2008 Saturn Astra 5-Door

The five-door Astra offers the performance of the three-door model with the practicality of two extra doors for easy entry by rear passengers. This model is aimed squarely at the Volkswagen Rabbit and Mazda 3 hatchback/wagon, which is a five-door model.

The car is already sold by General Motors in Europe under its Opel brand. Earlier this year, GM executives said they would align the Saturn and Opel brands over the coming years. Early examples of this collaboration include the Saturn Sky and upcoming Opel GT, as well as the Opel Antara and Saturn Vue.

While the front of the car is very similar to its three-door counterpart, the rear end is markedly more conservative. An upright roofline provides more rear storage space, plus additional headroom for rear occupants.

Power comes from a 140 horsepower 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The Ecotec engine is enhanced with variable valve timing to optimize power output and fuel efficiency. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional.

Two trim levels are offered -- the entry-level XE package, and the sportier XR guise, which offers sportier features and more standard equipment.

StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control is optional. This system works in concert with the standard four-wheel, antilock disc brakes to help the driver maintain control during adverse road conditions or during sudden emergency driving situations.

An electro-hydraulic, rack-and-pinion steering system is a standard on all Astras. It provides the solid, linear feel of a hydraulic power steering system, but improves fuel efficiency by operating the power steering pump only when necessary. The system has a 15:1 steering ratio standard, and an available 14:1 ratio for increased sportiness.

Five-door Astras come with standard 16-inch wheels, but can be upgraded to 17-inch aluminum wheels.

Safety

All Astra models feature dual-stage frontal airbags, seat-mounted thorax/pelvic air bags to help protect front occupants and head curtain air bags for front- and rear-seat occupants. Also standard is an automatic passenger sensing system for the front passenger seat; it suppresses the activation of the passenger-side frontal air bag if it detects a child or smaller-stature person in that seating position.

Standard active head restraints instantly move forward if a rear-end crash is detected, reducing the risk of neck injuries. Similarly, the collapsible foot pedals move during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries.

Safety belt pretensioners and load limiters: When a crash is detected, the safety belt pretensioners immediately reduce the slack in the front safety belts, helping limit the movement of passengers. The load limiters permit a small amount of movement in the front safety belts, thereby reducing peak chest loads in a more severe crash.

Astra comes with the latest-generation OnStar system, including available Turn-by-Turn Navigation. The system also includes advanced automatic crash notification (AACN). With AACN, an OnStar advisor is immediately contacted by the vehicle when a crash occurs; the advisor can determine the appropriate emergency help required and assist in sending it to the scene of the crash. Astra buyers will receive one year of Safe & Sound Service provided by Saturn.