USED Holden/Opel Astra VXR - Common problems and should you buy one? | ReDriven used car review

[@throwyourbike]

I’ve owned one here in the UK for four years now. Zero problems. Fuel consumption is poor and front brake disc prices are extortionate but apart from that, it’s been very easy to live with.

[@vxr]

Exactly. Make sure you get good service history. I use WG Motorworks for service, change engine and gearbox oil annually. No messing with Maps etc.

[@peterbitkowski3367]

@@vxrI’ve had mine mapped by WG motorworks. No issues so far and they know what they’re doing when it comes to these cars. When I bought mine the guy said it had a tune on it already which it did but it was crap so I’m glad I went to WG motorworks for a proper stage 1 tune. I also use 5w 40 oil as its thicker and change it every year with the gearbox oil

[@jokerash]

I have one from 2013, 68300 km, zero problems. Just a battery change, was 4 years old, and car is 3rd car, only weekend drive. Changed also the servo steering oil, it was old and black, not from Kms but from age. Oil every 7000km for engine, and for gearbox every 2 engine oil (so every 14-15k kms). Zero problems. Stage 2 for 333hp on dyno, RSS intercooler, intake with 80mm pipe, and eibach lowering springs, stock absorbers. Some stainless steel 2.75" exhaust with sport cat 200 cells, straight down pipe, and gravity performance middle silencer and back silencer, sound is phenomenal.

[@andyreade5700]

I purchased one recently and extremely happy with it, I payed more for a very low 36,000 km OPC Astra, a vehicle I fell in love with seeing it occassionally parked in the Holden Elizabeth Vehicle manufacturing plant I worked at for 14+ years. I don't know the exact figure yet, but they def didn't sell in large numbers so it does stand out a bit, confidence rather than cockyness :) all over a beautiful car. A bit of history if you didnt know .... Opel is a car manufacturer in Germany that assembled the Astra and exported it to Australia and sold it badged Opel, along with 2 other vehicles, the Insignia (Eurpean car winner 2009) and the Corsa, think Barina. General Motors (USA) in the 2000's owned Opel along with Holden and others. Sales of large vehicles declined in Australia, small fuel efficient cars were the go for high fuel prices at the time. Holden came up with a plan to combat declining Commodore sales and exports, of assembling a new small vehicle in their assembly plant in Adelaide South Australia alog side the sedan, wagon, ute and LWB VE/VF's. (Then everyone got over the cost of fuel and fell in love with American 'Trucks', weird?? to drive the kidsaround in) Holden/GM decided to stop importing the Astra for a period, in favor of the dealer to sell the new locally Australian made Holden Cruze. Another great car, mainly, a car from post-GFC cost saving, of a GM, single engineering base in Germany, then assemble a 'Global' (near identical) car in 7 differnt countries, with many shared/organised part suppliers based in Korea. Opel/GM attempted to introduce a 'new' vehicle brand to Australians offering 'quality' Eurpean made cars. But Opel dealers found it way too hard and lasted only a year or so, due to the difficuty of selling cars (in Australia) to a limited market, roughly 1mil/yr, with way too many option of vehicles to purchase from. There are nolonger any big player selling lots of their vehicles to Aussies When Opel bailed and not t to miss a sale (and most likely contracts,yard stock,etc), Holden/GM changed the imported Opel Astra and Insignia vehicles to Holden-badged, with a less limited range. Ten years on, the usual run of a vehicle platform, Holden stopped making the Cruze, and returned toAstra importing, the then new model of the Opel/GM made Astra 2015 K model. Australians essentially missed out /skipped the general Astra 2009 J model. Cruze production and sales boosted and saved Holden jobs at the time, with a good base of Cruze engineers local in Melb. 10 years of parts is a standard warranty for any vehicle sold in Aus. There are many Holden owners facing a similar predicament of parts. But I'm sure to buy parts for an imported over 10 year old Eurocar may be challenging and expensive. I purchased one recently with very low kms, and it's an incrreidle vehicle to own and drive, crap paint job from factory, front bars too low and scraps everywhere and not built to handle it (knocks the front fender to headlights gap ) But the power, beauty and build quality is excellent, seats hug like no tommorow through endless glue corning and G force braking. The german OPC engineers, I believe, were given a very considerable budget to enhance the standard Astra to compete with Focus GT, Megane, etc, a hard challenge that a low budget chrome trim, wheels, new colour upgrades could not achieve. With such a decent budget, and a vast selection of GM minds and products, they produced an exceptional vehilce that to me is a superb example of the one of the best styled and engineered gems to own in Australia Of cource in 10-20 years it would be handy to have a second for spares ;) Maintain any vehicle, don't stuff with what a massive team of highly paid engineers who have spent months rigoursly testing it in the lab/on/off road. Cheap mods will likely make your vehicle less fuel efficient, and potentially less safe eg the tire they come with are the best suited to that vehicle, the exhaust suits the engine, etc

[@TheWhiteLightningOPC]

I own the Astra OPC! What a great car! The owners are the problem…This car isn‘t made for much tuning at all. In 2012 this power (280/400)was HUGE!!! Back in 2012 it was overpowerd enough. It was 2012 and a Hot Hatch had this power? It still has the same power the current Focus ST and I30N Modells have. We are 12 years older now. It is one of the best old school Hot Hatches on the Market 👌🏻 Love from 🇩🇪

[@TassieLorenzo]

