Summary:
Good looks coupled with great performance and handling
Faults:
There have been only two problems with this car. The indicator switch was faulty from the start and was replaced at the 1500klm service. The other worry was the well known noisy rear brake syndrome which I was told (by the sales person) had been cured! The rear brakes were very noisy, especially when reversing. The problem is a badly designed rear caliper which allows the pads to drag slightly which seems to make the rotor resonate; very disturbing when in a crowded car park. Holden have since fitted a kit to the caliper which seems to have fixed the problem.
General Comments:
The car runs far better than a 1.8 should. It is well suited to city driving and the auto transmission works smoothly and reliably.
The suspension is the best of any small car that I have driven. It is firm, but at the same time smooths out bumps with ease. Handling is brilliant and the suspension works well under brakes.
The cruise control works well on flatter roads, but is not really suited to high speed cruising in hilly areas as it tends to make the auto select lower gears than may be necessary.
The body is very rigid and strong which gives the car a sure footed feel on the road. It is also a great looking thing as well.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th October, 2002
23rd Dec 2002, 06:42
Agree with the writer, however I notice that on my 2002 model Astra I'm getting the dreaded door creaking. Has anyone else suffered this problem and was the dealer able to fix it?
6th Jan 2003, 01:16
You gotta be kidding!!! the torque is excellent! how would I know? well I towed my teacher's car down the road on muck up day!!! (this all happened while we were supposed to be learning history...ooops!!!)
6th Jan 2003, 06:38
My concerns relate to the temperature gage on my Astra CD. Even on relatively moderate days after traveling only a short distance the temperature gage shoots straight to halfway and then progressively increases to the red zone - although to date has not actually entered into the red zone, this concerns me a great deal. On inspection of the under bonnet it is also extremely hot - even after travelling 5km or so - yet the car has been serviced by Holden Dealership and traveled only 2500km to date - has this or is this happening to anyone else?
6th Dec 2003, 16:50
The person with the comment above get it checked its not normal it can damage head contact me if any probs.