Mk5 Astra Estate

[MattR32]

Okay this looks utterly daft amoungst Ferrari and M3 reviews but some of you "normal" people might want a quick, practical car to go with your serious machinery - You never know!

Astra 1.9CDTi (150PS) Estate

Looks: I think Vauxhall have cracked it with the Astra Estate - With the bigger alloys and dark rear glass the top line model actually looks quite good if you ignore the badge.

Handling: The "Sports pack" on top of the range models includes bigger alloys, fat tyres (225s), lowered suspension, sharper steering and a magic sports button. This sharpens the throttle, steering and dampers and makes a noticeable difference.

The handling is very good indeed and a big reason I chose this car - After trying the usual VW/Audi models which are all disappointing handling wise, it was a revelation.

Flat cornering, resists understeer right up to a daft limit, grips well but there's a bit of torque steer (there's a LOT of torque) and a RWD/AWD set up is more neutral.

Performance: A very good engine with 148bhp and 232lbft. It's pretty noisy but calms down at speed and not a lot happens under 2k revs but there's a proper performance car shove after that. 0-60 is 8.6s - Good for a soot chucker. It tails off at 4.5k but the 5k redline is high for a diesel and it's free revving.

Probably one of the best small capacity TDis on the market and used in Alfas and Saabs.

Brakes: Strong stopping power (308mms up front) but not in proper performance car league.

Practicality - Unlike BWW and Audis mock estates, this manages to be a compact car but has a capacity rivalling the V70. Very useful indeed. Good mpg but this doesn't really interest me - The range is more important and this goes a long way on a tank.

Interior - After an R32, it will always struggle but thw 1/2 leather sports seats are actually more comfortable than the Golfs (with lumbar adjust). Dash not as good but it's nice and solid. Has all the goodies - ESP, aircon, auto dimming mirror, auto lights, auto wipers, etc.

Value: Stonkingly good. I'd never even have looked at a Vauhall a year ago but after serious frustration with my usual German/Jap brands (overpriced, underpowered, bad handling, but all nice inside) I bit the bullet, tried a Focus (nice but Vauxhall better built and no quick Focuses yet) and some other mainstream brands and got a pleasant suprise. £3k off list for this so £16k for a fast, diesel estate that handles very well, looks good and eats a lot of gear. Leave status at home and you've got a repmobile eating bagain.

[sayerbloke]

"but there's a bit of torque steer"

I was following one the other day and out of every corner [and even along some straights when following traffic] you could see the whole vehicle squirm under acceleration.

[MattR32]

Must have been really gunning it!

It's nowhere near as bad as a Focus RS or 147GTA though - They nearly broke my wrists!

[sayerbloke]

[ QUOTE ]

Must have been really gunning it!

It's nowhere near as bad as a Focus RS or 147GTA though - They nearly broke my wrists!

[/ QUOTE ]

I have heard those other 2 are bad, yeah

I was surprised to see the Vauxhall moving about as much as it was. I put it down to a driver not knowing what he was doing. A couple of days later I read Clarkson say it was a bit torque-steery and now you`ve said the same thing... *shrugs*.

[MattR32]

Sounds like a cack driver.

Was it a diesel?

They have some serious shove but I only get torque steer an very low speeds when I really floor it plus mines lowered and has a sporty set up which seems to help.

Of course I'm missing the almost torque steerless R32 but it's genuinley not far off on handling and feels more composed on some A road stuff.

[MattR32]

Just as I suspected.

Generated about as much interest as an Austin Maxi review.

Oh well, my secret shall remain with me.

[Calm Chris]

Serves you right!

No place on here for Astra Estates, after all they do make the Corsa chav 'ette.

They are functional A-B cars, that's all I'm saying.

I understand that there is a huge shortage of the Green tipped specialist veg cause by Jamie and his big mouth!

Hope your taking full advantage of the shortage and making a mint!

A little Lotus wouldn't cost that much...........

[CarMad]

Nice little review. Nothing wrong with challenging the norm, mind you a lot of people on TSN don't know anything other than Audi.

So where are the pictures of the motor anyway, you mention the looks and alloys but what no pics.. come on sort it.

[shao_khan]

Not sure yet if we will be having a Vauxhall. Been playing around with a Vectra 3.0 V6 TDI Estate - excellent bit of kit and very tempted to keep it in pref to the Audi.

[MattR32]

Chri5 - Ouch!

Comment after trying one - Too easy to just ignore mainstream cars and miss out these days.

I looked at Audi, BMW, VW, etc - Nothing suited at all.

It's all about "having a Vauxhall" not about actually trying the car and having a balanced opinion (and I've tested LOADS of cars recently) - A lot that were supposed to be good were actually cack (Audi A4 Avant, VW Bora, mk4 150PD Golf, Passat, etc).

CarMad - Poor photos but you get the idea.

