Holden Astra Reviews

Paul Gover reviews the Holden Cascada and Astra VXR

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.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts to market small cars drawn from other car makers Holden turned to its Euro cousins for what has become a rip-roaring success in the form of the German-designed Astra. The Astra badge was a part of the Holden range before the arrival of the European Astra in 1996, but they were rebadged Nissan Pulsars produced under an arrangement with the Japanese car maker who was the building the Pulsar locally.Holden later turned to Toyota under the doomed joint venture between the two companies and sold rebadged Corollas as Holden Novas for a while, but that ended when the deal went sour.Both deals were struck in times of trouble when Holden was in effect a one-car car company struggling to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive local market in the 1980s, but those days are a fast fading memory and Holden is forging ahead like never before in its history with a range of models that virtually covers the whole market.The Astra was already successful before it arrived on these shores, being the second best selling small car in Europe behind the VW Golf at the time. Those early Astras, designed in Germany, were built in England by Vauxhall, which was sensible really given that the Brits drive on the same side of the road as we do.At launch Holden offered two body styles, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatch, but there were three levels of trim and equipment which was enough to suit just about everyone’s needs.The entry level model was the City 1.6, which was available in both body styles. The mid-range model was the GL 1.8, which was also available in both body styles, while the range-topping model was the sporty GSi 2.0 that was only available as a hatchback and came with a sexy Zender body kit.Inside, the Astra was roomy with plenty of space for four adults and luggage. Rear seat room was particularly praised by road testers at the time of release, as was its luggage carrying capacity, which was boosted by a 60/40 split-fold rear seat.Power for the Astra came from a range of four-cylinder engines, all adapted to local conditions by Holden’s engineers, and featuring multipoint fuel-injection.The base engine in the City was a 1.6-litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine that produced 74 kW at 5800 rpm and 135 Nm at 3400 rpm, which delivered a blend of performance and economy.A 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine powered the GL. This one was produced by Holden in Australia, and boasted twin overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder. Peak power was 85 kW at 5400 rpm and maximum torque was 165 Nm at 4000 rpm.The sporty GSi packed the biggest punch in the range. With twin cams, and 16-valves, it put out 100 kW at 5600 rpm and 188 Nm at 3200 rpm.City and GL buyers could choose between a five-speed manual gearbox and four-speed electronic auto, which was a $1950 option, but the only choice for those signing up for the hot GSi was the five-speed manual.Under the Euro skin lay a well proven suspension arrangement with MacPherson Struts complete with gas-filled shocks at the front, and compound torsion beam axle at the rear with progressive rate coil springs and gas shocks at the rear.Spring rates, shock settings and the diameter of the stabiliser bar were optimised for each engine variant.Power steering was standard across the range, with the GSi getting a faster rack for a sharper feel.Brakes were a combination of front discs and rear drums on the City. The GL and GSi boasted four wheel discs, and the GSi had the added benefit of standard ABS.Inside there was attractive fabric trim, a multifunction display, and a locally developed Eurovox six speaker sound system. The GSi also had sports seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and power front windows.Standard equipment included a driver’s side airbag, an immobiliser, and central locking although it couldn’t be activated remotely. Missing from the features list was an adjustable steering column.On top of those features the GSi also boasted a passenger’s side airbag as standard and a security alarm.The options list included a passenger’s side airbag for the City and GL, and air-conditioning.The Astra was criticised