looking at buying an Astra SRi Turbo

[tinkz]

Hey everyone,

My girlfriend is in the market for a 06 up Astra Sri Turbo,
- is there any differences between years?
- things to look for? Common faults?

I've previously had a 2000 astra and my Gf had a barina Sri, both cars had problems with them. Do these new astras suffer from reliability problems?


My girlfriends current car is a 02 Honda Integra Type R

[auzvectra]

the thing with opels is if u dont look after them, they can be a pain.
most the time there is very litlle issues when serviced right.

that being said, there are always some that have probs ;).

[Hoya]

astras are shit cars.

hahaha jks jks

SRiT aye are fantastic cars mate, i got one and it goes hard

[delemonte]

What Matt says is true; I could tell you I've had very few problems with either of my Astras (2002 CD 5dr Hatch, 2003 SRi-Turbo 3dr Hatch), but it doesn't actually mean you won't have any troubles :rolleyes:. If you look after it, it should behave, unless you're unlucky enough to get a lemon. Obvious things, but check over the service history and warranty details and take a good look over everything.

There is one sad truth about Opels, and that is that buying genuine parts can be an incredibly expensive exercise.

If you have further specific questions, there are plenty of ppl here who will be able to help you out.

Good luck man!

[DirtyHarry]

stick to the jap cars mate...ie honda, toyota

[GreyRex]

Hey everyone,

My girlfriend is in the market for a 06 up Astra Sri Turbo,
- is there any differences between years?
- things to look for? Common faults?

I've previously had a 2000 astra and my Gf had a barina Sri, both cars had problems with them. Do these new astras suffer from reliability problems?


My girlfriends current car is a 02 Honda Integra Type R

I've got an 06 Astra Turbo

From what i know, they're not reknown for major issues

Common issues to the Astra seem to be:

- Rear suspension bushes creaking on bumps/speed humps
- The computer going into 'Accident mode'... occasionally turning on the indicators, unlocking the doors and leaving the interior light on (but as i said... rare)

It's an ok car... but I wouldn't say fantastic. Depends what you/your gf want out of it

[tinkz]

thanks for some info guys

Things i dont like about Opels are that you have to change the timing belt and idler pulley kit every 60k kms, Brake discs and pads need changing every 40K kms.

Do the current Astras require frequent maintanence on parts which should last longer?

From my experience with my past two opels, Parts on the Opels dont seem to be made to last compared to Hondas and Toyotas.

[mania]

I've had mine for 22k kms so far and no issues whatsoever. Timing belt is 60k though, don't know about much else - the online service price estimates don't show any unusually expensive service intervals (except 60k of course), but I haven't looked too hard in to them.

Would recommend them to anyone though - particularly with a remap (can be done at home with devices bought overseas, or locally).

I guess only criticism I would have is that in black they do get swirls too easily (soft paint), but this is probably more a trait of dark cars then astras in particular. And apparently honda's have the softest paint in the industry, so may still be an improvement anyway.

Massive tuning potential for them too, what with how long the engine's been available and numbers sold overseas.

EDIT: Thought I might mention most genuine parts for the car can be purchased cheaply overseas, from autovaux and the like. Many things for a tiny fraction what holden charge... (aesthetics like the chrome rings for the vxr front fog lights spring to mind).

[Manda88]

Why not get newer shape integra cost about same, and its a honda, itll go and go and go + resale always good

its what i was going to get... 06 integra luxury

[USC]

thanks for some info guys

Things i dont like about Opels are that you have to change the timing belt and idler pulley kit every 60k kms, Brake discs and pads need changing every 40K kms.

Do the current Astras require frequent maintanence on parts which should last longer?

From my experience with my past two opels, Parts on the Opels dont seem to be made to last compared to Hondas and Toyotas.

The MY07 Sri-T only needs timing belt replacement every 120 000kms.

[mania]

The MY07 Sri-T only needs timing belt replacement every 120 000kms.

I wonder when I forgot that... you're quite right.

[tinkz]

My Gf isn't too fond on the new integra shape. After driving
My wrx my Gf is hooked on turbo cars.


