I laud my 2012 Vauxhall Astra 2.0 CDTi and have owned it for just over ten years. In my opinion, it has the best build quality compared to its predecessors and successors and in our case has shown excellent reliability.
Bought as a category D write-off in 2014, it had a nearside driveshaft replacement so that I could drive it home and luckily, passenger wing and wheel liner were scavenged off a similar model at the yard where I bought it.
In the early years, the idling was at times erratic which was solved by one Vauxhall main dealer; a puncture was repaired with the tyre eventually replaced. It still wears one of the original Continental tyres on the rear which will be replaced before the next MOT. Rear pads have been replaced – three times I think, with one set of rear brake discs for its most recent MOT and that is in addition to oil and filter changes. Everything works although the driver’s sunvisor snapped off years ago. The front door bottoms have rust scabbing around the sealant that Vauxhall did attempt to rectify but admitted that the lurgy would reappear. Still achieving over 50 mpg on the combined cycle, it deserves respect although you do get diesel whiff that into the cabin at lower speeds. At present, it is the tip car with rear seats flattened and cardboard lined until it waits for its yearly valet – when the weather warms up.
It has covered over 83K miles, still on its original cambelt which I have inspected. At £160 yearly tax, it’s cheap to run and 165bhp is plenty of power even fully laden. I wouldn’t sell it because compared to most new products, it’s still maintainable by myself and it is the true British Astra – built at Ellesmere Port no less. You’ll know what I mean if you have seen the new Vauxhall Astra – enough said !
Words and photo are copyright of Sotiris Vassiliou
March 2025