Honestly I'd rather have Megane RS. The drivetrain is pretty solid with the newer stronger PK4 gearbox compared to older models, the only thing that really breaks is the transmission mount -- most of the other stuff that breaks is silly stuff like thermostats, clutch dampeners, door pull handle, leaks etc. I can't imagine the owner group is all that different to Vauxhall/Opel/Holden owners, the Megane RS seems to have a really great owners group around it. Not saying the Megane RS250-275 is the perfect car, it has problems like a rough engine, inexplicably designed switchgear etc (a lot of Frenchness), but you can buy one for 30-40% of the price of an FK2 Civic Type R yet in terms of on-the-limit driving the Megane is just as good, if not slightly better in some ways -- that is some value! 🙂

[@peterbitkowski3367]

If you get it tuned by a reputable tuner that knows what their doing their fine, mines running 310+ bhp at the flywheel and had no issues with it as of yet

[@MattCaseyFun]

I've got a 2013 Astra OPC, it's a fantastic car. Nothing has gone majorly wrong yet so that's probably why I think it's still a good car lol. Quick enough and handles stupidly well

[@A16LES]

its a very good Car, the Video is very very bad

[@JamesBond-uj5re]

How many kilometers have you got on it now?

[@MattCaseyFun]

@@JamesBond-uj5re 124000 and nothing major has gone wrong which is good

[@JamesBond-uj5re]

@@MattCaseyFun Sounds good to me so far. May I ask after how many kilometers you always serviced the car?

[@MattCaseyFun]

@@JamesBond-uj5re I do it every 10,000 kms

[@2007seno]

My previous car before my current 2014 Holden VF SSV was a 2013 Opel OPC in the hero colour Arden Blue. One of the most underrated euro hot hatches ever produced. The styling, seats etc never had a problem with it. 500+ nm of torque this car is a weapon. But I missed having a V8. Nothing wrong with it and in fact I actually miss this car tbh wish I still had it

[@rambolambo007]

My v8 addicted brain is saying you upgraded to the vf but my hot hatch loving euro side completely gets what you're saying. My dad has had alfas and Peugeots for years and never had any problems

[@SpecializedRider1986]

The mechanic couldn't be more wrong about the engines. The engines are actually incredibly reliable and have no common issues. The gearbox is the weakest part of the car with the synchro hub ring wearing excessively and quickly. Other than the engines being thirsty I've not met anyone who's had a chain snap or turbo issues.

[@Sean-s2w]

I agree, absolutely nothing wrong with these cars. I’ve had mine for 5 years now and it’s never missed a beat, misleading videos such as this give these cars a bad rep.

[@gerardcrabb4556]

Mainly was talking about modified cars...

[@mishellafortune912]

Mine is only 45000 K's and already has drive shaft/ cv joint issues

[@rockingmaniac1808]

I've had a astra H GTC and OPC. Now got a Astra J GTC - 1.4 T. The car just rides amazingly. Love it as a daily :-)

[@EnvyCT9A]

I've always had good luck with Astras, I'm onto my third that being an OPC. First (and first car ever) is an AH with 180k kms on with the only significant problems being worn shocks and the valve cover with the weird diaphragm going (still have the car, going strong). 2nd was a GTC J with the 1.4L, previous owner missed history but once I fixed the issues it was an absolute dream. I bought the OPC because the 1.4L didn't have enough power. Bought the OPC knowing the gearbox needed fixing, but now it is its just so nice to drive and it has the power I want to navigate dogwater traffic in Melbourne. Took it on its first road trip to Adelaide and back and it was just excellent. Kinda weird to suggest the Astra is poor for reliability then recommend looking at Renault tho

[@Ce0ammer]

He rants about the Renault in the Megane video and the VW in the Golf video. So the suggestions are just a different source of unreliability. Seems like piston and turbo failures are more common on the Opel though.

[@EnvyCT9A]

@@Ce0ammer Guess so. Also Jim at the end saying "actually, the engines are pretty good just get the timing chain/guides changed" kinda goes against the rant too that its all bad stay away.

[@sleepyheadoutsho2656]

I am from South Africa and i drive this 😂😂 1. The pipes in the engine bay don’t last and they cost a fortune. 2. Heavy, heavy, heavy. 3. The stock sound system is one of the best. 4. The reverse parking sensors seem to not work when it’s pouring with rain 😩 5. Never leave it in the sun for more than 48hrs as the roof lining will start sagging 💯 (Left it in the sun while waiting for pipe to be delivered). 6. The seat are comfortable, but the leather 😪😫

[@mahcooharper9577]

Used to be a service manager at a Holden dealership back in the day and Astras were all the same. Nice little cars, feel solid and like they're good value. Some of the older ones even feel like poor man's BMWs. Unfortunately they're always giving trouble and nightmarish to own. If they were reliable, they'd be great cars.

[@Ce0ammer]

If they were well painted it wouldn't be an Opel.

[@CheapBastard1988]

Yes, after someone I know had a 1997 Opel Tigra, I never wanted an Opel. Especially after working on it. And that car was bought from the first owner with very low milage when it was only 8 years old. What an endless moneypit. They sold it on years ago, but it had headgasket failures, rust problems, automatic gearbox glitches, electric sunroof failures, and heater fan problems. And the prices for parts were insane in the Netherlands (€1000 for a sunroof mechanism and even more for a gearbox selector switch). Now I'm more open because some years and models from Opel can be fine, but those are usually boring models like the Corsa with a tiny engine. In which case, I'd prefer a Ford Fiesta anyway. I was hoping this Astra would be one of those hidden gems, but I'll pass.

