Mk4 Astra sri turbo Any good?

[dabofoppo]

I noticied one of these in the classifieds are they any fun to drive? Im only asking because they are quite cheap to insure. Cheers

[RobCrezz]

Decent engine, but the handling is pretty crap, no where near as good as a basic mk1 focus zetec.

[homerjay]

i had the coupe turbo

sloppy gearbox, lots of lag, wobbly in the corners.

[EDLT]

Lots of power, handling no worse than Golfs of that time.

Its got the wrong badge though, so it will never get a recommendation from here.

[SteveS Cup]

Engine is pretty sweet and very very tuneable. I've known a few people with GSI's running 300bhp+.

The handling can be improved greatly with suspension modifications etc but it's no CTR.

The SRI looks as dull as dish water too imo so the Engine is probably the only thing I'd be attracted to. It's not good enough to offset the rest of the car though IMO.

The GSI is starting to get very cheap now though and I think they are a great looking car with a smart looking interior with nice seats.

[anonymous-user]

Do you mean GSI? Or is there a mark 4 turbo I don't know about?

Edit:

Didn't know about this one.... 8 bhp between them!

The 1.8 produced 125 bhp (93 kW; 127 PS). The 2.2 produced 147 bhp (110 kW; 149 PS). The 2.0 Turbocharged produced 189 bhp (141 kW; 192 PS) SRI Turbo and 197 bhp (147 kW; 200 PS) GSI Turbo Variant.

Edited by DR10 on Monday 11th July 16:30

[SteveS Cup]

DR10 said:

Do you mean GSI? Or is there a mark 4 turbo I don't know about?

They do a "milder" SRI as well. I belive it's a few bhp down on the GSI, hasn't got the nice bumpers, wheels or seats.

[anonymous-user]

SteveS Cup said:

DR10 said:

Do you mean GSI? Or is there a mark 4 turbo I don't know about?

They do a "milder" SRI as well. I belive it's a few bhp down on the GSI, hasn't got the nice bumpers, wheels or seats.

Cheers.

Edited my comment above.

[CampDavid]

It's a rare car though amazingly a few people on here have driven them, though they all come back with the same Internet cliches. Odd

Anyway, we lived with one for a while, a non-turbo and it was a decent bus. Actually very well built underneath despite a dated and cheap looking interior, comfy and very good on a distance. Quite spacious to. Handling not as playful as a 306 Rallye but had more feedback than a CTR. Gearbox really let it down, poorly spaced and had an ugly feel.

The SRI turbo was a 5 door only I believe? Some were used by the police and the MOD so watch for that on the V5. Trade doesn't seem to like them much so a good auction buy. Only got rid of ours as a Niisan T-boned it on a roundabout, though it help up nicely

[SteveS Cup]

CampDavid said:

It's a rare car though amazingly a few people on here have driven them, though they all come back with the same Internet cliches. Odd

Anyway, we lived with one for a while, a non-turbo and it was a decent bus. Actually very well built underneath despite a dated and cheap looking interior, comfy and very good on a distance. Quite spacious to. Handling not as playful as a 306 Rallye but had more feedback than a CTR. Gearbox really let it down, poorly spaced and had an ugly feel.

The SRI turbo was a 5 door only I believe? Some were used by the police and the MOD so watch for that on the V5. Trade doesn't seem to like them much so a good auction buy. Only got rid of ours as a Niisan T-boned it on a roundabout, though it help up nicely

No they did a three door... http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2918104.htm

As you say, rare as it was a pretty pointless model IMO. If the GSI was too much then the few less bhp SRI was going to make feck all difference so you went for the 1.8 as my brothers GF did.

[em177]

The main reason for the Sri turbo was for customers who couldn't afford the Insurance quotes of a Gsi. The Sri was 99% the same underpinnings so gave essentially the same performance, but without the recaros, bodykit, wheels etc, the insuarance was reduced.

I had a mk4 non turbo Sri as a first car and loved it. After putting it on coil overs, the handling was really very good. There's a clarkson review somewhere on YouTube where he says he really likes the standard car (that'll help change the people with opinions who've never driven the things :P )

[RobCrezz]

IIRC the SRI turbo came out before the GSI turbo aswell didnt it?

[300bhp/ton]

I suspect it's quite a good sleeper and nothing really wrong with it - apart from being an Astra that is. Which I'm not really sure even having a turbocharger can over come.


So it all comes down to what you are after:

-speed
-quick HP gains
-driving dynamics
-fun
-style
-looks

The Astra does ok on the first two points, but totally fails on the others.

[car crazy]

If the new one is the mk5 I had the mk 4 Astra 200 turbo and it was brilliant, handled well and plenty quick.

[R1 Indy]

i had one when i was 18. 1 of 50 in red (were 500 in total)

had it on adjustable spax coilovers, FMIC, VXR turbo Remaped to around 250BHP. and best of all cost under 2K to insure.

i deffinatly enjoyed it, might be because it was pretty quick for my age, but i thought it handled well.

even took it around silverstone

Edited by R1 Indy on Tuesday 12th July 12:40

[Smike]

RobCrezz said:

IIRC the SRI turbo came out before the GSI turbo aswell didnt it?

Yes, it did Rob.

Autocar had a feature in May 2002 with a drag race between the Ford Heritage collection small turbo Escort Cosworth vs an Astra Sri Turbo. Chris Harris wrote the article

[Smike]

RobCrezz said:

Decent engine, but the handling is pretty crap, no where near as good as a basic mk1 focus zetec.

Autocar also tested the Astra Sri Turbo against 11 other hot hatches at a wet Castle Combe circuit in a May '02 article

[benjfrst]

300bhp/ton said:

I suspect it's quite a good sleeper and nothing really wrong with it - apart from being an Astra that is. Which I'm not really sure even having a turbocharger can over come.


So it all comes down to what you are after:

-speed
-quick HP gains
-driving dynamics
-fun
-style
-looks

The Astra does ok on the first two points, but totally fails on the others.

Opening sentence is nonsense.

Last three points are your opinion.

I do agree with the third.

[RobCrezz]

Smike said:

Autocar also tested the Astra Sri Turbo against 11 other hot hatches at a wet Castle Combe circuit in a May '02 article

How did it do?

[300bhp/ton]

benjfrst said:

300bhp/ton said:

I suspect it's quite a good sleeper and nothing really wrong with it - apart from being an Astra that is. Which I'm not really sure even having a turbocharger can over come.


So it all comes down to what you are after:

-speed
-quick HP gains
-driving dynamics
-fun
-style
-looks

The Astra does ok on the first two points, but totally fails on the others.

Opening sentence is nonsense.

Last three points are your opinion.

I do agree with the third.

Nonsense? Maybe, but it's still an Astra. So looks like a shopping cart with no charisma. Drab uninteresting interior, not particular comfy or well specced.

It's Fwd, not even a great fwd, no lsd a turbo and too much power. I'm not saying it can't be fun in a "gun-ho" way. But corners will not ever be it's trump card. Steering will be poor, as will throttle response and you won't be able to steer with the throttle.

I doubt it's a bad car. It can seat people and stuff and get from A to B. It also has a fair turn of straight line punch. So for the right money it's probably not a bad buy.

That said, I suspect even a Porsche 924, despite it's HP deficit, would be more grin inducing.