What to look out for on diesel Astra Estate?

Opel Astra Estate 1.7 or 1.3? With 90,000 plus mile. What to look out for? I will change the turbo just in case with an Opel part as I do all my own servicing so labour cost not a problem.

Gerry Cluskey (Drogheda/louth)

Dec 2016 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Gerry,

Of the two, I’d prefer the 1.3 diesel. Neither is an especially refined engine by modern standards, but the 1.7 is a terrible old thing – incredibly noisy, rattly and prone to stalling when driving in stop-start traffic. The 1.3, if you get it with the 90hp output, has decent performance, is very economical and doesn’t seem to give too much bother. Great that you’re doing your own servicing, but beware of what effect that may have on the resale value as most buyers prefer to see a healthy book of dealer service stamps.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe