The Vauxhall Astra advertisements currently appearing on television show the car for what it is; a beautifully designed vehicle and a far cry from some of the previous Astra models. This leap forward in style and specification has changed the image of the car and therefore the demand for this model; which we see reflected in our ever increasing Vauxhall Astra contract hire sales.

It is interesting to note that the wording has changed in the Vauxhall advertisements; rather than referring to their models as having “A lifetime warranty” they now call it “A warranty that could last you a lifetime”. Vauxhall came in for a considerable amount of criticism, when they launched this new warranty, which has an upper limit of 100,000 miles and then described it as a lifetime warranty.

Describing it as a warranty that could last you a lifetime is a little better but not much, because it’s misleading; 100,000 miles is not going to last many people a lifetime; even at 10,000 miles per annum it is only going to last ten years and that is not the life expectancy of most Vauxhall Astra buyers, we hope.

On balance however this shouldn’t put anyone off the Astra, it is an excellent vehicle and after all when it comes to warranties, if you compare what Vauxhall are offering with Kia ’s seven year warranty it compares very favourably; not many motorists average more than 15,000 miles per annum and on that basis the Astra’s warranty would last over seven years. If you opt to lease a Vauxhall Astra over two to four years, rather than making an outright purchase, the warranty is not a factor and the cost is a very reasonable £236 plus Vat per month.