Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Vauxhall Adam review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

Three-door-only Adam is roomy in the front, but usability is hampered by cramped rear seats and a tiny boot

Practicality, comfort and boot space rating

3.2

How we review cars
Find your Vauxhall Adam
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Realistically, you’ll probably find yourself using the back of the Adam for transporting shopping and other luggage. Although the boot is wide, it’s not very long or deep, and when you fold down the rear seats to free up more space, there’s a big step in the middle of the load floor.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Another word of warning: don’t go for that optional Infinity stereo upgrade if you need a big boot, as the subwoofer takes up a lot of space in the back. Still, for many customers in this market, audio enjoyment is likely to matter more than practicality.

Size

The Adam is well short of four metres in length and is a relatively light car – kerb weights range from 1,101kg for the 1.2 to 1,178kg for the Adam S, including the chunky-looking Rocks models. That makes the little Vauxhall ideally suited to urban use; it’s an easy car to thread through city streets. Thankfully, it’s also not lost when you venture out on to the open road – the Adam never feels so flyweight that it gets buffeted when passing HGVs on dual carriageways and motorways, for example.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

If you’re looking for a spacious family car, you’re probably better off with a Corsa or Astra than an Adam, given its compact dimensions, but it is wider than a Fiat 500, so there's more elbo room up front. While driver and front seat passenger have plenty of room – as well as numerous storage areas and cup-holders – people sitting in the rear will feel distinctly claustrophobic.

Adults will probably only want to spend short journeys back there, so keep this in mind if you frequently give lifts to friends. Sliding front seats make getting into the rear easy at least, and children should be reasonably happy, although fitting a child seat will be a pain.

Boot

With the back seats in place, the Adam offers 170 litres of boot space – and that’s pretty poor compared to class rivals like the MINI (211 litres), DS 3 (285 litres) or Audi A1 (270 litres). Fold the rear seats down and you can carry 484 litres by loading the car up to the window line, and if you cram stuff up to the roof that increases to 663 litres.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,915Avg. savings £1,753 off RRP*Used from £18,900
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,385Avg. savings £2,911 off RRP*Used from £15,200
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,725Avg. savings £4,459 off RRP*Used from £15,045
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,321 off RRP*Used from £12,220
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs
BYD Atto 3 - front cornering

EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs

Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data
News
8 May 2025
Bargain prices drive used car sales boom, but new cars struggle to sell
Used Renault Arkana - front action

Bargain prices drive used car sales boom, but new cars struggle to sell

Demand for pre-owned cars beats pre-pandemic levels as buyers seek out bargains
News
9 May 2025
BYD beats Dacia, Honda and Citroen: Chinese EV giant already outsells ‘big’ UK brands
BYD Seal - full front

BYD beats Dacia, Honda and Citroen: Chinese EV giant already outsells ‘big’ UK brands

EV sales were up slightly last month year-on-year, but overall car sales were down as buyers tried to dodge increased road tax
News
9 May 2025