2007 Vauxhall Astra SRi review from UK and Ireland

Numerous punctures on all the tyres; so far have got through 2 full sets, with 3 more needing to be replaced once out the garage!

Head gasket blown at 16000.

Gearbox KNACKERED at 16000.

Complete new suspension.

Full set of brake pads.

New steering column and re-wiring of the horn.

These cars are real eye-catchers, and as a woman I do notice a lot of envious looking guys - especially when I cut them up ;-) Also attracts attention and a lot of people asking "what car is it?"

Nippy car, and feels a lot smaller and easier to drive than you'd expect.

Interior is slick and stylish.

Cornering is excellent.

Sports button is a lot of fun, especially on the motorway - grip is firm and steering precise. Revs go crazy once pushed, and you really can feel a noticeable difference (I read somewhere that with the sports button on this model it increases engine size to 2.0L; I could stand corrected, but it does feel a lot bigger and powerful).

Am very disappointed with my Vauxhall dealer, who although they offered an instant service, failed to spot: gear-box problems, and despite advising them of a whistling sound from under the bonnet when driving (but what do I know, I'm only a woman eh!), a week later I told em where to check for signs the head gasket had blown! Duh!

3 weeks later and I'm STILL waiting for my "unusual" gearbox to turn up, and they aren't promising anything within the next 2 weeks!!!

In the mean-time I have a 1.8 5 door Astra Elite - interior is nice (centre console finished in glossy black with leather interior) but I'm noticing the same tell-tell signs as with mine (slow punctures, horn not working, gearbox jerking when changing from 1 & 2nd gear).

My concern is that this is the 2nd Astra with very similar faults to mine. And even more concerning is the fact that Vauxhall has advised that there is a backlog and demand for the gearboxes - Vauxhall, have you messed up with this gearbox????

Personally for cars that are under 1 years old, all these faults are food for thought in terms of long-term ownership!