Saturn's sporty new hatchback comes to us via Germany. It has a 1.8-liter inline-4 capable of 138 horsepower and a 5-speed manual transmission.
It brings a stylish and peppy little player to the entry-level hatchback class.
Are you a fan of hatchbacks?
Read the Saturn Astra Full Test on Inside Line...
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
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I think a fun, all-in-the family comparo would be a manual, loaded XR 5-door vs. a manual, loaded Vibe GT. I'd bet the Astra would win on steering/handling and the Vibe on acceleration, utility, and features.
Good grief, as small hatchback with 138hp that only manages 25mpg?
The Mini Cooper S gets 30mpg from (I think) 180hp.
I think it looks great. If Americans can get over the fact that it's a hatchback, I think it would be a decent seller.
I like the styling but that performance is very ho-hum nowadays.
I think the styling is pretty blah. You wouldn't notice it on the street...well, maybe if they did like VW (ie give the GTi unique colors - orange, green, etc - that cant be found on the golf/rabbit).
I'm not a fan of hatchbacks, I like the WRX STi less because it is only available in hatchback form. Still the Astra is pretty nice, way better than a Cooper S (too small) or GTI (too expensive).
Maybe there can be a comparison test soon?
I like well executed hatches: VW GTi, Mazda3, as well as some others.
I personally like the styling of the Astra even though Im not a huge fan of the interior and its efficiency seems way off the mark compared to the competition. I think the best thing about this car will be its Germanic character as it appears to be Autobahn ready. Looks to be a solid player.
Looks great
nice interior
all they need to do is fix the performance
that should put the engine from the Saturn Sky Red Line in this
So I'll be waiting for the Astra Red Line
Desmo- the 25 is after they did all their hard driving tests. In normal driving it should be much, much higher. I mean in normal driving my Cobalt easily breaks 30, but push it hard and it hits low 20s in a hurry. That's just normal.
I love hatchbacks and I hope this is the start of more to come. Living in England for 3 months these things were all over the place. As common as Corollas are in the US. They really are pretty nice. A touch generic, but that's what the people want. I think this is the right car at the right time for GM. All they need to do is fix some of the small annoyances (like the German fob and 24 hour clock), work on the engine's NVH, include an aux-input or other ipod connection option, add a sixth gear, and they are good to go.
I guess I'm indifferent about it. I don't mind a nicely designed hatchback, but this isn't it. I had a 92 Dodge Daytona hatchback that I loved.
I guess the problem I have with today's three-door hatchbacks is that so many of them are designed to be hatchbacks....but not quite. It seems more like the car makers want to combine the hatchback and the traditional three-box, two-door coupe into one car. The end result is a vehicle that doesn't do either one well, at least in my opinion.
I'm a lover of good old coupes. It's the only style of car I'd drive if I had the choice. Unfortunately, there are so few out there, especially of a decent size, that most of them aren't practical if you have kids.
Problem is, these hatchbacks are even less so. The cargo space behind the back seat is so limited, that they're relatively useless for family use. Sure, you get lots of cargo space if you can drop the back seat down.
Yeah I'm a fan of hatchback. For me the Saturn sporty hatchback is the most beautiful car. It's very much obvious, with the style, the bodies... what can you say? That's give me the idea to feature it as one of my newest article in autopartswarehouse, the technology on wheels and Gianlucafavaloro's insights.