The Astra Sports Tourer is a Practical, Surprisingly Fun Estate Car

I'm back in a Vauxhall Astra! A 'Sports Tourer' estate version. How does it compare to the Astra hatch, is it still good to drive, and how practical is it?
Sold from 2016 - 2022, 7th generation Opel / Vauxhall Astra (Astra K).
Powerflex Smartphone holder: amzn.to/3qbsl9n
(Remember, you need the power bar installed before you can fit this!)
Car on test is a 2017 Astra Sports Tourer 1.4 Elite
Full review of Astra Hatchback: • 2 years later, here's ...
#astra #astrak #astrasportstourer
***************
If you'd like to see your car on JJ on Cars, email me at [e-mail]
Instagram - / jjoncars
Facebook - / jjoncars
"Buy me a coffee" - www.buymeacoff...

[@MrOVERANOUT]

Great review and comparison. It looks fun to drive and has all the creature comforts one needs. Gary has added some useful bits of kit, like the reversing assist camera. Better tyres and phone carrier. A lovely car.

[@JJonCars]

Thanks Harry!

[@robertbaldwin177]

I've owned a 1.4T (150) Elite Nav in grey for just over 3 years now. It's a great family car, never any complaints from passengers due to huge rear space, kids love the heated seats and USB points. Swallows holiday luggage, does tip runs with garden waste no stress, dog loves it in the boot. Performance is punchy, auto gearbox smooth, quiet riding, big nav screen responds well, general reliability has been spot on (is approaching 7 years old now and 50K miles). Bad points, I agree the leather seats are uncomfy on long journeys, find myself fiddling with the lumbar and using heated seats to ease the aches. Some LEDs behind steering wheel controls don't work (maybe a fuse). SatNav has no idea where I am anymore but can use Android Auto. OnStar and wifi stopped working with Peugeot buy out, and the nav screen has one side darker/lower resolution than other which may cause eventual failure but been like that since I've had it. Is it perfect? No. Is it good or great in most regards? Yes. Fact is if I crashed it tomorrow I'd buy another. I've had over 15 cars in my life from Lexus, Audi, BMW, Honda, Skoda, Ford, Peugeot, Hyundai, even Proton. This car feels one of the most easy to live with. I just hope it holds together as the mileage and age rises.

[@JJonCars]

Ace, I had the Elite Nav too a few years ago and the features on it were really great - the heated steering wheel and rear heated seats were proper luxury. It's good to hear that it has held up well and the issues you have had are only minor irritants than big problems. I can't understand how they managed to make such brick-like leather seats, but then I've recently been spending a fair bit of time in a Nissan Juke with leather seats and they are just as solid and uncomfortable!

[@robertbaldwin177]

@JJonCars I heard somewhere that 10-20% of a cars entire build budget goes on the seats as they are packed with safety tech and reinforcement. Only part of car directly connected to the driver. Comfort probably comes lower down list of priorities, especially when building to a competitive price. Interesting theory at least, maybe true.

[@JJonCars]

@@robertbaldwin177 I can definitely believe that. The only other thing I thought of was that they're trying to make the leather last and not fall to pieces, and if the seat padding were soft, the leather would flex more and break. But that's just something I thought of and have no evidence for haha

[@asb1439]

Love the reviews 👍 Do you think the heavier estate needs one of the turbocharged engine? I have been thinking about getting an Elite Nav estate but undecided between the 1.4 turbo (150) or the 1.6 turbo (200) petrol.

[@JJonCars]

Either of the 1.4T 150 or 1.6T 200 will be plenty of power! The estate is a bit heavier, but it's actually still quite a light car for what it is. There will be a video soon in the coming week which will tell you what I think of the 1.4 none-turbo engine :)

[@fredonline]

The 1.4 turbo (150) has an unfortunately well known LSPI problem, especially the earlier Astra K's. The 1.6 turbo (200) is the more desirable - and rarer to find.

