Vauxhall Astra Hatchback (2004 - 2010) 1.9 CDTi Elite (120ps) 5d Owner Review

I previously drove a Ford Focus 2005 1.6 Ghia. The 1.9 CDTI engine in my Vauxhall Astra (2007) is great, pulls in every gear, with good fuel economy and it's exactly the same to tax as my Ford Focus 1.6 petrol and yet with a lot more oomph! Does sound noisy when you starting cold but isn't intrusive. The ride is firmer in the Astra and whenever you hit a pothole or imperfection in the road, you do find yourself wincing whereas the Focus was a more pleasant ride. However, at higher, motorway speeds, the imperfections are smoothed out so I would say for long commutes the Astra is good, but if you do a lot of city driving, go for the Focus. The Astra is quite practical but not as much as the Focus, which had a bigger boot opening and you could fold the seats flat by lifting their bases, in the Astra you can't and it's very annoying when the seatbelt buckles rub against the leather when the seats are folded! Both cars feel solid when you close the door and were very comfortable on long motorway drives, with supportive seats. Astra has some features that make it feel a bit more premium such as gas struts on the bonnet, the rear numberplate illuminates when you unlock the car to help find the car and other little features. I'd recommend both cars and I love then engine in my diesel Astra, hated the sluggish 1.6 of the Focus, which wasn't economical either!