Can anyone else confirm that the timing belt requires changing at 120,000kms?

Are there any differences between 06, 07, 08 models?

[tinkz]

...

[J]

If your gf wants turbo and reliability, why not try the latest Ralliart Lancer?

Sure, it's not as common as the WRX, but it is better in some ways, is made in Japan (as far as I know), plus it has factory 5-year vehicle warranty plus 10-year powertrain warranty. And that's on a turbo motor too!

Just a thought... :)

[Mexican Cali]

haha tell her to keep the K20 :p .. or i will buy the K20 conversion for my cali :D

[vectraguy01]

Tinks, im pretty sure its 60k for the timing belt as its basically the same engine as the 03-04 astra g turbo.

You cant fault the performance of these cars. On any car you buy there could be some faults but that is part of owning a vehicle though.

[mzsammi]

thanks for some info guys

Things i dont like about Opels are that you have to change the timing belt and idler pulley kit every 60k kms, Brake discs and pads need changing every 40K kms.

Do the current Astras require frequent maintanence on parts which should last longer?

From my experience with my past two opels, Parts on the Opels dont seem to be made to last compared to Hondas and Toyotas.



my 06 sri-t has been great. im just getting timing belts done, i beleive the car had new brake pads in when i got it and im only just replacing them now after 70k kms ( they might not have been done when i brought it who knows.( brake pads n brakes depends on the driver too)

i cant complain about the car one bit,
only issue i have is the torque steer

my car gets serviced by a mercedes mechanic now, even he said their great cars with little to no issues

[GreyRex]

Now that I think of it, one other tiny little issue is the thread on the oil filter. My two year old Turbo started leaking a few drops on our driveway, so I took it to our mechanic

He said it was just the oil filter... and that it didn't require much effort to screw on or off. He got it all cleaned up, no more leaks... and he did it for nothing!!

So maybe something small to be aware of :)

[Red AH SRI T]

Are there any differences between 06, 07, 08 models?

They changed the grille from MY7.5 on, it gained more vertical slats, and the silver interior trim changed from being a checkered silver to a plain silver. Other than that everything stays the same.

[GreyRex]

They changed the grille from MY7.5 on, it gained more vertical slats, and the silver interior trim changed from being a checkered silver to a plain silver. Other than that everything stays the same.

How could you forget the centre cupholder? :yikes:

LOL

[lithium]

Do the current Astras require frequent maintanence on parts which should last longer?

yes, they do. the same problematic parts are still there that you'll have encountered on your old Astra/Barina SRi
- dodgy coil packs
- failing ECUs
and as you mentioned a poxy tensioner design that requires a timing belt change every 60k.

that said none of these weakness make the car fatally flawed, all cars have common problems (Opels just have more than most!). just put some money away for maintenence

[Red AH SRI T]

How could you forget the centre cupholder? :yikes:

LOL

oh silly me!

LOL

I find the square cupholder much more practical

[GreyRex]

oh silly me!

LOL

I find the square cupholder much more practical

I actually do too

My phone and wallet fit perfectly in it, yet it'll still hold a drink... which i rarely have anyway. My water bottle sits in the door!!

[Red AH SRI T]

I agree 100%, thats exactly what I do.

When the round cupholder came out, i swapped the square one out of my car for a round one from a car at work. I hated it after one day and swapped it back.

[tinkz]

Overall it doesnt that too many ppl have issues with their Astras, Even my wrx had issues which i got fixed under warranty such as Rear faulty shock and noisy windscreen.

My gf really wants a 2 door coupe that is newish and something that is around the $24,000 mark, any other suggestions??

How are the SRI turbos in terms of performance and ride comfort?? I know torque steer will be a problem, but is it a major issue?

I noticed on carsales.com.au that theres not that many sri turbos for sale.

[Mexican Cali]

how much would she sell the DC5 for dude .. ??

[GreyRex]

Overall it doesnt that too many ppl have issues with their Astras, Even my wrx had issues which i got fixed under warranty such as Rear faulty shock and noisy windscreen.

