2003 Holden Astra Reviews

It’s not so long ago that small cars like the Astra meant little to Holden as Australians eagerly swooped on every full-sized car the company could produce.

Holden Astra is a small medium car that was popular in Australia for many years.

Graham Smith reviews the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Holden Astra TS as a used buy.

There's more to producing a convertible than chopping the roof off a sedan or coupe. The steel roof forms a vital part of a car's structure, giving it strength and rigidity, and that strength has to be replaced somehow once the roof is removed. Dash or scuttle shake is often a sign of a lack of strength in a soft top, and a measure of the amount of development that's gone into the body.A car that exhibits scuttle shake, evidenced when the dash area shakes or vibrates, can be a most annoying vehicle to drive. The Astra convertible is pretty good in that respect. The body is quite tight and shows no real evidence of scuttle shake, even with quite a few kilometres under its belt.Another challenge convertible designers always face is how to make the end result look good with the top raised. The Astra also fares well in this respect.The Astra sedan and coupe were good-looking cars to start with so the basics were there, and designer Bertone did a good job in slicing the roof off and producing a new roof so that it looks good with the roof up or down.The Astra's top goes up or down at the touch of a switch, or remotely by the key, and disappears under a hatch at the back. It not only works well, it is triple insulated and has an electrically-heated glass rear window so it feels much like a sedan or coupe once the roof is raised. Like all convertibles, the Astra rag top sits atop the Astra range but also comes fully equipped to ease the price pain: leather sports seats, airconditioning, cruise, trip computer, power windows and mirrors and a CD player with steering wheel controls.The engine is a 2.2-litre double overhead cam 16-valve four-cylinder producing 108kW at 5800 revs and 203Nm at 4000 revs. From 2003 there was a choice of a 2.0-litre turbo, which gave 147kW at 5600 revs and 250Nm at 1950 revs. Standard transmission is a five-speed manual with the option of a four-speed auto.With any convertible its important to listen for body rattles that might show that it's loosening with age, or more seriously, that it's suffered a crash. Make sure the roof goes up and down with no jerking or misalignment. Check that it operates with the button in the car and remotely with the key.Closely inspect the roof inside and out for damage such as tears or folds that will need repairs down the road. Body damage can also affect the smooth function of the roof, so look for ill-fitting boot lids and doors, etc.Mechanically, the Astra convertible is pretty much the same as any Astra.The 2.2-litre engine has a chain for the camshaft drive so it doesn't have to be replaced like the belt on the regular Astra.The turbo engine does have a belt, so be aware it needs to be replaced regularly. Brake wear can also be a headache on Astras, as it is on all European cars. Be prepared to replace disc rotors and brake pads quite regularly - about every 60,000km on average.The Astra convertible is well-equipped when it comes to the crunch. It has front airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger and front side airbags as well, with reinforced A-pillars and padded roll bars behind the rear seats for protection in the event of a rollover. Dynamically, it has anti-skid brakes, traction control and electronic stability control - the first time such a system was used on a Holden.

