[DuSpinnst]

So I went over to coaster.n3rd's dealership today to check out an Astra 3-Door. My subject for thrashing was a Red 5-Speed Manual.

First things first, I saw a Black one in the show room and like the Twilight Blue one I sat in at the Autoshow I was impressed by the fit and finish and quality of the car.

So lets start with the drive. As to not get into too much detail of the Metro Detroit road system I'll just say that I took a right out of the dealership down a long straight road (over a few bridges) and I rowed thru the cogs to 4th gear (and about 50 MPH) in no time. The 1.8L Ecotec isn't the "quietest" engine, but that is how I like it so no issue for me. The car is VERY responsive when you keep it over 3000 RPM with a quick blip on the throttle in 2nd I was up to 50 from 20 in no time.

I made a Michigan Left onto another road and ripped the car around the corner of the turnaround at about 30 MPH in 3rd gear, no noticeable roll and no loss of traction. Quite impressed, I then got on the Freeway. Coming on the on-ramp at about 35-40 MPH (Cloverleaf ramp) in 3rd gear allowed me to launch to about 65-70 MPH with relative ease, a quick shift to 4th was required at about 60 to keep things smooth (although I could have kept it in 3rd). 5th Gear was found at 80 MPH and after a few quick lane-shifts I was cruising for a mile or two before I exited the freeway and headed back to the dealership.

I was impressed with the way the 5-speed shifted, it was easy to find the gears and the throw was much better than the 6-speed in my Saab (which is a related transmission of GM Europe's). The Ecotec can get a bit noisy around 5000 RPM, but shifting up still keeps you in the power-band and quiets the engine down. 80-85 MPH in 5th gear was comfortable as well, and the lack of a 6th gear isn't a problem especially when 3000+ RPM is where this engine thrives. Downshifting is a bit harder as the engine does thrash a bit, but that also could be because the clutch was brand new (my Saab did the same thing when I first got it).

On to the interior. As I said after the autoshow I was quite impressed with the fit and finish of the interior. The seats while manual where adjustable forward/aft, up/down, and the back was forward/aft as well. The steering wheel tilts was nice, but I wish it had better telescoping (or telescoping at all as I only tried to pull out and didn't check if it pushed in). The cup-holder which some have complained about seems to me to be in a decent location, my only complaint with the center console was the lack of an armrest. Something I'd have to get use to, but not a big deal.

The 3-Door has ample leg room and hip room for me (I am 6'2" 250 lbs) so just about anyone can fit. The seats hug you, which is nice in the corners. The back seat isn't too shabby either, a person of my size can nearly fit in the back seat with me in the front. So the car for me would seat 3 comfortably, and 4 a little tight (due to leg room behind me). The cargo area is cavernous, it doesn't look big from the outside but you pop the hatch and it is quite impressive.

I didn't play around with the radio too much, but based on my experience in Europe with the same system I won't be disappointed.

Needless to say, this is GM's best small car in a long time, and I will be proud to own one come this fall when I need a winter car to compliment the Corvette.

Overall grade: A