New Vauxhall Astra review: has it saved the family hatchback?

Рет қаралды 64,299

Күн бұрын

Our Vauxhall Astra in-depth review: carbyr.uk/3uzuLSb
Watch our latest video: bit.ly/carbuyervideos
Sign up to Carbuyer’s FREE newsletter: carbyr.uk/32TH658
It’s fair to say that the popularity of family hatchbacks has dwindled in recent years; more and more people are turning towards fashionable SUVs, with only one family hatch - the Volkswagen Golf - making it into the UK’s top 10 best-sellers list year-to-date. The new Vauxhall Astra, however, promises to reinvigorate the segment with its striking design, tech-filled interior and range of efficient engines. But is it enough to tempt buyers away from their coveted crossovers? Rich is here to find out.
Volkswagen Golf in-depth review: carbyr.uk/3f8ngZ1
Kia Ceed in-depth review: carbyr.uk/3rB3Tja
Peugeot 308 in-depth review: carbyr.uk/3k9vSm2
SUBSCRIBE to Carbuyer for new videos every week: bit.ly/17k4fct
Follow us:
Twitter: carbyr.uk/2KkYSrv
Facebook: carbyr.uk/3328zBG
Instagram: carbyr.uk/3pOhQXK
TikTok: carbyr.uk/3BbZ9U1
Subscribe to Auto Express magazine: subscribe.autoexpress.co.uk
Carbuyer makes car buying simple. We're the only automotive brand that's approved by the Plain English Campaign, delivering you clear, concise and easy to understand information about the things that really matter when you're choosing - and buying - your next car.
www.carbuyer.co.uk
Every week, Carbuyer's KZfaq channel brings you simple and entertaining reviews on every major make and model that's available for sale in the UK. Plus, you'll find frequently-updated top 10 features and the occasional group test for good measure. If you want even more helpful information, head over to Carbuyer.co.uk where you'll find in-depth reviews of more than 500 cars, alongside the best buying advice and dozens of features helping you to narrow down your car buying shortlist.
00:00 - Introduction
00:42 - Design
01:32 - Interior & technology
02:43 - Trim levels & specifications
03:31 - Engines & powertrains
04:27 - Driving impressions
05:23 - Running costs
06:03 - Practicality & boot space
07:25 - Dealmakers & dealbreakers
08:10 - Verdict

Пікірлер: 124

@Jay-B1750 Жыл бұрын

I've never been keen on the Astra but this looks superb and seems very a very well rounded package! The only niggle I'd say was screens could do a cap over the top of it to help with glare/reflection, really hope Stellantis bring the Giulietta back.

@davidcameron8163 Жыл бұрын

It has a Camero front end, so much better than a lot of others. Well done vauxhall.

@peterrolt6403 Жыл бұрын

I am glad this is a good car, very economical to run without resorting to batteries. It may not have the torque of an EV but in real world situations that is not as important as reviewers make out.

@jamesmccormack3229 Жыл бұрын

I have seen a few of these now in the metal and they are really nice, a couple have been in black and it looks really stealth like, its a handsome looking car.

@anthonystevens8683 Жыл бұрын

I must admit I do like the look of the car even if those performance looks might not translate to the performance on the road. Looking at the target market it's a family car that thrashing around is less likely to be the stable drive. With that well thought out interior and sensible equipment I think it's definitely worth considering. It may not be the best at anything but it's a pretty good all round package as an SUV alternative. Test driving the alternatives is always recommended for any new car purchase, apologies, I know that 's probably obvious.

@l.n3187 Жыл бұрын

I agree wholeheartedly with his comment about a "sense of quality", these cars are not luxury cars however the design choices are in my opinion perfect, there is nothing even in my 2007 Astra H that makes me think it was poorly thought out, everything is designed for purpose.

@ingraam7 Жыл бұрын

Doggie at 0:28!

@dontpanicblink Жыл бұрын

not going to mention you can get a manual gearbox too ?

