PROS
- That 1.6 turbo petrol engine
- Handsome styling inside and out
- Standard features
CONS
- Lingering PCV issue
- Lacking standard features available overseas
- Interior quirks and features
About the Holden ASTRA
Byron P purchased this Holden Astra used for $22,000 (including all on-road costs) in 2019. Byron P would buy this car again because: “Despite now owning two iterations of the BK Astra, one being the 1.4-turbo petrol engine and now this one in 1.6-turbo petrol guise, I keep coming back to this thing.
I still look at this thing when I park it and it genuinely does a great job at anything I throw at it. At the time of purchase, the fact I scored this for $10,000 cheaper than a brand-new model with barely 10,000km on the clock and balance of a factory warranty is a genuine steal.
With that punchy engine, an array of standard features, interior functionality and an elegant design inside and out, there’s nothing else quite like it in the small car market that offers this type of vehicle.
It’s a shame that even in the BK Astra offering, a VXR replacement of the J series was never developed as I think it’s something that really could have been a serious competitor in the hot hatch market. Here’s hoping Opel brings its new Astra L model to Australia.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
Well, what I can say, my Astra RS-V has been mostly good with a ‘but’.
The ‘but’ is in concerns with the absence of Holden now in Australia. Since the start of 2021, there seems to be a varying amount of what GM and GM Holden actually want to cover and not cover regarding warranty claims despite their reassurance in the media that they are covering warranty claims.
As you’ll see below, my issues have been mixed.
At the end of 2021 just before my factory warranty had lapsed, Holden declined warranty claims on both my leather steering wheel peeling and stitching that had come ajar on my gear shifter. Holden declined both warranty claims noting “Holden have ruled as fair wear and tear – Not Warrantable”.
I spoke to both my local dealership and through the Holden call centre, with the upper management turning a blind eye to both claims. It still baffles me to this day the stitching on the gear shifter is considered “fair wear and tear – Not warrantable” despite stipulating at no point would your hands ever touch that part of the gear shifter.
Though what I will say is my ex-Holden dealership, now a Mitsubishi dealership and formerly the best-selling Colorado dealership in Australia have treated me as a customer just the same before and after Holden’s departure from Australia.
Warranty covered through my dealership included a loose rear view mirror fastener and the tightening of a creaking beaming bracket in the A-pillar.
The issue I can’t ignore any longer is one that affects the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine offered on RS and RS-V. Known as the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) pressure regulator valve, cracks can develop in the valve itself resulting in a noise reminiscent to slowly deflating a balloon with your fingers, one gasp at a time.
It’s not a sound you want to experience as it’ll trigger driving, reversing or changing gears.
With just 41,000km on the odometer and despite being just over 12 months out of warranty, my local Mitsubishi dealership (previously Holden) investigated the issue and Holden covered all costs completely free of charge.
This issue has actually been so widespread and known GM’s offset US brand, Buick, starting in September 2020 began sending out a bulletin alert to its dealerships on this issue offering special coverage across its Cascada variant (also recently known and sold here in Australia as the Holden Cascada) if affected and replacing the part free of charge if the part were to cease.
But if you look across any Astra forums or review pages, you’ll see an abundance of unlucky owners who developed this issue inside and out of warranty, with the claim refused by Holden. As the part itself is quite cheap, the labour costs included see this part cost in excess of $1700 in some cases.
Two close mates of mine who own a RS Automatic and RS-V manual respectively both had their PCV valve break earlier this year. Despite both being within warranty coverage, Holden management declined both warranty claims.
All in all, the BK Astra has had a couple minor issues over the years that really haven’t affected the reliability long term. It’s not something that keeps me up at night and as she sadly starts to age, I’m happy to spend the money when needed to keep her in healthy condition.
The PCV valve mentioned earlier is the only serious issue I’d be looking out for. Whether you’re a current owner or a potential buyer, please ensure the PCV valve is thoroughly checked over.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
Three years down the tracks, I’m still very happy with my purchase. I will admit the Nitrate Silver finish took time for me to warm to it but now I think it holds up well today. Comparing paint finishes and quality, the Nitrate Silver still scrubs up just as new as I received it three years ago.
The car itself has proved to be a bundle of joy and as you’ll see in this review, the turbo engine is really the highlight of this car. It does everything I need it to do but has the looks, the engine, and the right features to keep me coming back for more.
All in all, the ownership of this car has been great. With a few minor issues here and there, the Astra RS-V still is a reliable, safe, and very enjoyable drive. As the future looks grim with the niche market of manual variants on sale, I think it’s safe to say I’ll be hanging on to this for a fair bit longer.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
I may be completely bias here, but I still think the Astra BK models looks the business on the road. Even back to the AH range of Astra on offer, particularly in CDX form or SRi coupe form they’ve always been a looker on the road.
