Just wait until you hear one running... Taxi anyone?
If you absolutely must get an Astra diesel, get the 1.9 CDTI as it's much more refined.Why don't you look at a vRS LE?
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Who owns a new shape Astra?
- Thread starter BeatMaster
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Just wait until you hear one running... Taxi anyone?
If you absolutely must get an Astra diesel, get the 1.9 CDTI as it's much more refined.Why don't you look at a vRS LE?
Done a few hundred miles in a 1.7CDTI 100hp as a rental in Germany. Handling and ride is average. Interior not all that comfortable. Power was ok I thought, managed to get silly speed indicated out of it on the autobahn ~220km/h.
In short - buy something else, like a Leon TDI.
In short - buy something else, like a Leon TDI.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
arrgghhhh you are going to bring back my nightmares!!!!Oh god the indicator stalk... don't remind me of the horrific indicator stalk ... i'd almost forgotten all about it until this thread.
having not had the pleasure of driving a modern vauxhall, whats the deal with the indicator stalk? i understand it always auto centers, but keeps the indicators on, and you have to like put it the other way to turn it off or something?
Soldato
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What's wrong with the indicitor stalk? (I've heard stories but dunno what it actually is)
Soldato
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I wouldn't buy a Astra but I do think the VXR or SRI XP pack ones look good sadly they try to steer you into a ditch when you put the foot down. They are however bargins second hand due to the rental companies flooding the market with 6-12month old ones. I don't see what the big deal about the indicators is either my girlfriends Zafira has them and they are fine to use.
If you want a diesel one the only one to go for is the 150bhp 1.9CDTi offers a fair pace and is a lot more refined than the VAG 1.9TDI that was in your Fabia. Enterprise don't stock a lot of these so you pay a fair bit more for them over the lower powered diesels.
If you want a diesel one the only one to go for is the 150bhp 1.9CDTi offers a fair pace and is a lot more refined than the VAG 1.9TDI that was in your Fabia. Enterprise don't stock a lot of these so you pay a fair bit more for them over the lower powered diesels.
Yep, as muffin said...
Just move it a small amount up or down to get a quick 3 flashes and stop.. move all the way up or down to 'start' the indicators flashing in the direction you want, they cancel as normal, or move the stalk slight up/down to cancel it manually.. it ain't rocket science, and is actually good when you are used to it..
As for the car, the 5 door is a bit boring looking, but please take a lot of the negative comments with a pinch of salt, the build qualiity and materials are very good for the class, despite peoples 'get a focus' they are flimsier inside in a lot of places.. all the magazines reasonably rate the interior against the focus/golf, so although people can say it's horrible, the truth is it's just as horrible as a focus/golf. The same goes for the engine, a 1.6/1.4 Focus is deadly slow and boring to drive.. the 1.7CDTi 100ps Astra is adequate, but it's still 'boring', especially coming for a VRs.. get a 1.9CDTi 150 Design and it's a much more entertaining car, get it remapped / tuning box and it's quite entertaining.
Handling wise, larger engined SRi models are best, and quite responsive, quickish turn in and not too shabby compared to the Focus etc, however, small engined low power Astra's are a bit too soft and devoid of feedback.
As I keep saying, we get a lot of hire cars, and it's generally Astra/Focus's we have, ranging from the 1.9 CDTi Design Astra's to the 1.4 Focus.. we currently have a 1.6 Focus TDCi again, and it's pretty dire.. however, the 2.0 TDCi Zetec is great!..
Just move it a small amount up or down to get a quick 3 flashes and stop.. move all the way up or down to 'start' the indicators flashing in the direction you want, they cancel as normal, or move the stalk slight up/down to cancel it manually.. it ain't rocket science, and is actually good when you are used to it..
As for the car, the 5 door is a bit boring looking, but please take a lot of the negative comments with a pinch of salt, the build qualiity and materials are very good for the class, despite peoples 'get a focus' they are flimsier inside in a lot of places.. all the magazines reasonably rate the interior against the focus/golf, so although people can say it's horrible, the truth is it's just as horrible as a focus/golf. The same goes for the engine, a 1.6/1.4 Focus is deadly slow and boring to drive.. the 1.7CDTi 100ps Astra is adequate, but it's still 'boring', especially coming for a VRs.. get a 1.9CDTi 150 Design and it's a much more entertaining car, get it remapped / tuning box and it's quite entertaining.
Handling wise, larger engined SRi models are best, and quite responsive, quickish turn in and not too shabby compared to the Focus etc, however, small engined low power Astra's are a bit too soft and devoid of feedback.
As I keep saying, we get a lot of hire cars, and it's generally Astra/Focus's we have, ranging from the 1.9 CDTi Design Astra's to the 1.4 Focus.. we currently have a 1.6 Focus TDCi again, and it's pretty dire.. however, the 2.0 TDCi Zetec is great!..
None of the higher powered AStra's we've had are like that at all, they have had high levels of grip, and sharpish turn in, they lack 'feel' and quick direction changes are where you feel it the most, but it's still OK, and not an issue, they don't understeer any worse then any other car in the class, if people think the 'focus' is some awesome handling family hatch that has no understeer and is as sharp as an elise, is deluding themselves, we are talking 'small' differences... Track tests tend to prove this out, the 1.6 Astra was fractionally quicker around the track then a 1.6 Focus (Fifth gear, TN driving), the Astra VXR was quicker around the top gear test track then a Focus ST, as it was in EVO's test.. It may lack of abit of 'feel' and it may be able to be provoked into understeer, but only an idiot would drive like that, and I can provoke any fwd car with switachable traction into horrific understeer.. Quite frankly I'd rather learn to drive, and drive the car that's quickest from A-B. not one that feels like it's a race car but can't actually beat anything..
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I wouldnt say the Astra is horrible, its perfectly adequate for its market imo, Ive had a few over the years as hire cars, they handle ok, and are ok inside, I wouldnt have one over a standard focus, but then I wouldnt have a std focus either.
My main gripe with the standard astra is the god-awefull silver centre console, and the seats are pretty poor.
Its a pretty pee poor market sector now, take out the hot hatches and the rest of the models are very uninspiring, Golf,Focus, Astra even the french and spanish offerings are nothing to write home about, the only interesting car in this sector is the Civic and that far to expensive for what it is.
My main gripe with the standard astra is the god-awefull silver centre console, and the seats are pretty poor.
Its a pretty pee poor market sector now, take out the hot hatches and the rest of the models are very uninspiring, Golf,Focus, Astra even the french and spanish offerings are nothing to write home about, the only interesting car in this sector is the Civic and that far to expensive for what it is.
Problem is, these are road cars and not track cars,feel (the astra doesnt lack a little feel it pretty much has no feel)and handling on the road are much more important than raw speed, the VXR is good fun car, but it could do with toning down a little to make it a tad more usable.And its expensive still.
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Thats like saying Butlins isn't horrible because it's adaquete for its market and as good as a Haven. Butlins, as a holiday destination, is cack.
The Astra.. you get the point.
Soldato
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Over ABS'd part of the brakes is more annoying, impossible to loose control under braking, but also impossible to stop.
No it's not, it's horrible. A classic example of the application of technology where it's not needed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a proper indicator stalk that has proper tactile feedback you let you know it's operated, and over which the driver has full control. If people find it difficult to keep manual indicators on for only a few flashes they probably shouldn't be piloting over a ton of metal around the public road system.