Vauxhall Astra hatchback (2009-2015) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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Used for short and medium trips but also some longish motorway journeys, including towing a very lightweight caravan. It's been totally reliable so far, well built, comfortable, roomy and safe. Not exciting but that's not a problem for me. Not very economical but great performance. Unlike a previous poster who thought Vauxhall should have fitted a DSG autobox I chose an Astra (instead of an automatic Focus) because it has a torque converter so less to go wrong. Six speeds and full manual override when desired. Niggles? Like most modern hatchbacks it has blind spots, thank goodness mine has park assist warning front and rear but I would like a reversing camera.

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I bought this car (Astra MK6 10-plate) through Network-Q. I thought it would be reliable since it had been approved by a Vauxhall main dealer. However the gearbox went 1 and half years after I bought it. It's only got 42,000 miles on the clock. The car has been serviced by the main dealer its whole life, however they could never spot the problem and asked me to pay £3,600 to replace the whole gearbox. It's very disappointing that Vauxhall wouldn't recognize the fault and offer any help. I will never buy any car from Vauxhall after this horrible experience.

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Fuel comsumption is poor, and it has a knock/rattle on n/s front suspension which local vauxhall dealer cannot find. Very annoying.

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No torque, no grip, massive under steer and gutless. I had a 2.0 NA Renault 182 that could demolish this pathetic car. Expensive options list and next to no standard equipment and no way to add extra due to a locked CANBUS, this is bad for the second hand market (OK there are workarounds but that's not the point). MPG is worse than my MX-5, BMW 318 CI and Clio cup ever were - under normal driving ;). Every time the car is left overnight the clutch will remain depressed, affecting the cruise control and gear change (clutch switch), I have to lift the pedal with my foot every time I release the handbrake. The anti roll back function is dangerous as it releases whenever it wishes, the auto handbrake is dangerous as it releases just by pressing the accelerator even when out of gear. A total mess and at worse a shambles. This car can't compare to an A3 or Golf, and the comment on a 1 Series - lol, I'd take a Kia over this, the Astra is RUBBISH. I'll probably never buy a Vauxhall again !

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After having a Vectra 1.9 cdti for many years and being very happy with it until it gave up the ghost, I decided to try the latest shape Astra Sri. I liked the design of the Astra and thought it was a very pretty car to look at. Initially I was really impressed with the amazing build quality compared to the Vectra, with solid shutting doors and good choice of quality materials used inside. The cabin is a nice place to be if you spend a lot of time traveling. On driving you can feel how heavy this car is though at over 1,500kg and feels more sluggish than the Vectra. The electric power steering although still vague, is better than the Vectra and a quicker rack means the steering is more responsive. The seats are very comfortable and supportive which is great for long distance driving. This car is a good motorway cruiser and eats up the miles very easily. I have read reports from some reviewers of excessive wind and road noise from this car, but maybe I have just been lucky as it is a lot quieter than my previous car. You can hear very little tyre roar and minimal wind noise, and is probably the quietist motorway vehicle I have had, meaning that the stereo (ICE) doesn't have to be very loud to hear it. Good job I suppose as it isn't the best quality of stereos, it is adequate but could do with a little more stereo separation and frequency response for my taste. As it is an Sri model with firmer suspension and running 19" alloys, the ride can be hard at times on uneven roads, however on smoother twisty roads it comes into its own and has a fantastic chassis when pushed. I think Vauxhall have worked very hard on this chassis and is probably the best they have designed yet, under steer has been reduced massively from previous models, which was always an issue with all Vauxhalls. Thankfully the traction and ESP have been programmed well and you actually have quite a lot of control over the car before the traction and ESP cuts in spoiling your day unlike other manufacturers! The electronic handbrake and hill start assist is a pointless gadget and once you get used to it, actually works ok but I would still choose the manual handbrake model over this anytime. The cabin space and storage flexibility is really good and although the boot space a bit smaller than the Vectra the rest of the family space is pretty much the same and good for an everyday family mode of transport. The only downside with this car is the engine. The 1.7cdti comes in many guises, and this one happens to be the 110ps model, which is woefully underpowered given the weight of the car, compared to the 125 and 130ps models. There is no power until 2000 rpm then everything thrown at you until 4000rpm then basically nothing after that. This can be very dangerous when trying to pull away or rolling up to junctions, with no power on tap until the turbo spools up and just not very smooth when carrying passengers, due to the on/off characteristics of the power delivery. Once it is up to speed and above 2000rpm it is graceful and quiet. The only way for me to over come this problem was to have the vehicle remapped, which gave a noticeable increase in torque and power and overcome the inherent turbo lag and lack of engine response, whilst being a lot smoother and quieter. This has turned the vehicle from a well put together comfortable car that was a little dangerous and disappointing to drive, into something that has an engine to match the looks and handling. The stated fuel economy figures on these engines are vastly over estimated. However the mpg has got progressively better as the mileage has increased. Mpg has gradually increased from 45mpg to 52 mpg covering combined motorway and round town journeys. Notably though after being remapped the mpg has increased to 60.2mpg on average (calculated from full to empty tank, not from dash display), which is very near to manufacturers specs now. The yearly road tax for the 1.7cdti is between £30-£110 depending on the engine year of manufacture and the insurance is very cheap. overall a very good car, well built, with very minimal reliability issues and nice to drive, but if choosing the 1.7 engine go for the 130ps model with Bosch fuel injection rather than the lower powered 1.7 models with Denso fuel injection as these are known to be more unreliable.

