MK4 Astras...??

[mattblack]

...Are they really that bad?

 

O/H runs around in a MK3 Astra low-blow diesel estate, which we've had for 4 years. Now I hate the thing with a passion... no power unless you rag the nuts off it, seats that feel like 2 bits of plywood screwed together, vauge and dead feeling steering... plus at the last MOT I was advised that it would soon need new discs and front struts... BUT it's a very useful tat-hauling wagon, and since the O/H has a 'thing' for Astra estates (it's the third one we've had) I was thinking of getting a MK4. But going by the comments on another thread, they are not rated too highly...

 

So are they that bad? or has anyone got any suggestions for an alternative?

[Guest]

I thought they were meant to be pretty good! People on the Internet need to calm down a bit, MK4 Astras are alright really (unless it's a diesel and the pump goes).

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I like em. But, dont take my word for it, wait for Cavette to come and give you the lowdown!

[Lord Sterling]

Driven a few of these Mk4s. I do like them and I dont think they are as bad as made out (Then again, I've not owned one)

 

Apart from the horrible seats they do drive pretty well.

[greengartside]

I just had a bad experience with my Mk4. I can't really say they are all like that if I'm honest as I only have ever driven that one, but I had HGF, broken manifold, oil leaks, two sets of brakes, coil pack and the alternator go in the space of 12 months!

[Albert Ross]

Brake pipes rot, steering racks leak, 8V engines eat EGR Valves, 16V engines go through cambelts, (40k max) Water pumps on all petrols, 1.7 Diesels like to replace ECU's and have expensive injectors, they also lose oil out of the seals around the cambelt, and have been known to lose oil pump sprockets, (The 1.7's) 2.0 Diesels just kill fuel pumps and are best avoided, they also have diesel spill hose leak issues, 2.2 Petrols drop timing chains.... All models break road springs, 1.4 16V petrols have valve stem lubrication/misfire issues. Odd tyre wear, rear brakes if not serviced can stick/seize pads. Trim seems hard-wearing, if a little light coloured on some models, seats are hard, but supportive (Not the sports models, the side bolsters on the bases cut into your legs) that's not an exhaustive list, just a few things off the top of my head whilst pissed.

 

I think the previous model is a superior car personally.

 

I work at a Vauxhall dealer.

[pogweasel]

Absolute dog shit.

 

I really dislike them, proper 'lowest common denominator' motoring with very very few redeeming features.

 

Horribly uncomfortable, thrown together with the loosest attempt at quality they feel a much less well-put-together product than the previous incarnations.

Oh and the one I had long-term was despicably unreliable.

 

I thought it was just me being 'picky'. So I thought it OK when I bought 'Er Indoors a top-spec one (on gas)... within a week she'd decided that it was a case of Do Not Want.

 

My dad's got one, but he has absolutely no flair for automotive purchases, it was a cheap small automatic, and that's all that he wanted...

 

I would rather slam my knob in the fridge door or hammer tacks into my eyes than pay money for one of these hateful machines.

 

A rusty golf or early focus or even catching the bus is a much better bet.

[pogweasel]

Oh and I maintain that the electronic PAS system is downright dangerous. It can't tell the difference between spirited driving and dribbling out of a junction at 10mph.

[greengartside]

(Not the sports models, the side bolsters on the bases cut into your legs)

Dead right, my SRi's seats did that.

[Richard]

I have to say my old work's Mk4 Astras were the first fwd Vauxhalls I'd ever found acceptable to drive. They replaced one of them with a V-TEC Honda Stream, that was a car unfettered by redeeming features.

[pandamonium]

I had a 1.6 envoy as a company car - I did 73,000 miles in 2 years and it was almost unkillable*. I was gutted when they replaced it with a Mk 5 CdTi which was slower than a glacier played back on slow motion replay!

Mk4;

Mk5;

 

 

 

* I say almost - I was trying to test if you could get the engine past the rev limiter and changed down to 2nd at a highish speed. Erm... pop! The crankshaft exited stage right and Vauxhall replaced the engine under the warranty, as 'It shouldn't have gone into 2nd at that speed'. I'd told them I missed a gearchange!

[Cavcraft]

Predictable response time: the Mk4 Astra is a great car. Well built, cheap parts and mostly totally reliable. They won't win glowing praise from bagde snobs, car park know it alls or in high flying circles but thell soldier on forever. Best of the bunch is the 16V petroll engined version and the dti and early 1.7 diesels are probably to be avoided. I've had countless other cars since my last tqo Mk4s and not one has been as reliable and that inclufes and E46 BMW and the current fuck up Passat B5. My only real gripe with the Astra is the lack of interior space but as soon as I've sorted the Passat I'm going to get another Astra. Oh, the base spec models aren't exactly awe inspring inside so get a decent spec'd one if you can. Some peoplle find them all a bit uncomfprtable inside by the way but I'm 6ft 3 with a bad back and never had a problem and I allso find them far better than any of their supposed rivals in virtudlly all departmenta.

[Albert Ross]

Like you said, predictable. Ever replaced the O/S front brake pipe on one without the use of a workshop/ramp? I just get tired of seeing them limp through the door with the same old repetetive faults. There are more reliable cars out there.

[MK5 Escort]

I've had personal experience of two mk4's (both 1.6 16v's - cracking engines before they were twinported) and would happily recommend them to anyone. Neither of them ever missed a beat. Relatives who work for Vauxhall had several of them during they're production run and overall spoke pretty highly of them too. They're certainly my favourite era of Astra. Built very well, felt more spacious on the inside than it’s mk5 replacement, a decent sized boot and as I usually lean towards conservative designs - thought it was much easier on the eye than the Focus. It may not be a Focus in terms of handling, but they still grip and corner very well.

 

I know early models were recalled on rear window door rubbers, between the top of the door skin and bottom of the window. They had a habit of peeling away by the quarter-light/post thingy.

 

With regards to the front seats, unless you get a sporty model (Sport, SXi, SRi, GSi) expect the front ones to be very flat and not very supportive at all in the bends. Like a lot of modern motors, they're quite firm too. No problems with the back seats though - all come with rear head rests and the vast majority had armrests too. I had a mk5 SRi and the seats were a little 'nippy' up front on the squab. I don't honestly remember what they were like in the mk4's - it’s been years since I last sat in a sporty variant of one.

 

Personally, I thought the mk3's were universally overrated in most respects. Now that was a hateful lump of rubbish!

[Station]

They're good reliable runabouts with huge boots, they don't break, but hydraulix clutch F18 gearboxes can kill themselves, 1.8 Ecotec engines, for some reason, don't like to live beyond 60,000 miles or so, Bosch sensors need replacing everynow and then (Crank sensor), etc etc.

You're getting miles better build quality than any Ford, same build quality than a Volkswagen, etc, and cheaper than both. Vauxhall/Opel are built and checked to German quality standards (I was a quality standard inspector for Vauxhall years ago).

 

Totally depends on your elitism/snobbery towards the badge though. Your loss.

[Formula Autos]

When the Mk 4 was current I used to get a hire car one day every week, and so drove most things that size. The Astra wasn't too bad, but would have probably been well down my shopping list had I been looking for a brand new family car at the time - the Focus, Golf and Corolla all seemed better to me. Still, it always did the job and seemed to come with decent engines - the later Twin Port 1.6s especially.

 

Though all this was gleaned from occasionally driving one for a day. As for reliability .......