[@iwanschana9236]

We used to own a 2018 Holden (Opel / Vauxhall) Astra Sportwagen LT (with all the bells and whistles) - it was a lovely car that was a great tourer, and a dependable (and a pretty practical) load-lugger. Fuel consumption around town was rather crap though - that was about our only gripe with the Astra Sportwagen.

[@JJonCars]

Good to hear about a Holden one - which engine did it have?

[@surya2089]

Ford focus 2015 estate or vaxuhall 2017 estate which is better petrol version

[@ArthursLiftAdventures]

Planning of getting a Sports tourer Astra for a family of 5 our current car is a EP3 Honda Civic Sport because our Renault Mégane estate went the Honda is not very ideal for a two adults, two teenagers and a 4 year old very unbearable uncomfortable for long journeys and not great on fuel. Would you highly recommend the Astra Sports Tourer for A family of five and for long journeys?

[@JJonCars]

Hi - yes I would. There's lots of head and leg room in the back for teenagers. I suppose as your 4 year old gets older and bigger it might get a bit cramped in the back, but it would with any 5 seat car! (I don't have kids, but I did grow up with three siblings) Long journeys they are great, as I've mentioned I think the leather seats are a bit firm/hard, but if you're getting cloth seats that won't be a problem. It's a relaxing car to drive over distance, and the ride isn't uncomfortable. It can be a bit noisy at speed, but quieter tyres can help there. EP3 getting rare now! But the Astra will of course suit your family a lot better.

[@ArthursLiftAdventures]

@@JJonCars Thank you very much!

[@stephendodge4086]

Hi, I have a 2021 Astra Sports Tourer SRI Nav auto with the later 3 cylinder petrol 1.4 turbo engine it is great to drive, very roomy and very good on fuel ( recently averaged on a 240 mile round trip 56 miles to the gallon and that was with the A/C on ) before I bought this car I had a 2019 Astra Sports Tourer Elite Nav 1.4 turbo petrol and I grew to hate it, the leather seats although heated were to cold in winter ( before heating up ) and so bloody hot in summer and, were very, very uncomfortable, the SRI has cloth seats which are far more comfortable and the Sri is very well equipped ( carbuyer say that the Sri in their opinion is the best one to choose ) I hope you find this useful and helpful. Stephen

[@surya2089]

Which one better ford focus 2015 estate or vauxhall 2017 estate petrol version

[@TheNomeinator]

What’s the road noise like in it? This is a key consideration for me. It sounds noisy enough when you’re driving.

[@JJonCars]

They are not the quietest cars on the move. I think this is where Vauxhall/Opel were saving a bit of money.

[@TheNomeinator]

Thank you!

[@stephendodge4086]

Hi, I left a comment on your "2 years later review of the Astra" I would be interested in what you have to say about it?

[@JJonCars]

Replied :)

[@migks37]

The great question is… is it reliable?

[@bobbymitchell9026]

What about camping overnight???

[@robertbaldwin177]

Boot space is 1m wide by 1.85m deep, so can take a small VW camper rock and roll bed self inflating mattress no problem. Just not much headroom!

[@Greenfir]

Can you actually lift the rear seats?

[@JJonCars]

Like, fold them down? You can do that

[@Greenfir]

@@JJonCars Lifting. Have you never lifted rear seats? Well , I did it finally. It should be covered in manuals though. It's not as easy as in my old Mondeo and the noise and lack of flexibility makes me wonder.

[@Slm16Z]

5 speed gear box i am out

[@mrskeltal3281]

Just a shame the Estate version is so butt ugly - boxy and with that horrifying chrome down the sides. I think the old J sports tourer was much more handsome

[@JJonCars]

It's certainly not as nice looking as the hatch I'd agree - never been sure on the styling at the back where the roof looks like it attaches to the body!

[@mrskeltal3281]

@@JJonCars I've noticed quite a few folk seem to black-out the chrome with vinyl and it seems to make it look much more subtle and less like an old American station wagon!

[@oliverstemp9132]

They’ve fixed it on the new Sports Tourer, which is very handsome