Vauxhall Astra review

So far, we’ve only tried two of the Vauxhall Astra’s six engines: the 120bhp 1.5-litre diesel and 143bhp 1.2-litre petrol.

The latter has all the qualities to be the pick of the range. We like its lively throttle response and its pleasing urgency around town, while there's plenty of grunt at low to mid revs to make sure that overtaking manoeuvres are over relatively quickly. 0-62mph takes 8.8sec and its outright performance isn’t far behind that of the Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Evo 150.

The diesel engine, meanwhile, delivers adequate acceleration, although a comparable alternative such as the 1.6 TDI Skoda Scala feels stronger. There's a noticeable pause, too, between you squeezing your right foot and the Astra surging forward, especially at low revs, and it's quite easy to stall in stop-start traffic. The optional nine-speed automatic gearbox that's available with this engine only compounds this lethargy, although not quite to the point where the Astra feels frustratingly sluggish. 

While you’d never call the Astra uncomfortable, it doesn’t isolate you from road imperfections as effectively as its Golf and Scala rivals. Its suspension is a bit firmer, too, so you notice yourself being jostled around more than you would in those, particularly at low speeds. 

As with any car, ride smoothness isn’t helped by increasing the size of the wheels – something to remember when selecting a trim level and optional extras. Go no bigger than 17in for comfort to remain acceptable.

The Astra, particularly when fitted with the marginally lighter petrol engine, has good front-end bite and follows a twisty road keenly without too much unwanted body movements. However, it does all this in a fairly unengaging manner, so, while this won’t bother you if you just want to get from A to B, keen drivers will be better served by the Ford Focus or Golf. Diesel Astras have a tad less front-end grip, meanwhile, and as a result is out-handled by an equivalent diesel Scala.

It’s the Astra’s steering, though, that really prevents drivers from really feeling involved behind the wheel. It’s rather light, which is good for low speed manoeuvring, but there is a noticeable initial vagueness when you first turn the wheel, and no real sense of connection with the front tyres.

The three-cylinder, 120bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine chunters noticeably when you fire it up, and you'll feel a few vibrations filtering up through the steering wheel and clutch pedal. Once on the move, though, this soon fades into the background and becomes noticeably smoother, if not as quiet as the four-cylinder engines of rivals.

Unsurprisingly, the 143bhp 1.2-litre petrol is more refined, with a pleasingly thrummy exhaust note. Less vibration filters through to the controls than is the case with the diesel, too, although rivals such as the Focus and Golf have even smoother, quieter petrol engines. In other respects, the Astra is reasonable for wind and road noise, but the Focus is quieter on the motorway.

The Astra’s standard six-speed manual gearbox is light and easy to use. Just don’t expect a satisfying, snickety shift like that offered by the Focus or Honda Civic.