2001 Holden Astra TS 3-door review from Australia and New Zealand
"Best handler in class"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing mechanically.
Front doors have recently begun creaking for no apparent reason at low speeds over medium size pot-holes and speed bumps. Very annoying and difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. Any ideas?
General comments?
The Astra is a great handling car especially when fitted with lowered suspension and low profile tyres.
Throttle response (or lack thereof) is a little annoying, but performance is excellent for the class.
The seats are also VERY uncomfortable at first, but become better over time. Driving position is also very high and leg room isn't great for tall drivers, which doesn't really inspire you to push the car dynamically.
If anyone has any idea as to why the doors creak intermittently I'd love to hear from them.
Overall though the car is easily the best in class. I only wish that I'd waited a while on buying it so I could have picked up an SRi!
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  | Great small-medium car |
| VERY expensive to run |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 twin cam Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 8 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 5500 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Celica |
| Date of Entry | 9th January, 2002 |