Buyers Looking To Get A Lot Of Car For Their Money Can’t Do Much Better Than The Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Club. By Andy Enright…
It’s common knowledge that the best way to defray serious depreciation when buying a new car is to plump for a value model residing near the bottom of the range. The problem with that course of action is that it’s usually about as fulfilling as an all-you-can-eat baked bean buffet. Luckily, there are a few entry level models which can offer a more satisfying menu. The Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Club is a case in point.
Priced from £13,915, the Club is a mid-level Astra model pitched above the basic Expression and the Life but below the sporting SXi. A quick perusal of the price list, however, doesn’t do the Astra any great favours, its price nudging close to that of Volkswagen’s Golf 1.4 FSi S. As you may well appreciate, bald figures can be misleading. Specify the Volkswagen up to the Astra’s trim level and you’d be looking at a vastly more expensive car. We’re not just talking about niceties either.
The Astra is fitted with air conditioning and alloy wheels which, if added to a Golf, will tack more than £1,100 onto the price of the Volkswagen. Even when residual factors are taken into account, it’s not difficult to see where the smart money goes. Kit like curtain airbags, body coloured addenda and audio controls on the steering wheel isn’t universally common at this price point.
With 90bhp at your command in what is a fairly heavyweight body, the Astra 1.4-litre Club isn’t what we’d describe as a fireball but the sensible gearing and refined nature of the engine make it a car that you won’t feel inclined to flog within an inch of its life. Should you choose to do just that, you’ll be able to return a sprint to 60mph of 13 seconds and a top speed of 106mph. Of more relevance to most customers will be the 44.8mpg overall fuel consumption figure and the 151g/km of CO2 that’s emitted from the tailpipe every kilometre. Peak torque of 96/lb ft is reached at 4,000rpm so although you will need to rev the engine to maintain decent progress, your ears aren’t punished as a result.
"It’s not difficult to see where the smart money goes"
The torsion beam rear suspension of the Astra bestows a number of benefits. Being very compact, it allows rear passengers to snuggle down that little bit lower and in turn gave the stylists the opportunity to pen a sweeping roof line for the five-door car that’s a good deal sassier than most of its boxy rivals. That said, this sort of suspension system has in the past gained a reputation for being a little crude but the installation in the Astra brings new technology to the game and it’s very impressive. While it can’t match the multi-link arrangements of the Golf and the Focus when driven at ten tenths, it’s a good deal quieter at ’normal’ speeds, contributing to the 1.4 Club’s big car feel.
The five door hatch and estate variants are the sole body options but Vauxhall has tweaked the Astra’s cosmetics a little, with sharper-looking front and rear lights, a revised front bumper, more chrome splashed about the grille and the choice of piano black or matt chrome interior finishing.
Clever packaging and a long wheelbase have helped to maximise the Astra’s interior space, helped in no small part by the fact that the exterior tale of the tape shows the Astra is one of the biggest cars in its class. That sloping roofline looks as if it’ll pinch rear headroom but look a little closer and you’ll notice the sloping line that catches the eye is but a chamfer and the actual roofline arcs higher. Rear headroom is in fact better than the outgoing car and legroom and shoulder room is in another league. The luggage bay isn’t the largest and there is some intrusion by the suspension turrets and a relatively small aperture caused by the angled tail lights but 1270 litres of room with the seats folded down and 350 with them in place isn’t bad. Better still, the estate increases these capacities to 1550 and 570 litres. If it’s ultimate space you’re after, it may well be better to opt for the versatile Zafira mini-MPV. Vauxhall’s product design philosophy is now able to bear fruit, a range of practical MPV style cars allowing the designers to make the hatches that little bit sleeker.
Interior quality will be a revelation if all you’re used to is ‘old Vauxhall’. Even lined up next to a Golf, the Astra 1.4-litre Club can hold its head high, the soft touch plastics and the stylish silver centre console looking a good deal more chi-chi than the Volkswagen’s rather sombre finishes. Chrome ringed dials brighten the instrument binnacle and the front of the Astra feels airy despite its comparatively high waistline.
The Astra 1.4-litre Club is a car all but the most unreconstructed badge snobs should put on their very short list. Excellent build quality, neat design, a refined and well mannered powerplant, keen pricing and excellent vehicle dynamics all come to the fore. Some may write the car off due to its perceived proximity in price to some premium rivals but the Astra offers a lot more equipment and is built to last. Even if you don’t want to belong to any club that will have you as a member, you may owe it to yourself to try this one.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Club
PRICE: £13,915 - £15,850 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 151g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 13s/ Max Speed 106mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 44.8mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5-door] length/width/heightmm: 4249/2030/1460