Item: Used Vauxhall Astra 2009 - 2015
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a> drives much better than the rest of its classmates, but it doesn’t have the best interior, both in terms of quality or infotainment.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n17371">Volkswagen Golf</a> is a classy hatchback. It drives with a great sense of stability – especially on the motorway – and has a comfortable ride. It also offers all occupants plenty of space in what remains one of the classiest interiors of any mainstream car. It will be quite a bit more expensive to buy because of the badge.

To think of the <a href="http://">Seat Leon</a> as a budget alternative to a Volkswagen would be to sell it short. It is equally as practical as the Golf and can often be found with a higher level of specification. The Leon offers a better interior than the Astra, even if it is a little bland. It won’t be quite as comfortable, mind, as Seat’s aim is to be a sporty brand.

<a href="http://www.whatcar.com/classifieds/used-cars/vauxhall/astra">Find a used Vauxhall Astra in the What Car? Classifieds here</a>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Owners are generally happy with their Astras, according to our most recent survey. However, some complained of rattles in the interior. This could be as simple as the alloy wheel locking nut if it has been placed in the glovebox, or it could be something harder to diagnose such as a broken clip or loose trim.

Others mentioned the aerodynamic skirt under the front bumper. This is there to decrease fuel consumption, but it can be caught on kerbs, especially if you prefer to drive nose first into a bay when parking.

If your Astra has a diesel engine, then it is fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). This means that the car will need to be taken on frequent motorway journeys to ensure that the DPF can regenerate, as this process is only triggered at high speed. Check how the previous owner has used the car if you are unsure.

Other potential problems with the DPF-equipped cars come if it has been shut off partway through a regeneration. The result is contamination of the oil system with fuel, which leads to the oil level rising gradually over time. This can cause damage to the engine, if it hasn’t already, so it’s worth getting the car checked out.

The Astra didn’t manage to score as well as its key rivals according to the results of our most recent survey, coming just behind the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/hatchback/review/n39">Skoda Octavia</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n17371">Volkswagen Golf</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/leon/hatchback/review/n89">Seat Leon</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a>.

Vauxhall did manage to finish ahead of Volkswagen in terms of overall reliability across models. Plus, there is a large network of Vauxhall dealers out there that can fix your car should the worst happen.

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Hatchback

Vauxhall has an incredibly diverse range of cars on sale, a few of which stand out above the class average. Add in the fact that it still offers some of the largest Target Price discounts in the market (something it is trying, without huge success, to cut back on), and there are very good reasons to consider buying one of its better models.

However, you need to choose carefully, because it is also a brand in transition. It has a newish parent company – the same one that owns Citroën, DS and Peugeot. And while Vauxhall’s newer models tend to be competitive, some of the others feel dated; a quick check of our star ratings will reveal which is which.

Still, given the recent success of sister brands Citroën and especially Peugeot, each new launch should make its range more appealing to buyers.

VAUXHALL

ASTRA

The Vauxhall Astra offers plenty of equipment for the money and a comfortable ride. Just don’t expect class-leading driving dynamics

Used Vauxhall Astra 2009 - 2015

The Astra has a number of efficient and cheap-to-run engines available. Earlier cars are slightly more expensive, tax wise, than their later incarnations. 1.3 CDTI cars are £20 to tax and do 67.3mpg; 1.7-litre CDTI 123bhp and 2.0 CDTI 163bhp versions both cost £115 per year in road tax and are capable of 62.8mpg and 61.4mpg respectively.

Later, facelifted Astras were fitted with the new 1.6 CDTI engine, which reduced the road tax and fuel consumption figures. They come in two power outputs, with both achieving free road tax. The 108bhp returns 78.5mpg and the 134bhp manages 76.3mpg.

The petrol engine range is smaller than the diesel range, with the most prevalent being the 1.6. In manual form, it achieves 45.6mpg and costs £150 per year to tax. The 1.6 is also available as an automatic, which reduces fuel economy to 39.8mpg (38.7mpg for higher-specification versions) and increases road tax to £220 per year.

Running the VXR will set you back a fair bit more because of its £280 tax bill and 34.9mpg economy – this will drop much further if you indulge your right foot.

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The Vauxhall Astra offers plenty of equipment for the money and a comfortable ride. Just don’t expect class-leading driving dynamics

You can get quite a lot of car for your budget as there are plenty of used examples to choose from. Really high-mileage diesel <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/astra/hatchback/review/n17347">Astras</a> from 2009 can cost as little as £2000. But reduce the mileage to 50,000 or less and you can find economical 1.3 CDTIs for £5000, although these aren’t quite as popular as the larger and more powerful 1.7 and 2.0 CDTIs, which can be found for a similar price. The facelifted car with the newer 1.6-litre CDTI engine costs £6000.

