Our Fleet Test Drive: Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer - 7th report
Date:
03 January 2012
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Author: Hugh Hunston
Cabin
The Astra Sports Tourer's cabin provides a civilised place for drivers.
The controls and instruments are largely intuitive - apart from initial confusion over pressing the outside ring of the central stack dial to select various functions - and the satnav has been refreshingly logical to operate, as is the DAB radio/CD player. The high-quality digital reception enjoys almost uninterrupted area coverage, too.
Heating and ventilation controls are effective, even if a bout of overnight steamy windows takes frustratingly long to clear. Equally, cruise control is not seamless while the driver's seat-height adjuster is sticky to use.
But the net result is an integrated and joined up design, with feel-good touches like reddish ambient instrument cluster, central console and floor-level lighting at night. Pity an annoying buzz has developed within that ergonomically sound fascia.
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer 1.7 CDTi SRi | Mileage | 2914 | Claimed combined consumption | 62.8mpg | Our average consumption | 46.6mpg | Forecast CPM | 54.7p | Actual CPM | 55.8p | Why we’re running it | To see if the latest Astra wagon can shake off its predecessors’ stigma of being a utilitarian workhorse. | Positive | Cabin offers civilised working conditions
| Negative | Economy remains stubbornly average |
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