Ubiquitous Astra G (Mk4)

[I_am_Diesel]

I have just acquired a 51 plate Astra G (mK4) in diesel van flavour. Whilst it isn't the most exciting vehicle I own it's in reasonable condition for it's age and it motors along quite nicely although I feel like I'm driving a tunnel. It is much nicer to drive than my previous Combo and I'm look forward to some epic mpg.

 

Anyway, since the van came on the scene I have become a little more aware of its brethren and I have noticed that there are still loads of Astra G/Mk4 on the roads. Hatchbacks, estates, vans, coupes and even the odd saloon (Belmont stylee!!!) The one's I have seen cover the whole age range and in both petrol and diesel !!! They are all over the place. How come so many have survived? Did GM make a mistake and produce a car built to last?

 

Additionally, in a previous employment we had a small fleet of the diesel estates and they were reliable but I have noticed and the same goes with my van, they all smell the same inside. I can't describe it but as soon as I got a whiff inside the van I was taken back to those estates of a few years ago.

 

Before anybody else says it.... AL VOXHALS R SHYTE

[Rusty_Rocket]

Plenty still out there because they're essentially well built, cheap to run, reliable and easy to get parts for.  Rust protection is very good too.  Mk3 was the same, as was the mk2 before it!  Most get scrapped when they finally hole their sills or get tatty and because values are so low, it's cheaper to buy a newer example.

Not sure the Astra-H and J will be the same, however.

[Guest Lord Sward]

Astra H only went out of production last month.

 

Any Astra built in Ellesmere Port should have a body good for 12 years such was the quality.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Those Astras are indestructible, proper tough old things. Mega well built.

[phil_lihp]

Agreed, I drove a very hard worked 1.7TD estate for 4 years in a previous job. It was mostly reliable save for a few age/mileage-related problems. Comfortable, nice to drive and cheap to run, they're not as well finished as a Focus but less prone to rust and niggly faults.

 

I was rather less impressed with my mk4 coupe but it wasn't the best example to start with. It was a good looking car, especially in sunburst orange, if a bit dreary inside.

[Hendry]

The sheer volume built and thus sold, decent rust resistance, parts availability and cheapness, they are almost Jap like in the sense of being well built and reliable but just drab as fuck and with durable but sleep inducing interiors, my 52 plate 1.6 Comfort was sold only because it was so boring and when it went at 8 years old and 86K miles only rust was on the rear arch lips because Vauxhall still haven't learned and have arch lips that trap dirt which gets moist and causes rust, my Astra mk3 and mk5 were the same so clearly 14years research and development taught them nothing.

 

Infact my mk4 is still going strong at 12 years old, looks like its half that age and has done 115K miles on pretty much original everything, only issues with it and subsequently every other mk4 1.6 petrol is burning oil due to worn valve stem seals, and typical Vauxhall sensor foibles (EGR valve) and all Astras and Zafiras seem to at one point wear away their ignition barrel so the key wont turn and it needs replacing.

 

I think Astra Hs will last barring the 1.9s as most were on new inlet manifolds, gearboxes, EGR valves and clutch and DMFs by their 4th birthday, I had no issues on my 2005 1.8 Design which got written off at 7 years old and 75K, its been put back on the road and still going too.

 

Think the Js won't last as well, too many gadgets and electricals to go wrong, have heard of a few needing new engines and other examples of poor build and/or reliability and also have experience of their shitiness from driving them at work almost every day.

[catsinthewelder]

I'm not a big fan of Vauxhalls so the knackered ignition switch on the mk4 Ashtray that I moved at work just rubber stamped the big avoid that the badge and styling had already given to my opinion of these.  If that's the main gripe then I might have to revise my opinion to only about 80% negative.

[oman5]

we had a works van, 08 plate astra van with the 1.7 td. despite all vauxhalls being shit, I actually really enjoyed driving it- seemed to pull like a train and bloody good on fuel too. having said that I have seen loads for sale cheap with knackered engines/fuel pumps etc.  now they're cheap enough to throw away when they fuck up I'd be happy to run one.

