NY Times Reviews Saturn Astra

[stevecmh]

Originally Posted by Sparta

All these Astra reviews say the same thing when it comes to great handling and lackluster engine performance.

*cough redline*

ooo get the 260hp one..

hell put it in the Vue too.. i would buy that

[CamaroCrazy]

Originally Posted by stevecmh

ooo get the 260hp one..

hell put it in the Vue too.. i would buy that

I would love to know what a lot of GM's cars would be like if you put the 2.0L turbo under the hood. Put it in the VUE and would it be enough power and torque at the right engine speed to move this porker? What would the fuel economy be? Would it become a cheap RDX competitor? Now there's a true Red Line model if you target something like the RDX.

[packardlust]

Originally Posted by logansowner

She driving with 4 seized rotors? Commuting up Everest to work? Just curious, but I'd like to know how on earth a vehicle like that only gets 12 mpg?

Good questions, indeed. Though it is actually 2 seized rotors and 2 seized drums. It also must be the "other Vue". My Vue gets about 25 mpg. Glad I didn't get one of the "otherVue's".

[MBHockey13]

Originally Posted by SAngelo

This is a fine little car, however, please bring us a four door and two door with trunk and an optional turbo motor. Also maybe a 6 speed auto option with optional Nav and more cupholders !!!!! Come on GM !!!!!

Requests for an automatic, doesn't like hatchbacks, wants more cupholders...exactly why Americans don't get small cars like the Europeans do.

I'd take more horsepower, but keep the stick and the useful hatchback bodystyle, please...

[steve333]

>Inside, the Astra presents an intelligent yet somewhat dour face; the coldly metallic center control panel reminded me of an old Marantz stereo.<

I think it looks more like an NAD Stereo.

[ZvetteGuy]

Originally Posted by TaHoE

My girlfriend's lease on her 2005 VUE is up in November. She is getting terrible mileage (roughly 12 miles per gallon !) so she is looking at the Astra. She seems to like it a lot! I will keep you all filled in on her progression, but I absolutely love this car.

Wow... that's giving my '87 P/U some competition and I have twice the motor that that little Ion will ever have... that's crazy... that thing needs to be looked at... seriously...

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by eaton53

He said he drove them both.

I sat in these at the Chicago Auto Show and like the Civic (and basically everything else it its class) don't see a car that's worth anywhere near a $6K premium over my much faster Cobalt SS.

$6K premium? How's that? A Cobalt SS (I assume non-supercharged) is now called the Cobalt sport, and it starts at $19,870. The Astra XR 3-door starts at $18,945...is the Cobalt really worth $925 more? Even if it were a Cobalt SS-supercharged, it would still cost more than the Astra XR, by about $2K.

[Ambalanche]

I never really understood why GM didn't bring the hot engine here as a redline. Do they not have the extra production capacity? Do they not think it would sell as a more expensive upgrade for the market? Do they think it would cannibalize the Turbo Cobalt.

[turbotoad]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

I never really understood why GM didn't bring the hot engine here as a redline. Do they not have the extra production capacity? Do they not think it would sell as a more expensive upgrade for the market? Do they think it would cannibalize the Turbo Cobalt.

Ambalanche

I believe this has been covered before. Basically GM was trying to get the Astra imported ASAP. But they only had time & resorces to certify one engine for U.S. standards. Americans buy mostly automatic trans cars and the Astra only has one single engine availible with an automatic. The 1.8

So that's what we got.

Hopefully GM will have a more powerful engine certified and offer a Redline, but I doubt it. The Astra is being totally redesigned in another year or so. Investing the time and money to bring over another powertrain for the current model wouldn't make much financial sense. I don't think we'll see a Redline Astra until the next generation Astra is released.