Used Vauxhall Astra cars available

Why buy a Astra?Back to top

Vauxhall Astras are well-built, practical cars.

When it was launched in 1979, the Astra was the first car in the Vauxhall range to feature front wheel drive. With dwindling sales figures, the new model brought about a turn of favour for Vauxhall, and the Astra was soon the second most popular small family car in Britain, behind the Ford Escort. From 1981 onwards it has consistently been one of the UK's top selling cars, leading the field for small family cars.

Excelling in a number of areas, the Astra's success is largely - like the rest of the Vauxhall range - due to its practicality and the quality of its design. Astras have maintained a chic aesthetic across all generations, and while the interiors of older models might feel a little dated, the modern models are fitted with class-leading equipment and finishings.

The Astra's space is very good, especially in the most recent models, which not only contend with those in its own class, but those above it. The 375 litre boot in the sixth generation model doesn't make it the biggest in its class in terms of luggage space, but the cabin is sizeable, and in this way is closer to its bigger brother the Insignia than it may look from the outside. An estate option pushes the boot space up to 500 litres, which certainly makes it one of the most practically versatile cars in its class.

Owing to its popularity, there are a number of different performance options, ranging from the 1.2 litre petrol engines featured in previous generations, to the 2.0 litre turbocharged options found in models across the fleet. Of the best performing is the 1.4 turbo, which packs in a decent level of power considering its size and efficiency.

This efficiency is shared across much of the range, especially the frugal diesels, which also feature eco-flex technology, keeping emissions low and mpg returns high. The 1.3 diesel eco-flex offers a reported mpg figure of over 70, while emissions are kept under the 100g/km, road-tax-exempt threshold.

While the cost of an Astra from new may put many buyers off, an initially rapid depreciation means that they are at their best value when on the used market. As there are so many on UK roads, this also means that finding a bargain is a very real possibility.