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The looks
It's been five years already since Astra model J debuted in Frankfurt Motorshow. When you look at the car it actually doesn't look that old which is good news as Opel is known for keeping their models on the market for quite a while before replacing them. Though it has some soft, curvy lines and a bubbly silhouette that by know is probably out of fashion it also has some nice sharp angles here and there. Opel says this car represents their design language where "sculptural artistry meets German precision". Well, I guess it all depends on where the artist comes from, right? Headlights with sharp shaped LEDs definitely catch the eye. Even more so by the fact that it's a shape repeated in all other Opel models using LEDs and in rear lights as well, so whenever you see it before you or in your rear view mirror you can easily recognize the make. This car probably is not going to be a star of any parking lot but it's clear to see that the brand is trying to find it's own design niche that separates it from other car makers and from its own previous models. Opel Astra definitely can look good when in some bright color, but when painted silver, black or dark brownish as tested it easily becomes perfect bank robbery getaway car, because it blends in so easily
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Interior
The interior is surprisingly and pleasantly specious. But it doesn't matter. Window line is high and the doors have comfortable armrests. But it doesn't matter. I also liked the vertical design of air vents. Something I don't think I saw anywhere else. But it doesn't mater either. The fact that once you switch into "sport" mode, dials lighting turns red was also a nice touch. It was supposed to make a driver racier and angrier... I don't think a red back light can make anyone angry (well, maybe except a driver waiting for too long for a red to turn green on the cross roads), but I know it simply looks well. I'm afraid that also doesn't matter. Because all that matters once you hop inside the Astra is a center console. You look at it and suddenly you feel like a space shuttle pilot. Why? Because designers at Opel managed to fit there 39 buttons (yes, thirty nine), 4 dials and 1 joystick on top of that all. Just looking at it is so attention consuming that during my first couple drives I missed two highway exits and on another occasion didn't even notice when I had arrived home from work. Operating that thing is more addictive than playing Angry Birds on your phone. But if you think that people at Opel simply decided to give every functionality the car has it's own know button, you couldn't be more wrong. There are some mind bending surprises. Among my favourites are:
- a separate button for closing and opening door locks, as if one button with "open/lock" funcionality wouldn't suffice
- two buttons to select one of three driving modes (I'll write more about those in the next paragraph)
- "phone" button to see the status of your phone, once you connect it via Bluetooth, but don't be fooled into thinking that you can connect your phone after pressing that "phone" button, because for that there is another one with all-saying "config" on it
Additionally you get a few extra buttons on the steering wheel and so you end up with a "new button every day" competition for the next two months. Let's however not be so negative about it. The biggest upside of it is the fact that should you have your Astra stolen a thief would be so overwhelmed by the sheer number of knobs to press that it would crash into the nearest lamp post if he only attempted to turn the heating up.
- a separate button for closing and opening door locks, as if one button with "open/lock" funcionality wouldn't suffice
- two buttons to select one of three driving modes (I'll write more about those in the next paragraph)
- "phone" button to see the status of your phone, once you connect it via Bluetooth, but don't be fooled into thinking that you can connect your phone after pressing that "phone" button, because for that there is another one with all-saying "config" on it
Additionally you get a few extra buttons on the steering wheel and so you end up with a "new button every day" competition for the next two months. Let's however not be so negative about it. The biggest upside of it is the fact that should you have your Astra stolen a thief would be so overwhelmed by the sheer number of knobs to press that it would crash into the nearest lamp post if he only attempted to turn the heating up.
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The drive
Once you get to know all dials, knobs and buttons on the dashboard, which by the way is just as easy as memorizing a phone book of Mexico City, you'll know there are two buttons with which you can select three driving modes. Yes - two buttons for three driving modes. The logic behind it is undeniable, or nonexistent, whichever you prefer. Never the less the system is following.
A\ you press the "TOUR" button, the light turns on, and the Astra changes into slow motion version of its self. Acceleration pedal reaction is measured in days, gears are shifted by the gearbox at such low revs that I was actually worried it would stall the engine and power steering is so strong that you can steer using just the will power. I couldn't figure out how that corresponds to "touring", but I guess it does in one way or another.
