Vauxhall Astra Hatchback (2004 - 2010) 1.6 SXi 5d Owner Review

My previous Astra was a Twintop Diesel convertible and whilst I loved that car (owned it for nearly 13 years) the issues I had with it and regular things going wrong including the starter motor, the alternator, the turbo and then leaks in the boot etc. I decided to just drive it until it died and spend no more money on it, so in the end the turbo failed and broke the engine and as such, I sold it for spares.

A friend told me that his friend was selling an Astra petrol (by which point I decided against any more diesels due to me doing short trips) and would I be interested. I said yes and the bodywork isn't briliiant by any stretch of the imagination but the reliability of it is fantastic.

It had a new clutch 3 months prior, the timing belt was changed 10K before I bought it and whenever I get in it, I turn the key and it starts immeditately without any issues at all and the engine was so quiet when he turned up, I didn't know he'd kept the engine running.

Okay, it's not as economical as a diesel Astra, but stress free motoring (if it gets knocked by a trolley or something I don't mind as the bodywork is rough anyway) more than makes up for the slight increase in fuel costs.

A few days before I bought it, the fuel costs were 20p a litre more for diesel than petrol. When I bought it and went to put fuel in it, the difference was 5p a litre. Now it's between 2p and 3p so yes it costs more to run it but when I'm behind the wheel and have confidence in it that it is starting perfectly, it's more than worth the extra pound or so to get from one place to the other.

Cheap, cheerful cars that are cheap to repair and parts are easily available.