WILL IT SURVIVE? Reviewing A Broken, £500 2002 1.6 Vauxhall Astra SXi

I put an email out asking if anyone had a car for me to film while I was in Scotland. One was sent as a half-joke, but I decided to take on the challenge of filming a dying 1.6 litre Vauxhall Astra SXi. May the mayhem commence!
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[@TheRealD4]

This guy is a basically a more evolved Shmee who realises that reviewing this kind of vehicular content is far more enjoyable than your latest supercar. Plus it's filmed in the style of the old '90s Top Gear' reviews on tv. Brilliant.

[@diogovieira3362]

He's like Schmee, but actually british as in everything that isn't quite good, is shocking and appalling, and everything that is good, is orgasmic

[@ACERASPIRE1]

Are you kidding me?/ fcuk all is less interesting than a review of a £500 shed

[@Dockhead]

@@ACERASPIRE1 go boo off in your super duper car then mate, you must be too rich to be in reality. what would you expect for £500? typical cost of a decent shed.

[@ACERASPIRE1]

@@Dockhead I have no expectations at all, but to think a review of a 500 sheet shed is better than supercar you are one boring human

[@Dockhead]

@@ACERASPIRE1 im not shallow and materialistic and pathetic to pretend some daft pathetic super car that has to live in regulations the same £500 shed does is somehow better. a 0-60 statistic wont mean squat shit when your in traffic or some chav sits and squanders around your shiny bumpers. i call this car reality and sat watching someone else driving is what i would call "boring" atleast i could buy this car on the spot and even if it went in the scrap i wouldn't be that bad off. what super cars are you doing that with if i may ask? rather keep my money and spend it on something useful in my opinion that i guess its just opinion.

[@mrc7966]

Cars like these provide freedom for so many people for so little money, and the government would love to scrap them all.

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

Bang on!

[@julianevans9548]

So true. I'm the owner and the one gargantuan positive of this car has been that it is infinitely preferable to a bus. 3.09 - The cock and balls drawn on the window (I'm so proud of that I'm mentioning it here for a second time). Try to wipe it off and you'll find it's on the inside... I drew it halfway up an alp a year and a half ago. Some might say that a 45-year-old shouldn't be quite so amused by such things.

[@Dockhead]

@@julianevans9548 they say simplicity is best. but i say go for it as long as it isn't crack or heroin.

[@smilersmiling]

I have to agree! It’s a white good thats lasted!

[@Synthematix]

Legs provide freedom too, so does public transport.

[@martinross5634]

I'm a big astra fan. Mine is 191k 51plate. Faultless. Rusting never failed its m.o.t. it's my donkey. Love it.

[@andymax1697]

I hope you have many money free driving 🚘

[@vincentvrai]

hi do you still have it?

[@martinross5634]

Gone to the bog graveyard in the sky. Miss you donkey. Now have given free zafira banging car, loving it.

[@danbradley4513]

Had a 1.4 one of these. Never serviced it, never washed it, car was used, abused and neflected. But it started every time I wanted then the BMW wouldn't. These things could survive nuclear war, underrated horse of a car

[@TheSimonhammond]

The last well designed and built Vauxhall in my opinion. I see more of these on the roads than the equivalent Ford Focus.

[@tonyworrall5791]

Still loads about, very reliable if looked after.

[@Mouse2113]

Rust has killed off most of the Mk1 Foci

[@Current-Thing]

@@Mouse2113 no rust on astras from my pov.

[@williamegler8771]

It is well designed because Vauxhall had nothing to do with it. Opel did the design and engineering. Vauxhall hasn't designed or engineered a vehicle independently from Opel since the original Viva.

[@bensmithkent22]

Ha another who rates this over the gen 1 tinpot focus. Handling wise that always had the honours in the car mag reviews but these astras looked nice, much classier in my eyes especially in this spec. Same goes for the h while thats basically a shed too many tidy ones knocking about.

[@Soulvex]

Proof is out there how good these cars are, you will see at least one or two every day.

[@wotsitjimbob2271]

Up to about a year ago i was still seeing 2 R reg mk4s locally. Both scraped now though 😢 . Amazing how many are still out there though

[@madelinecardwellahz958]

Still there are quite a few on the road. I love this car

[@trainman86trainstramsandmore]

My cousin has one of these Vauxhall Astra SXi 1.6 MK4'S and it's a lovely car. Very responsive and the little 1600 can really shift.

