just didnt like any of the other hot hatches out there, looked at the focus, golf, civic, but for the cash i felt the astra was the best buy,(just love the look of the sport hatch) got it with 19" wheels, pearl blue paint, bi-xenon head lights and a few other bits and bobs, just great fun to drive, very rapid. Might only keep it a year or so, still fancy an S3 or even an RS, will be test driving that too.