[@larry3847]

Yes! Thanks for doing this video, I requested this a while ago. As a former owner myself, these drive really well but are indeed plagued with engineering issues, however, with a good service history/ owner these cars can be good value for money. Keep up the good work

[@davidperry3531]

I remember when these were sold by Holden and although they were expensive at the time, they looked good - hot hatch performance and plenty of equipment but when Holden were trying to push them out the door, buyers would have reaped thousands of $$$ discount. It certainly is a good looking car but the mechanical reports are not good. It's just a reminder how GM ruined another brand in Opel, same as SAAB, Holden any many model names and they still have the gall to import their trucks into this country.

[@asimoford4994]

Well, GM has kind of improved honestly at least in terms of build quality, they address their problems fast now. Customer satisfaction has improved vastly....

[@bogdanshchekin729]

I got the mid spec Holden when they were in runout it was good car but spent more time at a dealer fixing shit than driving it

[@lukeclifton4392]

@@asimoford4994GM quality is disgusting, as can be seen in the Holden products 2yrs up until shutdown (excluding commodore). I haven’t seen any customer satisfaction ratings your referring too… but I have heard that the Chev Silverado rates as the poorest in the medium to large Ute segment for reliability and customer satisfaction. I’m certain too that GM is facing major quality issues in the US as well.

[@alphatrion100]

Stellantis is even worse

[@jfpk114]

I had one of these for 3 years back in the day, never let me down or had a problem but maintenance is an absolute must. All grown up now and have an Insignia Sports Tourer with 243k on the clock. Again, with solid maintenance and servicing too the day these Opel's will last. Deceptively quick cars, very comfortable and not too expensive to run. Can't see why I can't get another 100k out of it.

[@lancegraham7722]

Astras always were built well, however, mechanically they did fall apart quite early. Wife had an AH and at 80k, ac compressor dies, micro switches fail, timing belt every other year, bad tyre wear, bad plastics randomly breaking due to the Aussie sun and piss poor paint quality. Apart from that they were quiet and drove nice.

[@lukeclifton4392]

100% the AC compressor will fail😮… but also servotronic steering rack, ECU are common expensive failures.

[@1CatSitter]

I had an AH vxr bought with 44,000km didn’t service it much. Sold it with 123,000. I didn’t have many issues. Just small stuff like battery etc.

[@michaelhart5886]

So how were they well built then from the above mentioned issues

[@csjrogerson2377]

You cant cant they were well built BUT mechanically fell apart (as you looked at them). Their mechanical reliability, performance, repairability is all part of being well built. Eg, They are well built but the engines fail, the suspension and steering are shit, the electrics catch fire, the doors don't fit and fall off and the gearboxes spread pieces all over the road. See what I mean?

[@1CatSitter]

@@csjrogerson2377 bro I pushed mine to the absolute limit, never had issues. I also didn’t service it

[@RebelRickB1971]

I've had mine for 10 years. 42k on clock, no issues. Does eat brake pads, tyres last long time but i dont rally it and it has full vauxhall service history. No issues and still a head turner.

[@VXZTO]

Sadly, had to deal with the gear box going on me (common with this car), BUT, nonetheless, it is an incredible car and I have had no regrets of owning it, absolutely love it.

[@bundy26]

Regarding the 2.0 Ecotec and issues, I had my 2011 Buick Regal 2.0 T with the LHU version (220 HP). I put 90,000 miles before I passed it on to my stepson, which he destroyed in 2 months of ownership (totaled), and the only issue I ever experienced was with the VVT Solenoid. It happened at 70,000 miles. Once I replaced both solenoids, the car was perfect again. Btw, I babied that car from day one.

[@TBD_Teebs]

A mate of mine bought a 2013 Opel Astra OPC late last year. 120k kms, a decent service history (Though previous owner was a young bloke who didn't know too much about cars as his Dad helped him out), he paid around $13k. No real issues bar a few maintenance things we're sorting (Brakes, Tyres, service). It's a neat little car. I have driven it a fair bit, and even being the owner of an i30N, I can appreciate how the car drives and looks, and the value proposition these days. The cost and availability of replacement parts and aftermarket mods however, is quite poor. A lot of stuff needs to be bought from the UK, and shipping costs can add up.

[@froggy0162]

I run an Alfa and a Renault and I buy all my parts from Europe. Even with shipping, the costs are far lower than buying parts locally and far cheaper than Japanese car parts.

[@scott-wright]

@@froggy0162I buy all my parts for my Subaru from Dubai. All genuine and sometimes a qtr of the price of buying from a dealer.

[@DD-fp9dg]

I have a subsequent model, the rsv one. Less powerful, but still very zippy (0-100 in the low 6 in sports mode). Spear parts are still widely available up to 2030.

[@warpspeed9877]

Τhe best hot-hatch of that era. Superb design, excellent road-holding, fast, comfy and safe. Only possible issue is the gearbox. NOTHING ELSE.

[@TheStigHCE09]

Golf GTI I get as being a little bit too boring (or disappointing as Adam puts it) but 3MPS and Focus ST? Nah. The 3MPS is a bloody handful in the most entertaining way possible (until shit breaks, of course) and the Focus ST has one of the most lively rear ends a front-driver could have. These Astras and the Insignia VXR have always been a big guilty pleasure of mine, though.

