Faults:

There have been minor problems with rattling trim. Both front windows have suffered, as has the centre console surround. These started roughly around 6,000 miles and have started to disappear again around the 15,000 mile mark.

There has been some minor condensation around the offside headlamp.

Other than that, the car has been perfect.

What is worrying is that a definite mechanical rattle is appearing (possibly timing chain) between 1000 and 1500 revs. This is worse when the car is cold.

It doesn't appear to affect the performance though - it's just getting noiser as the miles pile on.

General Comments:

In Elegance trim, the normally dull Astra cabin is lifted quite a bit by the fake wood trim and chrome rings around the dials.

The air-con is very efficient. The seats very comfortable - even on long journeys.

Performance is spot on, 0-60 isn't blinding and some turbo lag can be a problem at roundabouts, but in gear performance is fantastic. This engine was built for overtaking.

The gear shift is also of a high standard, getting a much smoother shifting box than smaller engined Astras.

However, the big diesel engine dulls the otherwise good Astra handling. Smaller petrols are more fun to drive in the Astra range.

Economy is fantastic. The best I've got is 65mpg, the worst 46mpg. I'm typically getting about 52mpg in mixed driving.

Worst fault is probably the huge amount of black smoke when accelerating hard - seems to be a common problem with 2.0 and 2.2 DTI engines. Vauxhall says it's normal though.

Note, the well known issue with these units burning oil quickly has not been a problem for my car. I've never needed to top it up in over 10,000 miles of driving.

Faults:

No problems have arisen with the car. It hasn't missed a beat in 10000 miles!

(I plan to keep the car for at least 4 years, so will keep updating on reliability through the comments section)

General Comments:

After reliable and economic service from my first car, an Astra 1.4LSi, I decided to upgrade to something a little more sporty. I certainly have not been disappointed!

The engine is strong and torquey, pulling cleanly from all revs right the way up to the red line. It has the power to worry far more expensive cars! Its certainly a quick little car.

Handling is excellent, far improved over the pre-98 Astra. This car is a joy to drive.

The interior is comfortable and good for long journeys. Motorway cruising is relaxed despite the short gearing which sees the engine spinning at 3250rpm at 70mph. The optional cruise control fitted to my car is simple to use.

My only small complaint about the car is the slightly dull interior styling. None the less, the interior feels well built and doesn't rattle.

As nothing has gone wrong with the car, its only been to the dealer once - for its first annual service. The dealer service was very good - friendly staff, and the service was completed within the hour. The cost was £97, quite expensive for what was effectively an oil and filter and a check, but still fairly cheap compared to other car manufacturers.

Fuel consumption - 36.4mpg over the 10000 miles (yes, I am sad enough to have calculated it! :-) ) Ranges between 34mpg when driven hard to 38mpg driven normally. I consider this to be very good for a car with a 1.8 litre engine that's designed to be a little sporty.

Overall, this is an excellent car that is great to drive, and great to own thanks to its reliability and fairly low running costs. I would strongly reccomend it.