Used Vauxhall Astra 2009 - 2015 review

The Vauxhall hallmarks of mass-market appeal, ease of use and good value are all present and correct in the Astra. And while there are a number of areas where it could be improved, particularly when you consider the commensurate talents of its rivals, for the money the Astra manages to be a respectable used purchase.

The interior is nicely styled and offers plenty of space. While it perhaps offers not as much in the rear as rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf, it still has a decent amount of room upfront. Those front seats also have plenty of adjustment, especially if the car has sports seats fitted. There are, however, a few too many buttons on the dashboard, which means the infotainment isn’t quite as easy to use as rival systems. It’s also quite dark inside, with thick windscreen pillars blocking the light coming in and obscuring your view.

Where the Astra lets down is the driving experience, as it simply isn’t a patch on the Golf, let alone the scintillating Ford Focus. Vauxhall fitted a more advanced rear suspension to this generation of Astra, but the car still doesn’t outhandle its contemporaries. The ride, at least, is comfortable. In short, the Astra is tuned to cope well with potholes and speed bumps rather than to become a B-road hack.

This is a shame, considering the vast range of engines and specifications the Astra is offered with. Most are economical diesel and petrols, but there is a high-performance twin-turbo diesel or a road-burning 276bhp VXR hot hatch if you fancy it.

You can get quite a lot of car for your budget as there are plenty of used examples to choose from. Really high-mileage diesel Astras from 2009 can cost as little as £2000. But reduce the mileage to 50,000 or less and you can find economical 1.3 CDTIs for £5000, although these aren’t quite as popular as the larger and more powerful 1.7 and 2.0 CDTIs, which can be found for a similar price. The facelifted car with the newer 1.6-litre CDTI engine costs £6000.

Unlike the Sports Tourer, the majority of Astra hatchbacks available are petrol-powered. £4000 seems to be the amount you will need to spend for a 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre. Vauxhall did sell a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol, but it was only for a short period of time, so they are rare on the used market and therefore command a premium over their non-turbo alternatives of £500-£1000.

If you want a VXR, you’ll need deeper pockets, as good ones are around the £13,000 mark.

The Astra has a number of efficient and cheap-to-run engines available. Earlier cars are slightly more expensive, tax wise, than their later incarnations. 1.3 CDTI cars are £20 to tax and do 67.3mpg; 1.7-litre CDTI 123bhp and 2.0 CDTI 163bhp versions both cost £115 per year in road tax and are capable of 62.8mpg and 61.4mpg respectively.

Later, facelifted Astras were fitted with the new 1.6 CDTI engine, which reduced the road tax and fuel consumption figures. They come in two power outputs, with both achieving free road tax. The 108bhp returns 78.5mpg and the 134bhp manages 76.3mpg.

The petrol engine range is smaller than the diesel range, with the most prevalent being the 1.6. In manual form, it achieves 45.6mpg and costs £150 per year to tax. The 1.6 is also available as an automatic, which reduces fuel economy to 39.8mpg (38.7mpg for higher-specification versions) and increases road tax to £220 per year.

Running the VXR will set you back a fair bit more because of its £280 tax bill and 34.9mpg economy – this will drop much further if you indulge your right foot.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to engines for the Astra, from a low-powered 1.3-litre diesel to a 192bhp high-performance 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel. There are also naturally aspirated 1.4 and 1.6 petrols, as well as a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol that joined the range briefly, topped by the high-performance 2.0-litre turbocharged, 155mph VXR.

We would recommend the 1.6 petrol if you do most of your driving around town as it is a great compromise of pace and efficiency. It also gives you more power and torque over the 1.4-litre – something you will need if you plan on carrying passengers.

If you plan to cover lots of miles, choose the 1.6-litre diesel. Refinement is generally much better than you’ll find in the 2.0-litre engines, which are rather noisy, and the 1.6 is flexible and efficient.

Tech Line trim has most of the standard kit you’ll need, including air conditioning, electric front windows, cruise control, 16in alloy wheels, a CD player, sat-nav, a USB socket, Bluetooth and a DAB radio. If you want your Astra to look a bit sportier, then there is always the SRI trim, which gives you 17in alloy wheels and performance-inspired bits of interior trim.

Our favourite Vauxhall Astra: 1.6 CDTI Tech Line

The Ford Focus drives much better than the rest of its classmates, but it doesn’t have the best interior, both in terms of quality or infotainment.

The Volkswagen Golf is a classy hatchback. It drives with a great sense of stability – especially on the motorway – and has a comfortable ride. It also offers all occupants plenty of space in what remains one of the classiest interiors of any mainstream car. It will be quite a bit more expensive to buy because of the badge.

To think of the Seat Leon as a budget alternative to a Volkswagen would be to sell it short. It is equally as practical as the Golf and can often be found with a higher level of specification. The Leon offers a better interior than the Astra, even if it is a little bland. It won’t be quite as comfortable, mind, as Seat’s aim is to be a sporty brand.

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