Vauxhall Astra GTC Coupe (2011 - 2018) 1.4T 16V (140bhp) SRi 3d Owner Review

To say I have only owned this car for 8 months, I absolutely adore it. The engine feels smooth, you get response when you put your foot down, even if it does take a second for the turbo to spool up. Everyone on my road always comments on how nice it looks (in the power red colour) and the added black 19" alloys and rear boot spoiler just completes the look of this car. It is easily most happy on a twisting road where you can have endless amounts of fun with it. I currently run it on continental SportContact 5 tyres all round, and never even have to think about whether I might lost traction; it just sticks to the road, and keeps on pulling. Motorway driving is simple, just stick it into 6th gear, stick cruise control on, and watch you mpg rise throughout the journey. The thing I love is that it doesn't look like it has much performance to give, but can easily outrun 'boy racers' in their fiesta Ecoboots and 118d's. The best part is when you see their jaws drop when they realise they've just been overtaken by a vauxhall. If you go for the 1.4 turbo, I would recommend a remap as, although I was very skeptical at first, it gives you a great little power boost and makes the car push you back in your seat when you put your foot down. Few little niggles I have are the fuel economy, as even on my most economical trips, I can't get the mpg anywhere near the claimed figures, the response of the engine does tend to fade off once you reach higher speeds, but I only ever noticed this on private roads where I wanted to see just what the car could do and so would accelerate it above 90mph, and despite this, it does keep pulling all the way to the top speed. Boot space and rear passenger space is brilliant for this car although parking sensors are an absolute must as rear visibility can be quite poor at times. If I could go back to when I brought this car, I would probably go for the 1.6 turbo with 180bhp as in my opinion it is the most responsive petrol engine and if you aren't willing to remap your 1.4, it is the more sensible alternative. Obviously if it's performance you're after, go for the diesel bi-turbo or the VXR; that doesn't even need an explanation. I had to stick with the 1.4 on account of being 19 and insurers looking at me like I'd just asked them to insure me to pilot the space shuttle.