@jordansands2094 Жыл бұрын

I have one of these on order, I went for the ultimate which comes with a better sound system, sunroof, wireless charging and other extras that the gs line doesn’t come with, if it’s gonna be a long term car 110% get the ultimate over the gs line 👍🏻

@leonpomell9719 11 ай бұрын

I have placed an order also. Did you get yours ?

@michealclarke1077 9 ай бұрын

@jamiep61 Жыл бұрын

I enjoyed watching the Video Review. GS Line Is expected to be the best seller In the UK 😊

@frankheaton5338 6 ай бұрын

i have had mine for 2 weeks.i love it mine has the pro display.its a full glass with no breaks in it.full glass and metal back.

@garymason7 Жыл бұрын

I went and sat in one several months ago and what I didn't like was the vast amounts of that piano black surround on the screens. It looked a bit naff and will look dated quite soon. I think the exterior styling will look dated soon too.

@francescobarillaro6277 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful!!! 🤩

@MrRicardo11 Жыл бұрын

I hired one recently for a week a 1.2 Turbo GS Line. Extremely impressive car and quick. Build quality is brilliant and it's extremely comfortable to drive. If you keep the cruise control on larger motorway journeys just below 70 mph about 67 mph then we found the fuel consumption around 58 mpg which I think is brilliant. I am not sure what the reviewer is talking about as far as the performance is concerned because it can go like a scolded cat if you push it. All in all we were very impressed with the car and we are seriously considering ordering a new one.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

It just feels a bit dimwitted at times. If you're used to electric or hybrid cars, the Astra misses that initial boost when you put your foot down.

@MrRicardo11 Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer Not if you drive it in sports mode and your foot to the floor

@bensmithkent22 Жыл бұрын

@@MrRicardo11 imagine booting around a 130bhp 3 cyl in a car that size. What a miserable experience. The generation before (k) had a 1.4 turbo that genuinely was borderline nippy and a sleeper 1.6 turbo that was nippy. However this looks far nicer inside and out.

@MrRicardo11 Жыл бұрын

@Lifesloser I do actually enjoy driving about in it. , and it's really very lively. In fact, it feels like I'm driving a 2.0 . That 1.4 T that you mentioned is one of the most unreliable engines Vauxhall ever produced. A lot of them need major work before they get to 50k, and they eat gearboxes .

@back2workofficial Жыл бұрын

Damn what a good looking car !!!!!!

@chriswright4252 Жыл бұрын

I quite like it - hope they do a GSi or VXR model!

@LHawkesDrums Жыл бұрын

a GSe model will be coming soon, but I completely agree with the VXR

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

Plug-in hybrid GSe model coming soon!

@malct6545 Жыл бұрын

Hatchbacks are great for a small family, no need for a giant SUV unless you have lots to carry around

@imikez3815 Жыл бұрын

Some people are very tall

@ragasdapper Жыл бұрын

I needed a good family car thought about an Astra for 2 seconds then brought a Zafira GSI

@mikeowen1192 Жыл бұрын

Really didn't know that zafira was still being produced vauxhall seem to be on the up great news

@ragasdapper Жыл бұрын

@@mikeowen1192 Older vauxhalls are better

@AR-zr1om Жыл бұрын

When this goes EV next year I really hope they do a VXR version. That design would look amazing chavved up

@jamiep61 Жыл бұрын

Recently Vauxhall revealed a New GSe Model 😊

@robsmall6466 Жыл бұрын

@@jamiep61 Autocar have quoted nearly £40k for that model and only 222bhp. If that's true it's dead in the water. I'd like to see a proper VXR or the GSe at a sensible price

@jamiep61 Жыл бұрын

I hope Vauxhall listens and launches a new VXR Model

@robsmall6466 Жыл бұрын

@@jamiep61 Yes. Miss that part of Vauxhall very much. Always went aggressive with the styling. If they do that again I think they will be onto a winner but they have to make it affordable performance. Silly prices are not going to work. I think this new Astra in certain specs is competitively priced. Haven't seen one yet but wish it succes. Vauxhall are doing well on styling with this and the Mokka

@robsawalker Жыл бұрын

That sea of shiny black plastic around the screen is a massive no-no for me. Rank. Shame, because it looks great from the outside.

