2008 Saturn Astra 5-door XR Review

2008 Saturn Astra XR 5 Door

THE AUTO PAGE
by
JOHN HEILIG

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: 2008 Saturn Astra 5-door XR
Engine: 1.8-liter DOHC 4
Horsepower/Torque: 138 hp A 6300/126 lb.-ft. @ 3800 rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 102.9 in.
Length x Width x Height: 171.1 x 69.0 x 55.2 in.
Tires: P225/45R17
Cargo volume: 12.2/44.8 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/down)
Economy: 24 mpg city/30 mpg highway/23.8 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 12.2 gal.
Price: $20,960 (includes $620 destination charge and $3,415 inoptions)

The Bottom Line – Once again, Saturn has delivered anice compact. This time, the Astra is a hatchback (a 4-door is alsoavailable), with all the virtues of a hatchback and good styling. If thehatchback is the new “in” vehicle, the Astra is a seriouscontender.

Saturn has always been the GM division that’s different.From the beginning, it disassociated itself from GM and went through itsearly life as almost a separate company. You can do that with GM behindyou.

Now, however, the division is a true GM division with all thegood and bad that entails. Saturn has developed its own cars on non-commonGM platforms. It has shared platforms for some vehicles. And it the case ofthe Astra, it has “raided” GM of Europe for its vehicles.

The Astra, which replaces the Ion in Saturn’s lineup, isbuilt in Antwerp, Belgium. The car that has sprouted out of this marriageof sorts is a worthy competitor in the newly burgeoning hatchback segment.It is a vehicle that can compete on equal terms with the VW Rabbit, Mazda3and Honda Civic.

You recognize its European heritage with the“switchblade” key that looks as if it came form the Audi/VWparts bin. That isn’t a bad thing; I happen to like the“switchblade.” Most of the parts came from Germany, with theengine from Hungary and the transmission from Japan. Now there’s aworld car for you.

My only complaint with the Astra, and it’s the onlycomplaint, is that on winding roads on hills, the automatic transmissionsometimes doesn’t downshift fast enough for the best performance.Pair the 1.8-liter inline four with a more practical manual transmissionand you’ll get the kind of performance you’d expect.

The only engine available with the Astra is the 1.8-liter four,which is rated at 138 hp and 125 lb.-ft. of torque. For most of thecircumstance sin our test, this was an excellent engine. The only exceptionwas with the uphill tight turns, but I could have shifted the automaticmanually to extract a quicker response.

Handling is excellent. I felt the cornering response was on apar or better than the competition. Over-the-road feel was good, withminimal harshness, despite a relatively short 102-inch wheelbase. The Astrahas an independent strut front suspension and a torsion beam rearsuspension with four-wheel disc brakes (and ABS) and power steering.

Styling is very much in the “VW Rabbit” mode, butmuch rounder. Internal styling is typically Saturn, utilitarian with a bitof style. I liked, for example, the substantial turn and wiper stalks thatgive a feeling of solidity. They’re similar to those used on theVolvo XC70, for example.

The Astra has projector beam headlights nestled inplastic-covered nacelles. They consist of three units on each side andthey’re very impressive in a small car. It’s what you’dexpect in a high-end mid-size for example. Like most projector beams, theyworked fine on low and high beam.

Front seats are comfortable with a decent amount of sidesupport. There’s decent leg room in the rear., too, with the frontseats pushed back to decent limits.

Of course, the biggest virtue of a hatchback is the cargo capacity.With the rear seat backs up, cargo capacity is 12.2 cubic feet. This isgood for a car this size and the “trunk” is deep. Fold thoserear seatbacks down, though, and cargo capacity increases to a whopping44.7 cubic feet. We were able to bring back the results of a gigantic HomeDepot shopping spree back there.

Fuel economy was around 24 mpg, about what was predicted. I feel itmight have been better with a manual transmission, but even 24 mpg thesedays isn’t bad.

© 2008 The Auto Page Syndicate

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