[@jo05dk]

Nver driven one myself, but i do remember that Lotus had a hand in seting the chassis up on the Astra G, so i guess it isn't surprising that it's fun to drive, for what it is.

[@pitbox6497]

JayEmm On Cars reviews the Fiat 500L whilst driving a partially working Astra

[@madelinecardwellahz958]

You know I think this Astra will always be my favourite car in my heart ❤️

[@mrt1392]

I sold my 04 "twin port" sxi early this year, I must say for £500 it was a great all-round car. Last of the simple and fun family cars without modern technology letting you down, great video 😁

[@ryguymods]

Bought one of these as a cheap daily a month ago with 27k on the clock. Drives like its brand new!

[@WarriorRazor]

I have a 1.6 Astra G Club Auto- did 800 miles last weekend with a broken thermostat, just seems to keep going.

[@tonyworrall5791]

Just bought an x reg 51 year 1.4is with 55,000 miles for £300 , was owned by an old boy for last 18 years and serviced every year, just need a bit of tidying outside, painted the vinal trim which had gone gray, gave the paintwork a t cut, inside has hardly any wear, very happy.

[@archechme]

I remember watching a program about cheshire's police and maintaining their vehicle and they were reminiscing about their old astra panda cars and remembered them fondly.

[@danmoney9932]

Not many about?! There are loads of these Astra's, MK1 focus and MK4 golf still knocking about. It's when manufacturers started to use much better corrosion resistance.

[@jarlrise]

Bought an Astra Bertone coupe 1.8 of this model for my wife some years ago, found it to be more enjoyable then expected, so I ended up driving it quite a lot. Never had any major problems with it, just kept going.

[@johnathanpearson3203]

I agree. I had an Astra with 142k and it missed no air con but with Michelin cross climates it was fun. Great suspension. The only car that went to the garage and passed an alignment check after 100k of no alignment checks ever. 😄 It did leak oil tho 😂

[@andrewrogers7829]

A great review of the astra, I am a proud owner of one, yes I said proud. I'm on my 2nd astra g, and this has the same engine as your Scottish one, but tied to the auto gearbox. It's serviced regularly and is on 226,000 miles, which is not bad for a 21 year old.

[@davidyoung9561]

My dad had a Y-reg black one of these also 5dr and 1.6SXi from 2010-2017. I borrowed it to drive across various parts of the UK without issue. I did 650 miles in a week and on one occasion, I did over 400 miles in a day. I took it on a trip from Portsmouth to Poole and back and did a test to see if I could get the best mpg. I worked out I got nearly 60mpg. It never failed an MOT and the only thing it ever needed in all that time was a coil pack (common problem on them - I think it is this cars issue as well). Dad paid 1300 for it and Mum sold it when dad passed away and got 300 for it, so 1000 motoring for 7 years is pretty damn good value for money. In my opinion, it was quite nippy thanks to the gearing and handled quite well. The build quality was quite good as well and although I like tthe mk3 Astra, tthe mk4 seemed much better built. The mk5 was ok but had VVT issues. I don't understand these people that get a brand new car and pay 300 a month for. There are still many decent older cars you can pick up for reasonable money that will last many years.

[@SuperBC10]

And not only that but so easy to work on too. Very little electronics to go wrong. 😊

[@matthewroberts1340]

I like this guy 😂that bit at the end "some cars you buy cause you hate yourself" made me LOL! Reminds me of an early top gear

[@CarGuyLife]

Cant beat a old mk4 Astra 👍

[@timakimat]

These are much more fun to watch than reviews of the latest supercars

[@g9icy]

I had one of these as my first car. I thought it had 110 hp tbh. It’s head gasket went and I got a new car. Wish I’d just repaired it tbh, it was a great car! I still think it’s a great design and size.

[@lostinepic]

just bought my 1st car...and im so happy with my pick..happy to see that its a perfect start car

[@Nelrow09]

I know this is late, but is this car worth getting for an 17 year old?

[@SuperBC10]

Got one. I had a couple of newer choices but got the W reg 2000 1.6 75 bhp . I’ve done over 20k in the last year and it’s still going well. Daily driver. I’ve changed the oil every 5k miles. Doesn’t miss a beat. It’s slow but very steady.

[@davideverett2]

I'm a bit older than the gent in the vid so for me the older Astra's were my thing, I had a mark 1 Astra, I forget which but I think it was a 1300cc, a mark 2 1600cc auto Astra & 3 different GTE's 2 were 1.8 models & one was an 8 valve 2.0, I used to have a lot of fun out on the B roads late at night.

