Vauxhall Astra vs rivals

Are yoy kidding?

You compare, a 99hp focus full of spec and find the golf cheaper and faster???

Why not a 115hp version or a diesel one in fact... There is no market in europe where the golf is cheaper. The actual price difference extends to many thousand euros...

Maybe you should rename yourself autobildenwagen. With a V.

By giorikas81 on 13 October, 2009, 12:50pm

Agree.

You say that the Astra does not do enough to be different against the golf? A car which looks very much like its dad and grandfather combined! The current golf is a nice car, but visually it is a step backwards from the mk5. It sits perfectly between the mk4 and mk5 models. The Astra is well styled, well appointed and a vast improvement over the outgoing model.

I agree completly with the sentiments of the first comment.

By nsmith1180 on 15 October, 2009, 9:34am

Say what?

Even the German "VW addicted" press surprisingly says the 1.4T Astra wins against the 1.4TSI Golf . More comfort and consumption are major facts to that conclusion. But of course, we all know how UK press is.. an Astra will never win, there is always something wrong with it. Lacks the steering of the Focus, the design of the Mazda, the refinement of the Golf.... Same thing, all over again... even when others recognize the current Astra is a pleasure to drive, is the best looking car (outside AND inside) and is the most comfortable.

(Golf ) "a premium feel that’s missing from its rivals".... you must be joking. The new Astra's interior is probably the best there is in quality/premium feeling. Any other review recognizes that.

By MAXLD on 15 October, 2009, 6:43pm

Same Here

The Vauxhall stigma will never win, no matter how hard they try, but despite that, it's the sales that really matter, where the Astra will follow the shadows of the Insignia, did anyone notice that the Mondeo is far out of the top 10? It's between the Insignia and the 3 Series now and they swap places almost every week!

The Astra is no doubt the best car here, but don't forget, there's something about that german engine that just impresses, then again the germans are always ahead in this field.

However, in all honesty, the Golf is borring and unsatisfying to drive. My first car was a mark 3 Astra and even that was more thrilling and comfortable to drive then the current golf.

But...

To be completely fair, I reckon the best car here is the Focus, don't forget it's five years old, so that has to be taken into consideration. It looks good, the best to drive and even the name sounds nice - FOCUS!

By Abdurrahman1 on 15 October, 2009, 10:06pm

Why

Hello...i´m from Portugal, and i dont understend one thing. Why the british people or the british car media hate Opel??? for exemple in my country ford is weak car compared with a Opel...mondeo have few sales, focus too, and opel`s sale very very much...and in the media ford is a unsalted copany...in this comparative, astra is the better of the three, butt i see, in england opel company is completely hated...and you a show host, jeremy clarkson, who seem are completely purchased by vw to say bad things about Opel...this guy are a total manicac...a really silly.

someone can explain me ,why so much contempt for Opel?

Opel forever.., i repete, in my country ford is a shit company and opel is much better compared too. sorry for my bad english, i never been in England

By Stranger on 17 October, 2009, 7:17pm

poshpaws fiesta

the fiesta is always said to be one of the best cars on sale today and the focus is better than the fiesta so tht means the focus is the best car on sale today.
i persoanly think the focus is the best looking car here i love the shape its fault less its so well proportioned and nice and chunky , the golf is ugly and uninspiring , the astra is over styled and to me seem to fiddly !! FOCUS WINNS

By jfuller747 on 18 October, 2009, 11:25pm

poshpaws fiesta

i do agree with the comments about the engine though the 1.6 is noisey and underpowered but put any1 of the excellent tdci diesels under the bonet and the car improves 100 times over, my dads 2.0tdci titanium focus pulls like a train , FANTASIC CAR they dont come much bettter thn this !!! cant w8 for the new 1 tht will definately win hands down !!

By jfuller747 on 18 October, 2009, 11:29pm

dear Stranger

i personally see vauxhalls as mass produced pices of uninspiriring rubbish , on the other hand i see vw's as mass produced pieces of expensive badgery, but i see fords as mass produced pieces of lovelness , sorry if i have offended any1 but i am a true ford fan and loving the new focus rs !!! WHAT A CAR

By jfuller747 on 18 October, 2009, 11:34pm

Vorsprung DORK tecnik

Ok, I know that tag line is Audi's but come on you can not be serious, a gumpy old Golf is safely boring and you say the Astra has been styled safely too. You can use one as a positive and the same comment as a negative for a different make. As for the Focus it wins on many levels and has topped sales charts for the last 10 yrs, and it is sales that count, not back handers! Wait until next year, the new Focus will settle this fight, by anililating the other two and for the next 10 years after that too!

By Focus_your_mind on 19 October, 2009, 3:16pm

Does anyone pay list price on a Focus?

