Vauxhall Astra

New Vauxhalls are not rubbish!

I have recently bought a new Insignia, and ever since, all I read about Vauxhall is how much better ford is or VW is. Well let me just put you right on a couple of things. The first is, the NEW Vauxhalls are really gentle on the eye. I get lots of people telling me how they thought Mine was an Audi from a distance. Now that can't be a bad thing, and get these people inside, and I have not met anyone who is not impressed by the cabin too. The ride is the best that I have ever expierienced with a Vauxhall too. So now Vauxhall have incorperated some of these refinements into the new Astra you just want to slag that off too. Let me just say to anyone looking for a new car.... Go have a look, and don't believe all that you read.

By cabcaster on 6 July, 2010, 8:29am

mickp

I proudly own a 10 plated NEW Astra. Compared to the golf there is a price difference for a start.
My car 1.4 Exclusiv was just under £16000 all in. VW 1.4 TSI nearest equivelant £17000 plus VAT yes it has another gear i know.
1.2 5 door 85 PS golf starts at £15735 + vat, smaller engine and costs more. MPG and CO2 are identical,.
I got discount from Vauxhall not from VW

By tigger1102 on 23 July, 2010, 9:02pm

I like Vauxhall's, I just don't love any of them

I don't think new Vauxhall's are rubbish at all. Though this Astra is a little bland to look at at and against the Golf and the Focus, it is not as engaging to drive and it suffers the worst depreciation out of the 3. This is a fearce sector and sadly it is in 3rd place.

On a more positive note the Insignia is a car that gets better the more you look at it, though not sure how anyone can say it looks like an Audi or why you would want them too? Audi's have become very bland and since their chief designer went of to Kia, they seem to have lost their way. The Insignia does have a slight Lexus look around the rear end. The Insignia is a car I would be happy to drive, but that said, it will never match the class leading abilities of a Mondeo.

By Focus_your_mind on 24 July, 2010, 4:20pm

The new Astra is a vastly improved car.
Is it as good as the Golf?
No way.
Which is why VX need to price it accordingly.
The Korean companys are biting at VXs heels.

By toycollector on 28 July, 2010, 8:47pm

The new Astra is a vastly improved car.
Is it as good as the Golf?
No way.
Which is why VX need to price it accordingly.
The Korean companys are biting at VXs heels.

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By zjone on 6 September, 2010, 11:33am

how much!!

This Astra is the best looking Astra yet and its better looking than the current aging Focus,but it's still not radical just safe however £16,275 - £22,875 for an Astra that's insane,regardless of how improved it maybe nearly £23k for a top of the range Astra is outrageous but to be fair that is likely to be the VXR as there is no possible justification for a price like that on anything less.A new bog standard Kia CEED is less than £11k OTR which is £5k less than an entry level Astra.I have driven a Kia Ceed and it drove as well as my previous Focus and the Build Quality was pretty good.Kia's are holding their value better than both Fords and Vauxhalls could be the warranty and the overall quality.Vauxhall need to be competitive or the Koreans will over take them especially given vauxhalls appalling depriciation.

By nickbsmooth on 7 September, 2010, 4:44pm

why go on

why go on about all theses moden computers on four wheels they all look the same drive the same and just a bad waste of buyers money the more the fools they are i would not buy a new car today because they are not worth the money and within 5 or 6 years it ends up on a scrap yard with a f engine or broken down computer that help it run and in my few they don't need them.

By jensenboy on 19 September, 2010, 12:17pm

To Jensenboy

If truely feel like that why oh why do you subscribe to this magazine. I recomend that you never again watch top gear or 5th gear, and what ever you do, don't go to any car show rooms. You may just realize that you really are being just a little short sighted. Please be sure to never think to your self that was a nice car

By cabcaster on 21 September, 2010, 6:45am

funs in china.

OPEL (named 'Vauxhall' in UK) has a very high brand image in China (PRC) for its quality coming with the rigid style of Germany, even its sale records is really limited. (As in china it has not been locally manufactured with OPEL brand) .I bought a imported OPEL Astra (old model not the alpha 2 platform) early of this year, 1.8L which cost 20K Euro Dollar. (tax is high) . However, up to now, everything is perfect, i am feeling the price is worthy of its quality. Plus, A lot of chinese people respect the high quality imported old version than the local produced new astra one (which GM named differently).

