I was at my local Saturn dealer recently, looking at the Astra which has just made its US debut. What do you lot think, are these cars any good? I know you've had them overseas for quite a while.
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Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/08/2008 at 11:14
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Depends what you mean by good?
What engine and gearbox will it have? Have they adjusted the suspension to suit US tastes?
By the time it's been tweaked and turned into a Saturn I wouldn't be surprised to find it was like a whole different car!
The best I can say is that on the whole they are reliable cars with reasonable ergonomics and are pleasant enough to drive without being too demanding. Standard Eurobox really.
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According to the brochure I got from the dealer, this car has a plus-or-minus 110 CID four cylinder engine and a standard 5-speed manual transmission. I don't know how to drive a manual, so I'd have to go with their 4-speed automatic. Base price is $18,995. Seemed nice enough on the sales floor, if you can get past the fact that it's awfully tiny--if I were to buy one it'd be by far the smallest car I've ever owned, but I'm not hauling a lot of stuff around these days so it might work for me. The two-door coupe version seemed very aerodynamic.
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In my opinion has become a far more attractive looking motor than the Focus (especially the two door) - The Focus is apparently dynamically better, but then I've never got on with the Focii I've driven. Think of the fuel economy and the parking simplicity in US sized parking bays. Some car mag I browsed over there seemed to suggest that it was a good car.
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Astra which has just made its US debut.
Where are they being built, Pebble?
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>> Astra which has just made its US debut. Where are they being built Pebble?
According to Wikipedia, the Saturn Astra is being shipped here from Antwerp.
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Seemed nice enough on the sales floor if you can get past the fact that it's awfully tiny
Maybe Ford need to do some more homework before introducing the Fiesta...No point retooling factories in Mexico to produce a car Americans find too small.
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According to the brochure I got from the dealer this car has a plus-or-minus 110 CID four cylinder engine and a standard 5-speed manual transmission. I don't know how to drive a manual so I'd have to go with their 4-speed automatic.
That'll be the 1.8 petrol to us Brits then! :) FiL has that engine with the 4 speed auto and finds it a good unit. He gets mid 30s imperial mpg, which in US mpg is around high 20s. He's retired though, so most of his journeys are short ones around town.
I guess you know that many European families make do with an Astra sized car as the main family car, so I guess once you get used to it, it will seem plenty big enough.
I once went on a touring holiday to Scotland in an Astra G with me, Mrs Oilburner, our Choc Labrador and all our luggage with no problems at all. Needed the whole boot for the dog and his fold up cage though!
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Drove a PT Cruiser in the US last month - to put some perspective on it you'll find the Astra far more space efficient (in fact more everything efficient !) Two suitcases - not big uns - struggled into the Chrysler - leg room in the back of the Astra will be a bit iffy. Opel/Vauxhall engines are pretty smooth, my mother has a 1.6 Astra H - its a peachy little motor. In my opinion a far nicer car than the equivalent Focus.
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