[Ming]

My sister was in the market for an Astra (well, she had never heard of it until I told her about it, but she liked what she saw), and ended up buying an Aura 4-cyl. because the car, after all incentives available to her, was pretty much the same price for a more substantial vehicle. That and the Astra had no Aux-In, and she has a year's subscription to Sirius and a portable unit + antenna. She's very happy with her Aura purchase, but I'm a little sad that the pricing on the Astra did it in.

When I wrote, long ago, "bring it over, even if it is a tad expensive", I hadn't considered that it would be compared against the base Aura w/4-banger. Perhaps it makes sense that there was no Astra sedan on the lot, after all.

On the other hand, I know a guy at work who bought a low end Impala LT when he was thinking of getting a trimmed out Cobalt LS, so I guess it isn't a rare thing to have happen.

My sister was actually cross shopping the Honda Fit and a Scion, and was ready to sign for the Astra - a win for Saturn at that point, so it's not such a bad thing, but she couldn't say 'no' to the value-packed Aura sitting next to it on the showroom floor once she complained about no Aux-In port, and the salesman said "how about this one then?".

She thinks her new Aura looks and feels like a Bimmer (German Car) and babies it big time -- so mission accomplished for Saturn, at least on the "looks/feels like an Opel" front.