Vauxhall Astra Hatchback (1998 - 2005) 1.4i 16V LS 5d (1999/T) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

no style, family man lol! Although mine has some nice extras like sunroof and alloys, it looks lsightly better than most but its still very average/boring looking and it doesnt get many admiring looks. It is what its meant to be, practical and usable, and thats its image.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Everyone likes it, othr than a few friends who have bigger/faster/ sportier cars. But generally its a "respectable" car.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Personally no, but thats because I would prefer more power and a bit more style next time round. HOWEVER, I would thouroughly recomend this car as a practial, reliable and affordable run around family car. It does most things reasonably well, but dont expect too much from it.

What are you likely to buy next?

Im looking at a 2 litre mondeo next for better size, style and performance.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£3,000

When did you buy the car?

December 2005

Did you get a good deal and why?

Good deal, was listed for £4200 and managed to gt the price down to £3000 cash. Car was in pristine condition with decent milage.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Cheap, economical and family friendly

What was the dealer like?

Friendly, helpful and not pushy at all, very relaxed and easy going.

What's it like to drive?

Smooth and easy. Quite nippy about town, suprisingly spritly although you do feel the lack of power witha full load or with 4 people in the car. The smaller 1.4 engine really struggles on the long hauls with any kind of weight. It will get you tehre but dont expect the nippy movement you get in an empty car aboutthe town. The fuel economy is about average.

What's it like to park?

Realyl easy to park. I live in a street hosue so i have to do a lot of tight parking, the car isnt a problem to park at all and you can pull of some impressive parking manouvers in it.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Nothing at all. Only work I've had done so far is to have a new set of brake discs fitted and a new set of brake pipes. Both reasonable jobs and jsut general wear and tear. Starts every time (touch wood) and does both town journeys and long hauls without any problems.

What's most practical about your car?

Cheap to insure and relatively cheap to run. Also has a decent amount of space for practical familty use.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Sunroof is nice in summer and the optional extras such as the (vauxghall standard) alloys and CD player are great.