Vauxhall Astra review

Despite the stylish exterior, Vauxhall hasn’t compromised on interior space. Both driver and passenger will find they have plenty of head room, even if they are in excess of six feet tall. Leg room is also unlikely to be a problem and you won’t be clashing elbows either, thanks to the wide interior.

The front door pockets are big enough for a couple of 500ml bottles of water and there’s more storage between the seats, along with a decent-sized glovebox.

Looking at the Astra's tapering roofline, you might expect rear space to be on the tight side. Surprisingly, rear head room is generous enough for tall adults to sit comfortably. Leg room is on a par with the larger Skoda Octavia, which is the biggest compliment you could give a car in this class; for years, the Octavia has been the best for rear space.

A wide interior means shoulder room is good, too, although three adults abreast will still be a bit of a squeeze. Even so, you certainly won’t feel claustrophobic, thanks to big rear windows that let in plenty of light. Getting in is easy, too; the doors are bigger than the previous model’s and they open wide.

There are also reasonably sized door pockets and you can get heated rear seats and USB ports back there.

Those expecting anything clever from the Astra’s seats will be disappointed; they fold 60/40 but they don’t slide or recline. It’s easy enough to get them folded, but they don’t lie totally flat and there’s a lip to contend with if you don’t have a spare wheel.

As standard, most models get an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat (that includes height adjustment) and a six-way adjustable passenger seat (which doesn't). Disappointingly, only high-spec models get adjustable lumbar support, unless you pay extra for ergonomic sports seats. With this box ticked, the driver gets a 16-way adjustable seat, although the front seat passenger has to make do with six-way adjustment.

At 370 litres, the Astra manages to match its predecessor for boot space despite it being a smaller car overall. While it’s a good size, it’s beaten by some rivals and comprehensively trumped by the Octavia;s boot. At least the boot is a usefully square shape on all models and the floor is ribbed to help prevent objects from rolling around too much.

As we have already mentioned, cars without a spare wheel suffer from a step up to the rear seats when they’re folded. Opt for a space saver wheel and the boot floor is raised enough to do away with the step. It’s just a shame that an adjustable boot floor isn’t offered. We also found the rear load lip to be higher than those of some rivals.