Overview of the Holden Astra
Astra is one of the most recognised nameplates in Australia - and at one point this was one of the General Motors empire's biggest markets for the small car. The original Astra was simply a rebadged Nissan Pulsar before Holden adopted the Opel Astra from 1993 onwards. Holden dropped the Astra for a number of years after it added the Cruze small car to local production alongside the Commodore. The model returned as an Opel for just a year before GM's German brand was scared away by the highly competitive local market. Holden then imported sporty, three-door versions of the Astra (the GTC and VXR) before late 2016 saw the arrival of the sixth-generation Astra.
HOLDEN ASTRA GENERATIONS (SINCE 1998)
1998-2005
2004-2010
2012-2013 (Opel)
2015-2016
2016-present
RUNNING COSTS
Fuel Consumption
1.4L 4-cylinder turbo petrol: 5.8 to 6.1 litres per 100km
1.6L 4-cylinder turbo petrol: 6.3 to 6.5 litres per 100km
1.6L 4-cylinder turbo petrol (2016 GTC): 6.9 to 7.5 litres per 100km
2.0 L 4-cylinder turbo petrol (2016 VXR): 8.0 litres per 100km
= Highly economical.
= Good economy.
= Average fuel use.
= Heavy consumption.
Servicing
Lifetime capped price servicing program. Every 15,000km or 9 months, whichever is sooner. Each service currently costs between $229 and $1131 (depending on age or kilometres of vehicle). Holden Astra parts and equipment can be found on Gumtree.
SIMILAR MODELS TO HOLDEN ASTRA
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: HOLDEN ASTRA (2004-2010)
Dodgy electricals are a real Astra biggie. So check the operation of everything from the air-conditioning to the hazard flashers.
Both the 1.8-litre and turbo-diesel engines needed new timing belts every 60,000km. The water pump and pulleys should also have been changed at the same time. Many owners didn't bother. Water pumps can fail and lead to overheating.
The diesel engine can develop a build-up of soot in the intake manifold, blocking the swirl valves and leading to poor fuel economy and performance. In some cases the whole manifold needed replacement.
Automatic transmissions use an external cooler that can fail, allowing coolant into the gearbox. Any milkiness in the transmission fluid suggests this is the case but damage will already be done.
Astras can also leak oil and this is often the precursor to the engine starting a downward condition spiral. Work out where the car is parked overnight and check for oil spots.