@andrewlongden-thurgood7139 Жыл бұрын

I believe if you upgrade the nav or system you get a full screen and lose the plastic round the screen

@mattltvtoyreviews1955 Жыл бұрын

@@andrewlongden-thurgood7139 qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq1

@aamirh3567 Жыл бұрын

mercedes used to have this in all its previous generations if you picked the lower specced models of anything but S-class

@simonmayes386 Жыл бұрын

Had this on order for over 7 months and still waiting for it's come in from the factory. Longest car I ever waiting for and cost me just under 40k gs line is not as nice as the unlimited one that's one comes with bigger wheels gs line has the smaller wheels and don't have a sun roof like the unlimited version. I prob still drive my audi tt.

@L77yma Жыл бұрын

Where’s the cape?

@mikeowen1192 Жыл бұрын

I think this astra will wipe the floor on sales of focus ect as the Corsa has with fiesta very good looking car

@nickbromhall Жыл бұрын

Only reason for Vauxhall beating Ford on comparable models is microchip supply issues. ford stopped taking orders on Fiesta and Focus to prioritise more profitable SUV models. Not rocket science. Vauxhalls are basically Peugeots in a different outfit.

@d947 Жыл бұрын

I ordered the Astra Sports Tourer

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

Nice!

@Zoranurai13 Жыл бұрын

Looks great from the outside but god does the dash look like a cheap tv from 2005

@talkandplay Жыл бұрын

Spec has been updated recently on GS line and Ultimate to now have Pure Panel Pro displays instead of the inferior Pure Panel displays featured in this review.

@KING0SISQO Жыл бұрын

I like it but how is a 1.2 130hp car £31k??? Only a few years ago 1.6 270hp was just under £30k and that WAS the top spec.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

Like everything else (bread, milk, bus tickets etc) cars are getting more expensive!

@KING0SISQO Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer yep. It seems everything is becoming a luxury these days.

@Mav86asian Жыл бұрын

I’d still have a Golf GTI over this.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

We'll cast judgement when we've driven the Astra GSe...!

@graemetaylor629 Жыл бұрын

Great looking Astra but makes men laugh when the have to deliberately try to bang there head putting in the baby seat 😂

@ApurtureSci Жыл бұрын

Nice enough exterior but all that piano black plastic inside is ghastly.

@rchatte100 Жыл бұрын

When i was looking, 308 had lower lease rates.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

Always worth checking the deals - some can make a good car, great!

@jasonbernard1277 Жыл бұрын

‘It isn’t an SUV’ - amazing insight

@EngineerLewis Жыл бұрын

Mr Reviewer, you have moved to the electric car world and so your comments are biased - most of us poor folk are still driving older petrol and diesel cars so comparing the new Astra with an electric car does not apply to us. Please consider the rest of the world who don't have the cash to buy new cars! Thanks🐫👍

@teatimetel174 Жыл бұрын

wierdly enough he never mentions the mpg on the diesel.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

But this Astra is a brand-new car...!

@eddy7985 10 ай бұрын

Shame they dropped the 1.6L from the range

@kieran8791 Жыл бұрын

Ordered mine in June. Still waiting :(

@Retrox1989 Жыл бұрын

I cancelled mine. Ordered it June too, got a phone call last week to say "Too speed up production the roof will now be the same colour as the rest of the car, instead of black." I asked if i agree will i get it soon. They replied with "No, we still have no idea when it will be built". So i just told them to cancel my order.

@kieran8791 Жыл бұрын

@@Retrox1989 damn that’s bad. I got mine a few weeks ago finally. But I was lucky to it was the only one that come into the dealership I think

@saraadam3941 Жыл бұрын

@@kieran8791 does yours have pure panel pro? Or just the pure panel?

