Faults:

Nothing but basic maintenance. The car has never let me down.

General Comments:

After my previous Ford Focus finally died back in 2018 (it was a 2003 car with high mileage) I was on the hunt for another modern hatchback to last me a long time as a daily driver. I had never had a Vauxhall since the 1990's and early 2000's, so this Astra was quite a change for me.

Initially thought it would be boring and for the most part it is - it does not drive much better than an old Focus, and these cars are generations apart. That's not to say it's bad - it isn't, but this Astra was never known as a driver's car unless you went for the faster versions. This 1.4 Design model is a bit basic and plodding.

Interior is very dull and grey. Has all the modern features you would expect. Seats are comfortable, visibility is good, and ride is quite smooth. Design model is lower range, but it does have air con, electric windows, touch screen DAB radio.

Exterior wise I think it is a good looking car, alloy wheels look very nice. To drive the 1.4 turbo charged petrol engine is only adequate, but it does do 45 mpg or 50 mpg on longer drives; I'm glad I got the petrol engine as I have heard a lot of bad things about modern diesels. And this is still after all economical to run, tax and insurance is also well priced. I have not had any major repairs or breakdowns yet, but it is a Vauxhall so I expect any problems should be reasonably priced to take care of.

In short, if you want modern basic transport that is reliable and easy to live with, have a look at the Astra.