Our Fleet Test Drive: Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer - 11th report
Date:
01 March 2012
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Author: Hugh Hunston
Astra in country lane
Hopefully most drivers don't share our ritual of factoring in extra time when preparing for early departures to clear ice from both sides of the Astra's front screen, despite the absence of residual cabin moisture.
It is a mystery why Vauxhall and many other brands haven't followed Ford's example with the Quickclear type of heated element, which saves time and aggro. It also reduces the need for using the demisting blower that dries out drivers' contact lenses. Our Astra also fails another screen test, this time for shorter drivers being irked by the instruments and dials reflecting on to the upper windscreen at night.
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer 1.7 CDTi SRi | Mileage | 3901 | Claimed combined consumption | 62.8mpg | Our average consumption | 46.2mpg | Forecast CPM | 54.7p | Actual CPM | 58.1p | Why we’re running it | To see if the latest Astra wagon can shake off its predecessors’ stigma of being a utilitarian workhorse. | Positive | Parking sensors for night manoeuvres | Negative | Real mpg is well behind official stats |
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