Vauxhall Astra 1.8i convertible

Advantages: Excellent value for money
Disadvantages: Not particularly fast for a 1.8i, crap dealership service

...car brand new from City Vauxhall of Chichester. Not only did I get 0% finance but the lovely Katy at City Vauxhall eventually met my demands on price and knocked 10% off the list price! The Astra handles well and seems to enjoy the way I throw it round bends. It is fitted with traction control although I havent quite been able to fathom out what it's supposed to do... the wheels still spin when pulling off quickly from the lights in thw wet. talking ...
...was burned out by a Vauxhall Agila for gods sake! Its quite understandable really given that with the weight of the motors for the hood and the aircon etc it is actually a rather heavy car. The most important part of a cabriolet though is the hood, and the Astra hood is excellent quality thick Mohair. The inside lining is dark grey so no chance of getting it dirty like you find in so many convertibles. In fact, with the hood up you would be hard ... Read review

Advantages: a fairly cheap but expensive looking car, that the family can ride in, in comfort
Disadvantages: We had a few teething problems when the car first came out a year and a half ago, but nothing was major

I own a new reg europa blue convertible, and the very first thing that will strike you will be the colour, that's even before you look inside! The colour is striking, even with the roof up on a rainy winter day people will still stop and stare. When you open the car doors, you will be amazed at how much space there really is inside (I have 3 kids sitting in the back), also if you choose a light leather it will seem brighter and bigger inside. There ...
...back, and it makes for a very comfortable ride. The added extras are few, as the car comes fairly loaded as it is, which of course makes it more desirable. For added comfort the sports front seats which are heated keep you feeling snug as you turn the corners, so you feel safe. The roof at first worried me, with it not being a 'normal one', but as you run your hands over it, you can feel all the roll bars under the cloth. Also you can go from driving ... Read review

Advantages: nice looker
Disadvantages: pile of junk

I owned the convertable in 1996 from brand new - after a delivery wait of 8 months when initially told 4 to 8 weeks which was my first niggle with the dealership I personally think for a supposedly hand built car this was a pile of junk after 6 months the plastic roof tonneau cover clips had broken and the cover went flying down the M56 the drivers seat fell apart whilst driving - the back / base pin had sheard the plastic filler cap cover had broken ...
...totally differnt shade of blue and the dealer had actually fitted it and couldnt see my problem to actually drive the car was ok and handled pretty well the cd player was pretty good the cassette player chewed tapes endlessly the car looked stunning but the hood was bit of a pain to operate manually - go for the automatic on the 2.0 - you also get a good set of alloys on that model as opposed to the steel on the 1.8 plenty of legroom for driver ... Read review

Advantages: EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY CAR
Disadvantages: LACKS POWER BUT IS MODIFIABLE

...two problems, it took inchcape vauxhall about 7 visits of my car to find the problem with the fuel system which ended up being a total system replacement, they were a lot quicker with the central locking but that also was a complete replacement. The astra is a good and very reliable car other than that i have had no problems in the past 18 months and i have found it very good on feul costs. This is one of the most comfortable cars i have driven ...
...car and released a lot of power by fitting an induction kit, custom exhaust and a superchip. at first i found the car to be a bit slugish but with these simple mods i have released a lot of power and it stands up against bigger cars now. I have also lowered the car and fitted bigger alloys and now the handling is excellent it really grips the road. in conclusion i have found this the best car i have owned and for a very resonable price, i would ... Read review

Advantages: Looks, Handling, Price
Disadvantages: Performance is very poor, Pretty unmodifiable

I have an N Reg Astra Convertible. It's a great looking car and the power hood is well cool. The main fault is the power is seriously lacking. It has a 1.6i engine (single injector) and 8 valves. The book quotes it as an un-awesome 56 brake horse power at around 3200rpm (if I remember correctly) This leads to a 'heavy' feeling when moving off or trying to overtake, in fact any time when it is necessary to gain speed. Don't get me wrong, the car ...
...can throw it round corners at speeds that would leave most cars rapped around a tree...excellent. However, don't plan to buy this car if you are looking to make it go faster. I have taken advice on this from several sources and always been informed that because it is a convertible, the chassis is strengthened enough for the power of the car as it is. Any major modifications could lead to warping or cracking the cassis and this can only be bad news. ... Read review