Faults:

Nothing as yet.

General Comments:

This is a really nice car.

It is very economical and with insurance group 5 appeals to younger drivers who want a sporty looking car without the ridiculous insurance costs.

Don't be fooled into thinking it will compete with a GTi at the traffic lights because at 100bhp it won't. If you want to be doing that then get the 1.8 version with another 23bhp or an SRi.

The interior is tidy, but slightly dull, but the little extras such as steering wheel stereo controls and sports seats make up for it slightly. Plus theres always an abundance of interior styling parts available.

In terms of handling this car is great. The stiffer sports suspension means you can corner on rails. It also makes a lovely sound from 4000rpm on-wards. Fit an induction kit and it will sound even better.

The exterior styling is a lot nicer than the standard Mk4 Astra. Nice alloys from 2001 on-wards. The 3 door looks ten times better than the 5 door.

The only minus point I have found so far is that if you open the boot after it has been raining and you have a lot of water beading following waxing it, it will deposit a substantial amount of water into the boot at both sides.

In summery if you want a bit of a sporty car without the costs of a proper sports car then this a great buy.

Faults:

Just the tiniest of faults, i.e. seat belt adjuster impairs recoil of seatbelt for driver when exiting vehicle. One headrest adjuster disintegrated. Tiniest of oil leaks from sump (oil pan) gasket, not worth repairing yet.

General Comments:

Have owned Vauxhalls for many, many years, first one being a 60s Victor 101. Also own a Frontera 4x4. Have also had Astras before.

This Astra is something else. A Vauxhall without interior squeaks and rattles! Everything is just so well put together. The safety features and vehicle construction are a marked improvement on the previous Astra. Maybe Vauxhall had to get it just right here as their big rival Ford brought out the Focus. The Escort in my opinion was never up to the Astra.

The thickness of the side impact protection is very re-assuring, and the seating is almost 'set in' from the doors. The annoying offset pedal layout of previous models has been sorted. The seats appear hard at first, but are extremely supportive on long journeys. The dash panel does not match up to Ford's Focus. A particularly good idea is the electronic power steering, thus if the car stalls the steering will not become a dangerous lead weight (nice for lady drivers).

Mine has the well tried and tested 8 valve unit used in so many Vauxhall models over the 1990s, though many have 16 valve units fitted. This is not a stodgy, hesitant 8 valve unit though. It seems to me that great improvement has been made to the fuel induction process as the drive is both positive and enjoyable.

For those who wish to service their own vehicles like myself, the process is reassuringly simple.

Fuel economy is quite excellent for a 1.6 litre car. Cost of insurance is low, and the car qualifies for a reduction in road fund licence.

All in all an extremely well built, reliable machine from Vauxhall this time.