Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (2005 - 2010) 1.6i 16V SXi (115bhp) 3d (2008/08) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

This car says that your trendy, modern and possibly a bit of a boy racer based on the coupe styling.

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

Friends and family think it's a great looking car and enjoy travelling in it.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes, it's fantastic to drive, high quality interior (the version has a much improved dashboard layout) comfy seats, quality materials, well built, economical (got it upto 48 mpg on normal roads). Would have given 5 stars if the steering had more feeling and cruise control would have been nice. I don't think a car this size needs parking sensors.

What are you likely to buy next?

I would hope to hold on to this for the next 3-5 years then look at the new model GTC as a second hand buy, hopefully it's as good a car as this one.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£4,895

When did you buy the car?

July 2012

Did you get a good deal and why?

Bought the car from a garage in Yorkshire with 64300 miles on the clock, near showroom condition, service history and two keys. Live in somerset and could only get 2006 models with same spec and mileage for same price or more. The car is cosmetically and mechanically perfect!

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

What was the dealer like?

St Andrews Motors in Huddersfield were fantastic, one of the best buying experiences i've had and would definately recommend. As I was going to be travelling 4 hours to get there they were extremely honest and open and the car did'nt let me down when I got there, if anything they'd under sold it.

What's it like to drive?

Going from the stiff sport suspension on the ZT this feels incredibly smooth and drives amazingly well. i'd say there's less feedback on the steering than the ZT but it grips incredibly well even in wet weather and handles corners well. Very impressed and does drive like a car class above it's own. But more feedback would be nice as the steering can feel light.

What's it like to park?

Very easy to park and plenty of room all the way around, big wing mirrors help compensate for the lack of rear visiblity due to the size and unusual angle of the rear window but it's not a big issue.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Have had the car a month and all working with no issues.

What's most practical about your car?

I was driving an MG ZT V6 saloon and as it was just me most of the time I was wasting a lot of car, i've found the downsizing a practicality in itself, but boot is still big enough for the 2 dogs and much more practical than the ZT in that respect and still fits a weeks shopping, also being smaller makes more parking spaces available to me, and have had 3 adult passengers who have commented on it comfort and leg room in the back, even on a long drive to Peterborough (and i'm 6 foot so seat pushed right back).

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

It's not briming with tech but it has everything that's needed; air conditioning (climate control would be a waste in such a small cabin) RDS Radio with aux in which is a big plus as like to listen to my MP3 player, electric windows and fuel consumption computer which is quite handy for driving more economically.