Opel Astra Estate Vs. Volkswagen Golf Estate

They may not be glamorous but estate cars have their uses – not just for the likes of the self-employed, but for all sorts of people whose hobbies or outdoor pursuits mean they need the extra carrying capacity and practicality. Estates have moved on from being cars with a box tacked on the back of standard model to having an identity in their own right. Here we look at two German competitors and see whether VW or Opel has the edge.

The rise and fall of Opel, from 80’s stalwart on every Irish driveway to cut-backs in design and engineering foisted upon the company by its GM owners damaged a strong brand and saw it into retreat. Now Opel is back and it’s competing against it’s peers with excellent design ideas, execution and relays. It’s clear from the outside that Opel has had a go at re-designing from the heart. They’ve thought about functionality on the inside and are working on value for the end user.

The Opel Astra Elite Tourer is a capable estate with 60/40 rear seat split and a boot capacity going from 540 litres up to 1630 litres with the rear seats folded. Access from the boot is relatively easy with a low lip height and the handy power tailgate (which is optional on the SRi and Elite models) is of great use when you have many full bags of shopping and no free hands. With the keys in your pocket just wave your foot under the sensor and voila, up the boot springs. Loading larger objects might require some of your hard earned Tetris skills due to the way the interior has left a few structural bits and pieces jutting into the cabin space.

With Volkswagen’s practical down to earth Golf Estate, it’s 605 litres easily expands to 1,620 litres and has a tailgate that opens to an angle that makes awkward objects easy to load. In Estate guise the Golf is still a sensible looking car, Volkswagen hasn’t tinkered with the formula or taken any risks with the design.

This four-cylinder diesel engine is an out and out workhorse, you load up, get in and go, there’s no hanging about. The 250Nm of torque is capable enough for heavy loads, and the five speed gearbox copes well. Due to the practical load lugging nature of the Golf, the ride is firmer in comparison to the Astra.

Overall, the Astra Elite Tourer is aesthetically pleasing and has a lot of equipment for the loaded spec price of €34,270 (starting price is €21,195). This 1.6 litre CDTi engine builds up to  136hp and does it with a nice grumbly diesel tone, not quite whisper quiet but compared to what used to be an intrusive deafening diesel noise of old, it’s a pleasing aural environment in which to spend time.

Opel's OnStar system with WiFi hotspot is also available on the Elite package. It’s part of Opel’s attempt at keeping an edge over the competition. While the idea is commendable, the execution is still a couple of versions away from being perfect. I had difficulty on one occasion in calling up the Leeds based OnStar support centre to ask for directions be sent to the on board system.

Teething problems aside, this is a system which will rely heavily on there being a healthy 3G/4G network with which to carry out the supported functions. Within heavily populated areas, 3G networks can be under strain to support the requests of today’s on-demand culture of streaming, downloading and uploading of heavy data traffic. As you move outside of the supported areas, network signals are thin (in the air as it were) and dropped calls are frequent, leaving OnStar customers without access to the many offered connectivity options when hitting network blackspots.

In the Astra Estate you rarely feel as if you’re driving an estate sized car, it’s dimensions (L/W/H) 4702/1809/1499mm are only slightly larger than the foot-print of the Astra hatchback. The feedback from steering and brakes makes it enjoyable and fun to take for a well earned spin after a hard day's graft or having just bunged the labradors in the boot, setting off for a trek across the hills. Either way this is the estate to spoil yourself with if you so choose, or spare all the gizmos and some cash and go for a base model which will serve you as well and handsomely so.

The Golf Estate featured dual zone air-con, driver fatigue alert, 16” alloys, multi-function steering wheel, Bluetooth, auto headlights, rain sensor, park distance with reverse camera, light assist and metallic paint. Volkswagen haven’t really gone all out on tricks (such as the Astra’s Fragrance Diffuser), but what they do, they do well. Everything is easy to read and well laid out. You intuitively know where all the buttons are on a Golf, you can change air temp, radio station and set cruise control all without looking away from the road. And in an industry that is becoming besotted by tech, sometimes the simpler utilitarian approach is best (and safest).

Also included with the Lounge range is an impressive panoramic sunroof, I really loved the sunroof. You can pop it up so it’s a little bit fly or open it up wide for that fresh air experience. You also get a full length shade for when you’ve had enough of the sun, it still lets some light in but gives the cabin a nice airy feel. The only drawback is that you’re fully aware that this is a diesel engine but most people who have diesel’s have absolutely no qualms with engine note over savings accrued.

The Astra interior is a pleasant environment in a different sense, with optional leather seat trim and those ergonomic ‘Wellness’ front seats they make a long journey anything but. I found a pleasant way of cooling down, as the seats can be heated as well as cooled. Not something an Irish driver would be in need of every day but a welcome relief in addition to a twin climate air conditioned cabin. The award for oddest option goes to the Fragrance Diffuser. Not too sure it really adds to the ambience and I doubt it could handle drowning out the strongest country odours.

Opel has worked on improving the infotainment usability but it still has some way to go. The multi function steering wheel leaves you stretching your thumb to change radio with a snails pace reaction, it leaves you momentarily thinking you haven’t pressed the button at all. When using Bluetooth to stream music, the system strains to add gain, leaving you spinning the volume up to 11 and beyond to get a modicum of sound. If you’re not that bothered about streaming directly from your phone, you can use the available on-board apps.

The Astra’s 1.6-litre engine is modern, offers reasonable performance and genuine economic savings from the current Opel diesel range. It's European car of the year for a reason, stylish, comfortable and modern.

So as we look to the Estate horizon, the Astra is edging forward. The Golf Estate gives the Astra a run for its money in 1.6-litre diesel guise, but overall the Astra wins out on driver experience and Opel’s push to diversify and modernise.

Astra Elite Tourer

Special mention : Ergonomic seats, power tailgate

Needs work : That stereo though.
 

Volkswagen Golf Estate 1.6 TDi

Special mention: Panoramic Sunroof

Needs work : Overall not as pleasant to drive as the Astra but if you like things to be simple and effective, this is the utilitarian Estate for you.