Vauxhall Astra 2.2 SRI (the chav wagon)
Discussion
Bought this back in July, about time I made a thread on it!
I drive a lovely E46 328i, but earlier this year it decided that various suspension components needed replacing. The final straw came when the handbrake backplate let go in spectacular fashion (loud thud that startled a few pedestrians) so I decided to take it off the road for a while and decide what to do with it. Sadly I am not in a financial position to fork out £1k+ on an old car, so it is currently sitting in the garage back home on SORN while I make my mind up.
Around the same time, I left my university course to work for a year and go back next year, and landed a good job in a hotel. Sadly said hotel is 7 miles from my flat, so for the first time in my life I actually needed a car!
I scoured the classifieds for a few days, and decided to go and have a look at an old Astra that popped up locally. I had owned a mk4 Astra previously, and it was pretty decent. When it worked.
The car was in excellent condition, and the seller needed rid of it, so I made a cheeky offer which was accepted! So now I am the proud owner of a 2.2 Astra SRI.
So whats it like?
Well, pretty good actually. The seats are nice, it is pretty good on fuel, and I should make a small profit back on it when I sell it.
I will be honest, coming from an E46 I really wasn't expecting much but it is a good car. The engine doesn't really do much under 3500 rpm, but after that it pulls well and realistically is probably about as quick as the BMW in a straight line. The seats hold you in place really well, and the driving position is good. The gearchange isn't the sharpest, but is is alright. This particular one has an Irmscher exhaust fitted which drones a little around 60 mph when you lift off the throttle, but it sounds good under acceleration and isn't intrusive or antisocial which is nice.
The steering is a bit lighter than I am used to, but it is pretty good. It doesn't understeer chronically as some on here would have yo believe, it is actually quite fun to push along a back road. I do think the gearing is a bit long, it is easy to drop below 3500 rpm and you can be waiting for the power to kick in if you aren't in the right gear. The traction control can't be turned off either which is annoying, but realistically with 150 bhp you don't really notice 95% of the time.
The ride is good, a little crashy over s
te Aberdeen streets but comfortable on a long run.
I treated it to an oil change and alignment at National Tyres yesterday which was about £50 (thanks Toaster Pilot for that one!), and the mechanics were commenting on how tidy it was underneath. So, I think I will start looking after it properly.
All in all, I am very pleasantly surprised. It is a good car, it drives well, and has been 100% reliable in the few months I have had it. Very happy!
Anyway, pictures...
Cat seems to like it too!
Still need to give it a proper wash and take some better pictures
I drive a lovely E46 328i, but earlier this year it decided that various suspension components needed replacing. The final straw came when the handbrake backplate let go in spectacular fashion (loud thud that startled a few pedestrians) so I decided to take it off the road for a while and decide what to do with it. Sadly I am not in a financial position to fork out £1k+ on an old car, so it is currently sitting in the garage back home on SORN while I make my mind up.
Around the same time, I left my university course to work for a year and go back next year, and landed a good job in a hotel. Sadly said hotel is 7 miles from my flat, so for the first time in my life I actually needed a car!
I scoured the classifieds for a few days, and decided to go and have a look at an old Astra that popped up locally. I had owned a mk4 Astra previously, and it was pretty decent. When it worked.
The car was in excellent condition, and the seller needed rid of it, so I made a cheeky offer which was accepted! So now I am the proud owner of a 2.2 Astra SRI.
So whats it like?
Well, pretty good actually. The seats are nice, it is pretty good on fuel, and I should make a small profit back on it when I sell it.
I will be honest, coming from an E46 I really wasn't expecting much but it is a good car. The engine doesn't really do much under 3500 rpm, but after that it pulls well and realistically is probably about as quick as the BMW in a straight line. The seats hold you in place really well, and the driving position is good. The gearchange isn't the sharpest, but is is alright. This particular one has an Irmscher exhaust fitted which drones a little around 60 mph when you lift off the throttle, but it sounds good under acceleration and isn't intrusive or antisocial which is nice.
