14 Vauxhall Adam cars for sale

Used Vauxhall Adam for sale: everything you need to know

If you’ve ever wondered why it’s called the Adam, then it possibly makes more sense in its original Opel form on the European mainland, where Adam is the name of the company founder, Adam Opel. It’s not quite a Ferrari Enzo, but the name is just one small part of why the Vauxhall Adam stands out.

On sale between 2012 and 2019, the Adam went up against cars like the MINI, Fiat 500, and Citroen DS3, with a similar range of bright colours and customisation. It came into its own in 2014 when a 1-litre turbocharged petrol engine joined the range, and these are the models to search for today - but all Adams are fairly affordable to insure, and are still stylish to behold over a decade after launch.

Should you buy a Vauxhall Adam?

Much like the MINI hatch it competed against when new, buying a Vauxhall Adam has the same downside: you’ll never have the joy of going through all those options and colours and customising it yourself. On the other hand, the original owner might just have had the same taste of you, so keep your eyes open and you may find one that’s almost perfect for your tastes, and for a lot less money than the original buyer paid.

Otherwise, the Adam is a fairly straightforward and sensible buy. It’s effectively a slightly smaller and more stylish Vauxhall Corsa, feeling similar to drive and having a similar engine range. The compact size does mean you don’t get quite as much rear seat space or boot space as a Corsa, but the interior is much more interesting to look at - some versions even came with a Rolls-Royce-style starlight headliner.

Like the Corsa of the same time, the Adam feels surprisingly grown-up to drive, with a planted feel and good refinement for a small car (though the low-powered 1.2-litre petrol does need working hard, which means higher noise levels). It’s not as fun as some of its contemporaries but the Adam does have a superficially sporty feel, with quick steering and a relatively firm (though not really uncomfortable) ride.

The Adam’s sense of fun even extends to the names of its colours, which include things like Saturday White Fever, Red ‘n’ Roll, and Let it Blue. Not even MINI went that far, but a MINI hatch is more fun to drive, while a Citroen DS3 (later just DS3) is more spacious and feels more upmarket. The Fiat 500 is another small and stylish car to consider, and its huge popularity means even more choice than the Adam gives you, while the Volkswagen Beetle is larger and more sophisticated. Still, the Adam has merit, and still manages to feel individual even today.

What’s the best used Vauxhall Adam model to buy?

As even the newest, highest-spec Adams are missing some of the technology and safety kit you’ll find in the very latest small cars, there are two options here: buy the latest and flashiest model possible to try and at least get close to the kit you’ll find in newer cars, or save some money to swap whatever ageing audio and entertainment system the car comes with for a modern touchscreen system. Or meet somewhere in the middle - one of the benefits of fancier Adam models is they do come with desirable two-tone paint finishes, more striking alloy wheels, more interesting interior materials, and for later cars, more powerful engines too. On that front, the 1-litre turbocharged petrol is our pick of the range as it’s punchy and frugal.