Opel Astra Sedan vs. Volkswagen Vento vs. Renault 19 Sedan – From the Old Box

In 1992 you could still come across a brand new sedan in the compact middle class at almost every car dealer. At the time, it was still very common that a version-with-butt appeared in addition to the hatchback. They also came from the then brand new Opel Astra F and Volkswagen Golf. In the case of the Golf it was the Vento, with the Astra it was simply the Astra Sedan. Those two newcomers were allowed to compete exactly thirty years ago against the more experienced Renault 19 Sedan, which was still called Chamade before the facelift.

Although the Renault 19 was basically the oldest of the three, the facelift of the 19 came after the introduction of the Astra and Vento. That essentially made the 19 Sedan the freshest of the bunch, although it was clear that the Astra and Vento were more modern. It would therefore not be an easy task to outdo the two German competitors. That started with the appearance, because despite the facelift, the 19 Sedan showed that it was from a somewhat different era. Between the refreshed nose and butt was a relatively simply designed ‘central nave’. Fortunately, time had not stood still on board the 19, so you looked at a much more modern dashboard than you found in predecessor Chamade. In that respect, the 19 Sedan was able to keep up with the other two.

On one key point, the 19 Sedan outperformed even its newer competitors. A not unimportant point, mind you. In the back of the 19 Sedan, up to 1,352 liters of luggage space could be conjured up if you folded the rear seats, 152 liters more than in the Astra Sedan and even 467 liters more than in the Vento. What was less so, the standard room without the sofa was flat. That amounted to 463 liters, compared to 500 and 550 liters respectively in the Astra and Vento.

On board the three it was striking how comfortable the Renault 19 Sedan still was, thanks in part to its seats. The 1.7 also wanted to pull well. The R19 went from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.3 seconds, the Astra Sedan in 14 seconds and the Vento in 14.4 seconds. All with 75 hp power. Here the higher weight of the Vento (1,049 kilos versus 990 (Astra) and 980 (R19) played tricks on him. However, the Astra and Vento were more refined than the Renault. For example, less engine noise could be heard in those two cars, the upholstery of the seats was more modern and they had (unlike the R19) height-adjustable seat belts in the back.

All in all, we could conclude that the Renault 19 Sedan could still handle its younger opponents, partly thanks to the facelift, albeit with a few things that started to betray its real age. The price was sharp enough: the 19 Sedan cost fl.31,095 as 1.7 RN, the Astra Sedan 1.6i GL cost fl.31.625. The Vento CL was significantly more expensive at fl.34,495. You did get better standard equipment in return. If you had to make a choice with all of this in 1992, which one would it have been?