Vauxhall Astra TwinTop (2006 - 2010) 2.0T 16V Design 2d (2007/57) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Once, when parked outside a pub, waiting for friends, overheard some drunk guys walk past. one of them said "he's a drug dealer" one of my friends calls it the "poser car" and others say it's only for picking up girls.

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

Everyone likes it, especially the folding roof.

Would you buy this car again and why?

If it didn't have all the problems i listed, yes. but given it does have problems, i'd only buy it if it was a little cheaper. for £3K, i'd easily buy it.

What are you likely to buy next?

Next i am aiming for a lotus elise... but after seeing the roof on this car, i am not sure if i want to go back to a car in which i'd have to use my hands to fold a roof down :(.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£7,000

When did you buy the car?

May 2012

Did you get a good deal and why?

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Being a young guy living in east london, insurance on nice cars is not an easy or cheap affair. this car was 'cheap' enough to fit within my budget with insurance taken into consideration and was a convertable.

What was the dealer like?

What's it like to drive?

Quite nice to drive. the speeds at which different gears can be used overlap quite a bit... i can almost move off from third gear at times... great when you come up to a roundabout, have to break suddenly because some idiot pulls out in front of you then have to move off again quickly because of someone behind you. on motorways it can produce some strange sounds but i used to drive an mg tf before and this is way more quiet to drive. haven't tried sports mode yet - too scared to as in normal mode it drinks fuel like thirsty man in the sahara.

What's it like to park?

Due to it being a hard top convertable and having excellent boot space, the rear is raised and the blindspots in the back are quite wide... imagine driving a van that does not have rear windows. i use my wing mirrors a hell of a lot more in this car. with wing mirrors alone, the blind spot on the left is just way too dangerous. i've got my rear view mirror positioned such that on the right i can just about see the right edge of the rear window but on the left i see beyond what i see in the rear window but can also see through the rear passenger side window... helps a great deal. parking is difficult to begin with, but that said, i am terrible at parking yet i manage with this car. other reviews mention how it is very difficult in this car, but take it from an awful driver... it's easy.

Have you had any problems with the car?

- electronic roof left 'wing' often gets stuck. have googled, seems common problem problem. - can be worrying - if operating roof remote, battery on remote wears down fast. - Cruise control does not work - car has the contactless start & go system. so no key. there is supposed to be emergency access key (opens doors, doesn't start engine) hidden within fob, but mine was missing it...guy that sold me car says he didn't even know it existed. - roof leaks on the left side if car parked downhill. due to design of roof, when facing uphill, rainwater drawn away from interior, when parked downhill, water leaks in easily.

What's most practical about your car?

Boot space. even with the roof folded into the boot, there is plenty of space for luggage \ shopping backseats are a little cramped, but i've had 3 adult passengers in the car without complaints.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Contactless entry and engine start... never have to take the fob out of my pockets... walk up to the car, open the doors, press a button to start the engine, off i go. the roof can be opened with the remote from outside... stand next to the car, have the roof open... it lifts, starts folding, boot opens backwards and another part comes out. roof folds in, the other part then folds over it to hide it completely and boot covers it all, creating a nice seal. everyone who sees it in action says it looks like a transformer. have to agree. look it up on oyutube "astra twintop roof". you'll love it.