What do you mean "it's a diesel"? (Vauxhall Astra LS ECO4 1.7DTi 16v 5-door Hatchback)

Member Name: martylochloy

Product:	Vauxhall Astra LS ECO4 1.7DTi 16v 5-door Hatchback
Date:	31/10/01 (2038 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cost Effective, Looks Well Nice, CD Player as Standard

Disadvantages: It's a Vauxhall - Not well liked?, It doesn't go as fast as you'd like, No alloys

The 'D' word rang bells in my head as the Boss told me that my new company car was not going to be petrol, but that noisy 'taxi' style thing they call DIESEL!!!

I shuddered at the prospect of having to scale down from my existing 1.6 16v Astra LS to this new Kid on the Block - the ECO4.

Now wait a minute...ECO4, anything with the letters ECO included makes you think of Green, environmentally friendly, 50 Miles per hour on the Motorway, Dean Martin on the stereo, but before I had ordered my new pipe and slippers, lo and behold the ECO4 was sitting in the forecourt beaming at me.

I must admit, I'd actually driven past it thinking "no, that's not it!" but NO it was it, and pleasantly surprised I was...

The car itself is nicely finished, colour- coded, and with a snazzy spoiler on the hatch, so that at first glance, onlookers believe that this is a sporty car...!

Iniside the interior is quality, however the dash is as bland as ever - who are the designers at Vauxhall - the same ones who design the sets for Eastenders?

That aside, the inclusion of a CD player (single CD) and air conditioning have raised the profile of the LS range. Remote central locking, twin airbags, electric front Windows, and a rev counter - YES!!! Something which was missing from my 1.6LS

Turn the key, and for a diesel, it's very quiet - soundproofing is very good for this level of car. Steering very responsive, and on inspection I discover that the suspension is lowered, and the inclusion of Michelin Energy tyres raises my admiration for Vauxhall a wee bit (although I cannot forgive them for the dash!)

The engine is very helpful, if you want controlled power, you've got it, although the turbo kicks in when you least expect it - especially when you take off from a junction in first gear - woooooof!

I've had the car for 10 days now, and the clock is now at 1600 miles. Vauxhal
l figures claim 80 mpg, although the guy at my local dealer said that it will do 90 mpg on long haul motorway journeys.

I have only filled the tank three times in the last 10 days, I am blown away at the consumption, and in Scotland, on all those great motorways we have (not) this is a phenomenal performance. I have taken the car all over Scotland, on all classes of roads (some shouldn't actually be classed as roads) and it has taken some punishment already.

I took the Bosses advice and kept the speed down for the first 500 miles, although it is generally agreed that Turbo Diesel engines do not need to be 'run in' - in other words, you can thrash the arse off it almost as soon as you take it out of the garage...

Well done Vauxhall - I love the car, although is there any chance of you giving me an Astra Touring Car, for weekend use only, of course...?

Summary: