Vauxhall Astra Hatchback (04-10) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 28 August 2009
The Vauxhall Astra is a good all-rounder that's sharply styled and easy to live with. It's not the most exciting or involving car to drive but it's safe and composed with good road manners while there's a wide range of strong diesel and petrol engines. The interior is well finished too with good quality materials but unfortunately the layout isn't particularly good with some of the buttons and controls in awkward places. The boot is cramped too - especially when compared to other hatchbacks. But with plenty on the used market and an abundance in car supermarkets, there's no need to pay over-the-odds for one.
3.5 out of 5

Other Vauxhall reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Depreciation is the biggest burden with the Vauxhall, however if you're buying new it's pretty much in line with other cars in this class. All of the engines are economical for the performance they deliver (especially the diesels) and insurance is very reasonable while Vauxhall servicing costs are generally competitive.

* 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

20,000 miles/two years for petrol models. 30,000 miles/two years for diesels

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £270.00

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
    223
  • L
  • 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 is an environmentally friendly choice for green buyers. With an average of 164g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are relatively low for a medium-sized hatchback. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 1.7 CDTi ecoFLEX model, which is one of the greenest models in the range. The range is also fairly economical, averaging 43mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2