2002 Opel Astra Gild Sedan - It was roughly 2 years agone when nosotros final stepped into an Opel. As competent as the Astra was, dorsum too so nosotros concluded that the Honda Civic too the Ford Lynx—our top 2 for the 1.6-liter segment had cipher to fright from this diminutive High German car. However, much similar enjoying a proficient French wine, a unmarried two-hour sitting may non produce plenty judge to this car. So this time, we’re taking a four-day thing inwards the hopes of confirming our master findings—or else swallow our pride too acknowledge that nosotros made some booboos before.
The Opel Astra’s exterior is an oxymoron, much similar the balance of the car’s attributes. From the outside, it is stylishly bland. It blends good into Philippine roads specially inwards anonymous silverish or black. However, the nicely chiseled body is suspension from the swooping Japanese curves that pick out swarmed our roads for years. The thick C-pillars also give the Astra a proficient solid employment too a to a greater extent than substantial stance. It is also rich inwards particular specially inwards the agency the creases all blend together, specially roughly the hood too the trunk.
However, as proficient as the details are, the Astra fails to tickle the sense of savor buds of the typical motorist. The brusk too depression body coupled alongside small-scale looking wheels (they are truly 15-inchers), don’t produce this High German a lot of favors inwards the aesthetics department. More so, the Japanese too fifty-fifty the Americans are getting proficient inwards creating delightful details as could live establish inwards the latest Ford Lynx, Honda Civic too the Toyota Corolla Altis.
The body panels are consistently tight too are in all likelihood the best thing that this automobile offers. Opel claims that this automobile uses thicker metallic panels than the competition—a character all as good evident from the confident too muffled door ‘thunk’.
Inside, the Opel Astra is a mixed bag. At kickoff glance, this is the best Opel yet alongside a consistently finished cabin. Although it does non pick out leather or woods as standard, the Opel contains, what could live termed as, ‘standard German’. By this, nosotros would hateful that everything feels bank-vault solid.
However, beingness solidly built doesn’t hateful that the interior is all praiseworthy. In fact, the character of plastics is quite similar inwards experience to theatre appliances: smooth, difficult too cold. Though the major switchgear such as the mightiness windows experience all right, the Astra lacks the cuddling experience of fifty-fifty the coldest Japanese 1.6-liter car—the Honda Civic.
Thus though this automobile may facial expression small-scale too cutesy from the outside, don’t await the same handling from the interior, specially after a long day’s drive.
Supposedly designed for purpose on the High German Autobahn, at that spot is this immediate picture that the Astra should produce excellently inwards the acceleration too top speed departments. Sadly, this is non the case.
Measuring at entirely 4242 mm long, the small-scale bodied Astra truly feels similar a larger sedan than its dimensions suggest. That’s non proficient specially at a fourth dimension when Mercedes-Benz too BMW are designing their S-class too 7-series to handgrip similar their mainstream C-class too 3-series sedans respectively.
The lardy perception of the Opel Astra is non the employment of a unmarried driving component. Rather, it is how these supposedly proficient components don’t operate as good together, hence transforming a automobile total of potential into a semi-nightmare of sorts.
First, the 1.6-liter Ecotec inline-4 engine does pretty good for itself, producing 110 bhp at 6,000 rpm too 150 Nm of torque at a depression 3,600 rpm. Mated to a 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission, the Astra does 0-100 km/h inwards roughly 13.5 seconds. Though the ingredients may all seem promising, the Astra ends upward feeling awfully slow. It seems that the 110 horses are all kept on a tight leash fifty-fifty when depressing the rightmost pedal nearly all the agency down.
Engaging the sport trend induces horrible shift shock, but gives the Astra a much needed performance boost. This time, it’s as if all the horses pick out broken gratis as the engine gives out a turbo-like whine—beautiful—all the agency to its 6,800 rpm redline.
Second, a supposedly inherent characteristic of small-scale cars is quick too precise steering. Unfortunately, the Astra fails to deliver hither as well. Though the automobile has body whorl kept nether tight control, too the McPherson Strut front end too Twist-Beam Axle raise suspension are set-up for a sportier character, this Opel’s steering ratio is as good slow. This requires to a greater extent than steering activeness specially if y'all wish to carve inwards too out of Manila traffic.
It is a shame since the Astra’s chassis carries a lot of grip too the steering is precise, specially at high speeds.
Third, the brakes are a combination of front end vented discs too raise drums alongside touchstone anti-lock system—a set-up similar to the Honda Civic VTi-S. However, dissimilar the under-braked Civic, the Astra performs well, bringing this 1194 kilogram automobile to a dead halt alongside precise pedal feel. As proficient as the pedal experience is, the Astra has a heavier pedal than the Japanese cars', hence requiring to a greater extent than leg seek to gain adequate stopping power.
Lastly, the biggest employment alongside the Astra is the most invisible hood, fifty-fifty alongside the driver’ spot raised all the agency up. It seems that the designers did non wish the front-end to live seen at all costs. This could live a problem, specially when it comes to tight-maneuver parking. A slight shame truly as this could pick out given the equally-sized Honda City too Kia Rio a solid thrashing.
If the driving experience is nevertheless best left to the Japanese too the Americans, could the Opel Astra maybe struggle the 2 inwards price of comfort? In some ways, yeah too inwards some ways, no.
On the positive note, the Opel Astra does come upward alongside a powerful aircon. The blower emits a breezy Mount Everest experience that fogs upward the front end windshield fifty-fifty during mid-morning operation. More than merely the ventilation controls, the touchstone stereo alongside CD histrion (an upgrade from the 2000 model that entirely has a stereo cassette) comes alongside proficient good clarity thank y'all to its touchstone 8-speaker organization (including front end too raise tweeters).
The seats offering proficient lateral back upward too are rattling comfortable, fifty-fifty inwards long distance driving. Front infinite is a chip tight, since the middle console openly obtrudes into valuable front end foot-well space. However, they are adequate for small-scale to average-sized occupants. The story is truthful also for the raise passengers. Though the iii carve upward raise headrests may advise a total seating capacity of v people, the Astra is best left alongside merely 4 inside.
The suspension is a mixed experience. Though it does pretty good when it comes to large potholes too route joints (despite its small-scale size too non-independent raise set-up), it nevertheless has much to live desired when it comes to long stretches of uneven roads as the jitters are transferred all the agency to the passengers. The cabin also fails to block out exterior dissonance such as street vendors too the like. Tire howl is rattling evident, specially at high speeds.
Since the Astra was launched into the marketplace final 2000, some owners pick out travel regulars at our website, submitting their tales of both satisfaction too woe when it comes to ownership.
Generally, most pick out liked the solidity of the car, specially given its sub-one 1000000 cost tag. However, at that spot are some bothersome problems when it comes to durability. The Opel Astra commonly suffers from steering bike jiggles, easily worn-out brakes (especially the raise brakes) too a rather delicate Twist-Beam Axle.
That said, service too parts are also difficult to come upward by. Owners pick out unremarkably complained of some parts requiring a long hold off to instruct replaced. Some said that replacement of fifty-fifty uncomplicated things such as the car’s battery require an expensive take in to an Opel service middle as the High German marque’s size is non readily available from Motolite too other local manufacturers.
Though the Opel Astra’s cost has set it into tilt alongside the likes of the Honda Civic, Ford Lynx, Nissan Exalta too Toyota Corolla Altis, it nevertheless lacks the pizzazz too the graphic symbol to woo a possible buyer. What’s more, the playing acre has been leveled inwards price of features as fifty-fifty the most basic of the 1.6-liter cars all pick out what the Opel Astra has: airbag, ABS, CD histrion too keyless entry / immobilizer. What’s more, some similar the Ford Lynx Ghia already pick out a Luna roof, a 6-disc CD changer, four-wheel disc too leather seats as touchstone at nearly 100,000 pesos less!
The Astra is non merely a tool. Like many High German sedans, it turns out to live a cold, unemotional device, much similar using a Stanley hammer correct out of the freezer.
Right now, it is difficult to justify the Opel Astra as the best purchase when it comes to the 1.6-liter segment. Even after doing a longer stint this fourth dimension around, it seems that nosotros were correct all along—the Japanese too the Americans pick out cipher to fear.
Car Review - 2002 Opel Astra Gild Sedan Features & Specifications
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Oleh
Lucy