B\you press the second button called "SPORT". This one is pretty much an engine volume control device, because once you press it, yes - acceleration pedal reaction is much better but pressing that pedal always results in the engine revving all the way up to red line on the rev counter. What you get is a lot of noise and not much acceleration because the turbo petrol engine I tested is far torquier mid range rather than close to rev limit. I should also add the the steering requires more force to turn which actually is a good thing giving you the feeling of more control over the front wheels. So basically this mode is like the opera - a lot of noise and very little action.
C\ Neither button is pressed and light on, and so the car is in "NORMAL" mode, allowing normal people to drive in a normal manner. By normal I mean active and engaging. You can accelerate quickly enough, turn as precise as you need and do all the things a thinking driver (not a driver-passenger) likes doing. All that however needs to include a one second hesitation you get from automatic gearbox, but this can be lived with.
Suspension works the same way in all three modes which is a plus. At first I thought it was too stiff, but I was wrong. It projects a feeling of stiffness but the dampening is just fine and that combined with really soft and comfortable seats nicely detaches you from all road imperfections. Speaking of seats. Yes, they are soft and comfortable, but also provide almost no lateral support. So for as long as you're driving just forward, you're fine. Once you hit a corner at too high speed you'll probably slide off the seat to either side. I must admit I'm not a fan of automatic gearboxes, but I also must say that a gearbox like the one in Astra keeps me from changing my mind.
A\ you press the "TOUR" button, the light turns on, and the Astra changes into slow motion version of its self. Acceleration pedal reaction is measured in days, gears are shifted by the gearbox at such low revs that I was actually worried it would stall the engine and power steering is so strong that you can steer using just the will power. I couldn't figure out how that corresponds to "touring", but I guess it does in one way or another.
B\you press the second button called "SPORT". This one is pretty much an engine volume control device, because once you press it, yes - acceleration pedal reaction is much better but pressing that pedal always results in the engine revving all the way up to red line on the rev counter. What you get is a lot of noise and not much acceleration because the turbo petrol engine I tested is far torquier mid range rather than close to rev limit. I should also add the the steering requires more force to turn which actually is a good thing giving you the feeling of more control over the front wheels. So basically this mode is like the opera - a lot of noise and very little action.
C\ Neither button is pressed and light on, and so the car is in "NORMAL" mode, allowing normal people to drive in a normal manner. By normal I mean active and engaging. You can accelerate quickly enough, turn as precise as you need and do all the things a thinking driver (not a driver-passenger) likes doing. All that however needs to include a one second hesitation you get from automatic gearbox, but this can be lived with.
Suspension works the same way in all three modes which is a plus. At first I thought it was too stiff, but I was wrong. It projects a feeling of stiffness but the dampening is just fine and that combined with really soft and comfortable seats nicely detaches you from all road imperfections. Speaking of seats. Yes, they are soft and comfortable, but also provide almost no lateral support. So for as long as you're driving just forward, you're fine. Once you hit a corner at too high speed you'll probably slide off the seat to either side. I must admit I'm not a fan of automatic gearboxes, but I also must say that a gearbox like the one in Astra keeps me from changing my mind.
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Summary
When I finished testing the Astra, I asked my self, who it had been designed and produced for. Who would be happy to own it and drive it on regular basis. At first only the electric switchboard engineer who loves taking his work with him, because of all the knobs he can find on the dash board, came to my mind. Seriously though, I can see this car meeting the needs of conservative car buyers who don't want "any of that Chinese stuff", meaning probably Korean and being unaware that it's produced in Slovakia. They want their car to be reliable, so not French or even worse Italian, they want it to be of a good quality that can be seen and touched so it must be German obviously. But they don't have either the budget or the passion for motoring to choose between any of the big three German brands (Audi, BMW, Mercedes) and of course they don't want to end up with Volkswagen because it's well... a people's car. Voila... that's how you come to buying an Opel Astra - a car that originates from lower shelves of the car market but surely presents aspirations to be something more. |
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The gallery
It's always worthwhile to have a look at some cool car pictures, isn't it?
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| All pics are clickable to view them as biiig ones |
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| All pics are clickable to view them as biiig ones |
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