From the front, I still love the look of the Astra RS-V featuring an evolutionary headlight design that takes cues back to the AH iteration incorporating some neat DRL finishes. Oddly though, Australian built models of the Astra BK have deleted the standard fog lights available on overseas versions.
Moving to the side, the Astra RS-V features some really eye catching 18-inch alloy designs with a niche D-pillar design stretching from the rear door window to the back of the car, incorporating what Opel designers’ call the “floating roof”.
You don’t see this type this type of D-Pillar design and I love that this a point of difference to separate it on the road and in the small car market. Heading to the rear, it’s complimented by a taut and strong design, accompanied with dual exhausts and head turning LED taillights that look swish in the night.
Overall, we think the Astra BK has stood the test of time and still looks great, six years on from when it first landed in Australia. When you compare this to the bloated rear end look of a Mazda 3, the dowdy front end of a Mk8 Volkswagen Golf and a lingering budget look of a Kia Cerato, the Astra BK shines in the crowd.
Jumping inside, RS-V looks upmarket featuring eye-catching interior dials, a nice chrome finish across the dash and LED ambient lighting that looks great at night on the front driver and passenger door inserts. The latter a nice touch and certainly ups the ante on a rather grey ambience, although the piano black surrounds (An unpopular opinion, I dig it), on the dash gets dusty super quick.
The issue with the build of the Holden BK Astra that came to Australia including my RS-V, is the clear interior cost cutting and discontented standard features when compared to overseas markets. For example, despite being a top spec grade on offer in Australia, why is the ‘Express – Auto Up / Down’ only for the windows only available on the driver’s door?
Another odd quirk is the inclusion of manual power adjustable folding mirrors. Essentially to fold them in or out, you must manually press a button on the door handle EVERY time you leave and enter the vehicle. No one’s going to do that, and it seems like a half-assed attempt that isn’t worth the convenience if the function is flawed to start with.
The placement of some features in the centre console and infotainment system are also gripes, especially after three years of ownership. One being the placement of the infotainment power/volume knob and hazard warning button, the latter which sits within finger’s reach from the steering wheel, while the volume and power knob for the infotainment system sits directly to the left of the 8.0-inch screen closest to the front passenger meaning it’s an arm’s stretch away.
The same issue applies to the placement of the 12V power outlet and electronic parking brake. The 12V power outlet sits adjacent to the front driver’s seat while the electronic parking brake sits to the left of it.
This can get a little irritating at times having to double hand over the 12V outlet to engage or disengage the electronic parking brake. The other gripe is the placement of the front cupholders. Sitting directly behind the transmission gear shifter might work in an auto but in a manual, good luck with anything bigger than the size of a 600ml water bottle not to intrude when changing gears.
Visibility is pretty good out front though can be challenging with a rising window line and altered D-pillar design. The front leather seats prove to be supportive enough with the addition of power lumbar adjustment for both front occupants being a nice touch too.
Personally, I wish the seats would have a bit more bolstering and hug you in a bit more. It doesn’t help I’m a bigger frame (6’2″) and build too but I find myself rather sitting pressed out of the seat, rather than sitting in it. Being the ritzy spec of the standard Astra range, it’s something I can live with.
Jumping into the second row, Astra proves to be a relatively comfy area to be provided you’re not too tall. At my height, sitting on either the left or right rear seats will cause my head to gently graze the roofline, not helped in part thanks to the “floating roof” design.
Sitting directly behind my driver’s position is a very knees up affair, though for anyone smaller, the rear space is adequate for short to long trips with adequate legroom and headroom. The middle seat though is suitable only for short endeavours.
Sadly, the Astra lacks a little storage across the interior in general. In the front, you’ve got two cup holders, a small centre console compartment and adequate door sized pockets. The odd quirk of the Astra continues, which instead of a open storage area that would normally sit in front of the gear lifter, you’re presented with a slim slit of well, nothing.
Doing nothing at all, you might be able to throw a wallet or phone sideways in there but otherwise, it’s a form over function presentation and a waste of critical space.
In the rear, the only storage you’ll find is standard generously sized door pockets and map pockets behind both the front passenger and driver seats on offer. Apart from that, there’s no rear centre console pull down, no USB charging outlets or rear air vents. These excluded features as well as outer rear heated rear seats are features standard on overseas iterations of this model.
The boot measures a decent 360L, perfect to store enough for a weekend away or a day of shopping. In terms of versatility, the rear seats fold near flat and features a nifty hinge on either side of the rear door inserts enabling the seatbelts don’t’ intrude when manoeuvring objects into the back.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
Let’s get into it. The engine, oh the engine. The Astra RS-V standard 1.6-turbo engine is undoubtedly one of the most underrated engines in the small car market.
