2000 Holden Astra CD from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

There is a funny noise coming from the engine bay - like a gentle ticking noise and we were told by Holden that some Astra's do it. Its something to do with the injector apparently and its nothing to worry about. We were advised that if it annoyed us too much then to fill it will WD40 to drown out the noise.

Needed to replace battery because it dropped a cell, but that was due to a dodgy fitting of a sub and amp.

For $12,000 second hand this car is a dream to drive and own.

It is really quiet on the road. There are no squeaks or rattles in the cabin.

The panel gaps are even both inside and out and the trim in the cabin is robust and looks really nice.

The Cd player has very good sound for a standard head deck and the speakers can pump out some decent sound.

The steering is weighted nicely and relays the driving experience without the harsh bumps it may encounter.

It recovers from potholes and bumps very well.

The seats are nice and firm and support in the right places.

The back seat can be a little tight sometimes for 3 adults.

The boot is huge for a small sedan - it rivals my mums statesman I reckon, for boot space.

The engine is lively with plenty of torque.

Fuel consumption for me is roughly 8 - 10L/100k and I get around 500-600k to a tank (tank is 54L)

Seriously don't buy an Astra, I have one with 33,000kms on the clock and the engine check light comes on repeatedly. Its just had all of its brake rotors and pads replaced- unheard of in any other make of car with the same K's. The Air flow meter failed - very expensive. The camshaft sensor failed- very expensive as cambelt had to come off to replace. And now the computer has been tested as faulty $3k + to fix and apparently according to holden and auto electricians very common. The electrics in these car are rubbish. Yes it handles well and gets good economy, but if you are going to buy one buy a bucket as well and write Astra on the side of it and start throwing money into it.