I own an Astra 1.7TD, purchased in 2001 and done about 50000km. Extensive highway use has produced excellent results. To be honest, I purchased the car more for the Opel name than anything else but the quality has definitely been exceptional. No regrets...not when I get 13.5 kmpl in the city and ~19 kmpl on highways!!! Ride quality is good, and the suspension is a dream - even on bad roads.
In the recent past - and I dont know if this is due to the mileage - I had my rectifier pack up. The dealer was unable to give me a clear reason. I mean, how can the rectifier just pack up?
Reasons to buy - Reliability, Safety, performance
Why you may want to think twice - Customer care absolutely sucks! They just dont seem to care once you have taken the car off their backs; it can get a wee bit expensive if you have part replacements; what happens to support since they stopped mass production of Astra? Will this go the Matiz way?
I am actually thinking of trading in my Astra and getting an SUV - diesel for sure. Any suggestions?