for its high level of noise and vibration, which reflected its lower refinement than was being offered by the benchmark Japanese cars at the time.The manual trans gearshift was thought rubbery and imprecise, but the Astra’s overall ride and handling was praised, as was its steering, which was direct and well modulated.Being three years old when it arrived here the Astra was trailing the competition a little when launched, but was still regarded as a good small car choice that offered good interior room with plenty of performance while still returning admirable economy.Reports from the trade suggest the Astra is robust and reliable with few problems with the engine or transmission.One complaint often heard is the rate of wear of the brakes. The Astra’s European origins should have alarm bells ringing if you’re concerned about frequently replacing brake linings and discs. Some owners report having to change disc pads at around 30,000 km and discs at 60,000 km.It’s possible to extend brake life by fitting alternative pads and discs available on the aftermarket, but you might affect your car’s braking performance in the process. Before you change it’s best to check with your local brake specialist.The Astra’s body and trim stand up well, but check carefully for signs of a crash. Check panel fit, body gaps, smooth opening of doors and hatch or boot, and paint matching. Particularly check bumpers for bumps and scrapes, taking care to check bumper mountings to make sure they are intact.Check for a service record to verify odometer reading, which on average will be between 100,000 and 130,000.• Smart European style• Roomy interior and lots of luggage space• Robust mechanical package• Relatively high brake wear

The Astra Diesel wagon runs on a 1.9 litre, DT Turbo Diesel, SOHC, ECOTEC four cylinder engine that outputs 88kW at 3500-4000rpm and 280Nm at 2000-2750rpm.A six speed automatic with Active Select gets power to the wheels. And as you’d expect, fuel economy is reasonable at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres.Compact yet roomy, the Astra wagon is a viable option for those who need a large cargo area but don’t want the hassle of a bulky van or large station wagon and the associated running costs. With a long rising waistband, the wagon is basically a stretched version of the hatch and comes with 16-inch alloys as standard.The fully carpeted 454 litre load area is expandable to 1549 litres with both 60/40 split rear seats folded flat. As standard, the Astra wagon comes with a multi-function display, an MP3 compatible audio system, power windows and mirrors and cruise control.A comprehensive safety package comprises curtain, drive, front passenger and front side impact airbags, plus brake assist, remote central locking and Electronic Stability Program.Pricing for the Astra Diesel wagon starts at $32, 790.That fact that Holden have so few details of the exterior on the website speaks volumes about how much effort they put into the Astra wagon design. It’s a box on wheels, plain and simple – and a tinny looking one at that.Stepping into the car our spirits didn’t lift. The bleak black dash is like a wall of drear, helped not at all by the quality of plastics used to build it. And because it’s as flat as a cliff face, and because the gear lever sits so low, it opens up a cavernous unusable space that made us feel somehow a little exposed.But this car was built for its practicality, not for its beauty. It’s fairly spacious, and the seats are comfortable and smart, so we erase our poor initial impressions and fire up the engine – prompting the passengers to get out and scour the exterior for a John Deere badge. Old unmufflered tractors could be quieter than this. And for a car this small, the noise is laughable.On the road the diesel engine does have quite a surprising amount of poke and the suspension is comfortable although the transmission tends to get a little confused when we sped up or slowed too quickly.Holding the wheel at a quarter to three was slightly painful after a while with a sharp bit of plastic sticking up right where the thumb rests. The side mirrors were equally as irritating with the ‘objects in the mirror are closer than they appear’ distortion more confusing than helpful.But again, this is meant to be a basic, economical A-to-B car with a big cargo area and it serves that purpose adequately.