By goodtaste on 4 October, 2010, 4:25pm

correction.

the new astra in china is not based on alpha 2, should be the platform 'delta' .

By goodtaste on 5 October, 2010, 3:06am

Drab and Boring beyond belief!!

This car is well and truly TRANSPORT A-B! Rather ride a Bicycle than this, to be honest!

By JTravolta77 on 23 October, 2010, 9:49pm

Astra is "Made in England", the Focus & Golf are not.

Most cars today all look drab & boring, most cars l follow on the roads go around corners well these days, so its all down to where the car is assembled.

The Astra is made is the UK creating British jobs, Ford only make engines for cars & buying a VW Golf only keeps Germans employed. So the Astra gets my vote.

Jensonboy is right cars have become far to complicated which helps inflate the cars price, most folk in the past managed DIY on cars themselves. Today DIY tune-ups, fault finding on cars is almost impossible. Britain DIY skills today can best described as a nation of expert car washers which is about as good as it gets.

Still there is no going back to a much more cheaper to build, simple place in time when you fixed cars yourself sad to say, we have gone to far down the road now with Cats, Lambda sensors, ECU computers etc.

Astra is Made in Britain, helping out the British economy in difficult economic times the new Astra gets my vote.

By IvorBiggen on 25 October, 2010, 7:38pm

Astra is made in Germany,England,Poland and Russia.

The Astra was developed at Opel’s European Design Center in Rüsselsheim, continues the evolution of Opel’s design language, ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’ first introduced on the Insignia and won the red dot Design Award 2010.
Yes Astra is made in England (and Germany,Poland and Russia) but it is a German Opel with Vauxhall badge.

By miki123 on 25 October, 2010, 10:30pm

GM's Vauxhalls BRITISH made Astra has sold 3,000,0000 in the UK

Would rather send my money to Ellesmere Port in Cheshire which employs Brits, than send it to some Ford Focus German Saalouis production line or the VW Golf Wolfburg plant in Germany that keeps German krauts in a job employed.

Germany 1 England 5

British made Astra gets my vote

By IvorBiggen on 26 October, 2010, 1:11pm

2010 Astra SRI Owner

I agree with Cabcaster. People are too quick to slag of Vauxhall these days for no good reason. I own a black 2010 2 litre Turbo Diesel Astra SRI and think its fantastic. It's eye catching, and like Cabcaster says quite commonly mistaken for one of the new audi's especially when the daytime running lights are on. You will not be disappointed by the performance either, creeps up to triple figures with ease. Ride comfort is exceptional, and I've never sat in seats so comfortable. I have had compliments from both golf and scirocco owners on the interior quality. Interior's refinement is second to none, with not even a rattle. I'm fed up of hearing the handling isn't as good as a golf.... at the end of the day if you want a golf get a golf, if you want to stand out from the crowd and get equal power and quality, get a new Astra. You really can't go wrong! Price is a little steep, but you really won't be disappointed. The other thing worth mentioning here is that the latest vauxhall range was designed from the ground up by the same designer that did the current Audi range... so being realistic... he's going to create something that would end his career is he!?

By Mr_Bond on 26 October, 2010, 6:36pm

Let's get real here! Vauxhall's are just not desirable!!

When Im buying a Car, I want to desire that car! There's not one Vauxhall Model in the latest range that excells in an any department: Average looks, Average Dynamics, Average Build, Average Engine, Average Everything! Im sorry guys but Vauxhalls are mediocre! For £16,880-£22,875 I could buy a BMW or Alfa Romeo instead! Get real!

By JTravolta77 on 26 October, 2010, 10:21pm

GM? This is the way to go but GM must change a lot still in Europe!

The quarterly figures show that GM whilst in the States/Asia they are slowly coming on course allbeit with hiccups like the 560 PS Cadillac Coupe it is losing even more money than before in Europe. This is fact not an opinion!

It means Nick Reily at GM OPEL Europe has to stop trying to be Mr Nice Guy and start making and enforcing hard decisions. One must be that the name Vauxhall and all this extra marketing effort and cost has to go! It has to be all OPEL!

The other one is that whichever way you look at it GM even now has simply too many factories and workers in Europe Full Stop. This means that some have still to be closed and very quickly too!

And the other is that the coming new OPEL Trixx for Eisenach has to come a lot earlier than 2013! It means the people at Opel have to pull out al the stops and actually have this car on the market and selling by Mid 2012!

