just ordered today our 1st ever new family car ready for the new reg,
went for the 2016 astra sports tourer 1.6t 200ps petrol in sri flame red form
got to wait until april but hope it will be worth waiting for, has anyone on here driven the 2015 model, thoughts please

 

What I meant to say was why buy then ask for opinions, I would have done it the other way round.

 

We use them as fleet at the moment, albeit with some modifications for our work. Ours are all diesel so i can only comment on that. It's a nice car, the turbo is slow and aluggish to react in gears unless you keep it humming. The gearbox however is amazingly smooth and the ratios seem to be well balanced.

Interior is disappointing, for a fairly big car it is cramped in the cockpit. You cery mucb sit right next to the front seat passenger and the rear seats are stupidly small for adults, so much so i refuse to go out in them if i'm not in the front. Plastics inside are good quality and have a nice feel. I'm a regular chap and i find the bolsters seem to force my legs closed almost. At F6'01 tall i find my seat is basically touching the rear seats

Overall i think they are 7/10. Fuel economy for the diesel is reasonable but largely irrelevant for our fleet, which is abused 24 hours a day.

I wouldnt mind one but they can be a little small feeling inside. In terms of being a comfortable family car my GB270 wins outright for space and comfort which is a little odd,but that is just my opinion!

 

We use Astra diesels as panda cars so they are put through their paces with us.

Similar in size to the Focus, but feel a lot smaller inside. The seat belts wear really quickly too for some reason. Mechanically wise, i think injectors and gear boxes tends to be the most frequent reason for them being off the road. Oxygen sensors tend to blow frequently too. Brakes don't feel as positive as the focus and the car doesn't handle as well in corners

 

Felix i believe you may be in the same line of work....

 

Cool - nice to know there's still a few of us left....

I think we are moving to Peugeots this year. The Astras are not a bad car to be honest, but if the old Focus is available, it tends to go out first.

 

Peugeots hey...what has the world come to. I still love the trusty Ford Transit van

 

You bought a Vauxhall brand new.....ouch in depreciation

 

not bothered about the money side of things intend keeping it for 10 years so the cost per year is not to bad

 

We loved the Transits too - fast & reliable. We have gone to Vivaros now, not fast and not reliable!!! We had a Merc as a carrier for a while, but it fell to pieces rather quickly, so thankfully no more were bought.

 

My missus had an astra Sri through work for a short time recently was a nice drive and decent on the comfort side I couldn't fault it tbh apart from the badge

 

Why don't you get a fiat panda as a panda?

I like the look of the astra

 

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/review...sports-tourer/

 

Well it's good looking

 

I don't think they will be upto the challenge

 

Not really a challenge nowadays ;-)

 

Not sure though. All places are run on the minimum number of cars they can get away with, so all the cars are in use, all the time. And with about 50-100 emergency calls alone in a day, that's some hammer.

That's why the Astra's couldn't cope and went bang quite often. The drive was not as good as the Focus - it was not just coincidence that the Focus would always be the first choice from the board.

 

I ran a red Astra Sri (red one with Burberry seats !!!) back in the early 90s for 4 years from 90k to 140k miles and it was ace. Ate wheel bearings, but it was relatively quick and felt planted, although they were slated at the time for handling.
I loved it but then watched as ford completely took over and nowadays the focus is far superior in nearly all aspects.

 

well having done 120000 in a 18tdi focus for work you couldn't give me one the astra 1.7tdi is not much better but pulls a lot harder from 50,done about 800000 in one so far, i thought the new 1.6petrol turbo 200ps version should be a lot more punchy, it ticks all the box's for us as a family car size wise etc. as for money loss not bothered after 10 years it will of cost us next to nothing each year with a 10000mile warranty

 

Hope you mean a 100,000 mile warranty, otherwise things could get costly for you with a 10,000 mile one

 

well spotted not enough 0s lol
and before anyone ask's the scoob is staying as a weekend play toy, with the added bonus of no longer being a daily driver it gives me the time to work on her if needed

 

Not a fan on anything under 2.00. Above is even better but I find 1.6 too frustratingly sluggish, even for a family car. I was given a 1.6 Touran as a courtesy car when mine was getting new fuel injectors fitted on the re-call. Despite the blue motion tech and other gysmotics, I found it hard to feel any 'go' in the bleddy thing.

Your Astra may be better at 1.6, though. Congrats and Good luck.

 

cheers it is the petrol one not oil burner, as we don't do high miles i didn't see the point in going down the sluggish oil route

 

I know. You did say about yours being a petrol one, in your initiating post. I've driven petrol ones under 2.0 as well. I still prefer 2.0 and above in petrol, too. Obviously, fuel economy won't be as good as 1.6. And if you only do average mileage, I am with you on your choice of the vehicle.

 

Surely a 2.0 vag dsg is all you need go wise for a diesel and will be worth something I'm a few years unlike a vauxhall

 

Well the boss of Ford foresees diesel will remain only for trucks and other high millage usage

 

Yes, I personally wouldn't buy a Vauxhall. VAG is my choice. Not because it may hold some worth in cash upon re-selling it but for the every penny worth I'd get out of it as long as I have it. Reliability and tank feel ( ) is just amazing.

 

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/hond...r-2015/1342848


2/3 down the table , could be worse

unless you're counting emissions ....

 

Look, you or anyone can buy what you like, you don't have to like or buy a VAG. My personal experience with VAGs (both Audis and VWs) has been great. Emissions issue isn't a mechanical fault but a deliberate cheating issue. Not that it can be overlooked yet it doesn't mean that the car fitted with an emission cheating device is going to break down ten times a year on the road, does it. I did face a major a mechanical issue (that fuel injectors failing one) which they did do a mass recall for. Ok, they stupidly excluded my car at first instance, as 1 in 4 was affected, I think. However, they did change all four injectors for me free of charge when it did happen. Ok, the electronic button hand brake is acting temperamental and not exactly cheap to get fixed, but hey.

 

skoda is 8th which is a vag car that runs vw/audi engines gearboxes and interior fittings.

emissions cheating is very naughty but as you say doesnt effect reliability, not sure if it will effect prices as of yet but id bet any money it wont be worthless like an old vauxhall will be in 5 years.