[@faaaaarq]

I've had my 2015 Holden vxr for nearly 9 years now and have put almost 100k on the clock now. I put an order in soon as I heard they were re-releasing the OPC as a Holden after not having them here for a few years after opel was withdrawn from Aus in 2013. Had a series 2 ve manual wagon before hand. I absolutely love it. Only a few things I've had to do so far are the vvt solenoids and gearbox oil change for the common noises (now will be doing this every second service). Will mention the dreaded seat release is getting a tad harder to use. Other than that all I would say that you didn't mention was that the dual mass flywheel is quite noisy which can be quite annoying. One other thing is I did put a Tesla style radio in I'm still unsure if I should have done that yeah it's nice and cleans the dash up nicely but they are slow and clunky so the jury is still out on that one.

[@DarkaArtist]

This car is always hated on the car is bang on, you take care of it and it will take care of you

[@souldrummer818]

My wife got 2016 vxr drives it everyday to work, I drive it hard on weekends, it’s never missed a beat mechanic was very hard on this, simple don’t modify them.

[@grahamherbert3612]

The mechanic just doesn't like working on them. I've owned a 2014 example for 5 years, apart from a few bulbs, a clutch, and consumables, It's been rock solid.

[@dar1020]

Yep ....ezy jobs and ezy moneys are preferred...that's what happens when there are ppl with no jobs and ppl with too much job...they become spoiled and money hungry!

[@snakedoctor3319]

I'm on my second Astra J VXR here in the UK. There is really not much around that does what it does better . It is a fantastic GT, and a bit of a thug in a suit. Service it and don't mod it and it will serve you forever.

[@amarhadzovic7299]

After the Astra, it would be lovely to see the 13'-17' Insignia OPC/VXR

[@jaymartin767]

Yes agree. I requested it a while ago ... I hope.they do one.

[@georgepappas4628]

This video brings back memories as I worked for a dealer group years ago that got an Opel licence. The dealer principal was building a brand new showroom, and they were trading out of shipping containers until it got built. The funny thing was that GM pulled the pin on Opel the week the new showroom was completed. In the 9 months the group had the franchise, the amount of problems they had was extraordinary for the small amount that were sold. We also had a Honda franchise, and the Honda mechanics would refuse to work on them as they were difficult to work on. Just another GM stuff up 😂😂

[@theairstig9164]

People are claiming GM will direct sell the Lyriq to Australians this year. Never forget that GM shat all over Australians, shat on the dealers (small win, no sympathy for the stealerships) and walked away with $190M in tax payer funds. They will do it again at the first chance

[@pz189]

Great review mate 👍 I'm considering one of these at the moment and this is the best and most real-world applicable one I've seen by far!

[@CalebNichols99]

Did you end up purchasing an model? I'm also looking at the GTC Sport and been looking around for reviews and so on. Very interested and would love to hear your thoughts.

[@renechong1513]

I had the holden gtc turbo(one grade below this) and loved it! If it wasnt for the need for a larger vehicle, i would still have it. Stuck to the road and drifts of gravel beautifly 😅

[@mateok15]

This is by far best looking hothach.

[@twentyfoursevensmoke]

Going for like 3-5k here in the UK Quite a bit of fun for the price

[@TheSpitzy24]

I've got a '13 OPC myself (profile pic as proof 😂), done about 10K km in just under a year. Has been a great car for the most part, but has had a few (self-inflicted) clutch issues, have also had to replace the engine mounts and front brakes on both sides. Great cars for the price, but parts availability is gonna be the main problem. Also, make sure it's been serviced on time, ESPECIALLY the transmission; they tend to go if they aren't serviced on time.

[@Ce0ammer]

The things you mention are wearables though. So that's acceptable. My friends fathers Citroën surprised him with a cracked brake disc out of nowhere, then were talking.

[@180toync]

Bought mine brand new 2014 in South Africa,, sexiest looking hot hatch, nice to drive, pushing it in corners awesome, very nice seats, I absolutely loved the interior, loved the Infinity sound system BUT unreliable prone to knock, awful gearbox, paint chips, auto headlamps at times refused to switch from dipped beam to main beam, turbo issues, uneven tyre wear,,,,,,

[@RichieRouge206]

Very popular here - see a lot of Astra GTCs (as they are badged here in Blighty) but sadly a lot are loved by boy racers and have some terrible mods which ruin them. Awesome video guys

[@LikeMike592]

Had a 2015 Holden Insignia VXR and absolutely loved it, still miss it to be honest. Such an underrated car, and agree with the driving style, felt quick and luxurious especially in those seats; but you noticed the weight of the car. It did love to consume tyres and brakes (possibly driving style too) and only minor electrical gremlins which seemed to sort themselves out 🤷‍♂️

[@Ce0ammer]

Quite decent cars, the interior is not on par with Škoda or Seat though. Those GM buttons losing some color or completely pealing off all the paint.

[@1dameister1]

The problem with parts availability, that part kind of sounds very similar to my Problem in Germany (where I currently live) with my Toyota, because if I want to buy something then I have to pay a premium and all the other German Manufacturers (BMW, VW Group and so on) don't have to import parts from overseas, so theirs is cheaper.

