I had a chance to use Astra J for a while and was very happy to go back to my Superb 2. Why? Here is a short video on only a few things that annoyed me.

 

Edited 27 November, 20178 yr by mtl

?

What was the price difference between the 2 in 2010.

The Astra might have been about the price of a Fabia Mk2, or just a bit more.

Comparing a Fabia to a Superb would show up some important differences.

 

EDIT,

Doh,

i never knew they were pricey,  only ever seen the 'much cheapness' lease prices and £39 a day or so Hire Charges as they filled the Hire Car pounds.

 

 

Edited 27 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

Astra J compares with Octavia 2/3. This is also why I haven't included other criterias in the video (such as space, comfort, etc.), because it would not be fair, since Superb is a class above.

All the issues presented in the video are the same in Octavia 2 as are in Superb 2, so this is why I think it is a fair comparison with those criterias.

Edited 27 November, 20178 yr by mtl

Good stuff. Then in 2015 it was discovered the well built Skoda TDI's have a Defeat Device and VW Group had to get a fix for that and now people are looking for ones when buying used that have not been fixed due to that lottery.

Happy story and cars people liked now a risky purchase for some.

Edited 27 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

Havent watched the video yet,but i have a 2009 insignia with 218000km up on it.

SE 160, so 2l cdti, and some toys - 6cd  changer and dab radio, cruise, steering wheel audio. Auto lights and wipers. Half leather seats. 

Came with a parrot, ive deactivated with a jellycomb btooth auxilary thingy which works better (audio playback and handsfree). Electric handbrake that cost me a taillight and hatch by not engaging when i thought it had.. Its a comfy, quiet (other than the bearing drone), long distance cruiser that has plenty thump for getting a shuffle on if its deemed necessary, in a straight line.. not so much in the twisties as its heavy, but pretty planted to be fair.

Space wise - cabin aint all that big, tbh, but im small and so is swmbo, so i dont notice too much, nothing like as roomy as a Superb, about equal to Octy. 40-45mpg mixed motorway and backroad and urban combined.

 

In 12 months ive put 28k km up on it.

Things ive done -

Had to restick both wing mirror glasses onto the heated backing as one fell off while driving (miraculously wedged itself that i was able to retrieve it via open window at motorway speed.. the passenger one partly came off when i checked its condition after the first one. Reckon it had been standing a while prior to me buying, or at least not washed very often.. and green gunge growth behind the glass killed the glue.

Replaced battery (50/50 partly my fault as i let it die by accident one day while cleaning the cars)

Replaced all the disc and pads, 

Replaced radiator due to it leaking.

Replaced clutch and dmf last month - dmf was original and dying, clutch had been replaced prior to my ownership, but the idiots didnt do the dmf... so it was killing the clutch..

Aux belt and tensioner replaced due to the belt coming off as the tensioner was dying and getting loose.

Anti theft is acting up, likely cause a dying back up battery in the siren box.

And theres a rattle from aux belt area at 1000-1100rpm only, like a bearing is slipping. Seems worse when on a full steering lock so i reckon PAS pump drive.

And i have 2 rear wheel bearing kits in the shed to be put on when i get a chance, as one is knackered and other probably not far behind.

 

 

Hows that for a summary of a similar aged, comparable "size class" vehicle to the Superb, from the makers of the Ashtray J?

Edited 27 November, 20178 yr by mac11irl

The Spanish seem to like Opel........or is that just the taxi industry?.

Only had one Vauxhall/Opel, a 6 month old Astra F which was a totally under engineered junk pile that we had to keep for years on account of mortgage kids etc.

 

Springs, Brakes, Ignition, Locks and ventilation all failed repeatedly or permanently, and that was on a '97 model - right at the end of its life when all the design faults should have been corrected.

 

Eventually it spat SWMBO off the road with another brake failure, so we went into some debt to get something different.

 

...and added Vauxhall to our "never again" list.  The dealers (all over the country as we moved a lot) were as bad as the car!

 

 

Edited 27 November, 20178 yr by camelspyyder

Being popular with leasing companies is a bad sign to me........one of desperation.

Ouch, so this reads that you are fighting very similar war with your car as the owner of Astra J in the video. :(

In the last three years a lot of money was thrown into the car for problem fixing...

