Vauxhall Astra Hatchback (2009 - 2015) 1.4i 16V Energy 5d (2013/13) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Since I've had this car and having been driving for a while, it has taught me that I'm a guy who wants a good size car with lots of room in the cabin and with just enough power to take me from A to B as fuel economy is quite important to me.

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

All the people I know tell me that this car is much better for me and they all think it's beautiful. What they don't know is that it came with a 100,000 mile warranty which is really good for peace of mind so no worries for the next years, I like this idea a lot.

Would you buy this car again and why?

I would definitely buy this car again, it's a good size car and I enjoy driving it. So far it hasn't disappointed me. Of course, what is important when buying is knowing exactly what car you want, knowing what you want to do with the car you want to buy and how you want to drive are very important factors, especially if you are on a budget.

What are you likely to buy next?

Right now, I don't intend to buy another car but if I ever do, I would certainly get a similar one.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£14,000

When did you buy the car?

March 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

After checking with many dealers, I chose the cheapest one I could find. The deal was 5 year finance 0% APR, £2,000 deposit, no exchange car to bring on the table and a price of £14,000 instead of £18,050.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

My previous car broke down last month and as there were too many things to fix anyway, I decided that I'd use the money to get a new one.

What was the dealer like?

He was friendly but also very helpful, he took care of everything, even the insurance and filling up 3/4 of the fuel tank.

What's it like to drive?

The first thing I noticed was that the engine sounded like a diesel, I even opened the bonnet to check. Anyway, on the road and in the city, it has all the power/grunt I need even though it has a smaller engine than the previous car and it's more economical, which is good for my bank account. One thing I need to mention is that no one should use its 5th gear when doing 35 mph or less because it's hopeless and I feel the car has a long gearing box i.e I can't go through the gears quickly (unlike my previous car, 5th gear from 28 mph). All in all, I like driving this car in the city, it's practical, economical, spacious and especially very manoeuvrable with enough power/grunt.

What's it like to park?

This car turns very quickly, the change in direction is very good indeed and on top of this it has a very good visibility, more so than what I'm used to. All this makes the car a doddle to park. Compared to my previous car, this one is so easy to park.

Have you had any problems with the car?

So far, the car has been as I drove it the first day, nothing has changed whatsoever and I love its manoeuvrability. It is definitely more economical than the previous car, which is good.

What's most practical about your car?

Although the car has many gadgets, what I like the most is the room available inside the cabin, it's really spacious and being a hatchback, it makes the car really practical if I need to load bulky items.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The car came well equipped but I don't use anything as I'm just not into that sort of thing. I've noticed that I had no spare wheel but a repair kit which if it works would be a really good gadget to have.