2000 Opel Astra CSE review from South Africa
"Excellent value and reliability, but very spartan"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Replaced brake disks (rotors) at 60000km.
Cleaned throttle body at 70000km, but it WILL get oiled-up again, because the the crankshaft ventilation is connected to it without an oil-blocker.
General comments?
This is a nice performance car with exceptional handling. The CSE model is sportier than most, but has a rather spartan interior. There aren't even electric windows.
The X18XE1 engine has a known problem with throttle body fouling. This results in idle undershoot and sometimes engine cutting when coasting to a stop. If it were Germany, Opel would have redrilled the connection to the crankshaft ventilation from 1mm to 2mm and replaced the software of the ECU, according to their "TIC Notiz" to that effect. This is something like a minor recall notice. However GM South Africa refuses to acknowledge the problem and avoids calls the best they can. Pity though. That is a good enough reason for me not to buy from them again, although I have nothing against Opel in general, and will buy one any time in another country.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 X18XE1 Manual |
| Performance marks | 10/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 5/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 15 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 75000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Opel Astra |
| Date of Entry | 2nd March, 2004 |