Essentially a reworked unit offered on the last iteration of Aussie built Cruze models, the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine puts out 147kW of power on tap at 5500rpm and 280Nm at 1650-3500rpm (300Nm 1700-4700rpm with over boost).
The engine definitely shines on its own and I forget how much this actually puts a smile on my face. It’s honest, and always ready to pounce. And man, she flies. 0-100km is in the 6.5-7.0 second mark, good for what is essentially encroaching into warm hot hatch territory.
Speaking of the manual, it’s a good ‘box. In six-speed manual guise, it provides a nice balance of gear shifting with an easy clutch to go. This car is pretty much stall proof in itself. As with any turbo unit, lag is evident and to keep the Astra happy, you really want to keep your tacho sitting between 1500 – 2500rpm on this engine otherwise it’ll runs out of steam pretty fast.
I’ve learnt with the Astra you have to pick your battles. An emphasis needs to be applied on the word caution when dealing with takes off on hills, driving in wet conditions and even taking off at traffic light. With a hungry 147kW readily available at the front wheels with a manual transmission at hand, the amount of wheel spin I’ve developed is astounding.
Even approaching and exiting steep angled driveways, you learn to nurse it through these situations rather than floor it.
Flick on the ‘sport’ mode though and the RS-V gear changes become more responsive which is a real joy on hillside country roads. It is a shame though that there isn’t more of a turbo engine note throughout the cabin, as there’s no better feeling going from third to fourth with that hum in the background.
The Astra RS-V engine purrs along freeway speeds at a slightly unusually high 2600rpm. Eating up the road in front, economy on the RS-V proves to be quite decent despite the fact I tend to have a heavy foot and throw her around from time to time.
Around the city and suburban streets, I tend to sit on roughly 8.0 – 8.3L/100km, and on the open highway, you’ll hover around the 5.5 – 5.8L/100km mark.
Running a strict 98 RON diet, I usually get around 500 – 550km in the city/suburban area and around 750km on the freeway from the 48L fuel tank.
For reference, my personal best economy return was a recent trip from Brisbane to Melbourne return. With 80 per cent freeway and 20 per cent urban, the Astra returned 4.7L/100km with 4000-odd km to its trip.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
The standard RS-V is packed with everything you could ask for, even when new. At $22k this was a real steal. Standard leather seats, heated steering wheel and front seats, wired Apple Car Play/Android Auto, reversing camera, climate control, push button start and standard Sat-Nav are some of the inclusions.
Before sliding into the Astra, you’ll find the Passive Entry and Push button start as standard on the RS-V variant. I love this bit of technology as it works brilliantly when I’ve got my hands full and not having to find keys. Props to Holden for deciding to opt in the rear doors with this capability too.
I do want to touch on the halogen headlights as standard on the RS-V line. I’ve never seen a more woeful range of standard halogen headlights on a car. Something noted also with a lot of Astra BK owners is that it barely provides an even distribution of light beaming ahead on the road let alone any sort of range.
This situation doesn’t improve even with high beam activated and is downright dangerous in wet conditions. I decided to hit up the Melbourne based high performance automotive lighting company, Ilumo. With new LEDs installed, this is a night and day revelation here.
One bugbear about the Astra the continually frustrates me is the ultra-sensitive auto headlights. Hit a tunnel or a dark area on the road during the middle of the day and the RS-V doesn’t always get the cue to reactivate the interior lighting to day mode and to turn off the headlights.
This means night mode in the car dims everything, often resorting to taking off your sunglasses to read the speedo properly. This is worse when driving in dusk and dawn situations but the system has a mind of its own
Once you open the door (yes, they’re unusually heavy), the Astra interior is definitely a nice place to be. Everything is easy on the eye and the Astra feels genuinely feels sturdy and there are no rattles to be heard. Plastics across the interior are ho-hum but at this price, no-one’s complaining.
Although anything below the dashboard and the plastics become a little cheap and scratchy.
The interior is simple, logical and well laid-out. I appreciate Opel designed the interior dash around the 8.0-inch MyLink infotainment system and didn’t just stick an iPad on the dash as an afterthought (Take note, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato and the Mazda 3).
The added tech of heated steering wheel and heated seats as well as climate control are a nice touch, proving great particularly on winter days. It’s a shame cooling seats weren’t standard; overseas markets have this as standard.
Holden’s MyLink infotainment system proves to be a really good unit. It’s responsive, fast to any command and gets to the point provided you’re using the standard inclusion of either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in it. In addition, the Bluetooth system works flawlessly, with no echoing or buffering going on and the standard six-speaker sound system is actually a pretty good unit.
