Vauxhall Astra 1.8 SRi review - verdict

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Vauxhall Astra 1.8 16v SRi Road Test

Test Date 06 April 2004 Price When New £16,235

Verdict

This test was always going to be about more than just the 1.8 SRi. Frankly, as a warm hatch it left us rather cold, although it is a fundamentally capable car with decent ability when the road turns twisty. It also offers design flair, a good amount of kit and value for money.
As an overall package the new Astra stacks up rather well. But at times it feels as if the inclusion of technology has blurred the overall picture for Vauxhall’s engineers: we weren’t particularly convinced by the IDS interactive driving system concept or the information display. And we can finally lay to rest the debate over torsion bar or fully independent rear suspension. The Vauxhall is good, yes, but not that good.
Choosing a hatchback in 2004 now revolves around prioritising the exact qualities that you are looking for in your new purchase. If the Golf offers prestige, handling ability and space, but at a considerable price, and the Focus offers a seminal driving experience, but a cheap-feeling and slightly cramped interior, then the Astra is somewhere in between. It offers a distillation of most of its rivals qualities in one car, but without quite the depth of polish. For some that will make it a compromise, but for others the Astra offers an ideally blended balance of qualities.