LONG-TERM RUNNING REPORT
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• Despite the date of its delivery, our Astravan arrived with everything fitted and working. Some 12 weeks and 6,000 miles later, that's still the case. The only maintenance so far has been filling the screen washer bottle—the first service will be at 10,000 miles. We thought we'd caught it out when the odometer and radio displays suddenly failed, but honour was restored with the discovery that when the van's lights are turned on the panel light dimmer also controls the displays.
The fit and finish of both body panels and interior trim is exemplary. As we mentioned in our original full roadtest of the Astravan (9M 4-10 Feb), the refinement of the cabin is only let down by the road noise
transmitted through the unlined cargo area. We've now persuaded Vauxhall to supply a loadspace mat to see how much that improves matters.
Haw useful are all the options? The ABS is a great bargain at ,£335 as you not only get anti-lock, but also an extra inch of brake disc diameter front and rear; 195/60x15 tyres instead of 185/65x14s; and electronic brake distribution (EBD). The £190 electric windows are a welcome indulgence, while the weather has not yet allowed the air-conditioning to justify its £555. The only thing missing that this tester would welcome is the sports seat option, as the cushions of the standard items slightly lack lateral thigh support for the fullerfigure, although backrest support is fine.