Skip advert
Advertisement

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate (2010-2016) - Engines, drive & performance

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer diesel engines are the easiest to recommend, although they aren’t as refined as the petrols

Carbuyer Rating

3.8 out of 5

Owners Rating
Be the first to review
Engines, drive & performance Rating

3.5 out of 5

Much like the larger Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, the Vauxhall Astra estate is much more at home on the motorway than it is on twisting roads. Thanks to its comfortable ride and decent noise insulation, the Astra Sports Tourer is a very good long-distance cruiser, although cars with larger alloy wheels do fidget about a bit on rougher road surfaces.

Advertisement - Article continues below

That being said, the Vauxhall is fairly enjoyable to drive, thanks to its strong grip and well weighted controls. However, if it’s outright fun behind the wheel that you’re after, the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer isn’t quite as engaging to drive as the Ford Focus estate or SEAT Leon ST.

It’s worth pointing out that the SRi trim level comes with firmer suspension fitted as standard, which results in less body lean in corners and slightly more responsive handling. Since Vauxhall doesn’t make a high-performance VXR version of the Astra Sports Tourer, this is the next-best thing for buyers who want a sportier drive.

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer petrol engines

One key area where the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer range differs from the hatchback line-up is the choice of petrol engines. Although the very capable 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol can be fitted to the hatch, it’s bizarrely absent from the Sports Tourer range. As a result, the Astra estate has to make do with two competent yet unremarkable petrols: a 1.4-litre with 98bhp and a slightly more powerful 1.6-litre with 113bhp.

Although both offer decent efficiency by class standards (Vauxhall claims they’re each capable of returning over 42mpg), they’re nowhere near as frugal as the diesels. The two petrol engines also produce their maximum power output at fairly high revs, which means you need to work them hard and change gear frequently in order to get the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer up to speed.

Diesel engines

Of the diesel engines on offer, we recommend the 1.6-litre versions. Even though they’re not quite as powerful as the flagship 2.0-litre and BiTurbo options, they still have more than enough punch to get the Astra Sports Tourer up to speed quickly and they’re also the most refined diesels in the range.

They’re the cheapest to run, too: the 108bhp version in particular leads the way with its 76mpg fuel economy and exemption from road tax due to its ultra-low CO2 emissions. Although the more powerful 1.6-litres aren’t quite as efficient, they’ll still only cost a maximum of £20 to tax and should be able to return over 68mpg.

An issue that plagues all the diesels (in particular the 1.3 and 1.7-litre) is intrusive engine noise. While some aren’t quite as rattly as others, they’re still on the loud side, which – given the interior refinement of the Astra Sports Tourer is otherwise quite good – can be quite a nuisance on longer journeys.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Vauxhall Astra Griffin cuts nearly £3k from petrol and electric models
Vauxhall Astra Griffin front quarter
News
7 Aug 2024

Vauxhall Astra Griffin cuts nearly £3k from petrol and electric models

Practical Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate for £235 a month: Hot car deal
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer rear tracking
Deals
22 Apr 2024

Practical Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate for £235 a month: Hot car deal

Vauxhall Astra gets new mild-hybrid tech for improved fuel efficiency
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer front quarter
News
21 Feb 2024

Vauxhall Astra gets new mild-hybrid tech for improved fuel efficiency

Top 10 best hybrid estate cars 2024
Best hybrid estate cars
Best cars
15 Feb 2024

Top 10 best hybrid estate cars 2024

Most Popular

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door
BMW M235 Gran Coupe front quarter
News
26 Nov 2024

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
29 Nov 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers

New Audi Q5 Sportback lands with SUV stance and a swoopy roof
Audi SQ5 Sportback front quarter
News
26 Nov 2024

New Audi Q5 Sportback lands with SUV stance and a swoopy roof

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
Best electric cars
Best cars
16 May 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024