2007 Holden Astra Twin Top review
12 Nov, 2007
26 Comments 
Mention must be made of the indicators. Similar to the BMW M5 and M6, the action takes some getting used to. To explain: To turn corners, you push past the springy detent to, let’s say, the left position. Once you’ve done that, and the indicators switch on, the stalk springs back to the home position.
That’s fine when it self-cancels, but when you just want to change lanes and you’ve gone past the left-hand detent, you have to pull it down to the right-hand detent to switch it off. Confused? So am I.
Apart from that, the IDrive-like menu system is far too complex for daily use, and you end up giving up and just listening to the one CD, or one radio station. Surely there was no need to make it that difficult.
Plus the test car’s glovebox kept opening when going over bumps, and the rear driver’s side window lost its home position.
The problem with the Astra Twin Top is it’s overpriced and underdone. It costs double what the base model Astra does, yet doesn’t give you any surprise-and-delight features that (apart from a chopped-off roof) would make the extra spend worthwhile.
Yes, the roof mechanism is slick. Yes, it looks smart. But, no, it doesn’t do it for me.
Location: Home / Holden, Behind the Wheel / ...
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(7 votes, average: 3.29 out of 5)
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November 12th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
well, the Astra convertible looks better than the Focus convertible, but it doesn’t sound as practical…
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November 12th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Atras are a bloody brilliant car. Ive driven them all and the only things i could pin on them is that they are relatively underpowered (massively so in the 1.8) and they have a bland interior. In terms of build quality, paint finish, panel fit, solidity and safety they are hard to beat!! Like so many cars though this one has put on massive weight. Most cars are getting heavier through acquiring larger dimensions this one its due to the roof and the extra bracing required for an open top.. which is fair enough.. but 110kw pushing 1610kg gives the sort of power to weight that an 80s model laser has! Not enough! Would be tiring! Nice car nonetheless..
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November 12th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Astra’s have exceptional build quality and are very solid. Because they feel so heavy they would benefit from say a 2.0l instead of the 1.8l and perhaps a 5 or 6 speeder in the auto.
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November 12th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
paging Going Ford for anti-holden tirade..
but seriously though… not worth the money
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November 12th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Yeah, I agree with Arsenalroc, why is it that an Astra, roughly $25K, minus a roof is $20K more? I know there’s more engineering involved but seriously, $20K more? Give me a break! Even the MX-5 isn’t the poor man’s convertible any more.
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November 12th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Well its still better than the Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet I had a few weeks ago, that car was 38k and nothing compared to this!
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November 12th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Exactly Alborz. I’d be giving that thing 1.5, possibly 2 out of 5.
Hopeless.
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November 12th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
i have had a look at this car up close plastic interior no boot space, when you pop the boot there is no covering so you can see all the motors and mechanisms also the boot flexes like buggery.
I have only one thing to say about this car: COLONARY ABORTION! I cannot believe this vehicle is top in its class for coupe cabriolets
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November 12th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
go the eos…. a much sweeter convertable than this!!!
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November 12th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Nice writeup Karl………seems like you have provided some great car advice,stay away from it!
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November 12th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
The EOS is better in my opinion.
BM…is Toy. Paul around?
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November 12th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Matt if you don’t like paying $20K extra for a small coupe cabriolet then you’re going to hate the Camaro “convertible” [if it makes it here]
which doesn’t even have a roof at all not even one that you snap-on.. and will most likely cost about $70K
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November 12th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
too bad its just not practical…my retirement car would be a focus cc…but being shy of 30…anything like that for my age is just no practical right now…
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November 12th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Nope haven’t had him back since last week.
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November 12th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
ALBORZ!!!
would you consider putting up a forum?i know this sounds like a broken record but please please please? :P
anybody else support me?
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November 12th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Perhaps you should have read the book to see how to operate the indicators. A quick movement of the stalk in the direction you wish to turn (or change lanes) means the indicators will blink 4 times then stop. A long or hard movement of the stalk means the indicators will remain on until you have completed the turn.
Even my blonde wife worked that one out :)
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November 12th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
The Astra convertible looks very sexy, and this is what most poeple buy convertibles for, to look sexy.
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November 12th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Nice one .. but underpowered.
I will consider it if there is a 2.0 Turbo
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November 13th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Karl - the hairdressers bit refers to the fact that a lot of less expensive soft tops cars are driven by hairdressers in the UK, they are cheap posuers cars. It has nothinf to do with wind in the hair mate. Toyota’s MR2 was always their favourite.
VW’s softy is better styled but mush more expensive. Vx’s has got to be the nicest looking and best value for money.
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November 13th, 2007 at 12:45 am
Karl - the hairdressers bit refers to the fact that a lot of less expensive soft tops cars are driven by hairdressers in the UK, they are cheap posuers cars. It has nothinf to do with wind in the hair mate. Toyota\’s MR2 was always their favourite.
VW\’s softy is better styled but mush more expensive. Vx\’s has got to be the nicest looking and best value for money.
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November 13th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Ford Foccus is a much better car than Astra, build quality of the Astra is below par, still under powered, uncomfortable, bland to look at and they are plainly s**t to drive…
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November 13th, 2007 at 8:37 am
That is exactly what an obsessed Ford-fan would say. The Focus does drive better then the Astra but it is not at all uncomfortable and its build quality isn’t ‘below par’. Looks are subjective but IMO there is nothing wrong with the Astra’s appearance.
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November 13th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Thats right Myke, Astra is crap - Focus is great, you have a problem with that, I’m not obsessed ford fan these are facts based on me driving the latest Astra and Focus models, I could go into detail but it’s easier to be blunt.
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November 13th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Tuffguy, thanks. But I’m not sure your blond wife would appreciate that. :)
It is actually only 3 times that it blinks, and what if the corner has a wide radius, so that it doesn’t self cancel? I stick by my statement and believe there was no need to engineer it like that. But yes, you do get used to it.
Dieselhead, thanks too. The 2.0TDI Eos though isn’t that much more expensive. It starts at $47,990. I know which I’d rather…
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November 13th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
The indicators work just like an E90 3 Series BMW that I have driven. Assuming the stalk is on the left hand side as most euro cars are, and you push down to turn left as you say, if you push beyond the detent (or pressure point) it will flash indefinitely until A) it self-cancels by removing steering lock coming out of the left-hander or B) PUSHING DOWN ON THE STALK AGAIN. Most people make the mistake of moving the stalk UP (i.e. right turn) to try and cancel the indicator but this just sets the right blinker going instead, because as you say the stalk returns to the home position. You get used to it after a while but in essence it is counter-intuitive because if anyone has been driving a “normal” car for any period of time they will have become accustomed to moving the stalk opposite to the direction of intended indication, instead of in the SAME DIRECTION, which is how you manually cancel indicators in cars like this.
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February 21st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
The Astra Twintop offers a much better ride than the Ford, Renault or Peugeot and its looks by far and away top the Eos.
The Twintop comes with a powerful 2.2l and it does have a long list of features which are not available in a base model Astra. The extra $20,000 is well worth it, the car looks like a european sports coupe with the top up and a luxury convertible with the top down.
It also has another model behind it which has a good reputation and has held its resale value well. If youre looking for a fun car and safe buy, go the ASTRA!!
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