Faults:

Oil cooler leaking oil - replaced for around £300.

Coolant leak (expansion tank - very common, reasonable to supply and fit for around £120 by local mechanic).

Interior plastics not holding up well, a lot has broken.

Climate control has seen better days.

Exterior looks OK for age, only minor marks, no major rust.

The rest was just wear and tear, the car is serviced on time and the cam-belt has been changed, was not too expensive to do, and well worth it if keeping the car beyond 100K miles.

General Comments:

The Astra may not be most exciting car ever made, but if you want a reliable no nonsense family hatch, look no further.

Exclusiv model is very basic - I had to do something about the awful looking wheel trims by getting a decent set of alloys and new tyres when I bought it - the car looks much better.

Inside the dash is quite stylish, and although a lower range model, there is plenty of electrics. Space is as good as any in its class. Seats are very comfortable, and the car is smooth and quiet on the move, great for motorways or A roads.

Good to drive, clutch and gears are smooth. 1.6 16v petrol performs well and manages 35 - 40 mpg.

Overall for a car I have had for a while and put around 50K miles on it since bought used, I cannot complain.

Faults:

Typical consumables of age and mileage. I keep the car serviced on time. No serious issues in 7 years of ownership. A/C is weak and the exhaust has a rattle that needs checked, currently nothing else.

General Comments:

First of the "Newer" shape Astra for 2011, my black SRi model is pretty smart looking.

Nothing special to drive, but it is fast enough for me while doing around 45 mpg.

Interior is very dull and grey, but nicely laid out and comfortable.

One of the cheapest used hatchback cars on the market currently, and worth every penny for a good one.

Faults:

Console display missing pixels, mid and rear exhaust sections replaced, had new wheel bearings and front brakes at last MOT and service. Inside and outside of car are remarkably in good order despite age and mileage.

General Comments:

The Astra has always been a run of the mill hatchback car, but when you look closely at it, it is actually a decent car and represents excellent value for money. Had mine a few years and it has never let me down and been very economical. Assuming of course buying used you get a looked after car with history, avoid the rough examples.

Exclusiv model is very basic, no fancy electrics here. It does have A/C and electric windows, but that is pretty much the expected standard in cars these days. Comfortable enough and spacious.

To drive it is not bad but not special either, 1.4 keeps up with modern traffic and is obviously no race car, but you will get just over 40 mpg.

Hard to say anymore about it other than if you want a reliable family car and do not have much cash to spend, then looking for a good condition used Astra is a good choice.

Faults:

So far tight as a drum, only a recall job tomorrow for indicators apparently. No cost to me though!

General Comments:

Absolutely fantastic quality on the interior, I counted over 70 buttons that all do stuff, just my kind of thing! But if you rebadged it and said it was an Audi, you'd be hard pressed to say no.

The 1.7 is seriously good. Keeps up with anything, and the only things that have left me standing are performance cars e.g. my cousin's Impreza. But at 1750rpm the turbo comes in, giving immediate to full power, so leaving roundabouts and the likes, you put your foot down and it flies!

Handling used to be an issue with my old '99 Astra, but with the new Watts linkage suspension, you can fly into corners at crazy speeds for a front wheel drive. I'm hitting 90 degree corners at 40mph and I'm getting hardly any understeer, and the nose doesn't even run wide!! Same corners in my old one, you would have been brave to hit them at even 30!