[@sammysev16]

My first car back in 2015 was a mk5 golf 1.6 fsi s...for £200, nothing more fun than getting your first car for cheap and crossing your fingers that it’ll make it to the end of every journey lol, interestingly it was sold to a family friend and it’s surprisingly still running!

[@bikemeister]

First brand new car I bought with my own money was a mk4 Astra CD 1.6 16v in 1998 when they first came out. I only went to the dealer launch evening for the free goodie bag, but liked the car on a test drive so much I bought one. Comfortable, quiet, drove nicely, and the 1.6 was punchy. Not spectacular, but just plain nice. Bought three more new ones after, including two rapid coupes.

[@shuvadey4294]

Great review, dear to my heart. I still drive a 1.6 8v astra from 2002. Purchased in 2005. Very reliable, fast acceleration as it is a light car. Great jandling and ride. I leave a lot of cars behind at the lights for a 21 year old car. These were once used by police forces across the country as panda cars.

[@1970boggy]

Fantastic James I love this sort of stuff! Cracking review 👍😂

[@gravyboat2370]

Very reliable cars and parts are cheap. Without doubt vauxhalls best car .

[@tonyworrall5791]

Cheap parts and cheap insurance, what more do you need.

[@d31zzz_]

gravy boat it’s not Vauxhall best car the lotus Carlton, Monaro vxr, corsa e Vxr , mk3 Astra gsi are all better

[@d31zzz_]

gravy boat and if u get a mk4 Astra at least get an Sri or gsi even a 1.8 sxi

[@gravyboat2370]

@@d31zzz_ well obviously a lotus carlton is faster and totally bonkers but that's in category all of its own. I'm talking UK market and the astra has always been a decent car. Not the best but very reliable especially when you consider how unreliable vauxhalls generally are.

[@gravyboat2370]

Plus I'm talking about all astras. Not just the bog standard

[@paultaylor9652]

Lovely Jubbly, my favourite video you've done in some time now.

[@graemew7001]

I love cars like this because if they do go really bad you can just chuck them, buy another and its not cost a lot whereas expensive motors you're tied to them because you've got a lot invested in them. Park it up and if some arse scratches it, so what, its character lol

[@julianevans9548]

Patina.

[@graemew7001]

@@julianevans9548 Lmao, you must have heard me talking cos I always say "that's not rough, it's patina!!", I see it's your car, much respect to you for driving with a permanent penis on your window 😂😂👍🏻

[@julianevans9548]

@@graemew7001 And even more respect for my girlfriend who has allowed the penis to remain for 1.5 years.

[@graemew7001]

@@julianevans9548 😂😂 very much respect to your girlfriend....she definitely loves you mate lol

[@HV0103]

This was my first car 2001 Sxi 1.6 3 door in black. No joke it was a brilliant car!! Only thing that went wrong was the EGR valve which you could blank off with a £5 part. Honestly i loved this car

[@hegamer4372]

I love these cars i have a Vauxhall astra 1.6 mk5 2005 everything works on it and it has just over 70,000 miles

[@elk5878]

You are simply the best of this genre

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Thankyou

[@julesdowner5585]

its an embarrassingly sensible car and it makes a great video too. i have one in this colour and my name is Julian too! oh grief!. mine is a diesel, its economical its £30 road tax, peanuts to insure {i;m old} i get in it, drive it, park it, its anti -stress motoring for it gives you no worries.it allows me more time to waste on my 'money pit cars'. it drives well, is comfy and home fix friendly .and great for tip runs! no street cred whatsoever mind but no stress either

[@julianevans9548]

I wish I still had it! Had to go because clutch was slipping - had done for thousands of miles - and engine was misfiring.

[@markhogg3776]

i actually had a mk4 astra years ago it was the 1.7 cdti model it was a fantastic car and reliability was great it was good for towing as well its actually my favourite astra of all time mind you i did want the gsi model which was a stunning car even today when i see them now and again they look great

[@tjpj1919]

One of these a month would be great

[@benday1218]

I like the Astra MK4, I actually prefer it to the Mk1 Focus. Unfortunately both of mine chucked all the oil out the exhaust...