[@JRosey777]

If your going to test this car then first you got to categories it properly! Its a 2 door coupe with manual transmission that has a hatch. Now you only have to look around and even VW dropped there manual Golf R in 2018 as Australian's hate manual, and further more they hate 2 door cars. So, when this came to Australia they didn't sell and even RS Megane became a 4 door and Scirocco became extinct! So, its has a very small market, tiny! So what does it offer? This is a exceptional hi-performance car and what does that mean: It needs to be treated that way, as frequent services and the parts are expensive as they are not a Subaru WRX which lost its way after 2008. Some things you might not know: 1. OPC engineers spent 4000 hrs. at Nürburgring tuning the car 2. DTM Team developed the brakes, even today 355mm light weight 2 piece rotors with 4spot Brembos are exceptional and guess what they are expensive to replace but when I go to track days the Astra can out brake dedicated full time track cars. In fact the brakes are so powerful you will need 600F brake fluid. 3. The GM Hyper front struts are fantastic, its the only car that we have taken to the track that wears the front tyres evenly 4, The diff works really well and you can put down the power out of corners with no slip 5. The VXR has GM adjustable struts, 3 settings, that allow you to dial the car into track mode. 6. You can turn stability control off and traction control off to get no ECU interventions 7. The 20" rims are forged so remove 20kg from the rotation mass, improves traction, handling, braking 8. The center dash has a lap timer! However, this is really the disadvantage of driving this car. Its finely disguised track car. Its ride in the softness setting is firm, the 20" tyres are uncompromising with kerbs, driveways, gutter strips between roads etc. The car front is very low, the car hates speed humps, you will be dragging the nose around regularly if you live in a CBD! In fact for 3 point turns I use more of reverse (back over drive ways) as the back has better clearance! The double A pillar will hide a Hilux and a trailer in a round about but speed unlimited helps get the Astra to 270kmh.The 20" tyres are not suited to 0-100kmh sprint, they actual make it worst. The real performance of this car is above 100kmh, sorry! Run 40psi in the tyres gives great steering (hydraulic) feel but does not help the ride or start line traction! The engine is fine , just like any EVO or hi-performance turbo charge car, change the oil every 5000km. However, run it down and do it every 20,000km and you engine will be junk! It needs hi quality 98, no cheap servos, as it is direct injected. I owned one, amongst other cars, and its my favorite as its not a compromise and make excuses for itself. At track days, GR Yaris, RS Megane, Type R, have nothing on the VXR.

[@shand1967]

My experience of GM Vauxhall in the UK is that the timing chains and turbos will be fine if you change the oil regularly as clockwork. Plus don't tune them too crazily. Luckily parts availability is fine in the UK as Vauxhall as a brand still exists, although it is under the Stellantis brand ( Peugeot). This biggest issue I had with my old Astra was parking it; the car is massive. However if you do crash it, it is pretty strong. I found this out the hard way.

[@JamesGarrett-sd4tc]

owned one for 6 years in the UK now and has been mechanically good up until now, 100,000 miles and needs a new turbo. Also has all the common faults mentioned in this video so hit the nail on the head there.

[@GTFORDMAN]

that's why you don't go past the 4th gen (98 - 05) those things go forever! the interiors fall to bits but mechanically they are fine.

[@person.X.]

Y still see them driving around here in WA in significant numbers.

[@1dameister1]

Maybe do a video about the Opel Speedster 2.2 or the Turbo variant. That would be a very interesting video in my opinion.

[@mattdebyl8806]

We didn’t get them in Australia.

[@1dameister1]

@@mattdebyl8806 Oh, that's a bummer then, still, maybe they find someone who imported it.

[@mattdebyl8806]

@@1dameister1 would be cool. They canned importing them here because it would compete too much with the locally built product.

[@zaamuro8408]

Finally when Vauxhall/Opel finally got the interior quality right, it didn't have a chance in the market and old stigmas remained.

[@dougbrown9048]

Some of those comparable cars dont have "HiPerStrut" technology which greatly corrects torque steer. The suspension on this car is great and corners like its glued to rhe road. Sure the centre cosole is showing its age, It was a thing of its time to have loads of buttons but i think its part of its charm, more interesting than a huge touch screen. Owners will know the steering will make a sound when fully turned but thats an easy fix with adding more transmission oli than recommended. The gears are real sore point (not rhe timing chain), mostly in 2nd gear and they say more trans oil can help gear changes. The gear stick is too long and a cheap short shifter is available and can be installed by anyone. Yeap its a gas guzzler but what car is perfect.

[@Emzie1093]

I have a 2013 Diesel Opel Astra and love it. It is such a beauty. It just sucks that when it needs something major, it's hard to get parts or find someone willing to do the work at a resonable price.

[@hellothere4342]

No joke I was looking around for one of these as a new extreme weather commuter. Thanks heaps. I would still buy it knowing it has plenty of fatal flaws but then again I have spare cars so reliability isn't the top of my priority.

[@lexman8678]

Lol reliability will be your priority when it costs thousands to fix 😂

[@hellothere4342]

@lexman8678 no, not at all close. Rather handy with fixing cars and rebuilding engines. Parts may take longer, but then again, I have other cars and bikes to use. Maybe if someone only vehicle it'll be a major concern.

[@marksweet8740]

We owned a 2003 Holden Vectra 2.2 CD sedan bought it back in 2010 with 60 thousand Kms for 11 thousand $. Build quality was exellent we thought, the only problem we had was the CD player Cds getting stuck that sort of thing. For a compact family car it was no speed machine but it handled like it was on rails the only reason we sold it was because we popped two tyres on two pot holes within a couple of months and was getting a tad expensive, and we travel on pot holey roads quite a bit,

[@theairstig9164]

The 2.2 CD Vectra was notorious for killing engine management computers. People usually got to their third replacement (usually after dying at an intersection) before saying no more and getting rid of the dog

[@PazLeBon]

A shane to see the continued demise of uk Vauxhall, their tradition is far bigger than many people think :) overall just cheap crap since the 90s but one or two decent chassis and the collab with Lotus was a good one

[@MaloPlayz]

Been wanting one for ages, don’t even care about the issues as my dad is a mechanic.