@kieran8791 Жыл бұрын

@@saraadam3941 i got the design model so think its just pure panel. the basic 10 inch screen one

@stevencampbell1150 Жыл бұрын

Of course the 1.2 is going to be slower, it's a small engine powering a larger car! You can't defy the laws of physics! For distance the diesel will be hard to beat as a plug in hybrid is really only any good for short trips where you're using electricity for the short trips & petrol if u need to go further.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

With 128bhp, we expected more. Unfortunately, the lack of mild-hybrid assistance means it can feel a bit sluggish at times...

@stevencampbell1150 Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer it's because it's a small engine pushing a medium sized car which if it was a Corsa because it's smaller and lighter would be much better but it's too weedy an engine for the size of car. Like I said you can't defy the laws of physics. Too many people buy a larger car with a smaller engine thinking it's going to be easier on fuel when because it has to work harder pushing a bigger car it'll be the exact opposite. Case in point, my mum had a 1.4 turbo vauxhall meriva which was allegedly supposed to be the same as a 1.6 but but because when u put the foot down as it was a smaller engine with a turbo not only had you to wait until the turbo spooled up but also by that point because it was a smaller engine pushing a bigger carit then drank the petrol like nothing else.

@Ambienfinity 6 ай бұрын

Much prefer hatchbacks to SUVs -- more aerodynamic and handle better.

@AppleUK2000 Жыл бұрын

Prefer the Peugeot 308

@arnoldtabor3767 Жыл бұрын

Why does no one look at the bloody glove box

@TrickyWoo109 Жыл бұрын

Where's Nicola gone? 😭

@witnesspropro Жыл бұрын

People buying a petrol Astra won't have driven "electrified cars". Only car reviewers drive loads of different cars. Most normal people only get to drive one, maybe two cars. This is why most of your reviews are not really of any use to most people.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

But that's why we're here. If only to compare with models that the general public may not have driven? If a better option exists, it's our job to point it out...

@witnesspropro Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer But you don't live with the car on a day-to-day basis. Things that you think might be an issue because you've driven the car for a few minutes, won't be an issue for people that own the car.

@12Bashandy 6 ай бұрын

Opel

@rasherbasher8203 Жыл бұрын

This guy never tells us the power or 0-60... only said about the diesel🙄

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

Our reviews are intended to give you a look at all the different features, as well as opinions on practicality, kit, driving etc. Anything we've missed can be found in our written reviews at carbuyer.co.uk

@interceptor-ss8kb Жыл бұрын

Biggest problem with the Astra is as soon as someone says Vauxhall Astra you instantly think boring hatchback, its never been the best at anything and the last few generations from mk3 onwards have just been soulless. Best thing Vauxhall/opel could have done is killed off the Astra nameplate and started fresh

@stuartwatson6345 Жыл бұрын

Pure tech with wet belt , look at cost of replacement and problems before buying , it just a Peugeot.

@jamiurrahmanchoudhury9430 Жыл бұрын

They could make the engine a bit powerful. 130 bhp is bit low.

@bensmithkent22 Жыл бұрын

Considering the 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines from the shape before its stingy. That psa 1.2 turbo with 130bhp was in the previous gen 308 also so is nothing new. What happened to the 1.2 145 petrol in the astra k. Guess its all aimed at economy.

@craigrose2097 Жыл бұрын

This video was filmed I aldershot

@XzzVttll Жыл бұрын

Astra never had a big rear seat room.

@stephendodge4086 Жыл бұрын

The Astra K has a large rear seat room

@colin_a Жыл бұрын

Why does every reviewer think we all want EV's..?. We have no infrastructure to support plugin's.., and the cost is daft.., so i, for one, welcome a review of a petrol engine.. More petrol cars please...👍

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

We know full well there are plenty of people not yet ready for EVs. Our last 10 reviews have been petrol, diesel or hybrid...!