[twosmoke300]

Astra g is a good solid motor. The petrol engines suffer from rings gumming up and blocked breathers , mainly due to lack of oil changes. Oh and the headlights are terrible to start with and yellow really badly.

[sierraman]

Never liked the astra h, drove the 1.4 and the 1.8, both absolutely lifeless, badly finished as well. That said they seem to soldier on with the minimum of maintenance so probably future shite...

[Cavcraft]

There's definitely not much to go nuts about inside the more basic Astra H models, but the one I had very recently seemed quite well built.

 

As with all Astra models though, the basic ones are just that and you really need to get to sort of SRi/Sport/SXi to have a nice interior.

I love the G, brilliant cars and very hard to go wrong with them.

Next car on my radar though is an H coupe, petrol engined probably. They're a very good looking car IMHO and I'm not expecting any major trouble from one.

[cort16]

[sierraman]

Sister in laws trying to sell her 05 coupe 1.8...

[HillmanImp]

Every single friend of mine who has had one of these has had loads of shit with them (including me).

 

I found them very nice to drive TBH, and I think it was a really good looking car. I really liked it at first but once things started going wrong it was a spiral of electrical shit and large bills. Bird had one too and hers was equally as bad, a mates electrics turned to shit it wouldn't lock one night and it got stolen (although he did do VERY well out of that as paid naff all for it from an elederly relative) and another mate had a disiesel van which would not run because the ECU was telling it not to, not because there was actually anything wrong with it which just got scrapped as it was not worth fixing.

 

Petrol engines use a shitload of oil too. Apparantly 'they all do that'. Thats fine for me who used to check my oil regulary but suspect its caught out a few unsuspecting 'Don't they check the oil at the MOT' type people.

 

However thats just my experience. Obvs some will be good some won't. My experience is just an olverwhelmingly bad one.

[Station]

Never liked the look of the 'g', but they're starting to grow on me. We had 1.7 TD estates in work (green metallic with the grey velour interior) and found them to be really solid. Would deffo upgrade my mk3 TD estate to a mk4 estate.

Everyone moaned about the ECOTEC and the gearboxes. Always liked the mk4 Bertone coupes though!

 

Unfortunately, ORL VOXORLS AER SHTI.

[Lankytim]

We had an old W reg 8v petrol 1.6 estate and loved it. Headgasket went the sunday before a holiday to Cornwall but it was piss easy to fix and IIRC thats the only real aggro we had with it. Zero rust on it too!

 

Thumbs up for the Astra G from me.

[HH-R]

I hate these things and won't be shedding a tear or losing any sleep when they're all crushed into tiny pieces. They must be tough like as they've been driven TERRIBLY since day one, now that they're scrap money you're guaranteed to have one flying up your arse in a 30 zone.

 

Can't decide whether I hate these or the Vectra C more, or which is duller. In that respect they're both winners.

[Cavcraft]

I find it's Zafiras and Merivas that seem to be piloted by 2-inches-from-your-bumper-wankers more recently.

[cort16]

I just see this when I look at them. They may be decent enough cars but they're just a generic mass market product I can't find any love for then.

 

[greengartside]

I quite like them, I had a 2.0 SRi which served me well for a year or two. I then bought a 1.6 Club estate as a project but never found the time to complete it.

 

I would seriously consider having another one, most probably in Sport or SXi spec.

[Felly Magic]

Even the Mrs wont drive one, she hates Vauxhalls even though she's never owned one

[nisfan]

not really bothered with these TBH, remember seeing the light green coloured ones, tatty as fuck, no hubcaps, some greasy mum with a billionty kidz driving it with the eco-mong engine tapping away, proper mingebag motors, the higher end ones were ok.

A picture of heaven or hell depending on your view, dropping like flies,