[@majkicfoto]

you can fit updated insignia navigation system with all new tech like apple carplay and android auto

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Those cars are all Opels, doesn’t matter if it has a Holden, Vauxhall or Buick badge on it. Those cars were designed and produced by Opel in Germany.

[@SpecializedRider1986]

Not true. Opel are the European market of Astra.

[@andyreade5700]

You're correct, Opel is a car manufacturer in Germany and assembled the Astra and exported it Australia and sold it badged Opel (along with 2 other vehicles) Opel was owned by GM along with Holden Holden/GM decided to stop importing the Astra in favor of the new locally made Holden Cruze Opel dealers lasted only a year or so (due to the difficuty of selling cars to a limited market with way too many option of vehicles to purchase) so not to miss a sale (and most likely stock), Holden/GM changed the vehicles to badged Holden. Ten years on, the usual run of a vehicle platform, Holden stopped making the Cruze, and returned to importing the now new model of the Opel/GM made Astra. 10 years of parts is a standard warranty for any vehicle sold in Aus I purchased one recently with very low kms, and it's an incrreidle vehicle to own and drive, crap paint job from factory, front bars too low and scraps everywhere and not built to handle it (knocks the front fender to headlights gap ) But the power, beauty and build quality is excellent, seats hug like no tommorow through endless glue corning and G force braking. The german OPC engineers, I believe, were given a very considerable budget to enhance the standard Astra to compete with Focus GT, Megane, etc sales, a hard challenge that a low budget chrome trim, wheels, new colour upgrades. With such a decent budget, and a vast selection of GM products, they produced an exceptional vehilce that to me is a superb example of the one of the best styled and engineered gems to own in Australia Of cource in 10-20 years it would be handy to have a second for spares ;)

[@thetruthwillsetyoufree4781]

Not in Germany but in Poland, Gliwice plant

[@TwistedDonners]

I honestly don't think I'd buy one of these unless it was for a private car museum. While it looks like a nice car I think I'd go for a Jazz or Civic instead Also only 1k subscribers need now to break the 200k mark guys so on Sunday you may have crossed it. Brilliant video as always guys and look forward to Sunday's video as per usual 👍.

[@mattdebyl8806]

Better yet, get a CRZ. Got the coupe looks while having that Honda reliability. Better drive too.

[@benny9075]

While it’s not the same as this, back in the day I bought a brand new 2006 AH SRi Turbo. And what an absolute turd it was from day one… 1. Squeaking rear suspension where the torsion beam attached the chassis. There was a service bulletin for it, but it came back 2. ‘Sloppy’ suspension tune, that was either too hard or too soft, with no actual compliance in either 3. A constant rattle in the headliner just above the rear vision mirror, and 4. This was my favourite… NOT. Every so often when I turned on the car, it would go into an ‘accident’ type mode… where the hazard lights would come on (and couldn’t be turned off) and the interior dome light stayed on. The ONLY way I could stop both was to disconnect and then re-connect the battery, which of course reset the car. So every time i’d need to teach it to do the auto up/down windows and reset the clock. This was a brand new car. What an absolute effing disaster!!!! I sold it within the 3 year warranty. I had the 1.8L Holden Barina SRi / Corsa SRi before it, and that was fantastic. Zero problems. After the Astra, I vowed I would NEVER own another Opel / Vauxhall product. I then went to Japanese brands and have not had one single problem.

[@lesblick6441]

As always, entertaining,honest and informative without fear of offending.

[@shadowkiller923]

I got a 1.6 turbo astra J 2010 year... i had coolant leaks and they had to change two pipes i was waiting 4 months to get the second pipe because they couldnt get it and im from central europe. I love the opel / vauxhall / holden brand ive got a 2.0 opc myself and had 0 problems but the gas mileage is kinda poor 1.6 turbo is perfect for everyday buy 2.0 opc for weekends mostly.

[@tomnewham1269]

As Iv'e mentioned before on a previous video, a good service history is the key to most second hand car purchases and also to new car purchases. Some cars can survive a relatively poor service record but most modern cars need to be serviced regularly with good oils and filters etc. Also they need to be serviced at the earliest interval not leave it to its maximum kilometres to get the best out of these modern vehicles.

[@2007seno]

Being a gm product I had mine serviced at Holden so if anything went wrong I could blame them lol but nothing ever went wrong I traded mine in 2021 with 60k and I looked after it truely one of the most underrated euro hot hatches 😢

[@vellymagagula6490]

I owned a mk8 Fiesta 1.0T ecoboost, had it changed oil and filters twice a year, always filled with 95RON petrol from main garages. I have mechanical sympathy on all my cars. In the end it broke down, had a terrible rough running engine only on cold starts, injector sets replaced twice, catalytic converters failed twice, so on and so forth.

[@rizaanjappie]

Keep them mostly standard. Do regular services. Don't abuse them and you will be ok.

[@gnkVLCT]

Oh wow, another GM product that is notorious for multiple avenues of catastrophic engine failure....such awesome looking hatches though, one of my favourite styled.

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

199,000 subwoofers! Woo Hoo. GM stands for Great & Magnificent yes?

