THE family hatchback market is so crowded that it can be hard to know where to start, writes William Scholes.
Brand loyalty is a significant factor. There are families who will happily repeat-buy, year after year, car after car, a Ford or a Renault or whatever other marque happens to hold a special place in their hearts. A strong relationship with a particular dealership often has a similar effect.
One of the longest-running repeat-buy stories is that of the Vauxhall Astra.
We have been buying Astras in huge numbers for four decades, making it almost as venerable as the Volkswagen Golf.
But where the Golf has benefited from careful and considered evolution across its eight generations - VW's genius lies partly in how the original Golf and the current car feel as if they share DNA - the Astra has tended to have more radical re-inventions with each new generation.
This different approach hasn't harmed the Astra's popularity. It's one of those ubiquitous, always-there cars.
That means you may have missed the major overhaul the Astra has received to help it keep pace with a bunch of newer rivals - including an all-new version of its arch-rival from Volkswagen.
Vauxhall hasn't fiddled around with the Astra's styling, at least not that you would notice without carefully labelled 'before' and 'after' pictures.
This is no bad thing - this current Astra has a neat, handsome design, with a touch of class, even if it lacks the wow-factor looks of a rival such as the Mazda 3 (though what does?).
If your memories of Vauxhall go back to the 1990s, you will be very pleasantly surprised by the Astra's interior.
The Astra is comfortable and relaxing on longer journeys - though not as conspicuously limo-like as some Golf models - yet the suspension set-up does nothing to discourage more spirited back-road driving
It's well built and thoughtfully designed, with clear instruments, an idiot-proof touchscreen and a high level of equipment. There might not be a lot of flair on show, but everything just works and feels good doing it.
The Astra is also a very comfortable car. Vauxhall has a line in excellent seats which are accredited by a German organisation with a long name that works to improve back health.
There's no shortage of space either, whether for passengers or their bits and pieces like phones and water bottles.
Sure, there are alternatives with more lounging space - a Skoda Octavia, for example - but there's nothing wrong with the Astra.
It feels like a car that benefits from all of those decades of family car know-how that Vauxhall has accumulated.
The Astra's boot volume is 370 litres - bigger than a Ford Focus, but smaller than a Golf or Octavia - which swells to 1,210 litres when you fold the seats.
Vauxhall has had a hit and miss record when it comes to making satisfying driver's cars (I refer you to the original Mokka, which deserved to be hit very hard and won't be missed...).
The Astra is firmly in the hit category.
With this refresh, Vauxhall has put work into honing the chassis, with revised springs and recalibrated steering.
It's comfortable and relaxing on longer journeys - though not as conspicuously limo-like as some Golf models - yet the suspension set-up does nothing to discourage more spirited back-road driving.
The steering and controls are light, there's ample grip and a general sense that the Astra is one of those cars that can flow along the road rather than be thrown off course by bumps.
The Astra feels like a car that benefits from all of those decades of family car know-how that Vauxhall has accumulated
A range of new petrol and diesel engines is offered with the refreshed Astra. Most use a six-speed manual gearbox, though a nine-speed automatic gearbox and a CVT can also be specified.
There is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in 108bhp, 128bhp and 143bhp. It's a sweet, lively unit, and its low weight benefits the Astra's handling. The 143bhp 1.2-litre is probably the pick of the entire range.
That 143bhp power output is matched by a second petrol engine, a 1.4-litre three-cylinder, but it comes only with a CVT automatic transmission.
Diesel duties are catered for by a 1.5-litre with either 103bhp or 120bhp.
Of particular significance to company users - who constitute a significant chunk of the Astra's audience - is the fact that these diesel engines are what is known as RDE2 compliant; this means they avoid the 4 per cent benefit in kind surcharge that applies to diesel cars that don't meet the RDE2 emissions requirements.
There's been a ruthless approach to improving efficiency and fuel economy. Engines apart, the Astra's aerodynamics have been massaged through smoothing out its underbody, wheel arches, wheels and even fitting a so-called full-face shutter behind the grille.
What's that, you ask? "The upper and lower portions of the grille can be opened and closed, even independently from each other, resulting in highly efficient driving under a variety of real-life conditions," explains Vauxhall.
"The full-face shutter also delivers thermal advantages by delaying cooling down after switching off the engine, or by accelerating the engine warm-up after a cold start
"This is especially important in winter, providing significant benefits in fuel consumption and comfort by heating the interior of the car."
So now you know...
Prices and trim levels start with the £18,890 SE, rising through Business Edition Nav (£19,740), SRi (£21,295) and SRi Nav (£21,795) to Elite Nav Premium (£25,950).
The Sports Tourer estate model is around £1,700 more expensive than the equivalent hatch.
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, alloy wheels, air conditioning and cruise control are standard on all models; by the time you get to the Elite trim, you're in a world of leather upholstery, massage seats, a heated steering wheel and many other toys. The sporty-themed SRi is the sweet spot of the line-up.
There's such diversity in the family hatchback market that it's possible to find cars that are bigger, better to drive and more upmarket than the Astra.
However, it's hard to find one as thoroughly and sensibly well rounded, as efficient and - crucially - keenly priced as the updated Astra.
The market might be crowded, but the Vauxhall Astra remains worthy of its perennial popularity.
