2002 Vauxhall Astra Van Sportive from UK and Ireland - Comments

Pops front headlamp bulbs like it's going out of fashion.

Air con broken.

This is my 3rd Astra Van in succession.

My first one was the new 1998 shape Astravan with the Isuzu engine (1.7 td). This one was a good workhorse. I purchased it at auction, and it was very reliable, even though it had quite high miles (130k).

Second up was a lovely 2001 registered Astravan (LS MODEL IN SILVER - MINT) model I managed to steal from a guy for £3000 with a genuine low mileage of just 34,000 on the clock. It was in silver with the all new dti engine.

Sadly this one I had a turbo problem, and it gave up on me at 52k, and ended up costing me £1800 to put right, which hurt the wallet to say the least.

Which brings me to my latest van; the Astra Sportive...

I LOVE IT!!!

I managed to get it on eBay for £5000 02 plated, with just 52,000 on the clock. It boasts a full Irmsher kit all round, air conditioning, cruise control, alloy wheels, electric front windows, full alarm & immobiliser and tinted windows all round.

The performance from the dti 16v engine is not overly great; it's OK and does the job well, also giving excellent mpg, and on a run the debadged Recaro seats are just excellent, & really supportive on a run up the motorway.

The cabin is a bit dreary, and feels a bit cheap, but all of these model Astras feel this way, so it's not really that much of a downer. I really prefer it to the new Astra's silvery look dash.

The van's overall look is just one of sheer coolness; the bodykit really turns a pretty plain looking van into a tarmac terrorist, and it gets admiring glances from all walks of life on the road.

I hope some fellow Astravan drivers read this, as if you can invest in a upgraded van, I really would recommend buying a Astra Sportive.

The kitted ones are extremely hard to find, but if you find a good one, snap it up as quickly as you can, and I promise you'll never want to change it again!!

I will be keeping my one for as long as I can, I know that!!

I've been running Astravans since the mid eighties. They just don't have a rival. To be honest, I wish they did. It'd be great to see Ford, Peugeot & Vauxhall etc offer similar vans. At the moment I'm driving a Sportive 2 litre. It very hard to fault it. Another 20bhp would be very welcome, but even without this, it must be the fastest van on the road. I sometimes park it next to my mate's Citroen Berlingo & the contrast is startling. The Astravan looks like a De Tomaso Mangusta in comparison! It's amazing how sporty it looks. The Astra estate looks rather dull, but with the rear windows blanked out (making it an Astravan) it looks sporty & cool.

The only real grumbles I have is that the screen always steams up when it's raining (I have to switch on the air con to clear it) & there's not enough storage space.

I must advise other Astravan owners regarding the alloy wheels. The bolts seize tight. I got a flat tyre & I had to call out the garage to loosen the nuts with a pneumatic wrench & he only just managed it before fouling the heads. There was no way they would have come off using the manual wrench. Since that episode I've taken the locking nuts off & replaced them with standard nuts. Please bear this in mind.

Losing lots of water any ideas.not head not heater matrix and no wet patches any where help.

Radiator most likely, also remove the oil cap, and if there is any white stuff, could be the head hasket on its way.

To be honest mate it could e a thirsty van and likes the taste of antifrezze.

Just a update; the Astra has now gone :(

My line of business went bankrupt and I sold the van last year.

It was excellent fun to drive. The only major thing to go on it was the fuel pump at 59k. £800 later it was done, and drove it on for another 5000 miles before selling it.

Just considering a new Astravan now, the new sportive 150ps model. I'll update you all if I take the plunge.

The Astra Sportive Van I drive has just started to make a high pitched whine, almost scream when driving - when idling the engine is fine.

We have just replaced the front engine mount and replaced the rear engine mount bolts.

The vehicle has only done 52000 miles - has anybody got any thoughts?