Family car review: Opel Astra 1.6 diesel saloon

Ever thought to yourself that your old family saloon, practical as it is, is just too dull and boring for your young, fun loving family and it’s time to spice things up? Many Irish Mums have been there, but never fear, German car brand Opel has the answer! Enter the Astra saloon, a practical medium sized family car with a massive boot like the Toyota Corolla, but with a large dose of style and sophistication mixed in which is sure to cause chatter in the school car park.

 

The classy Opel Astra saloon is a sensibly priced and handsome looking family car which is an alternative option for Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus buyers. There’s a lot about the car to please both Mum and Dad. Mum will appreciate how easy it is to drive and the space for the family, while Dad will love its sporty looks and all of the technology on board, along with the smooth diesel engine.

 

In the back there is a large bench seat which sits high off the floor and will seat three growing teenagers. Smaller kids get a great view out the side windows, while taller adolescents will appreciate the generous space for their legs.   A clever ski hatch fitted to the middle of the rear bench creates an opening into the boot and is perfect for carrying long items like flat pack furniture.

 

 

 

 

Behind the wheel the dashboard looks quite cool, and on the Elite model we drove you can adjust the colour of the dials between red and white, along with pre setting features like the ‘follow me home’ headlights which stay on after you lock the car so you can put the key in the door of the house easily. For those unfamiliar with Opel in recent years, the big news is that the interior quality has taken a step forward. In the Astra everything feels much more solid these days and the instruments have a luxurious soft feel to them.

 

Our car was fitted with a super ‘Navi 950’ touchscreen which, apart from the sat nav allows drivers to pair their smart phone and select someone to call without touching the phone at all. A full range of media streaming options are also available, you can play music from your phone, an MP3 player or an SD card.

 

Prices start at just €19,995 for the 1.4 litre petrol model which may suit low mileage drivers (8,000 kilometres per year or less). Most though will prefer the diesel version which does up to 75 miles per gallon on motorway drives, costs €180 per year to tax and with prices starting at just €22,495. Our leather clad model is well worth the €25,745 price tag it commands in our opinion – the seats are really comfortable and importantly much easier to clean then cloth ones.

 

 

Is there lots of storage space?

Mums will love the big, square boot which is deep enough to take a double buggy or something which is similarly awkward to load. At 470 litres it is bigger than the Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus luggage compartments, and much closer in size to the boot of a larger car. In the cabin there are large door bins and a deep centre armrest storage box, along with lots of space for a mobile phone and a couple of cup holders which don’t get in the way of any of the buttons. The only disappointment is the glove box – it’s quite pokey.

 

Is parking easy?

The saloon version is not much longer than the hatch back model, so Mums with nervous parking syndrome (okay, we made that disorder up, but you know what we mean!) won’t find it any easier to squeeze into a spot at the school or in an underground car park. The side mirrors are quite large and the bonnet relatively short and you can add a set of front and rear parking sensors from the options list for just €250. These sensors can be turned on and off from the dashboard.

 

What about safety?

The Astra compares well to other similar cars in the safety stakes. Alongside its five star Euro Ncap safety rating, it achieved an 84% child protection score, which is higher than the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla. Protection for front mounted rear facing child seats was also deemed to be excellent. Unfortunately the base model does without hill start assist, a feature we like a lot which helps drivers ensure they don’t stall the car leaving junctions or starting off on inclines.

 

Is it baby friendly?

There’s two ISOFIX mounts in the rear on the outer seats, and the front passenger air bag can also be disabled so a newborn child can ride upfront with Mum if you wish.  Head space in the rear of the car is adequate but not as generous as what you will find in an MPV, however the door openings are wide enough to lift a baby seat into the back without having to turn it sideways. The wide opening boot also means buggies are easy to lift in and out.