VAUXHALL ASTRAVAN
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IPRICE AS TESTED: E14,175 (ex-VAT). Includes .212,090 .. for the basic vehicle; £335 for ABS; £810 for automatic transmission; £195 for remote control alarm; £555 for air conditioning; 1190 for electric windows. ENGINE: 2.0-litre, 81hp (60kW). GVIY: 1,860kg. PAYLOAD: 540kg. FUEL CONSUMPTION (LADEN): 54.0mpg (5.21it/100km).
Sadly, the fateful day has arrived when we have to bid farewell to our long-term automatic Astravan. When, just after the launch of the new Astravan, we decided to take on the new 2.0 r6-valve turbo-diesel for a long term test, it seemed an obvious move, but many people found it curious that we should opt for the four-speed automatic transmission. While heavy trucks are increasingly `Ll being offered with self-changing gears of
m p various types, strangely enough, van drivers -8' many of whom spend considerable time fight, ing through the urban jungle—have never a 3 been given the opportunity to benefit from a R modern auto. 0 k We covered the technical aspects of the Astravan auto in our full test (CM 15-21 July 1999), so this report will take a closer look at living with the van over a year. Its first visit to a workshop was for its to,000-mile service, and the opportunity was taken to deal with an intermittent noise from the rear brakes, apparently a known problem cured by fitting new callipers.
The service was carried out efficiently by Evans Halshaw of Horsham, but a breakdown in communications, ie they didn't ask and we didn't tell them, meant that the pre-ordered callipers were for a non-ABS van. The second while-you-wait visit also went slightly awry when the set of pads claimed by the parts computer didn't actually exist, needing a rush trip to a neighbouring dealership. But, despite the glitches, Evans Halshaw tried hard to minimise the inconvenience, even going to the trouble of ensuring that the Astra they lent us while things were being sorted was an automatic. Apart from this escalation of a minor irritation into a small problem, the remainder of the Astravan story is a mechanical non-event.
The total non-fuel expenditure on the Astravan amounted to LT ex-VAT and some sticky plasters (see later), althou
as it left us it had just passed the 2o ,000-mile point
for its next service. The front tyres have around 2mm of useable tread left, while the rears are virtually untouched.
Nothing's perfect, though, and even the Astravan has its petty irritants. The bi est moan is still reserved for the noise from the rear. The fitting of a semi-rigid load liner has helped a little, but also introduced a few extra noises of its own. If we were to be keeping the van longer, then we would probably have made some efforts to soundproof the loadspace, even with a few felt off-cuts.
Other minor niggles include the relatively small capacity of the screen-wash bottle, which can struggle to last a couple of days of really mucky winter driving; and the panel dimmer switch, located near the driver's right knee, which has a tendency to turn itself off on a seemingly random basis, taking the dash information display with it. Another additional cost incurred in the running of the Astravan was for the sticky plasters. More than once, skin was lost from knuckles and blood shed during the tricky task of unscrewing the fuel cap. Maybe it was the driver, but the hinge for the flap over the filler appeared to be in just the right place to nick his knuckle every time.
The engine definitely loosened up over the year, a fact reflected in the greatly improved fuel consumption. Our final laden run around the Kent route, after a year of learning the best driving style and in unusually helpful traffic conditions, produced the highly impressive figure of 54 .ompg. The economy does respond to sensitive driving, though. One particularly rapid trip to mid Wales saw a figure in the low thirties, but few vehicles would have bettered the journey time legally.
Cross country journeys in a hurry are aided not only by the vastly improved (and Lotus aided) handling, but also by the phenomenal brakes, For L335 (ex-VAT), the ABS package for the 2.0 Di 16v includes 25mm larger diameter discs front and rear, electronic brake force distribution and 15 inch wheels with 195/60 tyres—definitely making it the bargain of the year.
So do we regret going for the automatic version? Not for a minute—its performance in a straight line is barely distinguishable from the manual version and in many situations, may even be better. The softer power delivery to the wheels means that much less power is spent generating wasteful wheelspin. Road safety is greatly enhanced, as more concentration can be devoted to traffic conditions.
We pondered on what makes the automatic Astravan so relaxing to drive, Apart from the reduced effort in pumping the clutch and stirring the gears, the answer seems to be that, while an acceleration graph for the manual would show dips with each gear change, the auto's progress is totally smooth and linear.
The transmission was completely reliable, mechanically and operationally. The true measure of a good auto is whether it ever surprises the driver, and every change the Astra makes is right on cue. Sport mode, which holds onto the gears longer, is not really suited to the turbo-diesel's power characteristics but proved useful for enhanced engine braking. We only once tried out Winter mode, which forces the transmission to start off in third, but it certainly worked well. So the bottom line after a year of automatic Astravanning? Highly recommended.
• by Colin Barnett