Edited 28 November, 20178 yr by mtl

I can't prove it but I think the majority of broken down cars I've seen in the last few years have been Vauxhalls. All different types but an awful lot of vauxhalls.

Friends and family with Vauxhalls (Insignias mostly with expensive early life issues or Vx very unwilling to honour warranty) have also reported a lot of issues with them most crying off Vx to never return.

 

I had a couple of Astras, A Mk2 and a Mk3. TBH I had no issues with them really but there was very little to go wrong on the Mk2 (it did go slightly on fire once but it went out).

 

I saw a new Insignia the other day and I genuinely thought it looked pretty good. But fewer and fewer Vx on the road these days.

 

I was about to say Vx have no USP. Not that stylish, cheap or fast.

But then what has Skoda for a USP these days?  Buy a Skoda and get Seat quality for Audi prices?

 

Friends in Hungary asked me to get them Vauxhall badges to put on their Opel, that was rather easy as plenty in the scrap yards.

 

Now Vauxhall has new owners maybe an improvement, job losses in the UK maybe not a bad thing if the vehicles improve and the very cheap finance continues.

Corsa & Astra are right up there in the UK First Registration Numbers but then Motability buy lots, as do Hire & Lease Companies, then Vauxhall buy lots of the cars they already built and own.

The Mokka is a big fav with those leasing from Motability. 

I notice that those around my way that have had one for 3 years are not replacing with another though.

 

They still did wicked fast Saloon & Estates though, some crazy cars.

 

Surely PSA will be building EV's in the UK after BREXIT, using 50% UK manufactured parts to have the UK Government splash the cash.

British Cars for British Roads with British made Michelin Tyres, and new British Emission standards, 

and suitable for British Charging Points for British Generated Renewables, and a fair amount of imported stuff including the machinery, and the employees. 

http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-39181060 

Edited 28 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

3 hours ago, Aspman said:

I can't prove it but I think the majority of broken down cars I've seen in the last few years have been Vauxhalls. All different types but an awful lot of vauxhalls.

Friends and family with Vauxhalls (Insignias mostly with expensive early life issues or Vx very unwilling to honour warranty) have also reported a lot of issues with them most crying off Vx to never return.

 

I had a couple of Astras, A Mk2 and a Mk3. TBH I had no issues with them really but there was very little to go wrong on the Mk2 (it did go slightly on fire once but it went out).

 

I saw a new Insignia the other day and I genuinely thought it looked pretty good. But fewer and fewer Vx on the road these days.

 

I was about to say Vx have no USP. Not that stylish, cheap or fast.

But then what has Skoda for a USP these days?  Buy a Skoda and get Seat quality for Audi prices?

 

Sadly also Skoda is losing its quality, well actually all the manufacturers are ''cost-cutting'' aka doing process optimization :).

But Opel is according to my opinion almost the worst of them. Cars are complete piece of junk, in the same class (of piece of junk) as early 1.6TDI engines or 7DSG automatic transmissions with dry clutch from VAG.

Edited 28 November, 20178 yr by mtl

Mmm because PSA are truly going to up the quality control for Opel/Vx

 

Yeah, been a bit of a pita, considering the octy it replaced is still on the road,and while it had its issues, it never failed to get me where i was going.

My biggest gripe  with the insh1tnia is how Opel has such a reputation built up for brilliant built and engineered cars (in ireland) but its just not the case. Brother in Law has a 2012 vx insignia 160se and he hasnt the same issues as me.. yet.

Does it come down partly to previous owner abuse? Probably. Mine has a hitch that i reckon got used a lot, and if by the typical owners of these here cars it was a farmer dragging an overloaded trailer around bad roads killed the first clutch and didnt do the dmf with it as its cheaper...

I just followed a new Insignia estate in red at a safe distance for 10 miles of 70 mph average speed cameras, nice ar53 IMO and gave me rather good MPG for 10 miles as i was coasting much of the way. 

They must break wind rather well, and no stupid fake exhaust tail pipe.

Edited 28 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

Yeah PSA will improve GM Europe quality 

 

My local, and long trusted, mechanics wont buy sell or recommend any PSA product for the same reasons I dislike GM:

poor reliability based on engineering quality or lack of it.