The go-to- family car

If the Vauxhall Corsa is the preferred ride for drivers under 30, the Vauxhall Astra is its more responsible, older sibling. Its bigger size and reputation for comfort and reliability have made it a go-to family car since it launched in the UK in 1979.

But despite Vauxhall’s British heritage, a YouGov poll puts the Astra at 51st most popular car in the UK. It’s not exactly a favourite with Joe Public, but still ahead of the Renault Clio and BMW Z3 (they came in 52nd and 53rd, in case you’re wondering!).

A new generation on the way

The eighth generation Astra – set to roll off production lines in 2022 – is pulling out all the stops to climb the popularity table and challenge rivals like the Ford Focus.

This is the first Astra fully developed by Vauxhall’s new parent company Peugeot-Citroen, and it’s a smart-looking and -performing car.

Available with a plug-in hybrid engine, it’s also going to be a lot more expensive than previous models, starting from around £22,000.

Cheapest and most expensive Astras to insure

First, here's a quick insurance groups explainer:

Some of the cheapest Vauxhall Astras are in insurance group 7 (out of 50), making them pretty affordable for your average driver.

The most expensive ones are in group 35, putting them in the same league as older models of the Audi TT or Mercedes-Benz C Class.

Don’t forget: insurance group is only one of the factors insurance companies look at when quoting. Generally, however, the lower the insurance group, the cheaper the price.

You can check the insurance group of any car by typing its vehicle registration number into our free car insurance group checker.

Some of the cheapest Astras to insure:

• Astra Expression 1.4 litre 5-door (2004-2009) - Group 7
• Astra Selection 16V 1.2 litre 3-door (1998-1999) - Group 7
• Astra .Com 8V 1.6 litre 5-door (1999-1999) - Group 9
• Astra Active 16V 1.4 litre 5-door (2004-2004) - Group 9

Some of the most expensive Astras to insure

• Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition 2 litre 3-door (2008) - Group 34
• Astra VXR Vxracing 2 litre 3-door (-2009) - Group 34
• Astra GTC Coupe (2011-2018) - Group 35
• Astra VXR 2.0i litre Turbo 3-door (2012-2015) - Group 35

Breaking down the costs

If you don’t need the latest model or can’t wait until next year, you can pick up a brand new 2021 Vauxhall Astra 1.5 Turbo D Business Edition 5-door for around £15,000. Fully comprehensive insurance starts from £624 a year (assuming a £500 voluntary excess and based on a married 35-year-old woman owner).

Younger, unmarried, male drivers would pay more, as would anyone with a previous driving conviction. If you have built up a no claims bonus, or are happy to increase your voluntary excess, you could pay less.

It’s also worth remembering that a cheaper, older car does not always equal cheap insurance. You can get a bargain-basement 2006 Vauxhall Astra 1.6i Active for under £1,000, but you’d be paying more than half the cost of the car for insurance every year. Quotes start from around £533 (based on the same woman driver).

If you can afford the initial price tag, you might be better off going for one of the most popular Astras, like the CDTi. A 2019 1.6 CDTi 5-door costs around £11,000, but is only slightly more expensive to insure than a 2006 Active, at £552 a year. This puts it at a similar price point to middle-of-the-range VW Golfs.

Bottom line? Younger or first-time drivers looking for a good deal may want to look at other options like the Corsa. The Astra might not be winning any popularity contests (yet!) but older models are still affordable for your average driver. Whether the 2022 eighth generation turns out to be worth its hefty price tag remains to be seen…

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