Saturn/Opel Astra

[kirk180]

Ok, so my questions for general discussion are as follows: Let me explain my situation first. My gf's lease on a Trailblazer is up in a few months and she's now completely convinced it's a worthless vehicle that she really doesn't need. She hates it's handling, fuel efficiency, and it's interior as well. Actually, there's nothing she likes about it. But she has never had any help with purchasing vehicles before and has always went into lease/buys basically clueless. And since I have a hatch, she's pretty much been sold on the practicality of them lately. Now, she likes the Rabbit and we haven't ruled it out yet. She's just not sure she wants the same exact vehicle body shape as me. I'm fine with that. We haven't ruled out the Fit or Civic yet either. However, recently I've been looking more and more into the Saturn Astra (aka the Opel Astra in Europe) and have been name dropping it to her. She seems to like it and wants to test drive it. I will as well. Her only concern is that it's a GM. I explained to her that it's an Opel. Are there any Euro members here that can attest to this car? It seems fuel efficient, well built (reviews say good interior built on solid chassis with no rattles or squeaks...nice fit and finish), and it's got a sporty look that's practical. Here's the kicker, her dad works for a GM affiliated company and she can get a dressed up one with all the options for the baseline price model on his discount. That's like getting an 18k car for 15k price. So is there any reason not to consider the Saturn/Opel Astra a best buy? I noticed that in Europe it was the car that passed up the Golf for #1 in car sales.

Just wondering what thoughts were on it. Maybe I should post this in the UK section. BTW, of course she likes the 3 door, but I'm trying to talk her into the 5 door.:biggrin:

 

[Rabbit GTI]

well i'm not european, but i also hate GM (cept for the vette). however, i think this is going to be a solid car...if your girl doesn't get into a wabbit, i have a feeling this will be a good one to buy, slow...but efficient and practical. and if it does suck, it does have a 100k mile powertrain warranty

 

[kirk180]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of GM either. But as we know...this is not GM built. And since Opel is building and importing here, I went ahead and posted it in the UK section. I've been getting a few replies from the members in the UK thread that have driven them. They've been pretty helpful. I think it's going to boil down to a test drive for us. Like I said, she can get the discount which means she could get a dressed up one with all the bells and whistles for around 15k (instead of 18k). So that's a tough bargain to pass up if the car's as good as some of the reviews say. We'll see though.

 

[Plyngntrffc]

Saturn Sky Redline FTW, sry...

doesnt look like a bad car...and like he said 100k warranty...

 

[Rabbit GTI]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of GM either. But as we know...this is not GM built. And since Opel is building and importing here, I went ahead and posted it in the UK section. I've been getting a few replies from the members in the UK thread that have driven them. They've been pretty helpful. I think it's going to boil down to a test drive for us. Like I said, she can get the discount which means she could get a dressed up one with all the bells and whistles for around 15k (instead of 18k). So that's a tough bargain to pass up if the car's as good as some of the reviews say. We'll see though.

well...it is still GM built. just not the GM that we know. just like saying a ford mondeo isn't a ford because it's not an american ford, its just a superior ford that we'll never see.

 

[kirk180]

well...it is still GM built. just not the GM that we know. just like saying a ford mondeo isn't a ford because it's not an american ford, its just a superior ford that we'll never see.

Good point. Opel=Euro GM.....Saturn=American GM

 

[RobbyMac]

I am a Saturn Sales consultant and had the opportunity to drive the 5 door and the 3 door versions of the Astra at a ride and drive a couple of months ago. They are very solid little cars that handle like they are on a rail. The only downside is the horsepower and torque ratings. 138hp and 127 lb/ft of torque from the little 1.8L Ecotec. It is a little slow from a stop, but once you get it moving, it can really go pretty well. The 5-speed manual seems to be a bit better at responding to driver input (no suprise there), and to be honest, the auto is a little boggy, at least until it has time to adapt to your driving style. I have a Rabbit, and will probably not trade it in on an Astra, even with my GM discount. However, give it a chance, you and your girlfriend may find that it works out well for what you need. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they will come out with a Redline model based on the Opel Astra GTC. Hope this info helps a little.

 

[kirk180]

Thanks RobbyMac. As far as power goes...I know it lacks in that dept. She looking at starting to drive pretty far on a daily basis for work (40 miles one way) and isn't too concerned with power. Reliability, practicality, fuel economy, and then build quality, features, and fit and finish seem to be the top concerns as of now. Like I was saying, the Rabbit and all the others aren't ruled out yet. Just want to test drive the Astra and see what all the buzz is about. Seems to be a buzz about it in the mags. When I brought up the lack of power issue with the gf she said "That's ok. I just assumed it was always going to be you who got to have the sportier cars anyways.":biggrin:

 

[Shoof]

What's wrong with GM? Especially with this car being European, it should be a home run for GM. I'm waiting to see what the G8's going to be like, that should make things interesting...

 

[kirk180]

Nothing is wrong with it yet, as far as I'm concerned. That's why I started a thread stating that I was looking into them. It's been spoke of highly in reviews (other than it's lack of power; which we aren't looking for anyways), and ultimately it will probably come down to a test drive and comparo against the others.

 

[Jsmitty]

I didn't know they were bringing those here yet. For the price it sounds good.