vauxhall astra twintop road test reports and car reviews

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop 1.8 Design Manual Petrol 2009

Bought the car as an unregistered showroom ’pack’ car, which means the dealer bought it cheap in a Vauxhall package of different models. It has every available extra and for a £23.5K list I paid just under £15K including £2k scrappage for a car I paid £1.3K for 3 years ago! It’s as much fun as you can have with your trousers on! I drive it roof down all weather as long as no rain or snow, even Xmas, Boxing & New Years Day. Heater & seats amazing, as is sound system. No problems at all, I love it and so do the ladies, grandchildren & friends. As the 09 plate is no longer new I’m putting on a personalised plate K999 plus my initials bought from DVLA for £250 all inclusive. Being flash at 65 feels great!

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop 1.9cdti design 2008

My twintop has been in the garage ten times since new, I’ve had problems with the keyless ignition, problems with roof rattles, problems with roof leaks. Vauxhall sent my car to Edinburgh to fix the roof rattle and they added two water leaks in the roof then sent the car back to go straight to another two garages to try and fix the leaks with no luck. Now Vauxhall want to send the car to Luton to have another look. My car has been of the road for 10 weeks so far, Luton say they need the car at Luton for four or five weeks; 15 weeks to fix a water leak? That has to be a record. P.S. Tech centre in Edinburgh put 395 miles on my car test driving.

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop twintop 1.8 design (petrlo) 2006

I have first hand experience of the TwinTop boot/roof seal problem. Approx. one week before the three year warrantee was up, I brought a water ingress problem in the boot area to the attention of my local Vauxhall service centre, they explained that the seals had gone. With a replacement costing £650 I told them that I would tackle vauxhall direct, however, no joy. The rep from the customer service centre told me that seals were only covered for 12 months and I would have to pay myself. I now intend to pay for the work but still carry on pursuing Vauxhall on the grounds that the car is not fit for purpose under consumer act. When are these companies ever going to admit design failures? It’s a shame, only for this problem the car would get five stars.

Responses to this review

I too have a 2006 Twintop that all of a sudden leaks like a sieve, predominately filling the nearside passenger well and the boot area. The seals cost me £582 and I’m waiting for more to be fitted. I too am pursuing Vauxhall via Customer Care Head Office which is a waste of time. They will not respond to the Sale of Goods Act 1979, i.e. not fit for purpose, they keep banging on about the warranty. I’ve told them the warranty is irrelevant this it is not fit for purpose!! Looks like I’m off to the small claims court and BBC Watchdog if they’re interested. This case is clearly not a one-off, people all over the country are suffering the same fate. I am so angry!! - Graham Essery from Hampshire

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop Design 2007

I bought my Twintop Design 1.8 in power red with leather in July 2007 and have just completed 10,000 fantastic miles. The recall work on the roof and rear boot light was completed by Grasmere in Macclesfield during the first year of purchase and the only other issue was in year two when the power steering pump had to be replaced FOC by Arnold Clark in Manchester from whom I bought the car. They have been great. I am a regular contributor to astratwintop.net (service temporarily unavailable as I write, but try later this week) and you can find all my hints for how to care for your Twintop on that website among the many tips and blogs of other Twintop enthusiasts. These include how to look after the roof seals, how to protect red paint and prevent it from going pink, how to use the load assist mechanism, how to prevent stuck parcel shelf fins (tip - keep engine running at 1500 rpm, use the roof switch, not the key fob) and all sorts of things like this to keep you safe. There are also hints and tips on where to find a space-saver wheel (tip - look for those from a second-hand Vectra) and how to stow it alongside the tyre goo that Vauxhall provide as standard. Invest in a windshield - only a small % of the value of the car and inceases the number of top-down miles you can cover. Best wishes, P2.

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop Twintop 1.6 2009

Had car 3 weeks the roof jammed halfway down. Reg Vardey had car for 10 days; got it back now and it rattles on every slight bump. I will have to take it back in but I cannot afford the car to be stuck in garage all the time - very unhappy. It seems when anything goes wrong with the roof it has to be sent to Edingburgh. Worst purchase of my life and I still have 30 months before i can change :-(

Responses to this review

Good luck sending your car to Edinburgh, they had my twintop in to fix a rattle; one week they said, it was there for five weeks and it came back with two water leaks and 395 miles put on the clock. It still leaks and after three garages Vauxhall now want to send the car (19cdti design 08) back to Luton for four or five weeks to have a look. Good old Vauxhall, take your money then you take your chances, good luck - George Bowman from Scotland

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop 2007

Just bought my Astra Twintop and it feels great! This is the first nearly new car that I have purchased and I’m so pleased with it. I didn’t want a sports car, but I did want style and that comes as standard. Fuel consumption is good and when the roof is down it’s simply fabulous. In short, I love it!

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop Auto Sport 1.8 16v 2008

I have had the car 5 months and compared to other convertibles on the market it’s a lot of car for the price. It looks stylish with the roof up and looks fabulous with it down; equal to the look of the Saab convertible which will cost you a lot more. The car seats 4 which is really handy unlike most convertibles which only seat 2 unless you pay a lot more. Leg space behind the driver’s seat can be a little tight but is manageable. The automatic is great to drive and the 1.8 engine is very responsive. The sports function is easily engaged with the press of a button on the dash and this really turns it in to a sports car, dropping the engine throttle and damping the suspension makes road handling really effective however this does consume more fuel. Driving with the roof back is enjoyable and one of the best features about the car. When the roof is stowed in the boot I can still get the family shopping in. This is a good looking convertible, a lot of fun and a great drive.

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop 1.9cdti design (150) 2008

I love this car, I just got one as a company car . The diesel engine is fantastic - economical and quick. I found a lot of information about the car at http://www,astra-twintop.net very helpful when I was choosing which model to go for.

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop 1.8 Auto Design 2007

Brilliant, had mine for 5 months now, just starting to get to use it with the roof down. Really good ride & handling, smooth engine & auto box. Best looking mid range convertible; with the roof up or down. Fantastic car.