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This car is the worst car I have ever owned. I reported the low mileage to the dealer, which I also had checked independently, at 42 to 43mpg which for a diesel car is a waste of money. Now after 40,000 miles it appears that the clutch has now gone. I now intend to get rid of this car and never buy another Vauxhall. I have also owned Vauxhalls for 25 years now.

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Comfortable but not economical, and underpowered plus wind up windows at the back.

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I do like the car but their are some faults that really wind me up. I.e. pedal position there is quite a step up to the brake pedal from the accelerator I've had a few close ones and it's quite uncomfortable as one leg has to reach further than other. Also had a fault with gearbox but was fixed under warranty. The car drives really well and apart from pedal position it is comfortable and handles really well.

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My second Mk5 Astra 1.6 as I was so pleased with the first one. It's just coming up to 4 years old and has cost nothing apart from servicing & MOT. Still on original tyres, exhaust, brakes. Nothing has gone wrong in the time I have had it, nippy, economical & reliable. Just had it's second MOT and it passed with flying colours, nothing needed work on at all. Every Vauxhall I have had has been fantastic as have Fords, with no issues. The VAG cars I have had all had minor problems and the French cars were, well, so bad, beyond belief.

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No problems that require a visit to the dealer

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It starts everytime and gets me from A to B. It's starting to show its age mind you!

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Car is great on the motorway, great power and mpg at once

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Hrdly ever has problem unless something wears out

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Brilliant

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it always starts and so far never let me down on the cold mornings

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Very good, but heaters are broken

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I have owned a vauxhall cords before buying the Astra, and they have always started first time

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Very reliable, rarely let me down

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No breakdowns yet

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Only problem has been a broken exhaust camshaft at 42000 miles Requiring a re-con engine.cost covered by vauxhall after a long battle.

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It is very reliable, never had any major problems since owning it

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No faults 100% reliable

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no problems so far

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It's a good car. So far no problems

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Good car, haven't given major issues but too many electrical issues showing up

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In 7 years of ownership, it's never let me down. It's had a few unusual faults, as well as the usual things due to wear and tear but hasn't really cost me any serious amount of money.

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Never let me down.

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it just goes! starts every time so reliable in my book.

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touchwood been ok

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Having done over 124k miles, my car has only broken down once - and was fixed under warranty - and has no problems at all, so I couldn't be happier with my car's reliability!

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hand brake service light came on also warning light has twice came on then off.

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Never had any problems

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HAD IT LESS THAN A YEAR. NO PROBLEMS SO FAR

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Never broken down, never had major problems

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It needs little maintenance, has thought applied to the underbody, factors that reduce corrosion, eg brake components, pipes. It has a long oil change interval. It starts immediately, the Plug electrics are protected from water ingress

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it goes ok

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Very quick and reliable so far.

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never had a problem

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Alternator failed at 55000 miles. Some minor reliability issues in first year of ownership. Aircon problems at 4 years. Power steering starting to mske a whining noise after 45000 miles

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No Red thumbs down