Good, but not the best ! (Vauxhall Astra CD 2.0DTi 16v 5-door Estate)

Name: ecompserv

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Product:	Vauxhall Astra CD 2.0DTi 16v 5-door Estate
Date:	18/06/04 (6067 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Economy, Looks, Handling

Disadvantages: Engine problems, Ride, Rear passenger room

Vauxhall astra estate 2.0 dti 16v cd

Year: 2000(v)

Colour metallic blue

I purchased this car at 50,000 miles in jan 03, replacing our citroen xantia estate (1999), as it was smaller & easier for the wife to drive(park). We both liked the appearance of the car and wanted a diesel, so thought we would give it a go.

The engine, though a turbo diesel is not the quickest out there & it has the same traits as most diesels - it can be a bit rattly when cold. the engine does quieten down once warmed up. It responds with a good fuel consumption approx 45-50mpg if driven sensibly, which is excellent compared to the 30ish mpg we were used to.

The brakes are good, the steering is light and the car handles well when cornering, though the suspension can appear a bit harsh & can bottom out especially on uneven road surfaces, this can also cause the mud flaps to scrape along the road. The clutch is nice & the gear change is smooth ? we haven?t had the ?if you cant find it ? grind it? effect.

The driving position is fairly good with plenty of headroom. the seat position can be adjusted horizontally & vertically, which makes it ideal for people who like to drive while sitting on the bonnet(my wife being one of them). The seats however could do with being a bit firmer - they are a bit spongy and on bouncy roads they make an annoying squeaking noise. there does not appear to be an adjustment for the hardness of the seat in my particular model. Perhaps if i went on a diet it might solve the problem!.

There does not appear to be any other squeeks or rattles, other than the seat. The doors shut with a definate clunk giving the impression of a good built quality.

One of the downsides was brought to light whe the heater plugs required changing. this should have been a relatively cheap job, but unfortunately one could not be removed (it just turned in it
s thread). the outcome was that the cylinder head had to be removed, so that the heater plug could be drilled out - costing well over £300. Apparently this is a common problem with the Astra diesel engines. Another common problem with these engines is that the injector seals will need replacing at sometime. The seals only cost a few £?s each but again the cylinder head will need to be removed, thus costing £100?s.

There are 2 air bags at the front, but no side protection. As we did not purchase this car from new we did not have the option to include side air bags.

Towing ? I tow a caravan at least once a month over the summer & even though it is a 2.0 diesel turbo, it still appears to struggle getting up to speed, our previous Xantia 1.8 petrol towed much better. Having said that I do find it an easy car to drive with towing a caravan & perhaps with a newer lighter caravan the car would be a bit more responsive.

The warning lights on the dashboard sometimes appear to have a mind of their own especially the engine management light. It tends to take a while to go out when the car is cold & sometimes flickers when driving. This does not do much for confidence on long journeys. The car has been checked over by Vauxhall & no faults were found.

The dials are well set out and easily read. The stereo control buttons on the steering wheel can be a bit of a pain, as they do not make a definite movement or click when pressed & sometimes take a while to respond.

We have 3 children & we feel that the car could just do with being a bit wider as they get a bit restless in the back on longer journeys, partly due to lack of room. There are 3 over the shoulder seatbelts in the rear, which is better than having the middle waist strap belt as found in many cars.

There is plenty of room in the boot for a day to day family car & to cope with my w
ifes shopping addiction, but the rear opening can restrict the width of large items that can be carried due to its design.

Servicing is relatively cheap,it cost just over £100 for the usual, oil & air & fuel filter change etc, though we did not go to a Vauxhall main dealer.

The car appears to eat rear light bulbs for some reason ? we have replaced 5 bulbs over the past 8 months & I am beginning to think there may be an intermittent wiring fault. This therefore may not be a common problem with all Astras.

If for some unfortunate reason you need to tow the car, please note that the towing eye that screws in under a panel on the front bumper is located with the spare wheel. It has a left hand thread, which I found out after 10 minutes of trying!

Overall the car is reasonably attractive, practical and gives good fuel economy. It is not the fastest of diesels, but it gets there eventually. I would definitely consider purchasing another one if they sort out the niggles that I have encountered with the engine.

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