@freddavis5648 Жыл бұрын

It's an ice car no one will buy one new Vauxhall will go broke flogging these dinosaurs

@adammoonface Жыл бұрын

🥱🥱🥱🥱😴😴

@grahamherbert3612 Жыл бұрын

I'll stick with my K 2019 1.6T Plenty quick enough.

@howardhindson1470 Жыл бұрын

Pure French crap I've had vauxhall since I passed my test in 1988 I've got 1 of the last 1's vauxhall built no more for me

@WilliamMcBride Жыл бұрын

First

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

By a full seven minutes! Well done, William.

@WilliamMcBride Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer Thx!

@Apex180 Жыл бұрын

Doesn't look like a astra...... which isn't a bad thing :D - the dash on the other hand....what the actual frell, to me that doesn't float my boat; the rest of it seems decent enough.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

On the contrary - the dash is a highlight! The buttons are easy to use and the screen is pretty responsive. No complaints from our side.

@jamiep61 Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer I agree about the dashboard design

@stuartcraigon2003 Жыл бұрын

It looks like a rehashed mk5 astra just with different bumpers and grill.

@shroomyesc Жыл бұрын

Maybe looks, but not in the slightest

@Sto79Be Жыл бұрын

And that’s a good thing! 👍🏻

@teatimetel174 Жыл бұрын

got to be black.

@ianputt2045 9 ай бұрын

Not exactly the next level 😂

@blunpabb2766 Жыл бұрын

Sorry but the interior looks absolutely naff! 🤮

@thomash2806 Жыл бұрын

“Vauxhall thinks…”. I don’t think Vauxhall thinks very much at all. It has never been more of a simple badge change… I’m sure there’s nothing significant that’s Vauxhall-specific about the Astra.

@uk..bruiser..4046 Жыл бұрын

Just go and buy the Golf, there is not even a chance of comparison between them.

@carbuyer Жыл бұрын

We'd quite possibly choose the Astra over the Golf right now...

@uk..bruiser..4046 Жыл бұрын

@@carbuyer the lack of buttons really brought the Golf down. Rumour has it VW is working on bringing back physical buttons, among other things. I ll take your advice tho!

@talkandplay Жыл бұрын

You would be mad to buy a golf over this especially with all the known issues VW are having recently.

@uk..bruiser..4046 Жыл бұрын

@@talkandplay one would not be mad if they buy a golf lol. Golf is better than any Vauxhall, even the golf 8. By miles. That is why they are still expensive that is why so many people buy them. And I had many cars also, a VW Golf is one of the best cars ever ( granted I have the 7.5). And what issues are you talking about mate? Literally I had to jump start my coworker's 2019 Astra so many times, especially in cold weather. He took it back to the dealer and still could not fix it. And it is just one example, but from interiour to exterior, performance, reliability and bagde, there is no comparison. Maybe this new one might get close, but I have a feeling VW is going to do a face-lift fairly soon to address some of the issues with the buttons.

@uk..bruiser..4046 Жыл бұрын

@@talkandplay No offence please mate, the reason I am advocating for Golf is because : I owned a Lancia Ypsilon, new Mercedes B Class when it came out, new 2006 Mercedes E Class, new 2008 Mercedes ML, two Fiats, a Polo, a VW Bora owned by my dad, two Ford Focuses (2015), a Mitsubishi ASX, an Audi A5 and a Golf 7.5 (2018). While true I have not owned a Vauxhall, I still have mates, family members that own them and so I've been around them. They drive alright but personally I would never buy them over a Golf. In fact, after all the cars I owned, I think the Golf 7.5 with a petrol engine is the best car ever made in my opinion. Extremely reliable if you service it, supremely comfortable, nice to drive, good looking, good quality inside, small but still big enough. They are amazing value for money. But I agree the new ones have some issues and that the new Astra looks great so I can see many people choosing an alternative