The steering is a bit lighter than I am used to, but it is pretty good. It doesn't understeer chronically as some on here would have yo believe, it is actually quite fun to push along a back road. I do think the gearing is a bit long, it is easy to drop below 3500 rpm and you can be waiting for the power to kick in if you aren't in the right gear. The traction control can't be turned off either which is annoying, but realistically with 150 bhp you don't really notice 95% of the time.
The ride is good, a little crashy over s
te Aberdeen streets but comfortable on a long run. I treated it to an oil change and alignment at National Tyres yesterday which was about £50 (thanks Toaster Pilot for that one!), and the mechanics were commenting on how tidy it was underneath. So, I think I will start looking after it properly.
All in all, I am very pleasantly surprised. It is a good car, it drives well, and has been 100% reliable in the few months I have had it. Very happy!
Anyway, pictures...
Cat seems to like it too!
Still need to give it a proper wash and take some better pictures
Looks good, I had one in the same colour, albeit without the ProDrive kit. It was a few years ago now but I seem to remember averaging low to mid thirties for MPG, which I suppose isn't too bad. Performance was okay too, although as you say the steering was a bit light.
Good little runaround!
Make sure you give it a good clean at some point, that blue does come up well:
Good little runaround!
Make sure you give it a good clean at some point, that blue does come up well:
Thanks, think I will have to treat it to a good clean! Yours looks really nice.
What Prodrive kit does mine have?! First I have heard of that! I thought it was all standard SRI stuff.
I am thinking about putting the original grille back on, not so keen on the debadged one. Any thoughts?
What Prodrive kit does mine have?! First I have heard of that! I thought it was all standard SRI stuff.
I am thinking about putting the original grille back on, not so keen on the debadged one. Any thoughts?
Looks a nice colour chap and I like the rear bumper. I see one of these on the way to work sometimes and it does seem to go well. I had the old Mk2 Astra with 156 bhp and it was much better than many people state - only got rid as it was a family runabout and when the kids were small and had to be strapped in the back, they got very hot without aircon.
Shame about your BM handbrake - presume it was the back plates rusting away? You can do it for a lot less than 1000 if you've got time and some tools to do it yourself - I did mine on my old 328 although to do it properly you'll need a hub puller.
Anyway good luck with the Astra - has the timing chain been attended to. Best checking before you get a problem. They can break on these
Shame about your BM handbrake - presume it was the back plates rusting away? You can do it for a lot less than 1000 if you've got time and some tools to do it yourself - I did mine on my old 328 although to do it properly you'll need a hub puller.
Anyway good luck with the Astra - has the timing chain been attended to. Best checking before you get a problem. They can break on these
The Spruce goose said:
I had an astra 2.2 sri. I thought it ws pretty good. I have had a few cars and he astra wasn't that bad, it was a nice engine too.
It is much better than I was expecting, I am actually getting quite attached to it! caul pope said:
If you enjoy the occasional spirited drive I can definitely recommend a Whiteline rear anti-roll bar. A worth while upgrade with standard or aftermarket suspension.
Don't even start, it is meant to be a cheap runabout! 
How much would that cost me? I imagine quite a bit? I will look into it if I decide to keep it long term.
s m said:
Looks a nice colour chap and I like the rear bumper. I see one of these on the way to work sometimes and it does seem to go well. I had the old Mk2 Astra with 156 bhp and it was much better than many people state - only got rid as it was a family runabout and when the kids were small and had to be strapped in the back, they got very hot without aircon.
Shame about your BM handbrake - presume it was the back plates rusting away? You can do it for a lot less than 1000 if you've got time and some tools to do it yourself - I did mine on my old 328 although to do it properly you'll need a hub puller.
Anyway good luck with the Astra - has the timing chain been attended to. Best checking before you get a problem. They can break on these
Thanks, it is a very nice colour and the paint is pretty good too. I didn't realise that wasn't a standard rear bumper, has anyone got more info? Shame about your BM handbrake - presume it was the back plates rusting away? You can do it for a lot less than 1000 if you've got time and some tools to do it yourself - I did mine on my old 328 although to do it properly you'll need a hub puller.
