Living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric: an excellent all-rounder let down by one important thing
March 25, 2025 by Darren Cassey
Car changing is a big deal
Carwow’s Reviews Editor Darren Cassey has spent a few months running a Vauxhall Astra Electric to see if you really need an SUV for a family car, or if an estate still do the job
It seems that the default family car purchase is an SUV these days, and while there are obvious benefits – namely the tall driving position – the classic estate is becoming less and less popular. That’s why we’ve been living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric, to answer the question: do you really need an SUV?
The recipe is an appealing one. The Astra looks good and has a big boot to carry all the things associated with family life, and the potential for the low running costs associated with electric cars is always welcome. So how did we get on?
Living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric: intro
To start, we’ll take a deeper look at our Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric – let’s call it Astra ST from now on, shall we? – which is the top-spec Ultimate model. It’s not a huge leap in price from the other trims, but a mid-spec GS is slightly better value. The Ultimate trim is close to £40k, and at that price you can start considering stretching your budget to excellent alternatives as varied as the Tesla Model 3 and Kia EV6.
Still, there’s no denying the Ultimate trim comes well-equipped. Our car came with loads of driver assistance tech, such as adaptive cruise control that could keep you centred in your lane, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.
Other choice equipment includes LED ‘pixel’ headlights, which can automatically adjust the beam to not dazzle oncoming drivers, as well as a head-up display, panoramic sunroof, and a heated steering wheel, which was particularly welcome in the winter months.
Our car came in Crimson Red, which is a lovely shade and the highlight of the range. Well, it was. During our time with the car, Vauxhall dropped it from the line-up, so Athletic Blue (£700) is the only interesting option left. (If you’re looking for a used Astra ST Electric, definitely keep an eye out for a red one.)
Living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric: motors, batteries and driving
All electric Astras get the same motor and battery setup, so that’s 156hp from a motor on the front wheels and a 54kWh battery. Officially, range is up to 256 miles, but you’ll not see anywhere near that.
A heat pump is standard on all electric Astras, which helps with winter efficiency. Even so, our testing – which covered a chilly Christmas and new year – indicated a real-world range of about 185 miles. You can expect about 200 miles in ideal conditions.
This does relate to one of the most annoying things about this car, because Vauxhall indicates the ‘official’ range on the dashboard when the battery is at 100%, then adjusts it based on your efficiency as you drive. It means that it can be really difficult to judge how far you can actually travel on a long trip.
Aside from this, the Astra ST Electric is a perfectly pleasant thing to drive around. The suspension soaks up bumps nicely and it’s not particularly noisy at motorway speeds. However, even in sport mode the car is lethargic to pull away, which can sometimes catch you out when nipping into a gap in traffic.
Living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric: things we loved
The Vauxhall Astra ST Electric largely won us over in our time with the car. Here are three things we particularly enjoyed.
Fuss-free driving
If you’re looking for a car that simply gets you from A to B with as little fuss as possible the Astra ST Electric is a great choice. It’s about as dull as driving gets, but over time we grew to love the fact you just get in and go, because it’s perfectly comfortable and easy to drive.
Big boot
The Astra ST Electric isn’t a particularly big car, but it does have a big boot. At 516 litres it’s more spacious than the MG5 EV, as well as one of our favourite electric SUVs, the Kia EV3. The Peugeot E-308 SW has a bigger boot if you really need maximum capacity, but we never found the Vauxhall struggled to cope with swallowing all the stuff needed for family life, coping admirably with the suitcases, prams and presents needed for visiting family at Christmas.
Design
Historically the Vauxhall Astra has been a rather plain-looking car, but the latest model is genuinely good-looking. With sharp lines, the black bar that runs between the headlights, and the black details that accompanied our Ultimate trim, it’s a proper head-turner.
Living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric: annoying things
Even the best cars have some quirks that can get on your nerves. Here are three things we didn’t enjoy about our time with the Vauxhall.
Infotainment
The infotainment system ranges between infuriating at its worst, and mildly annoying at its best. It’s slow to respond to inputs, sluggish to switch between menus and completely unintuitive to navigate. At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make it easier to use on the move, but basic things like pairing your phone can be a proper test of outside the box thinking.
Child seat woes
If you have a youngster who’s still using a child seat, you’ll encounter the most obvious disadvantage of choosing an estate over a lifted SUV. Because the seat is low, as is the roof, you’ll strain your back bending over to put them in, and often bang your head on the way in or out. There’s not a huge amount of space to the seat in front either, and why Vauxhall (and other Stellantis-owned manufacturers) persist with the impossibly fiddly zip-covered ISOFIX mounting points is anyone’s guess.
Dull interior
The exterior looks great, but it’s the interior you’re looking at while you’re driving, so it’s a shame it’s just so dull. The seats and upholstery in the Ultimate trim are really nice and everything feels well-screwed together, but the design is plain and covered in a sea of black plastic. It’s just really uninspiring.
Living with a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric: should you buy one?
We’ve largely got on with the Vauxhall Astra ST Electric over the months we had with the car. It’s been a capable family companion, easily swallowed prams and Christmas presents, and proved quiet and comfortable for daily duties.
But it is let down by one thing: it’s painfully boring. Not every car has to light your pants on fire, but there’s zero excitement to be had behind the wheel, and you’re looking at an adequate but dull interior the whole time you’re driving. Which is a shame when it looks so good from the outside.
That might not bother you, in which case the Astra ST Electric is well worth a look. However, the Peugeot E-308 SW has a little more flair, and the Kia EV3’s SUV shape will make life a bit easier if you travel with a toddler.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
Click here to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.