Vauxhall Astra Hatchback (2015 - 2021) 1.4T 16V Elite Nav 5d Owner Review

I have enjoyed owning this car more than I expected, for a 1.4 litre turbo there is plenty of power when needed on the motorway and it is quite fun to drive down the lanes. Steering is light and it is easy to manoeuvre in car parks although with it being the Elite Nav spec I would have expected parking sensors on the rear at least. The infotainment system is ok although I would use phone mirroring rather than the inbuilt satnav which is a little dated looking now. When using your phone you have to wire into the car for android auto/apple car play and there isn't a good place to store your phone whilst doing this which is a little frustrating. I have noticed the screen tending to flicker a little bit recently and sometimes it gets a bit confused about whether it is in night/day mode which means that it can make the screen very dull in daylight. The gearbox is generally smooth and the engine is very quiet, brakes are solid but sometimes feel a little bit grabby. There is a little turbo lag when accelerating hard but normally this is not an issue. The cruise control system is one of the better systems I have used although it doesn't have adaptive cruise control - it is very relaxing whilst driving to be able to set the speed and as long as you are careful you can go most of the journey without touching the brakes by adjusting the cruise control as you see things unfold in front of you. Pro's: - MPG whilst cruising is pretty decent, I will regularly see 50mpg+ - Comfortable in the front and when carrying 2 passengers in the rear. - Enough power to get away from junctions or overtake on the motorway as required - Some road noise but nothing excessive - Fun to drive - Plenty of equipment Cons: - Lack of parking sensors is disappointing in what should be a high spec car especially considering the other equipment is does come with - Not the most exciting to look at - Quite a lot of hard plastics on the glove compartment, doors bins, etc. which can scratch easily Summary Comfortable car, easy to drive but it is not going to set the world on fire.