Nissan Qashqai vs Vauxhall Astra
A side-by-side comparison of the used Nissan Qashqai and Vauxhall Astra — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Nissan Qashqai or Vauxhall Astra — which should I buy?
The Vauxhall Astra starts cheaper (Nissan Qashqai from £5,995, Vauxhall Astra from £5,990), with illustrative finance from £135/mo and £145/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 81% and 87% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Qashqai from
- £5,995
- Astra from
- £5,990
- In stock
- 16 vs 4
| From live stock | Nissan Qashqai 16 in stock · from £5,995 | ★ Best value overall Vauxhall Astra 4 in stock · from £5,990 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £5,995 | £5,990★ lowest |
| Median price | £8,988 | £6,847★ lower |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £135/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR)★ lower | £145/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 58,139 mi | 43,921 mi★ lower |
| Median year | 2018★ newer | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 122 g/km | 116 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 128 bhp★ more | 110 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 81% | 87%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 7 / 16 | 2 / 4★ more |
| View all 16 Qashqai → | View all 4 Astra → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Nissan Qashqai | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 70/100 | 68/100 |
| Reliability | 73 | 60 |
| Running costs | 73 | 83 |
| Safety | 60 | 55 |
| Family & practicality | 78 | 77 |
| Insurance | 66 | 65 |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Nissan Qashqai and Vauxhall Astra trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Nissan Qashqai | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 33–74 mpg | 30–85 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 99–208 g/km | 23–223 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 11–29 | Group 6–35 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 73% pillar avg | 67% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 7.6s | 5.8s |
| Power | 104–187 bhp | 79–276 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 4377 mm | 4374 mm |
| Width | 2070 mm | 2033 mm |
| Height | 1595 mm | 1485 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Nissan Qashqai or the Vauxhall Astra cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Vauxhall Astra starts lower: the Nissan Qashqai is available from £5,995 (median £8,988) and the Vauxhall Astra from £5,990 (median £6,847).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Nissan Qashqai vs the Vauxhall Astra?
- Illustrative finance starts from £135/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) on the Nissan Qashqai and £145/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Vauxhall Astra. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Nissan Qashqai or the Vauxhall Astra?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Nissan Qashqai stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Vauxhall Astra — so the Nissan Qashqai is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Nissan Qashqai or the Vauxhall Astra?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Nissan Qashqai averages a 81% first-time pass rate and the Vauxhall Astra 87% — the Vauxhall Astra edges it on this measure.
Explore these models
- All used Nissan Qashqai for sale
- All used Vauxhall Astra for sale
- Nissan Qashqai running costs
- Vauxhall Astra running costs
- Read the Qashqai review
- Read the Astra review
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