I found your group test to be quite fair on the whole, except for the fact that you concluded by doing the price comparison based on each model's list price. As you of all people must know full well, there is absolutely no way that anyone nowadays pays list price for a Focus (particularly at this late stage in the current model's life).
Yes I agree the Focus 1.6 (99bhp version) is too slow, and the list price is just plain daft. But any car broker or car superstore site will sell you a brand new factory order Focus with a discount of 30% or greater. If you just look at the actual prices being asked for new cars on Drivethedeal and Broadspeed, you will see the Golf 1.4 TSI SE can be had for £15,258 (10.7% discount), the Astra 1.4T Exclusive for £14,824 (14.3% discount), and the Focus 1.6 Zetec for £12,349 (30.2% discount).
You can even buy a 1.8 Zetec for £12264 (32.6% discount), in other words 1.8 Zetecs are selling for less than the 1.6's, and with 125bhp you are getting performance in the same sort of league as the Golf and Astra 1.4 turbos.
If you want to go still further, a 2.0 Zetec will still only cost you £13,821 and will definitely outperform the other two cars. And you get the best ride, steering and handling of any family car on the market, as you fully acknowledged.
If the new Focus, due next year, comes with the forecasted 1.4 and 1.6 turbo petrol engines, then they are clearly going to cause some severe headaches for VW and Vauxhall.

By nicko44 on 19 October, 2009, 4:47pm

Does anyone pay list price on a Focus?

I found your group test to be quite fair on the whole, except for the fact that you concluded by doing the price comparison based on each model's list price. As you of all people must know full well, there is absolutely no way that anyone nowadays pays list price for a Focus (particularly at this late stage in the current model's life).
Yes I agree the Focus 1.6 (99bhp version) is too slow, and the list price is just plain daft. But any car broker or car superstore site will sell you a brand new factory order Focus with a discount of 30% or greater. If you just look at the actual prices being asked for new cars on Drivethedeal and Broadspeed, you will see the Golf 1.4 TSI SE can be had for £15,258 (10.7% discount), the Astra 1.4T Exclusive for £14,824 (14.3% discount), and the Focus 1.6 Zetec for £12,349 (30.2% discount).
You can even buy a 1.8 Zetec for £12264 (32.6% discount), in other words 1.8 Zetecs are selling for less than the 1.6's, and with 125bhp you are getting performance in the same sort of league as the Golf and Astra 1.4 turbos.
If you want to go still further, a 2.0 Zetec will still only cost you £13,821 and will definitely outperform the other two cars. And you get the best ride, steering and handling of any family car on the market, as you fully acknowledged.
If the new Focus, due next year, comes with the forecasted 1.4 and 1.6 turbo petrol engines, then they are clearly going to cause some severe headaches for VW and Vauxhall.

By nicko44 on 19 October, 2009, 6:41pm

true brit

couldnt agree more with all the comments for vauxhall,its about the time the british public and the press started backing british products.It seems if V.W. put their badge on a trabant the press would be gushing about V.W.s new 'luxury' motor.I see loads of new golfs around and the shape of them is just so BORING.....
when the britsh press stop receiving back-handers or whatever it is they get from V.W maybe then well see some fair reporting.In germany they drive german cars.in france they drive french cars(honest ive been there).We need to be buying vauxhalls by the bucketload and supporting our own workers as much as our continental cousins do theirs.

By raymondosmith on 19 October, 2009, 10:58pm

True brit I agree with your comments, however the days of buying a British car died with MG Rover. I used to even send Police forces the MG - R brochures, but they still bought BMW's and Mercedes. Now LTI (the Black cab makers) and Aston Martin are the closest you will get. For protecting British jobs Mini, Honda, Jaguar-Landrover and Nissan employ far more people than Vauxhall. Argreed however that someone needs to realise that VW are living off a reputation that is 20 yrs out of date, no such thing as a bad car these days save a couple of exceptions (Kia Rio and Citroen Pluriel spring to mind!) So why all the VW are so reliable, well built etc. Etc?

By Focus_your_mind on 20 October, 2009, 11:06am

New Astra v rivals

Going back to the first comment and the road test itself, I agree it's not fair to compare a 99hp Focus with much more powerful engines in the Golf and Astra, as Vauxhall has brought out this 1.4 turbo engine to replace the 1.8 and Ford hasn't currently got a 1.4 tubo engine, Autoexpress should of used a 1.8 125hp Focus for a much fairer comparison.

I think people cannot make a proper judgement on which car is best unless they have personally driven each one back to back.

The Focus is ok but is getting on a bit now and is very common plus it's fuel economy and co2 is miles behind the other 2 cars here, the Astra is the new kid on the block (in side profile it looks a bit like the current Fiesta) I liked the styling of the 'old' 3 dr sportshatch and when the new one comes out it will be the most stylish car here, given the choice i would personally go for the Golf as it looks, drives, handles nice and throw in the build quality and residuals it's the winner here until the new Focus comes out with a new range of engines.

By rogp1 on 20 October, 2009, 9:55pm

Folks car Golf

Sorry, but Golf is absolutelly uninteresant near the new Opel Astra.Even old Focus have more cance for winn. Germans favorized VW, don't do that you...Sorry for gramatical mistakes..

By Depp1 on 21 October, 2009, 11:49am

New Astra

Nein!

The Astra looks the most stylish car here, especially when the 3 dr sportshatch comes out, the Focus is starting to look dated now and has old thirsty petrol engines, the Golf has almost caught the Focus up on the handling now and will keep it's value a lot more than the other two, the TSI engines are V. good too and all the motoring mags I have seen rate the new Golf the winner, when the new Focus comes out it may change things, we will have to wait and see.
Personally I would get a new Honda Civic though!

By rogp1 on 4 November, 2009, 5:29pm