Our cars: Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer - May

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer 2.0 CDTi SRi automatic

In the rush to buy the latest funky crossover this or chunky 4x4 that, it’s easy to overlook the humble estate car. Not me. With a big boot, low loading lip and none of the roly-poly handling that often comes with a high-rise car, an estate is my ideal vehicle as a What Car? photographer.

The Astra Sports Tourer is one of the most practical small family estates, it looks great inside and out, and it’s good to drive – sounds like a winner to me.

Choosing the model was easy, which was a mixed blessing. An old knee injury means I need an automatic car, and because its annual mileage will rival that of an Eddie Stobart special, it has to be diesel. The only diesel engine that’s available with an automatic gearbox is the 2.0-litre, and that comes in expensive SRi or SE trims. SE models are the most supple, but I think the SRi’s lower and stiffer suspension strikes a better balance between motorway comfort and country road control, so that’s the one I went for.

Options
Selecting which optional extras to add was also easy because SRi models are well equipped as standard. The only options I added were sat-nav, USB connection and an upgraded stereo at £855 and Bluetooth for £220.

I collected the car from Phoenix Vauxhall, Wimbledon (020 8605 9393), where sales consultant Gwyn Hughes carried out the hand-over and showed me how the load cover retracts and rises when you tap it. A neat trick.

The Astra and I quickly got down to driving to photoshoots all over the country. So far, so very good: the gearbox’s super-long gearing keeps the engine revs and noise low on the motorway; the ride is supple; the seats are comfortable; and there’s lots of storage space dotted around the cabin.

The best bit, though, is the boot. It’s huge, deep and has vertical sides, so it’s prefect for swallowing all my bulky camera gear, as well as awkwardly shaped
large items.

Not even the badly restricted front visibility – blame the angle and thickness of the windscreen pillars – and grumbly engine around town can dent my enthusiasm for the Astra Sports Tourer. When you’ve got a lot of stuff to move, an estate still rules.

Neil.Williams@whatcar.com