German affiliate Opel is developing superb products - with the Astra just one of its global successes.Like Holden, which is working feverishly to come up with niche derivatives of Commodore and Statesman, Opel has cashed in on the popularity of Astra.It has come up with the SRi three-door hatch and elegant Convertible - both running a fiery 147kW 2-litre turbo engine.The high-tail, low-nosed styling stance of the original Astra five-door was a perfect building block for a striking coupe and an equally stunning open-topper.The excellent power characteristics of the turbo have transformed the standard car into an instant sports in both its body forms.Holden and Opel chassis engineers have come up with the right balance between agility, active safety and a level of ride comfort suitable for daily use.The end result is two cars with exciting driveability and wide appeal for buyers of coupes or convertibles.The Astra Convertible already has been tested. This time around the Turbo Hatch is the subject of evaluation.The model looks suitably sinister with black grille, tinted headlights and a sports bumper with integrated fog lamps and large intake - which ducts cool air to the large brakes and turbo intercooler - covered with a sporty black mesh.The glasshouse is framed in matte-black trim. A high-set rear wing and subtle body kit completes the sports package.The only relief from the black treatment is provided by five-spoke alloy road wheels and polished stainless steel tailpipe extension.Inside, "Turbo" inscribed chrome sill plates leave no one in any doubt this is a special, and heated front sports seats, black leather trim, three-spoke steering wheel rimmed with perforated leather and alloy-finish pedals confirm the fact.So do striking red instrument needles against a white background, ringed with brushed chrome.Standard equipment includes climate-control airconditioning, trip computer, premium six-speaker sound system and "express" power windows.The comfort and convenience packages include multifunction information display, cruise control, CD player, rear-seat entry with memory, adjustable lumbar support and fold-down rear-seat centre ski hatch for long objects.Astra's safety arsenal includes rigid body structure, passenger safety cell, dual airbags, height-adjustable seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters, and a pedal release system.As one would hope from a well-sorted performance vehicle, the SRi Turbo hatch gets electronic stability program which co-ordinates the anti-lock brakes and traction control systems.A range of sensors is used to monitor any deviation from the driver's desired direction of travel and assists in bringing the car back on course by applying brake pressure to individual wheels.At $36,990, the SRi Turbo adds up to one of the most appealing sports packages in the marketplace.So much for what it has to offer, now for its driving dynamics.The 2-litre ECOTEC motor is fed by a constant-pressure turbo and breathes through four valves on each cylinder.With an output of 147kW and 250Nm of torque peaking under 2000rpm, the turboed four is a willing power source.The motor features sequential fuel injection, direction injection and a drive-by-wire accelerator. Response is spontaneous at low speeds and thrust is maintained throughout the mid-ranges.The tuned exhaust emits a nice, sporty resonance as the engine goes to work, pushing the car along at a healthy lick.While the car is not breathtakingly quick off the mark, it does offer good torque delivery which translates to good thrust out of bends.One has to be impressed by the handling of the SRi.The traction control gives the model excellent stability and generous safety margins, even when driven enthusiastically. Opel called in Lotus to tune the suspension geometry to ensure both the coupe and the convertible handled as per the script.The British sports car company went for 10 per cent stiffer shock absorbers at the front and 15 per cent firmer dampers at the rear.The bottom line is a car with a distinctly firm sports car road feel and precise steering - but not stiff enough to be too severe on passengers.The effectiveness of the total set-up can be appreciated when the car is hunted through a corner at a speed high enough to tell all.There is no awkward pitch or body roll. The car turns in nicely and tracks with only a trace of understeer which is soon controlled by the traction control.* A genuine sports car which is a treat to drive.* The combination of anti-lock brakes, traction control and electric stability program, plus a superbly mapped chassis results in true performance-car handling.* Changes via the five-speed manual are smooth enough, but the throw is a little long for a sports car.* But on a car for your dollar equation, there is nothing on the market which comes close to the SRi.

Holden has completed its "performance suite" with the arrival of a pair of turbo-boosted Astras.The SRi Turbo three-door hatch and its topless sibling will join the fleet from this weekend to satisfy a promise Holden boss Peter Hanenberger made four years ago."You may remember that when I returned to Holden in 1999 I was keen to make sure every car line had a performance vehicle in its range," he says this week."Today sees this vision fully realised."Hanenberger says the decision to add a turbo performance model to the Astra range ¿ which already boasts 18 derivatives ¿ was not a difficult one."Our customers tell us they want cars that meet specific motoring needs, hence the implementation of a Holden niche vehicle strategy . . . the Astra SRi Turbo hatch has a power-to-weight ratio that places it at the serious end of four-cylinder turbo performance."The three-door will sell at $36,990, a premium of $8000 over the SRi, while the convertible is ticketed at $49,990 ¿ $4000 over the naturally aspirated model.The apparent disparity in the price is explained by the hatch picking up a host of additional features such as full leather, a switchable electronic stability program, a sports body kit and trip computer.Both models add unique 17-inch alloys (full-sized steel spare) and low-profile 215/40 ZR17 Dunlop rubber.The Turbos' 147kW and 250Nm is squeezed from the 2.0-litre ECOTEC engine using a KO3 Borg Warner turbocharger running 0.85 bar of boost.Holden claims a top speed of 240km/h ¿ maybe, but that would be at the end of a long downhill straight.More real-world friendly is the table-flat torque delivery, which arrives in full at 1950rpm and hangs around right through to 5600rpm.It is no coincidence that the 5600rpm point is also peak power but the engine can spin up to 6400rpm in fourth and fifth gears and 6800rpm for a short stint in second and third.Holden is predicting sales of the twin Astra Turbos to be split fairly close to even, with 600 hatches and 500 convertibles expected for the remainder of this year.The company is also calling a 50:50 split on male to female buyers despite the cars not being available with an automatic option.Holden's marketing manager for small and medium cars, Andrew Rau, says the Astra Turbos would be able to draw conquest sales from shoppers in the small and sports segments."In general, turbo buyers are people who love to drive at the limit," Rau says.The Astra Turbo would appear to have plenty of natural competitors in the likes of Subaru WRX, Toyota Corolla Sportivo, Clio Sport, Focus ST170, Golf Turbo, Alfa 147 GTA, Mini Cooper S and Audi A3 turbo, but the convertible's place in the market is less clear.Says Astra product manager Emma Pinwill: "There probably isn't a real line-ball competitor for the convertible. Saab's 9-3 is possibly as close as you get feature for feature but the price difference is enormous."After that you are back to cars like the Renault Megane convertible, which simply doesn't match on performance."