Of course it is possible and the people in Eisenach will make it possible but only if the OPEL managers in Rüsselsheim overcome their lethargy and start making things happen instead of just having endless meetings!

Over to you Nick Reily!

By vandenplas4litre on 11 November, 2010, 10:21am

@vandenplas4litre

Say no to drugs!

By Christian on 13 November, 2010, 11:20pm

Stuff that price get a chevy

Get a Cruze instead practically the same 'average' car for 13K

By armac31 on 2 December, 2010, 8:55pm

I agree with vandenplas4litre!

I agree with vandenplas4litre! GM have to get rid of the daft Vauxhall name. What would you rahter have a car with an old fashioned dowdy english name or an Opel? I think the new Astra is poor compared to a Kia Ceed and many other superior but cheaper cars. GM has to get it act together especially on build quality.

By billdyke7 on 8 December, 2010, 4:24pm

Ford Focus and the German Saalouis production line

In response to IvorBiggen's comments that he'd rather send my money to Ellesmere Port in Cheshire which employs Brits, could I humbly point out that the engines for every single European Ford (21+ countries), petrol and Diesel, are either made in Wales or Essex. Surely this investment in manpower dwarfs that for the pitifully few Vauxhall Astras made for the UK market?

By dillinghamp on 10 December, 2010, 10:50am

Ford no longer assemble a single car in the UK

In response to dillinghamp who lives in the past.

I humbly point out that the British made Capri, Cortina, Escort, & Fiesta production lines disappeared mostly decades ago.

Ford have crushed British Leyland and have buggered off.

British made Vauxhall Astra outsold and overtook the German made Focus with 50% more UK sales in June for the first time ever this year, the brilliant British made new Astra has sold more cars in the UK so far this year than the German made Focus.

By IvorBiggen on 10 December, 2010, 11:50am

From wikipedia...

... "The Astra was developed at Opel’s European Design Center in Rüsselsheim, continues the evolution of Opel’s design language, ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’ first introduced on the Insignia and won the red dot Design Award 2010"

By miki123 on 13 December, 2010, 8:06pm

sorry, just read some of these comments (insignia looking like an audi) to who?and that not being a bad thing, buy an audi then if thats what you want your car to look like.I used to have astra GTEs in the late80s early 90s and they were fantastic cars,never had VW build quality though even back then and as for being built in britain what about NISSAN,HONDA,TOYOTA they all build models in the UK employing 1000s of people aswell.sorry vauxhall but FORD & VW beat you everytime on looks and quality.

By Trev164 on 6 January, 2011, 9:05pm

Hang on a minute...

...Read the new Focus review and tell me you would have one over an Astra. You'd be nuts. The Astra is better value than both Golf and Focus, OK Golf is worth more after 3 years but if you want to be boring, have a Golf.

By Kingbob12 on 14 January, 2011, 9:47pm

Vauxhall need backing up

OK this is my view on it. Voltswagon golf, Ford Focus are too common and too tell you the truth it is like sitting in a box most of the time and I cannot believe the drivers who drive golf mostly are happy drivers. It is a miserable feeling inside a golf and okay not so miserable in the focus just not 'great'. The vauxhall as today I had a closer look at one and so far I cannot complain. I want to feel comfortable in a car, which I do feel comfortable in the vauxhall, I don't feel at home in voltswagon and focus. I think the problem everyone has with vauxhall is sluggish, if you chose the right model and engine then it wouldn't be sluggish and just as good as a vw golf or focus. The audi A3 and astra are very close in the feel good factor in 2011, The handling on the vauxhall, so what I've had a 2009 fiat bravo and I got used to the steering, I know its light and that tells you a story if you cannot handle the car, you cannot drive as good as others.

By Dazbones on 22 April, 2011, 7:25pm

Opel or Vauxhall both have history going back over 150 years but both are just GM cars

.... Seriously Vauxhall (GM) need to work on the build quality... Saying that Ive owned a few Astra's in my time and never had any real problems with them at all... I really hate the interior of this new one just looks over done x 10 cold and plastic

By liverpool on 22 June, 2011, 8:13pm

Build quality

liverpool, you say Vauxhall (GM) need to work on the build quality but then you say you have never had a ny real problems with your Astras. So why is the build quality, as opposed to the quality of the materials they use, an issue to you?

By dastardly01 on 5 July, 2011, 12:39pm