Vauxhall Astra 2.0 DI 16V 5dr

owned my red 5 door for a year millage is only gen 95000 miles . only problem so far was broken rear spring and a bad oil leak which is being fixed at this moment . great on a long journey but with the odd rattle or two . plenty of torqe which is great also runs very well and quick

My Vauxhall Astra has done 105000 miles and still going strong took in to France last year. I was pleased with the way it handled. It did 95mph with 4 adults in on full load at 4000rpm. Only one problem all the the way there brakes were binding a little.

I've owned my Vauxhall Astra 2.0 DI 16V 5dr, a 98 model, for about 3 years. Not a bad car and can be quite swift when up and running but lots of rattles from inside the dash and from the boot area do let it down a lot. Could do better as was always put on school reports.

Owned the Vauxhall Astra 2.0 DI 16V 5dr Family Car for 3 years, drive 280 miles per week plus used as a tow vehicle for a large caravan with no real problems. Had a few problems over the last two years - had to replace Turbo and the fuel injector seals caused a few expensive weeks. But have found if you keep on top of the servicing it will run well.

The mark III Vauxhall Astra 2.0 DI 16V 5dr 'Club' hatchback was my first car, and as such my feelings towards it are mixed - both nostalgic and critical. At the time, as it always does with a new car, it seemed like the greatest car in the world, but in retrospect it had a number of flaws to go along with it's positive points.

I'll start with the positive points, of which there are a number:

The engine is an extremely smooth and refined unit, being amongst the first turbo diesel engines to have 16 valves instead of the normal 8. This results in a revvy engine (for a diesel) with the useful rev range going up to 4,000 rpm and beyond. More importantly, the 16v Ecotec unit is exceptionally quiet, from idle to maximum revs, making the monotonous cruise on the motorway all the more bearable. The smooth linear nature of the power delivery may surprise diesel owners used to peaky diesel engines, and the lack of noise that emenates from under the bonnet continues to be something I wish for in my new diesel engined car. Rattles and shakes are not something to expect from the DI, it is as refined if not more so than the VAG units found in VWs. Fuel economy is also enhanced by the direct injection, it is excellent, easily reaching 45-55mpg combined and going up to 60mpg on the motorway.

The spec of the car is also a plus point, with the Vauxhall Astra you get an awful lot of extras at a low levels of model, especially when compared to rivals such as the Ford Focus or VW Golf. Vauxhall led the way in pioneering 'desirable diesels', making their diesel models look sporty and attractive, and as such the DI often shares the Irmscher styling found on 1.8 SRI and SXI models. My 'Club' model was equipped with 16" alloy wheels, fog/spot lights, front splitter, rear spoiler, air conditioning, CD player, height adjust on the seats etc. This is an excpetional spec level for what is not even the top model of the range.

The body styling sets the Astra aside from many other diesels, it really has a sporty edge that makes it a desirable car in general rather than just another executive diesel motorway cruiser. The interior is also of an excellent quality, no loose fitting body panels or poor quality trim. The sportier versions (later models generally get sportier and sportier looks as they tried to spec them up to sell them) sport a brushed aluminium and chrome look, mine was a faux wood which I immediately swapped (for a very reasonable price) for an Irmscher interior styling kit.

The road manners of the Astra are also impeccable. The underpinnings of the chassis and suspensions were developed by Lotus, and the sporty edge really shines through. You feel low to the ground, part of the car, and although at low speed and around town the ride is supple and soft, at higher speed and round twisty roads it firms up into a firm ride, virtually no body roll and it holds to the road like glue. It has far better handling than that of the much vaunted Focus, and in my opinion is probably the best handling car outside of genuine sports/competition cars such as the Elise, Impreza, Evo etc.

The interior is very roomy, with plenty of space and leg room in the back for the full 3 passengers, without causing any discomfort to the driver and passenger in the front. Headroom is average to good, and the boot seems like some sort of Tardis, capable of taking a lot more than you would expect from a hatchback. This interior space would be an excellent feature for families, and would be complemented by the sublime ride and quiet engine.

I also ended up crashing this car twice, neither my fault, but one crash was quite serious, a 50mph head on collision with an Armco barrier. Neither I or my passenger suffered any serious injury, so I can vouch for the safety of the occupants in this car.

However, there are some serious downsides to the Astra:

The engine, although smooth and refined, also develops very little power, especially when compared to it's rivals. MG Rover turbodiesels in stock form are 115bhp, Ford also 115bhp, VW do units all the way up to 150bhp, and yet this 2 litre turbo diesel in the Astra develops only 82bhp. This is fine for a first car, or for cruising on the motorway (where the torque does the work) but in a heavy car the engine has to be worked very hard to extract any get up and go from it, particularly from standstill. The performance figures are not very impressive, mine was timed as 0-60 in 13.8 seconds, compared to my Rover 200 DI which was clocked in at 8.9. It is a tribute to the styling, driving position and handling of the Astra that it feels a lot faster than it is, and I have been caught out more than once attempting an overtaking maneuver feeling like the car was capable of it, but in reality it was sadly lacking. The performance is really quite shocking from a standstill, with 1.2 Corsas and 1.3 Ford Kas often beating me off the lights. (this power deficiency has been remedied in the DTI, which has an intercooler and 100bhp).

Parts are also an issue, from Vauxhall many replacement parts are incredibly expensive, for example I had to replace an alloy wheel I had cracked, it cost £175+VAT from Vauxhall, for a single rim with no tyre! A new spoiler - £220+VAT. Needless to say I went straight to the breakers yard. The Astra was not constructed with engineers or mechanics in mind, and simple jobs such as changing the cam belt can often become a whole days work due to the inconvenience of working on the engine. Similarly, the electrics on my car gave me a lot of problems (although it is important to note that mine was flood damaged), particularly the temperature sensor, and Vauxhall were unable to fix it despite costly diagnostic sessions.

Moreover, the engine drinks oil like it's going out of fashion! It was not unusual for me to have to put in a litre of oil for every 500-1000 miles that I did - an incredible amount that gradually puts up driving costs significantly.

Overall therefore, the Astra is a good platform, with a refined engine and a lot going for it in terms of styling, spec and build quality. It would be an excellent motorway cruiser, or relaxed and comfortable ride, as well as delivering sporty handling and looks. It is let down however by an underpowered unit and repair costs. For someone looking for a car with some decent diesel power, it would be better to purchase the later DTI or a car from another marque, perhaps a Focus. If, however, you don't mind the lack of outright power, don't do a mega mileage and don't mind topping it up with oil every now and again, or paying for servicing costs, the Vauxhall Astra DI remains an intelligent choice of car.

Vauxhall Astra 2.0 DI 16V 5door is a 98 S reg and has 98000 on the clock. It is in satin red and has alloys, sunstrip, race grill and irmsher styling. A real looker of a car that drives nicely and looks good. Fun to drive and nice for a long journey. But can be very costly when it goes wrong. Does about 40-60mpg.

A great car.