[Calm Chris]

I drove earlier Astras and cav's during 1986-1990.

1.3, 1.6 and the GTE, I actually really like the Vauxhalls as a Company user car, much better that anything the blue badge can offer. Also like the way the cars always seem to be faster that the sales leaflets suggest.

They take a good amount of 'load', have all you really need in the buttons and (modest) comfort stakes, do 30 mpg++ and will still cruise at 100mph for hours on end.

With you business needs and lifestyle (surfing and weekend jaunts away) it is ideal and practical.

But even you can't dispute the lack of personality with the car. A very good car, but a 'tool' its not. Have you had any yearning to get up at 05:00 and find a runway yet? (Even if you have, don't own up to it!)

Must smell a bit when its loaded down with Asparagus!

LOL

[Lagoo]

I think vauhall are on the up! They have a great car in the VX and i think the new astra VXR will be a good seller for them!

[shao_khan]

The problem Vauxhall have is the badge - many magazines have a total bias towards them (I think car used a Volvo, Mondeo as competitors for the new passat in a road test) and many members of the public dislike them for no real good reason.

I have had a few Vauxhalls (9 or 10) and they have all been more reliable than anything 'prestige German' I have owned, they all rattled less - my Mk 3 cavalier rattled less after 170k miles than my Bora did from new.

I think the important step has been the VXr models raising awareness of the brand, and continued improvement bringing them up in some journos estimations.

[MattR32]

Chris - When the time is right, I'll get something to play with - Maybe a VX220T?

As for enjoying driving it - Would I enjoy driving a poor handling Passat more? Or an A4?

This actually handles way better and I actually do enjoy driving it (shock, horror!) - Why shouldn't I?!

[Calm Chris]

Fair call, if your a driver's driver (which y qualify as) you can enjoy driving nearly any car on the road. It’s just about driver enjoyment levels.

I enjoy the R32, but I'd enjoy a Porker Turbo 4x4 more and yours less, that’s all

You can't argue! You have mentioned here and in past posts, VX, Elise and others, so why would you be looking forward to the day when you can drive more exotic cars, if you didn’t think that they offered more fun.

Is there anyone who given the freedom of finance or other restriction wouldn’t upgrade their car? Even Lagoo would like the opportunity of say a F430

To re-affirm...

You drive what you do now for business, insurance, cost to run and security reasons. Those and other circumstances have dictated the need to step back from a R32 to a new

Astra D.

What you have done is right for you and although the car is a very good buy, practical, economical, etc you have had better and will own better in the future

Hope the business booms and that it's soon rather than later. If it's later, you might become of the mind than the car you have is unsurpassable

[CarMad]

Pics look good.

As you have said already, people are more interested in the image a car apparently gives them than the fact it actually handles well or heaven forbid offers good value for money.

I might be as guilty as most in saying that, but with cars costing more and more I think people are going to look at them as a much higher cost of the total monthy expenditure and will as a result for the first time maybe start to thing about how much it is costing.

Not me of course... petrol head through and through, just need more money to get that better new motor.

[MattR32]

Chri5 - I'm under no illusions that it's a giant killer - It just does the job of a much more pricey car for a lot less.

The money thing isn't paramount - It's obviously important but if a BMW Touring/C class estate/A4 Avant/etc fitted the bill, I would have got one of those. I still much prefer petrols but diesels have that all important torque without needing a big block. MPG bores me - But good range between fill ups actually shrinks journeys massively.

The Astra is a long term workhorse with a sprinkling of fun added and in some ways is "better" than the R32.

If I get another properly quick car (which I will), it will be a 2nd car and it will probably (unless funds allow something like a 911/M3/RS4/etc) be something totally impractical but enormous fun like a Caterham/VX220 or similar.

[mooret]

Chri5, I have to disagree with you.

I enjoy driving the R32 on the road but if you are sane you cannot really enjoy or use the R to anywhere near its potential. On a track I would totally agree with your comments.

For road driving you need something with a small engine, light weight, very narrow tyres and predictable handling.

The most fun I've ever had driving on the road was in my first car. A 903cc Fiat Panda!

In order to maintain reasonably rapid progress you had to drive it flat out, all the time.

This not only improves your craft in making it go round corners right on the edge of adhesion (and sometimes over!!) but also you wider "road craft" relating to such things as anticipation, as you need to keep momentum at all costs.

At least 50% of a cars speed down any normal winding road is provided by the driver and I guarantee that a top flight racing driver would leave you for dead down your favourite twisties in your R32 if you were in a 911 turbo.

I dont want to get personal, just sharing an opinion as even in Matts Astra (personally i think its a bit dull but dynamically it does the stuff) you would be hard pushed to extract the max on the public highway without endangering other road users.

PS I've said this before on TSN, but I never found an xr2, xr3 etc that could go round roundabouts as quick as my panda!