Holden Astra has become Australia's best-selling European import for good reason - and the best-looking, best-value version arguably is the Astra CD Coupe.The Astra range of four-cylinder small cars is comprehensive. It starts at $21,990 for the CD five-door hatchback, although price reductions often are offered.The range includes the five-door hatchback, a stretched-wheelbase station wagon, a three-door coupe and goes to the $47,490 Twin-Top Convertible. It covers standard CD, better equipped CDX and the overtly sporty SRi models.And it includes four engines - a standard 1.8-litre, more beefy 2.2-litre, a turbocharged two-litre pocket rocket (all petrol) and a 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel. Five engines, if you count the different states of tune of the diesel for manual and for automatic cars.In the previous TS Astra, the three-door coupe was the best looking. It's the same again in this AH series. The coupe sits low, with an almost fastback-style rear bodywork, but still has the practicality of a hatch.As tested, the Astra CD coupe costs just $23,990 for the five-speed manual, a good gearbox to use with a light clutch and certain gearshift. A four-speed automatic is another $2000.For $23,990, you get airconditioning, 15in alloy wheels, ABS disc brakes, remote central locking, cruise control (albeit fiddly to use) and a seven-speaker sound system with steering-wheel controls.There is little obvious corner cutting to get it down to this price; it even has a gas-strut bonnet and touch-pad hatch release. The downside of the sloping rear and small rear window is the restricted rear vision for the driver.Parking sensors would help but they are unavailable as a factory-fitted option.The Coupe sits lower and has a firmer, more sporty suspension than the hatchback or wagon.It doesn't mind a bit of press-on driving on twisting roads. yet the 195/65 tyres have sensibly sized sidewalls so there's little harshness over potholes and ridges.The steering wheel has height and reach adjustment and the seats are comfortable yet supportive. The driver's seat can be adjusted for height.The front seat backs tip forward and the seat slides ahead to allow access to the rear. Headroom is adequate in the rear for average-size adults but remember this is a coupe and based on a small car.Astra Coupe is 4250mm long and 1753mm wide.The standard 1.8-litre engine is stronger than before - now 103kW of power at 6300rpm, which is a welcome 11kW more, and a touch more torque, now 175Nm.The Coupe meets Euro IV emission standards.There's not much urge below 2000rpm but between 2000rpm and 3000rpm, the Coupe has brisk enough acceleration without needing to thrash the car.The official fuel economy is 7.4 litres/100km. At 110km/h, it cruises at 3200rpm in fifth gear.Even the CD version comes with driver and passenger front airbags and front side impact bags (upper models also get curtain airbags).The usual Astra complaints remain; no temperature gauge, no cup holder, and some road noise intrudes.This is a good-looking, excellent value and economic Euro-built car that is pleasant to drive in city traffic or Hills and country.

Based on the Astra hatch, which by comparison looks decidedly frumpy, the Coupe gets its allure from a lower roofline and squint-narrow side glass.It looks sensational, especially given its $26,990 price tag, though its design, unfortunately, is integral to all that is wrong with the car.Visibility from the driver's seat, especially to the rear, is so poor that parking without contacting anything else is a practised art.It will seat four people with rear seats that, once you fold the body into the required shape to get in, are quite accommodating.Some may find the back seat a bit claustrophobic, which is a byproduct of those narrow side windows and sloping roofline.But this is hardly a family car.The need to give access to the rear also means the two doors are long. The first time you notice that is when parking close to a wall and realising the doors don't open wide enough to let you out.The Coupe does, however, have a level of functionality, the rear seats split and fold and the boot is a decent size. Good news is the full-size spare tyre.Whether to enhance its sporty looks or because of its Belgian origins, the interior is all black. Yet despite the sombre decor, the Coupe CDX's dashboard controls are simple and easy to use and include a six-disc CD player with seven speakers, trip computer and cruise control.The Astra range gets a new 1.8-litre engine, though it doesn't feel much different from before.Performance is adequate, thanks to 103kW, up 11kW on the old engine, but to get this output it needs to drink premium fuel. It loses about 3kW when fed standard unleaded.More than anything, the engine has a bit more grunt at lower revs to get it off the mark quicker and neater.It comes with a five-speed manual gearbox (auto is optional) though six cogs would better suit the engine.Holden claims 7.4 litres/100km, 0.4 litre/100km better than before. But for a bit more performance, it's necessary to factor in the extra cost of premium fuel.Handling is good, with confidence through the bends and a quick-ratio steering box so it points and shoots with accuracy.Part of this solidity through the bends is a taut chassis that gives the Coupe a quality feel.The steering feel is far firmer than, say, the Corolla, which gives the arm muscles a workout when parking. The bonus is the sure-footed steering at cruising speeds.ABS brakes are standard, but ESP is not available on this model. The SRi and Turbo Coupe versions get ESP as standard.But the CDX tested gets front, side and curtain airbags as standard.For its price, the Coupe CDX rates well as a runabout for a couple or a single owner.More performance is available in the bigger-engined SRi and the Turbo, but at an additional $5500 and $8000 respectively, there are better fish in the water.