My gf really wants a 2 door coupe that is newish and something that is around the $24,000 mark, any other suggestions??

How are the SRI turbos in terms of performance and ride comfort?? I know torque steer will be a problem, but is it a major issue?

I noticed on carsales.com.au that theres not that many sri turbos for sale.

She'll be happy :)

Stock performance is about 7.5 seconds 0 - 100km/h

Torque steer isn't really a problem. The only time it may catch you/her out is if you're lightly holding the steering wheel, and accelerating briskly over a rough surface

Comfort... subjective. The Sport button will make the suspension firmer, quicken the throttle response, and make the steering feel more weighted. So get her to try it with Sport both and and off

Fuel economy should average about mid 9 L/100km

They also come in three colours... red, silver and black. Most used seem to be black

[tinkz]

Well Dc5rs are going for the low $23-26k mark so she'll be looking at selling her car for that much.

Shes after a red sri turbo and after looking on carsales theres not that many reds avaliable. We had to fly all the way down to Melbourne to buy her red Dc5r and drive all the way upto Sydney. I dont think ill be wanting to go interstate to buy a car if possible.

Are there any local guys with an AH SRI turbo in Western Sydney? it would be great to see one in the flesh, as it seems theres not that many around.

Just want to mention aswell, that you guys have been awesome in regards to helping me with questions and answers.

[Mexican Cali]

ahh k sweet .. if theres any chance u can send me some pics and info through of the DC5r that be sweet ..

[email protected]

thanks man..

[mania]

Can anyone else confirm that the timing belt requires changing at 120,000kms?
You can see all logbook services here (http://carservice.com.au/car-service-servicing-guide-2.aspx?sid=6026). Nearly all of them state "inspect timing belt", so I guess any could result in a change... but the logbook only specifies a change at 120k kms. From quick look over, every 15k are fairly reasonable, 30ks about double that, 120k (timing belt change) $1000.


Are there any differences between 06, 07, 08 models? Off the top of my head, only minor cosmetics inside/out, and the addition of mp3 to the cd changer. They've always had ESP / TC / CDC afaik... so nothing new safety/handling wise, same with engine.

[Red AH SRI T]

Are there any local guys with an AH SRI turbo in Western Sydney? it would be great to see one in the flesh, as it seems theres not that many around.



I work @ Heartland Parramatta and I drive a red SRiT, its there most days if you ever wanna stop by to see it

[tinkz]

I work @ Heartland Parramatta and I drive a red SRiT, its there most days if you ever wanna stop by to see it
Serious...Sweet! I might pop by one day..maybe next Wednesday. I noticed they had a nice VXR there...I couldn't see much since it was in the night.

[Red AH SRI T]

I have next wednesday off. My Sunday you see ;-)

But can probably organise to meet elsewhere

[tomtom]

I work @ Heartland Parramatta and I drive a red SRiT, its there most days if you ever wanna stop by to see it

waht do you do there mate? Sales/admin/mech?

I boguht my car from parra heartland :p

[kabel]

Used VXR`s are also a good bet at present.
I have had no real issues with mine after 2.5 years and 40,000kms.
All log book serviced and an intermediate service between.
Only issue has been squeaky rear bushes,lubed and not been a problem since and a firmware update for the onboard computer.
Average fuel usage per week is 8.2-8.7l per 100km in peak hour traffic.

Only mods so far have been Eibach springs,a RARB and a Milltek Turbo-back exhaust.
Good luck

[tinkz]

I have next wednesday off. My Sunday you see ;-)

But can probably organise to meet elsewhere
oh srz? well just send me a pm when u are free on the weekend. I work afternoons and the gf works days.

Thanks heaps!

[Red AH SRI T]

waht do you do there mate? Sales/admin/mech?

I boguht my car from parra heartland :p

Sales, I look after Saab & Hummer and sell the occasional Holden

[Red AH SRI T]

oh srz? well just send me a pm when u are free on the weekend. I work afternoons and the gf works days.

Thanks heaps!

Actually, I'm now working tomorrow, so feel free to stop by :)