Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GSE - long-term review

Why do manufacturers insist on using litres as a metric to measure boot space? Yes, it’s technically the best and easiest way to quantify and compare volume. And yes, it’s been the preferred method of assessing rear automotive space for as long as anyone can remember.

But it’s also technically… a bit boring. Here at TopGear.com, we thought a better, more entertaining, slightly hairier and definitely droolier way of assessing boot space would be to change up the metric. No more litres for us – at least for this experiment.

Enter: Many Golden Retrievers!

So, user ‘unicyclistperiscopes’, who last week requested an update on the available rear space in our long-term Vauxhall Astra GSE Sports Tourer, this piece of entirely sensible consumer advice is for you. And indeed, for anyone else curious about how many golden fluffballs of happiness and wonder we managed to load into the back of the Astra.

You’d imagine getting them in there in the first place would be difficult. Ha! Totally wrong. It wasn’t difficult. It was nigh on impossible. We suspected it was because Golden Retrievers are notoriously averse to using any metric other than litres to measure boot volume. Especially themselves. Whimsy is beneath their serious demeanours.

However, when presented with the premise, a bucket full of treats and some minor encouragement, they decided to help. Here’s where the Astra’s versatility was useful. The electric opening boot opened… electrically, the fabric boot cover popped out easily enough, the rear seats folded flat, and Some Measure of Golden Retrievers began inserting themselves into the space.

The Astra’s loading sill wasn’t too high for them to jump into, while a few found entry through the rear passenger doors in a fairly straightforward manner. Once inserted, there was a decent amount of Golden Retriever headroom – enough for them to fully stand – and enough space for… well, can you guess how many?

Nope. Still nope. Bit more. Keep going. That’s right, SEVEN. We fit seven Best Friends into the boot of our long-term Astra GSE Sports Tourer, and if we’re honest, another two could have been snuggled in.

So yes, technically the Vauxhall Astra GSE Sports Tourer claims 516-litres of boot space with the rear seats up, which... isn't as commodious as some rivals. And the space beneath our plug-in hybrid car's boot floor was occupied by an equally unruly charging cable that can't be coaxed into position properly using treats. And the 1,634-litres of boot space with the rear seats folded flat still lags behind rivals like estate versions of the Golf or Octavia, for example.

Sorry, not 1,634-litres, we of course mean Seven-Golden Retrievers.