Anyway good luck with the Astra - has the timing chain been attended to. Best checking before you get a problem. They can break on these
Yeah thats what the mechanic said, the one on the other side was done at the same time the wheel bearing was done as it is a driveshaft out job apparently. I think that was about £250 all in including the bearing, so not the end of the world. It is the fact the bushes are done as well that is annoying, and since I have no mechanical experience beyond basic servicing and no tools it will probably be going to a garage if my mate can't do it.
As for the timing chain, I forgot to mention that I met the previous owner at a breakers yard that I went to when the drivers wing mirror got smashed off. He is a mechanic there and a massive car nut. It was his 2nd 2.2 Astra and he has some crazy Impreza now. He said the timing chain snapped when he had it so he put a new engine in it! Came from a Vectra I think, so no more problems there. Hopefully!
What are the warning signs?
the rear spoiler and the irmscher back-box are standard factory fit items on the 2.2.
As mentioned yours has the additional Prodrive kit. It's the same kit as fitted to the sri-turbo minus the bigger rear spoiler that the turbo models got.
Standard
Earlier models had the option of the Irmscher body kit which isn't as nice as the Prodrive one IMO
As mentioned yours has the additional Prodrive kit. It's the same kit as fitted to the sri-turbo minus the bigger rear spoiler that the turbo models got.
Standard
Earlier models had the option of the Irmscher body kit which isn't as nice as the Prodrive one IMO
Edited by Drive Blind on Saturday 30th November 12:12
BorkFactor said:
Thanks, think I will have to treat it to a good clean! Yours looks really nice.
What Prodrive kit does mine have?! First I have heard of that! I thought it was all standard SRI stuff.
I am thinking about putting the original grille back on, not so keen on the debadged one. Any thoughts?
Thanks, I do miss it a bit now actually, definitely underrated cars.What Prodrive kit does mine have?! First I have heard of that! I thought it was all standard SRI stuff.
I am thinking about putting the original grille back on, not so keen on the debadged one. Any thoughts?
As mentioned above, the Prodrive front and rear bumpers look a little more menacing than the standard car, the SRi as standard only had the rear wing and the exhaust. I think the biggest difference the kit makes is having the side sills colour coded, makes a huge difference to the look of the car. You've got much better wheels too, I always thought the ones on mine didn't look particularly sporty.
I'd definitely agree with putting the standard grille back on, I'm personally not really a fan on the badgeless look. Either way, looking good
BorkFactor said:
I did think the wipers sat a bit high! They aren't going to fail suddenly, are they?
Never used a soldering iron in my life, might have to find an auto electrician.
the wipers will still work fine, it's the parking mechanism that fails.Never used a soldering iron in my life, might have to find an auto electrician.
new motor should be 10 quid from a scrappy.
Drive Blind said:
BorkFactor said:
I did think the wipers sat a bit high! They aren't going to fail suddenly, are they?
Never used a soldering iron in my life, might have to find an auto electrician.
the wipers will still work fine, it's the parking mechanism that fails.Never used a soldering iron in my life, might have to find an auto electrician.
new motor should be 10 quid from a scrappy.
As Drive Blind says, a motor or mechanism shouldn't be more than about a tenner from a scrappy.
Car is now sold 
Even though it was bought as a stop gap I ended up keeping it for almost a year! My Mum has been using it for the past few months now that my BMW is back on the road and she loved it too, just not the fuel economy.
MOT is up at the start of July and the BMW dealer offered a substantial sum (more than I paid for it!) as a trade in against Mum's new 118i.
I will really miss this car, it didn't let me down once and took me and some mates on several long trips in comfort.
The PH sticker is still on the boot, so maybe it will resurface on here at some point. Whoever ends up with it is getting a seriously good car, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. Second best car I have ever owned
Looked really good when clean:
Even though it was bought as a stop gap I ended up keeping it for almost a year! My Mum has been using it for the past few months now that my BMW is back on the road and she loved it too, just not the fuel economy.
MOT is up at the start of July and the BMW dealer offered a substantial sum (more than I paid for it!) as a trade in against Mum's new 118i.
I will really miss this car, it didn't let me down once and took me and some mates on several long trips in comfort.
The PH sticker is still on the boot, so maybe it will resurface on here at some point. Whoever ends up with it is getting a seriously good car, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. Second best car I have ever owned
Looked really good when clean:
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