Vauxhall Astra 2010-2011 Review
Vauxhall Astra review with a full review of the 2010/2011 Vauxhall Astra, pictures of the Astra, specifications, Vauxhall Astra performance and much more. We will look at the Vauxhall Astra's seats, engine, 'lifetime' warranty, cupholders and plastic bits to evauluate why you should buy a new Vauxhall Astra.
New Vauxhall Astra Mk6
The all new 2010 Vauxhall Astra is an all new model, making it the sixth in the Astra line. Vauxhall have been Astras in the UK since 1980, so they have had plenty of time to develop it.
New Vauxhall Astra Estate - the 'Sports Tourer'
Vauxhall have just announced their new addition to the Astra lineup - the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer with split folding rear seats. This new Astra model is a sporting estate car that is reminiscent of the Alfa Romeo sports-estate models.
Vauxhall Astra Lifetime Warranty
You may have seen Vauxhall's Lifetime Warranty on recent TV ads. The lifetime warrantly is available on all Vauxhall Astra models, and as they advertise, the warranty may last a lifetime.
What does Vauxhall's Lifetime warranty mean?
The Vauxhall Lifetime warranty extends the warranty of the new Vauxhall Astra up to 100,000 miles, but it is only available to the first registered owner of the car. That is to say, that the Lifetime warranty is only available to the person who first bought the car, and that when the car is sold, the lifetime warranty will become invalid. The standard Vauxhall Astra warranty remains in place however, and that is valid for up to 60,000 miles, or three years, whichever is sooner. The lifetime warranty is also dependant on an annual vehicle check at an Vauxhall Authorised Repairer.
Fuel Consumption
Fuel economy is pretty good on all of the Astra's engine options. Their most economic engine, the Vauxhall Astra 1.3CDTi 16v ecoFLEX S/S has a combined fuel consumption of 72.4 miles per gallon, and their most sporty engine, the Astra 1.6i 16v Turbo still has a combined figure of 41.5 miles per gallon. It's nice to see car manufacturers make some headway into fuel efficiency, and Vauxhall's ecoFLEX engines are a good example of fuel efficient design.
| Engine | Carbon Emissions | Fuel Consumption | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra Urban | Urban | Combined | ||
| 1.6i 16v VVT, 5 Speed | 147 CO2/km | 55.4 mpg | 34.0 mpg | 44.8 mpg |
| 1.4i 16v VVT Turbo, 6 Speed | 138 CO2/km | 60.1 mpg | 35.8 mpg | 47.9 mpg |
| 1.6i 16v VVT, Automatic | 167 CO2/km | 50.4 mpg | 28.8 mpg | 39.8 mpg |
| 1.6i 16v Turbo, 6 Speed | 159 CO2/km | 50.4 mpg | 32.1 mpg | 41.5 mpg |
| 1.3CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX, 5 Speed | 109 CO2/km | 76.3 mpg | 57.6 mpg | 68.9 mpg |
| 1.3CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX S/S, 5 Speed | 104 CO2/km | 80.7 mpg | 60.1 mpg | 72.4 mpg |
| 1.7CDTi 16v (110PS) ecoFLEX, 6 Speed | 119 CO2/km | 72.4 mpg | 51.4 mpg | 62.8 mpg |
| 1.7CDTi 16v (125PS) ecoFLEX, 6 Speed | 119 CO2/km | 72.4 mpg | 51.4 mpg | 62.8 mpg |
| 2.0CDTi 16v, 6 Speed | 129 CO2/km | 68.9 mpg | 45.6 mpg | 57.6 mpg |
| 2.0CDTi 16v, Automatic | 154 CO2/km | 61.4 mpg | 35.8 mpg | 48.7 mpg |
It's interesting to see how much less efficient the two automatic models are than their manual counterparts. It goes to show that if you want good fuel economy, you're better off with a manual car.
Performance
The Vauxhall Astra is no sports car, it is designed more for frugality. If you want high performance, maybe you're looking at the wrong car.
| Engine | Power Output | Torque | 0-60 mph | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6i 16v VVT, 5 Speed | 113 bhp / 6000 rpm | 114 lb ft / 4000 rpm | 10.9 seconds | 118 mph |
| 1.4i 16v VVT Turbo, 6 Speed | 138 bhp / 4900 rpm | 147 lb ft / 4900 rpm | 9.0 seconds | 126 mph |
| 1.6i 16v VVT, Automatic | 113 bhp / 6000 rpm | 114 lb ft / 4000 rpm | 12.5 seconds | 114 mph |
| 1.6i 16v Turbo, 6 Speed | 178 bhp / 5500 rpm | 170 lb ft / 5400 rpm | 7.9 seconds | 138 mph |
| 1.3CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX, 5 Speed | 94 bhp / 4000 rpm | 140 lb ft / 3250 rpm | 13.8 seconds | 109 mph |
| 1.3CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX S/S, 5 Speed | 94 bhp / 4000 rpm | 140 lb ft / 3250 rpm | 13.8 seconds | 109 mph |
| 1.7CDTi 16v (110PS) ecoFLEX, 6 Speed | 108 bhp / 3800 rpm | 192 lb ft / 2550 rpm | 11.8 seconds | 113 mph |
| 1.7CDTi 16v (125PS) ecoFLEX, 6 Speed | 123 bhp / 4000 rpm | 206 lb ft / 2700 rpm | 10.7 seconds | 122 mph |
| 2.0CDTi 16v, 6 Speed | 158 bhp / 4000 rpm | 258 lb ft / 1750 rpm | 8.5 seconds | 134 mph |
| 2.0CDTi 16v, Automatic | 158 bhp / 4000 rpm | 258 lb ft / 1750 rpm | 8.6 | 131 mph |
Buying a Vauxhall Astra
Buying a new Vauxhall Astra Mk6 might not be such a bad idea after all. The new 2011 Ford Focus Mk3 is still not on sale, and this time round, the new Astra might just have the edge on the forthcoming Mark 3 Ford Focus, but we'll have to wait and see.
Further Reading
Vauxhall Astra Wikipedia
page covering all models from the mark 1 to the new mark 6 Astra.
Vauxhall Astra page on the
Vauxhall website (includes a configurator of the car, with specifications and
prices etc).
What Car Vauxhall Astra Review a thorough review of the mark 6 Vauxhall
Astra.
Article by Martin Love, in The Observer, reviewing the new Astra.
Which Wheels Which wheels is a guide to which wheels fit which cars. Which wheels lists offset and pcd dimensions for wheels for popular models of car, and explains what the offset, PCD and centre bore are for Vauxhall Astra wheels.
Spare Parts List Directory of new and used parts dealers.
Vauxhall Astra Spare Parts Spare parts directory for the Vauxhall Astra.
Vauxhall Spare Parts Spare parts dealers for Vauxhall cars.
This website is not affiliated with Vauxhall Motor Company in any way and this site should not be confused with www.vauxhall.co.uk the official Vauxhall website.