hello Siri' and Siri will talk to you through the car speaker system, you can take phone calls and their caller info is displayed on your dash and you can link your Apple Music up to the in-car entertainment system with ease. Being able to do all of this with just your voice or the simple touch of a single button just makes life so easy!
The car's Sat Nav system worked seamlessly for us - it's all integrated and actually easier to use than our current google maps. The map on the main dashboard screen is large and easy to follow and there's a smaller display with directions behind the steering wheel too. We only found ourselves in the wrong lane once which I think is some sort of miracle.
A feature that Steve really liked about the car was being able to automatically link his iPhone up to the car's system (you can do this with Android too). You can say 'Hello Siri' and Siri will talk to you through the car speaker system, you can take phone calls and their caller info is displayed on your dash and you can link your Apple Music up to the in-car entertainment system with ease. Being able to do all of this with just your voice or the simple touch of a single button just makes life so easy!
4 - In-car WiFi for up to seven devices
When I first heard about in-car WiFi, I thought wow, what a fabulous idea and the Vauxhall Crossland X offers a WiFi connection for up to 7 devices. After your 3 month free trial you do have to pay for the service and prices start from £5. On reflection and after driving this car for a week, I'm not sure it's a feature I'd ever use. I have a fair amount of data allowance in my phone package and can use my phone as a WiFi hotspot at no extra charge so for me, the in-car WiFi feature really isn't too useful after all. Harry has his own generous data allowance on his phone too and I'm not sure the younger two actually need WiFi? The only time I think it would be useful is if you were the only parent in the car and the kids wanted to connect to the internet to stream movies/watch YouTube and you didn't want to mess around setting your own phone up as a hot spot. Let me know if you think you'd use in-car WiFi and what for......I'm intrigued!
5 - Advanced park assist and 180 degree rear view parking camera
I am one of those people who hate parking! I can't actually remember the last time I reverse parked. It's super easy with the Vauxhall Crossland X though as there are sensors around the car that beep as you approach a barrier/obstacle and I loved the 180 degree camera that is automatically activated when you select reverse gear. It's so much easier parking with the help of a camera and there's no more creeking your neck or opening your door to check you're within the lines (please tell me that's not just me!).
The Vauxhall Crossland X ticks all of the boxes for us as a second family car. I can really picture myself owning one and can definitely see how it would make my life so much easier. At the moment, I can't justify the cost of a second car but it's something I'll definitely be looking into in the future.
If you're a single driver/family of three/four who does not go camping (and therefore require a huge boot), the Vauxhall Crossland X could be the car for you. With 520 litres of space, there was enough room for our weekend away and the car navigated the winding roads and hills of Calderdale very well.
What do you think? Could the Vauxhall Crossland X be the car for you?
OMG Simon would LOVE one of these! Whilst I love our little Suzuki he whinges about it quite a bit - apparently it's not powerful enough and doesn't have enough (any!!) gadgets - he'd love a sat nav system and parking assistance (actually, thinking about it, I'd quite like the assistance cos it'd stop me having to jump out all the time to guide him into a space!)
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