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The Astra is the new compact car from Saturn; it replaces the Ion, which went out of production last year. In recent months, Saturn has introduced vehicles like the Aura and Vue that were based on products developed for Opel, the European division of General Motors, Saturn's parent company. With the Astra, there's no "based on" -- the Saturn Astra is a virtual carbon-copy of Europe's Opel Astra. So how does Saturn's new expatriate get along in the Land of the Free? Read on. Price range $15,995 to $21,665, EPA fuel economy estimates 24 city, 30-32 highway.
First Glance: Born in the EU
Larger photos:
3-door: Front - rear
5-door: Front - rear
The new Astra presents the unique opportunity to buy a real, virtually undiluted European car -- not what many Americans think of as a European car (BMW, Mercedes, etc.), but the sort of car Europeans buy en masse. Powertrains and even suspension settings are unchanged from the Opel Astra, the second-best-selling car in Europe. Aside from some structural changes to meet US crash standards -- and Saturn logos in place of Opel logos -- this is the real deal.
But the fact is that Americans and Europeans have different tastes in cars. Take the VW Golf (a.k.a. Rabbit) -- it's the best-selling car in Europe, but Americans tend to pass it over in favor of the mechanically-similar Jetta. Europeans prefer small hatchbacks like the Golf. We Yanks like our big sedans. But because the Astra was designed for Europe, it's only available as a hatchback.
Has Saturn caught a case of stupid? Not at all. They know that the Astra in its present form isn't likely to be a huge seller. It's a stop-gap until the next-generation Astra arrives, one that -- like the Opel Antara (Saturn Vue) and Opel Vectra (Saturn Aura) -- can be more easily "Saturnized" to suit American tastes.
Meantime, we have the present Astra, which is available in XE trim as a 5-door and uplevel XR trim with 3 or 5 doors. It's not a cutting-edge design -- the Astra bowed in Europe in 2004 -- but while the 5-door is a bit frumpy looking, but the 3-door is really sharp, though I'm still not a fan of the goggle-eyed, chrome-grilled front end (link goes to photo).
In the Driver's Seat: Well trimmed but austere
Larger interior photos: Left - right
The Astra's insides are well built and well trimmed if a bit austere, with lots of black, grey and silver plastic. You can tell the Astra wasn't designed in the US; it's a little shy on cupholders and there's no MP3 player input jack for the stereo. Still, as compact cars go it's marginally cheerier than the VW Rabbit's cabin, though not nearly as stylish as the Nissan Sentra or Honda Civic.
The level of equipment is quite good, though. All Astras come with automatic headlights, automatic rain-sensing wipers, OnStar, multi-adjustable steering wheel and a CD player, not to mention things you don't want to have to think about like front-seat-mounted torso airbags, two-row side curtain airbags and antilock brakes. Air conditioning is a $960 option on the XE and standard on the uplevel XR. For $250 you can even get heated front seats -- a rarity in this class and a Godsend for people with bad backs.
Speaking of the front seats, they're quite comfortable, and visibility is great. The 3-door's rear window is a bit of a gun-slit, but over-the-shoulder visibility is surprisingly good and the big side mirrors make lane-changing a breeze.
Even more surprising is the back seat, particularly in the 3-door. Climbing in isn't easy, but once there the seat's quite comfortable, legroom is halfway decent and there are even three proper headrests. Rear seat access is no problem in the 5-door, and a dual-pane sunroof ($1,000, 5-door only) gives back seaters a better view of the sky than front-seaters get.
On the Road: Thumbs up for Euro-ride, thumbs down for Euro-power
Saturn had to pick the Astra's powertrain from the Opel Astra's lineup of 4 gas engines and 4 diesels. They chose the biggest gas engine, a 138 horsepower 1.8 liter unit. (Opel offers a more powerful engine -- a 178 hp turbocharged 1.6 -- but it's not available with an automatic.) The Astra's 1.8 trails most of its rivals in horsepower and torque, and it shows when merging onto the freeway or gettin' racy on twisty roads. Equip it with the old-tech 4-speed automatic and it's downright sluggish; things are a bit better with the 5-speed manual, but keeping up with traffic means revving the daylights out of it, something the engine does happily albeit rather noisily. Welcome to European-style driving.
Most European cars have their suspension softened for the US market, but not the Astra. Knowing this, I expected a rock-hard ride -- those Europeans are gluttons for punishment -- but to my surprise both standard and "sport" suspensions (the latter standard on the 3-door and a $695 option on the 5-door) were comfortable yet very well controlled through bumps and curves. I sampled three Astras -- an XE 5-door and XR 3- and 5-doors -- and while both XRs had the sport suspension, the 3-door seemed to hold the road a bit better. The steering feels great, but it doesn't give quite as much feedback as I'd expect from a proper sporty car -- but then again, the Astra doesn't really have enough power to be properly sporty. Electronic stability control is standard on the 3-door, optional on the 5-door; if you buying the latter, spend the $495 for it -- it's a life-saver.
Journey's End: A nice car, but is it what Americans want?
Overall, the Astra is a very nice car. I like the roomy interior and the long list of standard safety equipment, and while I wish electronic stability control was standard on all models, the fact that it's at least optional puts it a step ahead of many of its rivals. It's not the cheapest car out there, but it's a good value for all you get. (When comparing prices, bear in mind Saturn's no-haggle policy; the price on the sticker is what you pay.) But would I spend my own money for one? Probably not.
Even though I'm in the minority that prefers hatchbacks like the Astra, I'd still rather have a Nissan Sentra or a Honda Civic. They offer more style, better acceleration (particularly in automatic form) and better gas mileage. If I wanted to buy American, I'd look at the Ford Focus -- it's more powerful and has more character. (Plus it's built in the US -- the Saturn Astra is made in Belgium.) Also worthy of consideration: The Subaru Impreza 2.5i, which is available as a 5-door hatchback and offers the added safety of all-wheel-drive; the Volkswagen Rabbit, which is much quicker and more fun to drive, though not as economical; and the Nissan Versa, which is small but roomy and an incredible bargain.
The Astra is certainly promising, but the fact remains that it was designed for Europe, and there's a reason automakers develop cars specifically for the American market. Give the Astra more power and an interior better suited to our tastes, and Saturn will have a winner on its hands. -- Aaron Gold
Next page: Likes/dislikes, who should buy it, details and specs