[@daveanderson5680]

For missing and 3500 rev limit....Check fuel delivery...fuel filter and/or fuel pump

[@julianevans9548]

Top tip, thanks. But it must be an electrical problem because the misfire stops if you turn the engine off and on again (I've even learned to do this on the move - James was on the review too). It does go above 3,500 (although all that really does is make more noise rather than providing more propulsion - that was always the case), it's just that it then starts misfiring.

[@ItsDanLatham]

What a shed. Love it. The drawing on the window was the icing on the cake.

[@terrificspokesman7416]

Opels have a million trim levels to choose from

[@michaelarcher6278]

Well done. A brilliant video. Love this type, as not all of us can afford some of the cars you test, so more like this please for us hard working but lower paid car nuts

[@Galahadfairlight]

I've got the Astra Van version of this car, X plate, bought for £140 with a misfire.... swapped out a sparkplug for one from a scrapyard, misfire cured. Had it for 3 years now, and there is no-where I won't go in the UK with it. 1.6 8v petrol, which is surprisingly nippy for what it is, it won't be going anywhere for a while..... still, i've also just rescued a 3.0 24v Senator from being scrapped, older stuff has more character.

[@rd6781]

This was my first car. Paid 700 quid for it, 1.4 V reg. Very fond memories of it. Eventually the coil pack went and then the head gasket so it wasnt worth repairing. Driving a 2011 2.0 cdti now and it's the most reliable car I've ever had

[@allanamir-gowhar681]

The astra is lowkey the people's car

[@johnny6476]

I had a 3 door Astra SXI 1.6 in silver, I loved it. Before that I had a 1.2 Corsa which was so slow so the Astra was a lot quicker so I loved it.

[@StephenButlerOne]

I had a 1.6 2002 astra as a business car for about 3 months back then. I quite liked it. Except the way reverse engages, as I'd sit at the lights playing with the 'lift' and sometime accedntally put it in reverse. Lol. Gave a few people behind me a fright.

[@ps36081]

I hired an Astra 1.6 Comfort in that shape back in 2005ish. That was a lovely car to drive. Might have had the same engine as you tested - 1.6 16v if it's around 100bhp My first car was an Astra 1995 shape. Now I drive the fabled Focus MK1 with a 1.6 engine, it suffers the same as that Astra a little in that you need a bit more beans to get up hills. But the engine revs all the way to the redline smoothly and on a nice sweepy B road it flies through them.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

A positive used Vauxhall Astra review from both our channels of consecutive generations within the last 48 hours without having planned it? Yes, please Mr Martin!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I love it when a plan comes together

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@JayEmmOnCars , indeed, sir! I enjoyed the way that you mentioned cheap vehicle challenges in your review too....

[@singlesprocket]

Notice that Vauxhall even used the indicator arms from Lotus in the Astra 😉

[@pictlandpickers1171]

Chassis developed by lotus

[@henrypope7961]

Fantastic machine, had 2 of these over the years. My current 1999 Opel Astra has done heaps of miles and never lets me down💪🏼

[@Sam-gw5pl]

I just bought one last week! 04 1.6 club. Lightning silver.

[@spud912]

Iv had my astra G 1.7 dti van for 13 years it's been absolutely brilliant

[@Cavalier_Steve]

I do like the MK4 Astra I had 2 estate versions in the early 2000s they really have disappeared from our roads at a rapid rate sadly.

[@Beagleman1996]

I absolutely love your reviews of cheap bangers like this (the Micra one still makes me laugh); these are far more enjoyable to me than any modern performance car.

[@Tambo74]

Now THIS is the content i really like to see!. More Please!..

[@khew1]

Great video! Definitely up for more reviews like this! If you're ever in Southampton, Hampshire, I have a 2009 Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Multijet Eleganza (top spec) with the very very rare full leather interior you can review. Let me know...

[@teppouotinen9136]

I have a station wagon diesel one as a third car. It has covered 955 000 Km so far. 775K km during My ownership and has failed to fire up from the key exactly twice: same transistor kaputt in the PSG5 Diesel injection pump driver both times. Reliability has been peerless compared to the (often broken)fast cars it has hauled spare parts for :)

[@teppouotinen9136]

Has hauled, even.

[@teppouotinen9136]

@ 1014 000km now. X20DTL has to be the strongest GM engine ever.

[@darkclouds5261]

iv got a 1.8 bertone on 152,000 and 7 owners! dosnt miss a beat!

