Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (05-10) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 17 April 2009
The Astra Sport Hatch is very different from its dull five-door sibling and Vauxhall has done a great job in producing a sporty and distinctive design. The model is a fairly common site on the roads so it's easy to forget how attractive and neatly styled it is with a low, purposeful stance. It's entertaining to drive too thanks to a lower ride height than the five-door, although the steering still feels a little remote. The cabin is disappointing - it's a dull design and the switches on the centre console are fiddly to use while the boot is awkward to access due to a narrow opening and high lip. If you can forgive these shortcomings however the Astra Sport Hatch makes a chic three-door and comes with a good choice of engines including some hot hatch rivalling turbocharged units.
3.5 out of 5

Other Vauxhall reviews

3.5 out of 5

Summary

New price range:

£14,300 - £24,095

Used price range:

£3,149 - £15,707

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Smart styling, good turbocharged engines, optional panoramic roof, sharp handling

Poor rear visibility, cramped rear, boot awkward to access, fiddly dash layout

The Astra Sport Hatch is very different from its dull five-door sibling and Vauxhall has done a great job in producing a sporty and distinctive design. The model is a fairly common site on the roads so it's easy to forget how attractive and neatly styled it is with a low, purposeful stance. It's entertaining to drive too thanks to a lower ride height than the five-door, although the steering still feels a little remote. The cabin is disappointing - it's a dull design and the switches on the centre console are fiddly to use while the boot is awkward to access due to a narrow opening and high lip. If you can forgive these shortcomings however the Astra Sport Hatch makes a chic three-door and comes with a good choice of engines including some hot hatch rivalling turbocharged units.

Driving & Performance

  • Performance

    4 out of 5

    "There's an strong range of engines in the Sport Hatch range starting with the 1.4-litre model with..."

  • Handling

    3.5 out of 5

    "In order to make the Sport Hatch feel more dynamic, Vauxhall has given the three-door Astra a lower..."

Comfort

  • Comfort

    3.5 out of 5

    "While the Sport Hatch is great on twisting roads thanks to the stiffened suspension, the trade-off..."

  • Practicality

    2.5 out of 5

    "This is where the Sport Hatch shows its shortcomings. On paper the boot seems average with 312..."

  • Equipment

    4 out of 5

    "The entry-level SXi comes with front, side and head airbags, ABS, air conditioning, remote central..."

  • Behind the wheel

    3 out of 5

    "Thanks to a lowered driving position the Sport Hatch feels racy from behind the wheel with sports..."

Costs

  • Running costs

    4 out of 5

    "Insurance costs have been reduced by making parts damaged in a low-speed collision easier to remove..."

  • Green credentials

    3.5 out of 5

    "The Sport Hatch scores fairly well on the eco front, with an average of 172g/km CO2 across the..."

Safety & Reliability

  • Safety

    4 out of 5

    "The five-door has earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating and the Sport Hatch is similarly strong. Every..."

  • Reliability

    4 out of 5

    "The previous Astra three-door was (on the whole) reliable, but suffered from a string of niggling..."

Buying & Selling

  • Buying new

    4 out of 5

    "Vauxhall dealers will be open to negotiation on sticker prices of the Sport Hatch, but you may not..."

  • Buying used

    3.5 out of 5

    "The Astra Sport Hatch makes a good used buy if you're after something stylish but fairly sensible."

  • Selling

    3.5 out of 5

    "The main thing holding the Sport Hatch back is the badge. Unfortunately Vauxhall doesn't have the..."

Gallery

  • Interior Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (05-10)
  • Exterior Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (05-10)
  • Exterior Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (05-10)
  • Exterior Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (05-10)

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