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“I brought the 1.8SRi 3 door in Metallic Star Silver...”

written by karluk on 17/11/2006

Good Points
What a fantastic car!
Drop-dead gorgeous styling
Solidly built inside and out
Great styling
Quiet, spacious cabin - very little road noise
Superb looking car
Quick, revvy 1.8 engine
Even with 18" alloys and very low tyres - road bumps are not an issue and the ride is superb.
Buy it on looks alone - you will not be disappointed

Bad Points
The rear view is quite bad, about the same as a Ford Puma - but if you want a fantastic looking hatch, it's worth the sacrifice - Also the rest of the car makes up for this and it personally doesn't bother me as for 95% of the time you're going forwards :)

General Comments
I brought the 1.8SRi 3 door in Metallic Star Silver with Exterior Pack, Technical Pack (Cruise Control and Climate Control) and Keyless Entry. I didn't even bother to test drive one since I just fell in love with its looks - it is by far the best looking and stylish hatch ever made. My last car was a Ford Focus ST170 2.0 and the Astra is much better. It feels very solid, the interior is well made, solid and practical. The seats are quite rigid (sports styling) but are comfy unless you have a larger backside (maybe Big Johns problem ;). The cabin is very quiet at all speeds. The Keyless Entry is great - just keep the electronic fob in your pocket and when you pull the door handle, the car unlocks - once inside, dip the clutch or press the brake pedal and then just press the Start/Stop button. When you stop, just press the Start/Stop button and get out - to lock the car all you have to do is touch the door handle with your finger (twice to activate deadlocks) - This is a brilliant feature. I personally think the boot space is fine and very large for a hatchback.