Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate

Drive

When you’re looking to buy an Astra Sports Tourer, you’ll be faced with a confusing array of seven engines, starting with the 98bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine and topping out with the 157bhp 2.0-litre diesel unit. Those looking for out and out efficiency should  for the 1.3-litre diesel ecoFLEX, but the best mix of performance and green credentials is the 123bhp 1.7-litre diesel. All engines are smooth but the diesels can become noisy under really hard acceleration. Through bends, the steering is very responsive and allows you to place the car very easily on the road. The Sports Tourer does lean slightly into the corners but there's plenty of grip on offer. Keen drivers should opt for SRi trim models, which get stiffer suspension and corner better. 

Comfort

The Astra estate really shines here, boasting a ride that's soft enough to soak up even the worst of Britain's roads. It all makes for an excellent long distance cruiser too. We’d say that the only downside is the slightly noisy diesel engines when they’re pushed hard. There's also a little bit of wind noise created by the wing mirrors when you reach motorway speeds. 

Reliability

Vauxhall's doesn't exactly have a reputation for reliability but its new Corsa placed well in the 2010 Driver Power survey. As yet no major faults have been reported with the hatchback Astra so Sports Tourer owners shouldn't encounter any problems either. The estate hasn't yet been crash tested by Euro NCAP but the smaller hatch scored a five star overall rating and an impressive 91% for adult occupant protection.

Practicality

In the estate car market practicality is key - and luckily the Astra doesn’t disappoint. Its boot has 500 litres of space with the seats in place – that's 188 litres more than the hatch. FlexFold seating (standard on top-spec SE and SRi models) allows drivers to fold the rear seats forward at the touch of a single button, and increase the capacity to 1,550 litres. There's also a tonneau cover in the boot to keep your valuables hidden out of sight. 

Value for money

No matter which trim level you go for, you’ll get air-conditioning, central locking and electric windows as standard. If you want alloy wheels as standard, you have to for as high as SRi trim which is the second most expensive. Some of the car's clever features, including the one touch folding rear seats, are also only standard on the top-spec SE models. 

Running costs

By far the cheapest Astra to run is the 1.7-litre CDTi ecoFLEX which boasts combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg. CO2 emissions stand at 119g/km, meaning road tax costs just £30 a year. The range-topping 2.0-litre CDTi engine is still surprisingly green, boasting 55.4mpg. The petrol engines aren't quite as efficient with the 1.4-litre turbocharged unit returning 46.3mpg.