The MyLink system is also home to Holden’s standard voice assistance and sat nav system. It was pretty old when I purchased the car in 2019, let alone now in 2022. Both will want to make you bang your head against the wall as it’s too gluggy and slow to navigate any options.
I will note, that the nav does chime up service stations when the fuel gauge runs low, a nice touch in an otherwise outdated system. Below the touch screen are too many button commands, half which are barely used and not relevant particularly when AA is running.
Interestingly, half these buttons would be omitted once production of the MY20 Astra range commenced deliveries. I rest my case.
The one thing I love about the Astra RS-V is in the emphasis on manual operations rather than electronics. Simple things like adjusting the seat and physical buttons for critical commands such as the ESC, volume adjustment and HVAC settings (Looking at you VW), are things that work well. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Although I find the push button start gimmicky and the electronic parking brake a loss to what I would prefer a physical manual handbrake, given it is manual. Props to Holden for the inclusion of the hill start assist, something even after my many years of driving a manual is much needed in the toughest of hills or when old mate is in their HiLux right up your rear.
On the safety front, the RS-V has a lot of tech to its name. Even in 2016, the fact Opel and Holden were able to get much of this stuff in the car was commendable. A standard but very average reversing camera and front/rear sensors feature, the latter being one of the most sensitive features I’ve come across. God forbid a bush moves or a someone walks past the car; I swear I’ve nearly crapped myself when they’ve gone off.
Annoyingly one of my biggest gripes with the car tech wise is the standard inclusion of ‘Stop/Start Technology’. This might work well in an automatic but in a manual, it’s way too intrusive. The feature is defaulted to “on” when really it should be defaulted too “off”.
Too many times, the engine has switched off and I have been caught off guard at a set of lights or even approaching a roundabout when I need to move again. Forget safety, it’s a dicey bit of technology if you don’t turn it off physically when you start the car.
I do appreciate the inclusion of the forward collision alert. This technology works a treat and has saved me from a few close calls, though it tends to have a mind of its own and can just trigger regardless of no cars in front. The forward collision alert works in conjunction with the camera set-up that sits in the centre mirror placement.
This supports the “following distance indicator” featured in the driver infotainment screen. Essentially you can see how far the car is in front of you (maximum 2.5 seconds). I guess it’s cool but also pointless and dubious inclusion.
The Astra RS-V is also equipped with blind-spot alert. As I believe, this is the first iteration of this technology, so an illumination appears but no sound chimes if you’re getting too close to the car next to you.
Lane-keep assist also works scarily well at 110km/h, though proves a little too intrusive at times. It will scare the crap out of you when your car starts to weave out of the lane even with two hands on the wheels and it tugs you back in unannounced.
Astra also features the advanced parking assist. In a manual car, it’s an odd commodity of releasing the clutch and accelerator while it steers the car into an empty car spot it has found for you. Look, it’s a nice bit of technology and something to show your mates for the first time.
If your intentions are to use this every time to park, please hand in your licence.
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
I found Holden’s input into fine tuning what was already a pretty good tune to the Astra’s steering to be top notch. Concise, with enough steer in, Astra eats up any corner you throw at it.
On my daily route to and from work, I have several roundabouts I encounter and there’s no better feeling then
negotiating these with little fight. Throw it in ‘Sport’ mode and feel the steering load up, which provides a healthy challenge navigating roundabouts, windy back roads and tight corners.
The RS-V has a limit though despite the excellent body control on show in most circumstances. Although she’s up for the challenge, throw her in deep and she can get a little fumble footed in the rear, exposing her weak links The ride itself is quite consistent although running on 18s, hit a pothole and pray you didn’t just hit someone.
I’ve never felt a more nervous uncomfortable feeling go through my body then hitting a pothole in these 18s and the noise that comes from it.
After 30,000km of driving since it was picked up with 10,000kms on it, I recently replaced the standard 225mm-wide, 40-aspect Bridgestone Turanza tyres with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres. What a revelation.
RS-V immediately feels more glued to the road, there’s more confidence in having fun in this thing and performing a hill start or driving in wet conditions is no longer like driving on thin ice. Best of all, the tyre roar on bitumen and freeway driving experienced with the Bridgestone Turanza tyres has been cut drastically.
Any RS-V owners out there, I highly recommend these tyres.
All in all, before I get hated on, I know this is no hot hatch. It’s not going to be a Hyundai i30N or a Volkswagen Golf R, but the Astra RS-V proves she’s got some fight to her and the confidence is humbling.
It’s a real shame that Opel at the time of developing and engineering the Astra K model hadn’t decided to proceed with plans for an Astra K VXR derivative because this chassis deserves it.
I blame GM on this decision and less on Opel at this point.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
None.
Keyword: 2017 Holden Astra owner review