[@mattdebyl8806]

You say new prices, but honestly just about nobody bought them at those prices. First up Opel got canned in no time, launched as a GM ‘premium’ brand, the whole thing got canned within months and all stock was then run out. Then they reintroduced the Astra as a Holden, but then it too became run out as it was due to be replaced (plus was significantly discounted when badged a Holden to adjust for the name / market). I bought a GTC Sport as an ex-demo with like 300km on the clock. Cost me something like $17k when the sticker price was $32k. At the time you could get a new VXR (OPC) for about $24k. They were an absolute steal for the looks, features / equipment and performance they offered. They were bloody lardy though. Really took the edge off any performance they might have had. The next Gen were literally hundreds of kilos lighter.

[@nickv204]

It's a great car....no problems at all ! I'm surprised you mentioned all these issues..anyway

[@2007seno]

And mine had those 20” diamond cut alloy wheels they are massive rims

[@aaaaplay]

You should do a review the Astra K/BK Hatch. They're a great car with far less (not none) issues than their predecessors. An RS-V or an RS with the 1.6L were a great 'warm hatch' in the absence of a VXR version. I owned one for three years/80,000km's from new. It only failed on me once, and Holden covered it under warranty - that was post closure too. I wouldn't be too concerned about parts. GMSV seems to be getting off the ground, and they'll need their AC Delco servicing arm to support the sales of new vehicles at least until 2030 when they're required to stop supporting existing vehicles. Some of the last Holden's sold in 2020 won't have their warranties come up for another couple of years - they came with 5 years standard and often extended to 7 years in their final 18 months of being on sale.

[@otkrivenje0]

I'm in europe and looking for buying one. Brand new chain, oem opel 170€. And i saw a video what a shitshow is to change the water pump. And i'm looking to doing both of those jobs as soon as possible so i will not be bothered with it for the next 5yrs. Idk, they are 10-12k euros + import to my country, but still, cheaper than most other 280hp cars that you can buy, and honestly i driven one, they are rock solid with the road, they drive like a dream

[@tonestar0183]

Woohoo!!! 200k subscribers!!! Congratulations Redriven team!!!

[@Hapkido82AUS]

Interesting late-era Holden performance car, that's not an SS. Wouldn't mind seeing a review on the 2013ish twin turbo Insignia sedan, and the ZB Commodore VXR.

[@iamtuzii]

these look and drive absoluety epic! too bad they are rubbish with reliability and love being in workshops. also congrats on nearly 200k subs mate!

[@matthieurochette]

Literaly bought one (2016 though) earlier TODAY. Well, it was in Germany, in an Opel garage, in mint condition despite 116 thousand kilometers. Y'all really made me worry at the beginning of the video lol

[@charicesuralin6100]

Could you please review a used Mitsubishi Mirage? Lots of P-platers use it as their first car 😁 love from WA 🙌✨

[@normanafif1268]

Yesssss!!

[@marijohoon7127]

I own a 2.0 CDTI 160 hp manufactured in 2013, bought in 2018 with less than 50k, now it's above 140k and is still going strong, all stock, serviced every 12/18 months, no issues whatsoever, probably the diesel engine is much better than the petrol on this one ?

[@mikethys5247]

By watching this video and hearing all this… i want to buy myself a second one. just because its so fun to drive and just would not break and only act up once in a while. I love my astra H opc. 🥰🥳🤘

[@Oosh21]

Focus ST is where I put my money when these were new. Was a good car for the 4-years I owned it but no idea how they've held up.

[@thatosenwamadi7150]

My favourite Beast 🙏

[@Masteraal]

I was looking at buying one of these in 2022. Ended up buying a RS265 instead.

[@tdock86]

I have a 2014 Opel Corsa OPC. 1.6t weighs 1250kg. Love it so far. It’s stock with full service history. I know it’s probably going to let me down mechanically but I’m hooked and ‘apparently’ more reliable than the 2.0 Astra OPC

[@ggilesy]

Great review! Definitely do more "affordable car" reviews. Very helpful.

[@kylegriffiths5990]

Beautiful bin chickens at 6:05 😍😍

[@jaytc2003]

Not a bad video but a bit inaccurate regarding piston failures. I am in the UK and own a tuned vxr, there are I agree quite a number of failures on tuned cars (it's common for people to get someone to come to their house and just flash a map without monitoring different parameters etc), but there are plenty of standard low mileage full service history cars that fail as well. I believe these failures are more how the cars are driven, e.g. not getting oil upto temp (this takes a lot lot longer than coolant which is quite quick on these cars) and then boosting it hard. Mine was dyno tuned and not running serious power (about 328bhp) and currently on 96k miles. I do use an app that allows me to monitor oil temp on my phone (torque Pro app) and I will only give it a lot of boost when oil temp is around 70+ It's a very good point about it not feeling quick, it is quick deceptively so but you don't think you are going that fast until you look at your speedo and think whoooooaaaaaa😂

[@Intheskyes]

Awesome video, hoping for a video of a Peugeot 308 GTI 😁

[@nathandepasquale9571]

Such a good looking hatch 👍

[@ashb3276]

Earlier Ecotech engines Z20let and Z20leh engines didnt come with timing chains from what i know 🤔🤔🤔 . its belt driven ..

[@ericktreetops741]

Opel still sells under their name in New Zealand. So, there Europe and the UK are places to source parts. Poland and the Netherlands being two areas that carry parts for the Opel model rather than the Vauxhall badged model. Opel never organised any GPS updates for Australia, so we are all still driving with 2012 maps. The only option is to buy an aftermarket double DIN head unit. It will require changes to the facia to fit in. I have never found anyone with experience fitting these here in Brisbane and I don't know anyone in Australia who has carried it out a successful replacement without losing some functionality. If you do let me know. Mine is a stunning black 2013 model with 31,000km on the clock. In better condition than when I rolled off the lot.