Convertibles with folding hard tops are supposed to remedy all of the problems associated with rag tops. They are more rigid so they handle better, they are more secure and they are quieter. Or so the theory goes.In reality, not all rag-top problems are remedied by a hard roof and there are some new problems that are added to some models, such as extra weight, complexity of design and operation, reliability of the electro-mechanical opening operation and a reduced amount of cargo space.Holden's Astra now comes with a two-piece folding top, called the Astra Twin Top. Having just two folding pieces must make it more compact, faster and a simpler mechanism, right? Wrong.The folding roof mechanism has all sorts of other bits folding out from it and the whole complex shebang takes about 33 seconds to fully open or close.  That compares with about 20-odd seconds for most rag tops.One useful function is that you can open it up with the remote control. However, as with the button above the interior light, you have to hold it on throughout the long process. The operating thumb was pulsing red by the time it was finished. And if you don't keep the pressure up on the button, it stalls.When the roof is all folded away in the boot, there is only cargo space for a briefcase, although you won't be able to access it unless you put the roof up again.There were no problems encountered with the mechanism's reliability during the test, but other folding hard tops, as well as rag tops, have been noted as behaving erratically. Also, when the roof was closed, the car sometimes had a lot of creaks, groans and wind noise, while at other times it was fairly quiet and rattle-free. This could be because the various hard bits haven't quite matched up when it has closed. The same problem has been noted with other folding hard tops as well.At least the added weight in the rear hasn't badly affected handling. Like all Astras, it steers and points very well, without having an uncompromisingly hard ride.The Twin Top comes with the new German-built 2.2-litre direct injection petrol engine which is a lusty unit with linear power delivery and less of a grainy feel like the previous engine. But it is hampered by the dull and lifeless four-speed auto transmission that GM Holden is stuck with. The six-speed manual is a far better option.The Twin Top looks like a sleek coupe with the top up, but appears ungainly with the top down.Inside, it is standard Astra fare, which I have grown to dislike. The decor is fine, but there is a lack of storage space and the controls are fiddly. The only storage bin is a uselessly small square hole behind the handbrake. There are no bottle holders and the door map pocket isn't even big enough for a UBD. I hate cruise controls on the end of a stalk like the previous Commodore. They are difficult to use and if you fumble with it you could accidentally turn on the indicators.Up front, there is still plenty of space with the sun visors not too close to your head as in most convertibles. However, there is virtually no room in the back for an adult or a teenager. If you did fit in, you would quickly become uncomfortable with the bolt-upright seat back.Just as well you can use the rear seat as a parcel shelf which augments the lack of cargo space. When the roof is up, the boot is quite deep, but it is also very narrow.The on-board computer and sound system controls are more difficult to use than the notorious BMW i-Drive system. They are certainly not intuitive. Despite having had several Astras to test over the past couple of years, I always have to consult the handbook and I still haven't conquered it. Some of the buttons have strange symbols on them that mean absolutely nothing to me.One button on the steering wheel has a symbol that looks like a home phone handset on a set of wheels. I pressed it but it doesn't seem to do anything. Another shows a box with one side missing, a dot in the middle and three arcs radiating out. It changed channels on the radio.Go figure.