[@laskos02]

My grandma also has that Astra. But it's an Opel and an estate one as well

[@xxrs2009]

I've just bought one, to save my audi c3 100 a bit. I feels so modern on the road compaired to it, all the gimmicks work: aircon, elect windows etc. Maybe some people wonder how big the repairbill has to be to scrap it, I think this is their last car that's economical to own. Finance and car sharing is just around the corner..

[@lucasbarton1773]

Enjoy the simplicity and reliability of older cars

[@xxrs2009]

@@lucasbarton1773 Thnx, will do 👍

[@julianevans9548]

I was the owner and the car cost us about £500 a year in repair bills (I do none of my own spannering). Replaced it with a Focus 1l ecoboost for £4.5k (went for a newer car for safety reasons alone). Has cost us £1,500 in 18 months - constantly something wrong with it. Enjoy your Astra!

[@lucasbarton1773]

@@julianevans9548 unlucky example you had, most likely abused, quite a shame

[@xxrs2009]

@@julianevans9548 Thanks! Hopefully the Focus revives itself. Yeah safety is something to consider with older cars, but I don't have children to protect so for me it's a simple choice. Plus I like older cars.

[@Nero200]

Great Video love this type of stuff👍🏻

[@Greig300]

As soon as I seen your video... I was like that looks very much like the capsies in Lennoxtown... I was correct! I've subscribed to you near the start of your channel you were like 10minutes from me...

[@Vintaronica]

We have a Zafira GSI, I have replaced the Cam belt, water pump, turbo, brakes all round (discs and pads), 4 new tyres, fuel cap, and a couple dozen other bits and bobs. It seats 7, goes like poop off a shovel, is narrower than modern cars so easier to park than a new mini is fun to drive and is going up in value very day. I have no monthly payments on it, and in total I have spent including the car less than 4k. Cheap, fast and it's not depreciating like a stone every month.

[@Vintaronica]

@Mark Singleton not if you have kids to cart about..

[@09juliancarr]

‘Echoing the Audi R8’ - Hahaha 😂

[@Traktion1]

I have a 1999 1.6 astra club parked up in our barn. It's SORN now, having been superseeded by a bigger family car, but it seemed too good to scrap. About 90k miles and the paint it starting to fade, but it is a perfectly serviceable machine. I've tried to give it away twice to family members and once to a son of a friend and all declined - not cool enough, it seems! Still, the beige seats with faded metallic green apparently aren't appealing. I'm hoping one of our farmer neighbours takes it off put hands when their current 20yo shed gives up...

[@TOMLINBISH]

I had an unusual fault on my 2002 Astra G 1.6 petrol when it had a tapping noise from the engine. Google & YT searches pointed to it being loose baffles in the ally intake manifold & my usual garage removed it & resealed them back in for £150 all in! 🙂

[@jonathonedwards6741]

That’s brilliant. I’m not swapping my swift sport for it though.

[@sonofjak1971]

More bangers!!

[@swannyson8609]

My brothers got a 1.8 sxi and he enjoys it, cost him £300 and although there's been a loose tube in the engine bay which causes a rattle and loud noise but has run fine for months, he rags it all day every day I'm surprised its still going, also I'm pretty sure it goes trim levels from lowest to highest "se, sxi, Sri, gsi"

[@Random-nf7qb]

We have these as police cars here in Bulgaria, most are either 1.6 or 1.8. Exactly that body style.

[@anonimushbosh]

In this episode we get to back to basics by learning that wind burble can be a surprisingly acceptable replacement for engine burble, how to repair bodywork with everyday household objects and what would happen if Jason suddenly switched off the ignition on a Scottish B road. Oh, and his grandmother drives a van.

[@julianevans9548]

The thing about the wind noise is that it drowns out the myriad squeaks and rattles that my car produces. James mastered turning the car off/on whilst moving with aplomb.

[@anonimushbosh]

@@julianevans9548 I meant the burble of wind on the mic at 00.00 but yes, anything that disguises a squeak or a rattle in a car is indeed a gift.

[@julianevans9548]

@@anonimushbosh Ah, I see. To be fair, what you hear at 00.00 is probably the better noise. (And it wasn't exactly a 'spirited getaway'.)

[@anonimushbosh]

@@julianevans9548 It perfectly mimics the way these videos usually begin - I can only imagine the smile on his face when that normally annoying intrusion was first heard in the editing suite!

