With gas prices now hovering right around $4 a gallon, the Saturn Astra couldn’t be coming at a better time. Although the sport compact is nothing new to the world – it has been on sale in Europe under the Vauxhall/Opel nameplates for nearly two decades – we’re sure quite a few American will be glad General Motors decided to send the Astra on holiday to the Colonies.
What is it?
A sports compact that has attended finishing school on the winding roads of Europe. In keeping with Saturn’s latest theme, the Astra is an entry level car that comes with some premium features.
What’s it up against?
The competitors for the Astra include the Mazda 3, Volkswagen Rabbit, Honda Fit , Toyota Matrix and GM’s own Pontiac Vibe. Other than a few minor tweaks, the U.S.-spec Astra is identical to the one sold in Europe.
Any big breakthroughs?
Not many for the segment but certainly some for General Motors’ U.S. operations. The Astra is a stark contrast to what Saturn used to offer just a few short years ago – remember the Ion? Instead of driving you round the bend, the Astra actually drives you round the bend, a feature not all that common on American-branded vehicles.
In addition to the car’s competent handling, we quite liked our tester’s panoramic sunroof. Although a costly option at $1,000, it gives the Astra’s cockpit an airy feeling and it’s nice to see GM is offering a premium feature on an entry-level vehicle.
We had mixed feelings about the Astra’s center-mounted LCD screen – dubbed Driver Information Center. It displays everything from instant fuel economy to radio functions – which is good — but GM may have overdone it by a bit. Operation of the system is less than intuitive and it doesn’t even use its full capabilities (displays are often scrolled on the center section of the screen rather than using its full width).
How does it look?
Like a sport compact GM plucked right off the roads of Europe. The Astra’s lines are taught and its sloping roofline gives the hatchback just a hint of coupe in its silhouette. The Astra’s wheels nicely fill its wheel wells – a subtle touch not found on many American cars. While the Astra definitely has a sporty demeanor, it doesn’t cry boy racer.
Headlights have a futuristic look, but some might say they are a bit large for the Astra. Saturn has given the Astra just the right touch of chrome, giving the car an upscale look without going over the top – a good thing for this segment.
And the inside?
Nice, but in that nice German kind of way. Although not a terrible place to spend some time, the Astra’s interior just isn’t as inviting as it could be. Instead of using rounded edges and sloping lines, Astra designers instead chose angular surfaces and vertical lines (the center stack is as vertical as a new recruit after a drill sergeant has yelled ‘Ten-hut!’).
But even though the Astra’s interior is not the most inviting place in the world, it does get the job done. Gauges are well laid out and we always welcome redundant steering wheel-mounted controls – especially at this price point. However, as previously noted, we weren’t exactly sold on the Astra’s Driver Information Center.
Our optional panoramic sunroof was well used on sunny days and we appreciated the Astra’s standard power windows, door locks and mirrors. If we would have tested the Astra during the winter months, we’re sure we would have also enjoyed our optional heated seats.
One small detail that drove us absolutely nuts was the Astra’s lack of a center arm rest. We didn’t realize how much we actually relied on a place to perch our right elbow until we got behind the wheel of the Astra. Unlike center-mounted window controls, we just couldn’t get used to the fact that we didn’t have a center armrest in the week we spent with the Astra, not to mention the lost storage space.
Although the lack of a center arm rest compromises storage space in the front of the Astra, the hatchback isn’t lacking any behind the rear seats. From the outside, it’s easy to think the Astra offers virtually no cargo room, but once the rear hatch is open, you quickly realize how cavernous the Astra really is. The Astra five-door offers 19.8 cubic feet of cargo space, easily trumping the Mazda3 5-door’s 17.1 cubic feet of space.
While Astra designers overlooked the need for a center console, GM engineers did equip the Astra with what matters most – safety equipment. Every Astra comes with six airbags and GM’s Stabilitrak stability and traction control system is optional.
But does it go?
Well, yes and no. The Astra continually impressed with its responsive and capable handling, but the Astra’s 138 horsepower 1.8L ECOTEC engine leaves plenty to be desired when you’re traveling in a straight line, especially when mated to the optional four-speed automatic transmission. That being said, raw speed really isn’t the Astra’s intention and we’re glad GM at least focused on the Astra’s handling rather than just dropping another ho-hum compact car on the U.S. market. The Astra’s meager horsepower rating means smoky burnouts are of the question, but also leaves the door wide open for 30+ mpg on the highway – at stat much more important to the average drive in a $4 a gallon world.
But being of the mindset that horsepower and handling is better than handling alone, we’re hoping that Saturn decides to bring a Red Line version of the Astra to market soon. GM currently offers a version of the Astra in Europe with a 240 horsepower turbocharged 2.0L, which sounds pretty tasty to us.
Our test car was equipped with the optional Sport Handling Package, which adds a sports suspension system and swaps out the standard 16 inch rollers for a set of 17 inchers.
Why you would buy it
If you’re in the market for a small, economical ride but don’t want to compromise on back road handling. The Astra may not win many red light showdowns, but its roomy interior and reasonably high fuel economy should attract plenty of buyers.
Why you wouldn’t
You like to be coddled by your car’s interior and prefer straight forward controls. Radio and HVAC controls are less than intuitive and even rather simple controls – such as turn signals and wind shield wipers – are made complicated by over engineering.
If power is your thing, you’d probably be happier in a Dodge Caliber SRT-4 or a MazdaSPEED3.
Words and photos by Drew Johnson.
