Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (2005 - 2010) 1.9 16V CDTi SRi (150ps) 3d (2009/09) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It says I'm a 50 year old boy racer, who has the sense to still keep costs down. As I said previously, I now drive a 2014 1.6 D Eco Astra 5 door (company car) and I still get about the same MPG as I did in my 1.9SRI Astra SportHatch.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They thought it was too young for me, and the wife didn't like the 2 doors.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No, I would be too worried about gearbox failure.

What are you likely to buy next?

Not likely to buy at all, gone back to company car usage.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£7,495

When did you buy the car?

February 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

I thought it was a reasonably good deal.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

It ticked all the boxes, Good looking, Fast, economical, reasonable boot space, cheap servicing.

What was the dealer like?

Small one owner dealer in Diss, Norfolk He was very friendly and I felt I could trust him.

What's it like to drive?

Rear view visibility is not great but you soon get used to using your mirrors. The ride is quite hard, great for sporty driving but I used to do 250 - 350 miles a day and it did give me some backache. Tyres seem to have quite an effect on the handling. The best ones I used where (surprisingly) Coopers, the own brand from Formula 1 tyres.

What's it like to park?

Rear visibility not great, but like any car, once you get used to it's size it's not a problem. Just learn to use your mirrors. (Like van). Good looks come at a price and it's a price worth paying.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Only real problem was when the 5th / 6th gearbox bearing collapsed. This is apparently a known problem and Vauxhall gave me a healthy discount on replacement. Bearing in mind I drove 60,000 miles in it in a 18 months, I didn't think this was too bad.

What's most practical about your car?

I now have a boring Brand new 5 door Astra hatch and I can fit exactly what I used to carry in the sport hatch boot into the new one. For an an apparently small sports coupe the boot is VERY spacious.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The "Sport" button. I still don't know exactly what it does from a technical point of view. All I know is it scared the life out of me when I pushed it !