[@Pscfreitas]

My 1.4 astra with lpg conversion used to misfire and have trouble reving up. I started by the spark plugs (because it was the cheapest first run) and it was solved on the first strike. The spark plugs were finger tip tight and leaked most of the compression...

[@voivod6871]

Didn't even have to read the comments to know every other one would reference Hubnut, legend.

[@CynicalBastard511]

I had an Astra like that and I loved it, except it didn't have anti-lock brakes and the boot lid locking system failed and would only open with the key.

[@mediachannel8044]

This Opel astra g in Greece is still on of the most 5 used cars in athens 2022

[@Dockhead]

come to the north east i can get you a running Renault kangoo van for £350. or a fiat panda for £300, i think it could be a neat idea to try, a nice banger review series of maybe popular cheap bangers to buy or just see how they've fared with 12+ years of hammering.

[@kimchoochay528]

mine is a 2001 opel astra estate wagon. Rustfree until now! paint is still gleaming and in top tip mint condition! more sexy compared to the latest styles! agree- its rather high maintenance compared to japanese cars.. im from the philippines by the way, where my car is a "head turner" cause the chance of seeing another opel astra on the road is almost nil!

[@SuperBC10]

I’ve got a 2000 model and still loads left around where I live. I see at least ten a day.

[@thelegendofdf287]

Love that car had one myself

[@jamieogorman9461]

I've had several old astras, older then that one. Usually ran them from mot until mot then scrap them when they failed on welding and bad axles. Same with old Ford escorts etc

[@lucasbarton1773]

RIP to all those lost

[@julianevans9548]

3.09 - The cock and balls drawn on the window. Try to wipe it off and you'll find it's on the inside... I drew it halfway up an alp a year and a half ago. Some might say that a 45-year-old man shouldn't be quite so amused by such things. Good to see a proper car on your channel, James, after all the rubbish you've had lately... 'Dino' - you have to name a car like this, you need to form an emotional bond with him - is sadly likely to be sold or scrapped in the coming months. We could try to flog him after getting another MOT in Jan (although that is fraught with risk), but we wouldn't feel right selling him without being honest about the misfire issue and the slipping clutch. Ergo, even with 12 months MOT it probably still wouldn't be worth much. So, we'll try to punt it for a couple of hundred (if we're very lucky) quid, in order to stave off his demise at the hands of the crusher. Thanks for the review, James - I had a great time. Hope people are amused - it seems so.

[@julianevans9548]

PS I've never been to the tip in my entire adult life - what is people's obsession with these places?

[@user-zt4ry9hm9u]

Got a 1.7dti 68hp estate, SORN atm will have to scrap it when I've got the time.

[@lucasbarton1773]

RIP

[@EgoShredder]

My sister is still driving around in her 2002 1.6 SXi and it has only done about 65,000 miles. She bought it in spring 2003 after her previous Mk2 Astra 1.4L was criminally vandalised to the point it could not pass the next MOT. Her previous car before that a Nova saloon went up in flames in the engine compartment. She was very surprised to see her old car being driven by someone else on the other side of the road, after it had been written off by her insurance company!

[@EgoShredder]

Since my previous comment was made, my sister had a huge recovery truck smash into the back of a line of cars and hers was the meat in the sandwich and was written off. A year on from this in Oct' 2021 and she has another Astra from 2009 I think.....a Club 1.6 variant. She still does not like it a year on compared with her old Astra SXi that she loved. Also the boot is electronically locked/unlocked and that was not working until recently after a repair. No such crap with the older car, but then things are going the way of being less mechanical and manual now, which is a real pity.

[@VitariusLaszlo]

I cant get use to vauxhall name, its an opel I have a 98 1.4 16valve f astra it have a hole in the back of the muffler the raer shock absorbers collapset in to the chassi the motor is sort of rebuilt after a torn timing belt but it still goes and it have a lot of little problems like the alarm don't work anymore but i have a cheap radio that play muic from Bluetooth sometimes its hard to hear over the exhaust sound tho I actually like this car

[@funitoo]

I had one (diesel) for 8 years and I spent around £2k in those 8 years to maintain it. Road tax, MOT tests and insurance not counted of course.

[@makuackingoftheworld1960]

This guy is right Driving this in a highway is bad my dad had a arsta like that but it was blue and a sedan he hasn’t serviced it in like 2 years yh then he was driving in a highway then it blew up

[@julianevans9548]

I drove this car from Glasgow to Grenoble and back. It was fine (just a bit loud - and hot with no aircon and it being 37 degrees). That was before the misfiring started, but that could probably have been fixed. The clutch was on its way out so it wasn't economical to repair, unfortunately.