[@jamesbarr2167]

Can you guys do a video on 200 series? You've covered every other landcruiser

[@shakethedrummer2351]

Owned a astra turbo hatch. Was very fun and practical. But the maintenance was horrible. Love this vxr but didnt want the risk Bought a brz new instead

[@matthewnicholas6365]

I remember when these came out. I was shocked how even the non-hot 3 door ones cost so much. An uglier 5 door was thousands cheaper.

[@mattdebyl8806]

They were trying to go upmarket. Didn’t work and dumped the whole brand over night. Came back as Holden badged and lots cheaper, also didn’t work. These were sold at bargain basement prices for most of their life. The next Gen was a much bigger deal.

[@matthewnicholas6365]

@mattdebyl8806 I'm in the UK mate. The Vauxhall Astra is still very much a thing.

[@mattdebyl8806]

@@matthewnicholas6365 ok?

[@theitems4242]

In the UK these things get written off by insurance all the time. Any front bumper damage and it's gone. There's zero replacement front bumpers available, only second hand. Insurance here will only used new parts. In good condition they cost £1500. Even the little fog surrounds (the black triangles with satin chrome) cost £250 PER SIDE. And that's USED. This whole situation is the result of there being ZERO aftermarket front bumper related parts, unlike the MK5 Astra Vxr where there are a couple of aftermarket options (£200 for an entire front bumper new and primed). As others have said, the MK6 J's just came out too bulky. I have three MK5 Astra VXRs and they are entirely more modifiable and light on their toes (320bhp without needing a forge). Given the whole parts fiasco, these cars will become very rare and expensive one day I believe.

[@jamesking566]

I’m really enjoying this channel

[@colinl2908]

A great looking car! I'd have one in that colour if it was in good nick and reliable

[@asimoford4994]

You should review the used Ford Explorer which I believe was sold 1995-2005 model in Australia.. These are still roaming around in Australia.....

[@faaaaarq]

Prob not they had the nickname exploder for a reason

[@asimoford4994]

@@faaaaarq Exploder is called to the latest gen explorers... I am talking about the 1995-2000 models.. They didn't had any issues

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

Thanks Ricky.

[@abbyapplebee9472]

Great channel 🙂Would like to see a review on Mitsubishi Outlander.

[@souldrummer818]

Just to add another comment, the Brembo brakes you say are expensive. I just bought pads front $90 a pair and rear were $60 plus front pads are the same as pads on my ve ss commodore so this is very misleading .

[@maxheadroom7687]

Got one of these…Astra VXR great car, had the drivers seat actuator break but fixed ok. Chasing a suspension noise at the moment but otherwise love it. 2015 with 61k on it and FSH, also I do baby my cars. Unfortunately got to sell as have a leg injury and the clutch is a bit heavy for comfort now!😢 The point about spare parts is pretty relevant as living in Western Australia have had to source after market suspension parts from the Eastern states.still think the car is brilliant though!

[@area51isreal71]

Well it got to the stage when Holden where sticking their badges on anything.....even Daewoo's.

[@letni9506]

Is there any car that you can buy without problems. People say French cars have electrical and coil pack issues. German cars have engine failure and not as reliable as they once were, Vauxhall have sensor issues and engine problems. Fiats doors break and other build quality issues. Fords are terrible and the engines go boom. And avoid any car with a wet belt. I have an Auris and it's been fantastic but the price of the Yaris and Corolla now is beyond what I can afford

[@watt0537]

If you haven’t already, you should do the Holden Commodore ZB.

[@pieteroosthuizen8406]

Been owning one since new from 2013 in SA heat and with our pathetic 95 octane petrol. Fully imported from Germany and set up for 98 octane. Still stock. You can only compare it with its gen competitors. And it has none....same torque output as its gen BMW M3. Your journo obviously has not spent enough time on the road and especially around the twisties in this car. Then he would have agreed with a SA journo who said that the only thing limiting your speed around a corner is the size of your cahoonas.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

No surprises here. Sad it wasn't a better car coz it looks bloody great & still looks the biz. But Renaults, RX8s & Arbaths etc have the basic 'beautiful $$$-pit' market covered, imho. - How does this compare to the equivalent 'hot' Cruze? That would be interesting!

[@mattdebyl8806]

These shit all over the Crude. In every way. Abarth is more reliable and easier to fix than this thing.

[@kingcobra159]

I had one rod went through the block midway driving. Wasnt giving her full welly either

[@zzhughesd]

Being a Brit and a motor trader these are a no. Cheap trims. Boring interiors. Engine is below par and Meh. Handles drives average. Review was SPOT ON. We liked these for 3/4 years used market and then become overlooked. Not a Good hot hatch , looks aside. Get something else. Well reviewed. Top class review. Aussie reviews better than ours !!! Following channel last 3/6 months.

[@SpecializedRider1986]

Mmm... your comment is suspect. You're completely wrong and I think you know it. The A20NFT is renowned for being very reliable. No common issues, a weak'ish gearbox synchro that can play up. Boring interior? You're blind. They're quite nice inside especially compared to the competition and well built. They're also holding their values and if you were a motor trader which is suspect to me then you'd know that cars plagued with issues don't retain their values. They become affordable to buy only because they're so expensive to run. You sound like someone who owns a BMW and hates on Opel/Vauxhall. Okay we'll let you have paint mismatch on certain paints and stonechipping on the carbon flash colourway (which I own) but don't be a hater with misleading comments.