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    Holden Astra: Is it a good first car?

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    MY SON has had his learner's permit for a few months now and wants to get his first car, one that he can learn to drive in. We want to get him a small four-cylinder manual and have a Holden Astra in mind. We would like to find one with less than 100,000 km and not more than 10 years old. What are your thoughts on the Astra of this age, and what would be the likely price range?

    Answered by CarsGuide
    4 March 2010
    Carsguide.com.au

    A four-cylinder car is the way to go when you're learning; toomany young drivers buy turbos, V6s and V8s and often get into troublewhen they outdrive their skill and experience. The Astra is one ofthe cars I would certainly consider, but you need to be aware of thecam timing belt problems they had with that model. To avoid breaking the belt, and causing massive internal damage to the engine, the beltneeds to be replaced every 60,000 km. With that in mind it'simportant to makesure that any car you consider has had the beltchanged according to that schedule, and be aware that he will have toreplace it every 60,000 km in the future. A 10-year-old Astra willset you back $8000-$9000. Others to consider are the Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Pulsar, Mazda 323 and Toyota Corolla.

    Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
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