The new Euro IV compliant engine puts out 103kW of power at 6300rpm and 175Nm of torque at 3800rpm in manual form, up 11kW and 5Nm respectively.As well as producing more power it also delivers better fuel economy, down from 8.2 to 7.8 litres/100km for the four-speed auto.They’re modest gains but come at no extra cost because Holden has held prices for the new model at the current level.The bad news is that these figures are generated using premium unleaded petrol.Holden tells us the car will run on standard unleaded but could not supply figures for the reduced power output that will result.The previous engine dropped from 92kW to 90kW when run on standard.The Astra range starts with the entry level CD five-door manual hatch priced from $21,990, topping out at $47,490 for the 2.2-litre Twin Top coupe-cabrio auto.The auto adds $2000.It’s all part of a mid-life makeover for what is Holden’s second biggest selling model behind the perennial Commodore.Launched here in 2004, the Astra holds third place in its own segment, behind Corolla and Mazda3.Holden describes Astra as one of the most complete small car ranges in Australia.However, this overlooks the fact that there is still no sedan.What of a diesel wagon, fivespeed auto or standard electronic stability control? The latter is standard on Commodore, which leads its segment, and diesel Astra gets a sixspeed auto.Holden remains vague when asked about these possibilities, saying only that it is constantly reassessing the pricing and specification of its car in what is a very competitive segment.The engine upgrade is accompanied by minor styling changes with a revised front fascia, headlamp and grille.We were able to take the fourspeed auto for a quick run up to the Blue Mountains and back at the launch of the new model in Sydney.New engine or not, it’s still not going to set the world on fire but it will not disappoint the average driver.

Try to show off, and things are sure to go wrong. For instance, you can be left sitting in a new convertible like a dill as its roof at first refuses to budge, then partly raises itself only to halt, whirring and buzzing furiously, halfway aloft like a sail.Memo to self: in future, read the handbook before trying to demonstrate fancy technology.Holden's Astra TwinTop is yet another of the new breed of convertibles with a multi-piece folding hardtop. It turns out to be simple to operate when you know how.Once everything was correctly in place and everyone was well away from what the driver's handbook calls the “action zone of the roof”, the TwinTop did its thing with robotic precision.It proves to be a nifty machine, albeit one that costs almost $50,000.In my defence, the handbook devotes five pages to explaining how the roof should be operated, using the phrase “risk of injury” twice in the first five lines. Looks like the lawyers gave the engineers a hand there.For those who want the open-air experience of a convertible along with the security of a solid-roofed coupe, the fast-growing flock of versatile cars like this answer their prayers.And, unlike many rivals, the Astra's roof can be made to go up or down while the car is on the move — up to 30km/h. In another handy feature, it can be operated while you're standing outside, using the remote-locking gizmo.How cool would that be: parking your open convertible in some hip street, then casually pressing the remote button to shut the roof as you walk away. Of course, with my luck, it wouldn't work.But, honestly, the roof is simplicity itself. Just press a button on the top of the windscreen and the boot lifts, the roof splits into three sections, various flaps extend, motors and hydraulics do their thing, the side windows go up and down — it's like a robotic ballet.Luggage space is 440 litres when the roof is in place, and 205 litres when it's folded down. So you need to packlight for the wind-in-the-hair option.The open-air TwinTop joins quite a family of European-made Astra models: hatchback, wagon and coupe, with engines in 1.8, 1.9, 2.0 and 2.2-litre sizes, fuelled by petrol or diesel.It's the dearest of the bunch, more than twice the price of the entry-level Astra CD hatchback. That's understandable, as the engineering and packaging involved must have been quite a challenge.It's a big step ahead of Holden's previous Astra convertible, which appeared in 2001. That was the traditional sort, using a fabric roof.Like the TwinTop, it had a 2.2-litre engine, but the new car has a more advanced fuel-injection system (shared with the sporty SRi hatchback and coupe), improving power and torque.This powerplant — developing 110kW, compared with just 90kW in base-model Astras — has the TwinTop scooting along happily, easily overcoming the extra weight of the roof system and the reinforcing added to make the open car feel reassuringly solid.The car I drove had the optional four-speed transmission, which didn't seem to impede its progress, though life would be sweeter if Holden offered the six-speed it reserves for the diesel Astra.No matter, because the TwinTop is zippy enough, and with the roof up it looks and feels like a coupe: solid and secure.Retractable hardtops like this are becoming so widespread — VW's Eos has just arrived, and a Ford Focus is on the way — they're practically the conventional type these days.Maybe pretty soon we'll even be able to operate them without having to read the handbook.