[@darronian4951]

I remember years ago having a Nissan sunny 1.4 hatchback, with only 3 doors, the nikki carburettor went on it, and at the time was around £500 to replace, so my mechanic at the time went to webber of Sunbury and they had a prototype carburettor which they wanted to test out, my mechanic asked me what I wanted to do, I said let them fit it and test it for a couple of days etc, it cost around £250 to fit and test the new manual choke carburettor, when he brought it back, he said before fitment, my car was gutless, and afterwards he said it was completely opposite. I even put new discs on it, when you wanted to go fast it really went, yet if you drove sensibly it was really economical and the engine was really quiet on tick over, I only got rid of it because I needed a 5 door in the end, my former boss bought it of me, eventually only getting rid for something more practical, he was sad to see it go, as he reckons was the best car he ever had.

[@VoloKinProject]

DisAstra;) That video was hilarious!

[@ClariHero]

I would like to see a mk4 OPC reviewed here. Very few if any on the internet.

[@SuperBC10]

Strange how we still see a good few of these around the place but the Vectra from the same era have all but gone!

[@flightis3dollars]

JayEmm and HubNut must be brothers in spirit me thinks. Good times.

[@Xerdoz]

AC is broken on every G astra. The compressor (or the magnetic switch/clutch) gives up. Second common fault is the headlight leveling motor. The 1.8 is quite nice if you just keep refilling the oil in the engine. (It likes to drink a lot of that stuff along with fuel)

[@wotsitjimbob2271]

My AC isn’t broken because it didn’t come with it lol. Came with sunroof instead. A lot more things have been replaced on my mk5 than my mk4 though 😁

[@themanipulator1]

Great video. My. Exact views on cheap cars and modern shit boxes haha

[@tomholton235]

Wonderful review, you should review more shitboxes. I nearly spat out my coffee at the towel comments

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I have a shitbox playlist

[@tomholton235]

JayEmm on Cars just been checking it out 😂 as a former 308sw owner your 307 review hit a little close to home. I will say thank you for turning me on to the Megane r26. There’s now a 225 sitting on my drive 😀

[@Witheredgoogie]

Surely it deserves a cheap scan to see why it is in limp home mode? probably a coil pack (£50 for all 4) or an 02 sensor (£40)

[@julianevans9548]

But the clutch is slipping so I'd have to replace that soon too.

[@Witheredgoogie]

@@julianevans9548 The clutch is probably around £500 to replace completely..So I suppose you got to evaluate if it is worth it or to move on, but bear in mind clutches can go on any car depending on who drove them before you.Most cars these days have a DMF which take can take clutch replacement into 4 figures.

[@julianevans9548]

​@@Witheredgoogie Thanks for the tip. Looking at replacing it with a SEAT Ibiza. Just checked the clutch price on that - £400, so that's fine. Spending £500 on a new clutch for a car that was £550 three years ago and that, more importantly, has a misfire (that might be just a coil pack issue, or might be myriad other things) is not a good move in my book. And then - with it being 17 years old - you're just waiting for the next issue. I hope someone buys it for slightly more than scrap price, but I have my doubts.

[@Witheredgoogie]

@@julianevans9548 Yes you're best to sell it now as the clutch could leave you stranded eventually..but blimey! you bought it for £550 3 years ago... that must be about £3.50p a week it has cost you LOL

[@julianevans9548]

@@Witheredgoogie Yep, that's exactly it. Well, we have had to spend about £400 per year to keep it on the road.

[@tomcardale5596]

The Fiat 500L is the worst car I've ever driven. Had one with a start-stop system that took multiple attempts to re-start, seats were horrible, and I couldn't adjust the steering wheel in a way that didn't block half the gauges.

[@EgoShredder]

It's a woman's car for women that hate themselves, and are clueless about cars.

[@JayOfBurn]

You missed out, could have taken out my Hilux ;) Nice vid, my old dear had an Astra 1.6 too, awful thing! I didn't like it at all...

[@qam2878]

its suprising on how these mundane family cars have a want to live, my mum owns a 2006 golf also flies through mot's, its relatively boring but i like cheap cars with stories to tell.

[@therandomdj124]

yo bro i had an astra g blue and it was worse as the engine keeps roaring when shifting gears