Vauxhall Astra Estate (04-10) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Vauxhall has produced yet another capable variant of the Astra in the form of the estate. It offers more rear legroom than the hatchback models as well as a usefully large carrying capacity. It might not have the biggest boot in the sector, but it is helped by some innovative features such as the FlexOrganiser, which can keep various items in the boot separate. There's a wide range of petrol and diesel engines too that will suit most driver's needs. The cabin is a bit of a let down though - it lacks the sophistication of alternatives such as the Ford Focus and the layout of the buttons is poor. However, that doesn't prevent the Astra estate from being a comfortable and useful family car.
3.5 out of 5

Other Vauxhall reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

The petrol and diesel engines are frugal for their various power outputs and a Vauxhall dealer should be happy to offer a discount on an Astra estate, reducing the depreciation suffered when it comes time to sell on. Insurance groups are low across most of the range, and repair costs should also be modest. Like the hatchback, the Astra estate has been designed to be repair-friendly so small repairs are quick and simple to carry out.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,334 - £2,046 *

Diesel

£1,034 - £1,602 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Petrol up to 20,000 miles. Diesel up to 30,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £460.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    119
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    226
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Astra scores fairly well on the eco front. In 2008 an ecoFLEX model was introduced which is powered by a 1.7 CDTi with 110bhp. It emits 119g/km of CO2 - making it cheap to tax - and returns 63mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2