Just back from a week in Spain where our hire car was a 13,500km-on-the-clock Astra I (current shape), and in the time-honoured tradition I thought fellow forumites might be interested in my views.
We have owned a cpouple of Astras in the past (a B GTE 16v and a G 1.6 6v), but the new model is far removed from those.
What's good?:
Quite and refined, good suspension/road-holding/comfort balance, nice steering. Roomy cabin (I'm 6'1/2" and could easily sit behind myself), attractive dashboard, generally good quality feel and finish.
What's bad?:
We had a lower-range petrol engine. Not sure what size but is was very sluggish with 2 adults and 3 kids (9, 8, 6 on board). Now I'm used to the pull of a diesel, but even when you wound it up to 3,500-4,000 rpm, it was still not up to pulling the skin of a rice-pudding. Poor rear visibility (thick C pillar and rising window line coupled with no parking sensors made reversing a real lottery). Rising window line meant that my near 10-year old (at 1.42m) and well beyond a booster seat could not see out of the window, hence a feeling of sickness. Not good. Seat boosters essential for those kids who have grown out of them in other cars. The centre console is too wide which meant that my right knee (in this lhd car) was forever banging the console as I used the accelerator. Not good.
So, a few bad points which would probably rule it out for me if I was in the market for this type of car (maybe the Estate will be better on the visibility front?), but the overall drive was far better than Astras of yore, and really quite impressive.
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So, apart from the rear window, if it was a 2ltr CDTi and RHD it would have been a goer?
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Yes, I think RHD, a decent diesel, rear parking sensors and lower window line on the rear doors would solve the faults.
High window lines seems an unfortunate fad on car design these days - if only designers would venture into the real world from time to time!
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>> High window lines seems an unfortunate fad on car design these days - if only
>> designers would venture into the real world from time to time!
>>
I call those 'letterbox' windows, and Im sure that the designers must have been gynaecologists in a previous life.......
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Interesting feedback. Thought when I read the subject title the OP was referring to a Mark 1 Astra.
The new Astra is known as a "J" not an "I".
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>> Interesting feedback. Thought when I read the subject title the OP was referring to a
>> Mark 1 Astra.
Same here! Mk1 Astra now a classic at 30 years old.
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>> The new Astra is known as a "J" not an "I".
>>
The 'man with the hat' calls it an Astra I. That'll learn me!
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Vauxhall Astra I - Feed-back - Dog
