These days, it seems as if the cost of everything is going up while wages are staying the same. Petrol prices, especially, seem to be soaring sky-high. What with one thing and another, it might make sense to look at “downgrading” vehicles to a smaller, more frugal car. The Holden Astra is one small car that offers economy and a sprightly drive.

You’ll have a range of cars to choose from. Starting from the basic Holden Astra CD hatch, there are a range of body styles – five door hatch, coupe and wagon – engine sizes and fuel types. And, of course, there’s the exciting new Holden Astra TwinTop, which is a snazzy little topless number. All Holden Astra models are easy on the eye, packing style and modern sportiness into a compact size. The Holden Astra isn’t a “cute” little hairdresser’s car – although it certainly fits the size description, it isn’t a car a red-blooded Aussie bloke would be too embarrassed to drive.

So, first and foremost, how frugal is the Holden Astra? Well, the Holden Astra CDTi’s 1.9 litre turbo diesel engine would have to be the most frugal. If this is your choice, then on average your Holden Astra CDTi will go through 6.0 litres per 100 kms in the manual version and 7.1 litres per 100 km in automatic. All versions of the Holden Astra, however, are relatively easy on the wallet petrol-wise. The most “guzzly” of the lot, the 2.2 litre TwinTop in automatic, gets through 9.5 litres per 100 km on average. Out of all the petrol engines, the most frugal is the 1.8 litre engine with manual transmission, which you’ll find inside the CD five-door hatch, coupe and wagon, and the CDX five-door hatch and coupe. This 1.8 litre engine goes through an average of 7.4 litres per 100 km.

Has performance been sacrificed on the altar of economy? Well, judge for yourself whether the Holden Astra has done this. Starting at the frugal end of the range, the 1.9 diesel engine in manual has a maximum output of 110 kW at 4000 revs (so does the 1.9 litre petrol engine, incidentally) and a very respectable maximum torque of 320 Nm from 2000-2750 rpm. On the other hand, in the Holden Astra TwinTop, the 2.2 litre petrol engine packs the same maximum output as the 1.9 engines, but at 5600 rpm. The torque in the TwinTop isn’t quite as impressive as the diesel engine’s, though, being only 210 Nm at 4000 rpm. No prizes for guessing which I’d prefer out of those two, if engine performance and economy was the only factor – but that convertible TwinTop does look pretty good? Some of the other engines have a higher maximum output than the 1.9 litre petrol and diesel engines, but no other Holden Astra engine comes close to the diesel torque.

Does a downgrade in engine size mean a downgrade in cabin comfort and safety? To find out, let’s look at the very frugal CDTi manual – a five-door hatch. This version has cloth trimmed seats, air conditioning and ventilation with a pollen filter, an MP3-compatible CD player with a multi-function graphic display, and an engine immobiliser. And it’s got all the safety features you could think of: curtain airbags, front and side airbags, pyrotechnic pretensioner seatbelts with force limiters in the front, anti-submarining ramps for all seats and an electronic stability program that includes ABS, brake assist and traction control. The more luxurious SRi (coupe or five-door hatch) has the same safety features, but has black leather heated seats with lumbar support.

To judge among all of the Holden Astra models, I’d choose the CDTi if economy and performance were my key factors, the SRi if I was after sporty luxury, and the TwinTop if I wanted a cool convertible. What about you?

Current model series include:

• Holden Astra CD 5 Door 1.8
• Holden Astra CD Coupe 1.8
• Holden Astra CD Wagon 1.8
• Holden Astra CDTi 5 Door 1.9
• Holden Astra CDX 5 Door 1.8
• Holden Astra CDX Coupe 1.8
• Holden Astra CDX Wagon 1.8
• Holden Astra CDXi 5 Door 1.8
• Holden Astra SRi Turbo Coupe 2.0
• Holden Astra TwinTop

For anymore information on the Holden Astra, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Holden dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

Back to Holden Car Reviews