Unlike the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/astra/estate/review/n17161">Sports Tourer</a>, the majority of Astra hatchbacks available are petrol-powered. £4000 seems to be the amount you will need to spend for a 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre. Vauxhall did sell a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol, but it was only for a short period of time, so they are rare on the used market and therefore command a premium over their non-turbo alternatives of £500-£1000.

If you want a VXR, you’ll need deeper pockets, as good ones are around the £13,000 mark.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to engines for the Astra, from a low-powered 1.3-litre diesel to a 192bhp high-performance 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel. There are also naturally aspirated 1.4 and 1.6 petrols, as well as a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol that joined the range briefly, topped by the high-performance 2.0-litre turbocharged, 155mph VXR.

We would recommend the 1.6 petrol if you do most of your driving around town as it is a great compromise of pace and efficiency. It also gives you more power and torque over the 1.4-litre – something you will need if you plan on carrying passengers.

If you plan to cover lots of miles, choose the 1.6-litre diesel. Refinement is generally much better than you’ll find in the 2.0-litre engines, which are rather noisy, and the 1.6 is flexible and efficient.

Tech Line trim has most of the standard kit you’ll need, including air conditioning, electric front windows, cruise control, 16in alloy wheels, a CD player, sat-nav, a USB socket, Bluetooth and a DAB radio. If you want your Astra to look a bit sportier, then there is always the SRI trim, which gives you 17in alloy wheels and performance-inspired bits of interior trim.

Our favourite Vauxhall Astra: 1.6 CDTI Tech Line

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of practical space </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>A comfortable ride </li> <li>A healthy equipment list </li> <li>Quality materials and thoughtful touches inside </li> <li>Rock-solid reliability</li></ul>

Family cars arguably have the toughest brief of all: they have to be good at pretty much everything. They’re used as the daily drive, on the school run or work commute (often both), and have to be able to cope with a family’s clutter on weekends and holidays.

The Skoda Scala is a relative newcomer, but it's&nbsp;already carved out a name for itself in this segment.&nbsp;If you're looking for a moderately priced car that combines a supple ride, neat handling, a spacious interior and a capacious boot&nbsp;it's well worth a look.&nbsp;Alternatively, if you're looking for entertaining handling then the&nbsp;BMW 1 Series may well be for you. It's great to drive, rides well&nbsp;and also comes with a top-notch interior, featuring one of our very favourite infotainment systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Toyota Corolla&nbsp;is another great choice. This latest version of one of the world's best-selling cars of all time can be had with a choice of two different petrol-electric hybrid engines, both of which should mean&nbsp;potentially lower fuel bills. It's comfortable, well equipped and should be very reliable, too.&nbsp;

Family

Many Astras will have gone to lease and rental car firms when they were new, so it is worth checking your potential purchase for marks to the bumpers, kerbed alloy wheels and any marks on the seats.

Check the service history on cars that have done high mileage as the cambelt needs changing every 100,000 miles. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a> does have this job listed as part of its fixed-price servicing scheme. If you cannot find any record of the work having been carried out, then check out Vauxhall’s website and haggle, or budget, accordingly.

There were a few recalls for the Astra. In 2010, there was one for the front passenger seat moving forward without warning, another in 2011 to resolve an anti-trap malfunction on the windows and the most important, a recall in 2015 to prevent a potential fire issue – the same as the one that affected the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/zafira/mpv/used-review/n973">Vauxhall Zafira</a>. The cause in the Astra was said to be a shorting circuit in the cooling fan.

The Vauxhall hallmarks of mass-market appeal, ease of use and good value are all present and correct in the Astra. And while there are a number of areas where it could be improved, particularly when you consider the commensurate talents of its rivals, for the money the Astra manages to be a respectable used purchase.

The interior is nicely styled and offers plenty of space. While it perhaps offers not as much in the rear as rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n17371">Volkswagen Golf</a>, it still has a decent amount of room upfront. Those front seats also have plenty of adjustment, especially if the car has sports seats fitted. There are, however, a few too many buttons on the dashboard, which means the infotainment isn’t quite as easy to use as rival systems. It’s also quite dark inside, with thick windscreen pillars blocking the light coming in and obscuring your view.

Where the Astra lets down is the driving experience, as it simply isn’t a patch on the Golf, let alone the scintillating <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a>. Vauxhall fitted a more advanced rear suspension to this generation of Astra, but the car still doesn’t outhandle its contemporaries. The ride, at least, is comfortable. In short, the Astra is tuned to cope well with potholes and speed bumps rather than to become a B-road hack.

This is a shame, considering the vast range of engines and specifications the Astra is offered with. Most are economical diesel and petrols, but there is a high-performance twin-turbo diesel or a road-burning 276bhp VXR hot hatch if you fancy it.

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Used Vauxhall Astra 2009 - 2015 review

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Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Vauxhall Astra hatchback?