Ranked #190 car in the UK · Hatchback · 1,585 units sold last year

Vauxhall Astra (Mk7)

This is the previous-generation Vauxhall Astra (the 2015-2021 'K') - the sensible, well-rounded family hatch and estate that preceded the current Peugeot-based car. Petrol and diesel engines in a roomy, easy-to-live-with package. It's unexciting but practical, comfortable and cheap to run, with plentiful parts and support. As a used buy it's honest, inexpensive family transport - bought on condition and history rather than image, and a sensible budget Focus and Golf alternative.

Vauxhall Astra (Mk7)
Photo: Lüko Willms via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Body
Hatchback
Years
2018–2021
Fuel
Petrol / Diesel
Economy
50 mpg

combined

Insurance
Group 14

The short version

63/100

Forecourt score

Value 82 · Reliability 34 · Insurance 84

The Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good, 70 out of 100, ahead of 34% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 82% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Petrol · 1364cc

Power

140 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Quoted MPG

42 mpg

The volume old Astra (Mk6/J, 2009-2015, used). GM-era 1.4 turbo - we leave the cam-drive flag off because GM-era engine documentation is mixed enough that we won't pretend certainty; budget for a belt or chain check.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

2021
20182021
39,000 mi
0Expected: 39,000180k
good
PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.

£10,350

Range £8,500£12,400

medium confidence

When new (2021)£21,000Age-based value£12,705Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region+£14Market calibration-£1,619Forecourt price£11,100Private sale£9,650Part-exchange£8,500

The depreciation curve

How a 2021-registration Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) loses value over time.

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2021 car with 39,000 miles you entered above — worth about £10,350 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,800 miles a year.

5-year total

£12,329

Per year

£2,466

All-in per mile

£0.32

Fuel per mile

13.9p

Depreciation£54
Fuel / energy£5,435
Servicing£1,765
Road tax£975
Insurance£4,100

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £550 a year — under half the £2,600 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 82%
Reliabilitybetter than 34%
Fuel economybetter than 76%
Cheap to insurebetter than 84%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Petrol

The default choice: lowest purchase price and easy upkeep, at the cost of higher fuel bills than a hybrid.

New price
£24,000
Annual fuel / energy
£1,116
3-yr depreciation
45%

Watch for

  • ·Carbon build-up on direct-injection engines
  • ·Ignition coils and spark plugs with age
  • ·Cam or wet-belt service where fitted

Diesel

Makes sense for high motorway mileage; less so for short urban hops, where the DPF struggles.

New price
£25,700
Annual fuel / energy
£1,103
3-yr depreciation
48%

Watch for

  • ·DPF clogging on mostly-short journeys
  • ·EGR valve and turbo wear with mileage
  • ·AdBlue system upkeep on newer engines

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 15 of 50 (low — cheaper end of the scale) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

3 years
0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+
Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£820/ year

Roughly £68 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.
Age bandLower riskTypicalHigher risk
Age 17-25£1,870£2,337£3,038
Age 26-32£976£1,148£1,401
Age 33-39Selected£722£820£968
Age 40-49£613£681£789
Age 50+£546£607£716

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

7,800 mi/yr
2,000UK avg for this model: 7,80030,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,258

50 mpg, £1.49/L

Insurance

£820

Age 33-39, group 14

Clean-air zones

Depends on variant

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,668 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

195/65 R15 · 205/55 R16 · 215/45 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

OptionNew costAdded used valueReturn

Tow bar (factory-fit)

Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.

£650£45069%

Parking sensors & reversing camera

Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.

£500£30060%

Heated seats / cold-weather pack

£450£20044%

Metallic or premium paint

Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.

£600£20033%

Panoramic / opening roof

£1,100£35032%

Larger alloy wheels

£700£20029%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 39,000 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

12V batteryWatch now

Typical at 40k-70kCost £100-£180low severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

Brake discs & padsWatch now

Typical at 35k-60kCost £250-£500 per axlelow severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

Suspension bushes & drop linksUpcoming

Typical at 60k-100kCost £150-£400medium severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

Exhaust & emissions componentsUpcoming

Typical at 70k-110kCost £200-£700medium severityParts high

General wear item — not a model-specific fault.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Reliability

70/ 100

Good

MOT outlook

Insufficient MOT history at this car's reference age — too few tests to compute a reliable percentile.

Things owners say

  • 01The diesels suit high mileage; the turbo petrols are the choice for lighter use.
  • 02Roomy, practical and cheap to run, with plentiful parts - a sensible budget family hatch.
  • 03Unremarkable but dependable; buy on condition, service history and tyres rather than headline kit.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7), or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Around average

Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.

Parts theft

Around average

Parts-theft risk is around average — catalytic-converter theft is the main thing to be aware of on any petrol or diesel car.

Worth doing

  • Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
  • Park in well-lit, busy areas, and consider a tracker for faster recovery.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

CityAreaDaily chargeLikely outcome
LondonAll of Greater London (within the M25)£12.50
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
BirminghamInside the A4540 Middleway£8.00
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
BristolCity centre and part of the Portway£9.00
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
GlasgowCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
EdinburghCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
AberdeenCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
DundeeCity centre
Likely exempt
Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.

Zones that don't charge private cars

  • BathCity centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
  • BradfordOuter ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
  • SheffieldInside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
  • Newcastle & GatesheadCity centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
  • PortsmouthPart of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Vauxhall is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~195

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Vauxhall is 4.3% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,300 mm

Width

1,790 mm

Height

1,460 mm

Kerb weight

1,350 kg

Boot

380–1,250 L

Fuel tank

48 L

Common questions

Vauxhall Astra (Mk7), answered

Is the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) ULEZ compliant?
Whether a Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) in?
The Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) sits in insurance group 15 of 50, towards the cheaper end of the scale. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) reliable?
Our reliability score for the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) is 70 out of 100 (good), derived from DVSA MOT records.
What economy does the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) get?
Expect roughly around 50 mpg combined for a typical Vauxhall Astra (Mk7), based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7)?
On the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7), the issues that come up most by mileage include 12V battery, Brake discs & pads and Suspension bushes & drop links. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.

Common questions

Vauxhall Astra (Mk7), answered from the data

Is the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) reliable?
The Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) scores 70/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure.
How much does a used Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) cost?
A 2021 Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) with around 39,000 miles is worth roughly £10,350 today (typical range £9,100–£11,600). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) depreciate?
A new Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7)?
The Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Vauxhall Astra (Mk7)?
The most common age-related issues we track for the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) are: 12v battery (typically around 40k-70k, £100-£180 to put right); brake discs & pads (typically around 35k-60k, £250-£500 per axle to put right); suspension bushes & drop links (typically around 60k-100k, £150-£400 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Vauxhall Astra (Mk7) cost to run?
Expect around 50 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.

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