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Anyone who wondered whether Motown's hometown newspaper would smother GM's $100m captive import with literary warm fuzzies needs to have their head gasket examined. Scribe Scott Burgess does the honors, underneath a headline that hails one of the key aspects of the Saturn Astra that our Justin Berkowitz singled-out for criticism: acceleration. "Astra adds zip to Saturn" baldly states "It comes with a 1.8-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder engine with 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. That's plenty for a 2,900-pound compact… The only time the engine felt a little sluggish was when driving the four-speed automatic up a steep mountain road with three American-sized adults in it." (Berkowitz: "Zero to sixty takes… probably between nine and ten seconds, and that’s enough for your small car isn’t it? Perhaps, if someone wasn’t trying to sell it to me as an enthusiasts’ driving machine…") I'll spare you the rest of Burgess' auto-hagiography, and skip to his sole criticism: the lack and placement of cupholders. Of course, it's a bit weird for a Big 2.8 cheerleader to criticize American Euro-snobbery and then laud a car made in Belgium sold by a GM brand born as a domestic "import fighter," but we'll take our humor where we can. "For those Americans who still feel the urge to think something European is better, they can look to the Astra for a fun compact, European built and sold in America.23 Comments on “DTN Hearts Saturn Astra...”
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And a loss on each one they sell. That will show Toyota who’s boss.
“That’s one of the reasons English tea, French wine and German beer rate higher in perceived quality than the American mainstays of sweet tea from Atlanta, shiraz from California and suds from Boston — and that’s just in the fluids department.”
Scotty buddy, I find your remark insulting to sweet tea. Sweet tea is far better than the Tennessee built Saturn Ion.
We make change. We can change a $20 into 4 $5’s, 2 $10’s, 1 $10 1 $5 and 5 $1’s, or any other combination. Some people ask, “how do you make money?”, our answer, Volume.
I can only go on the UK Vauxhall Astra, but something is starting to worry me.
Now the Vauxhall Astra is an OK car (note the key word “OK”) with a pretty cheap and nasty interior.
Now, if people in America are raving about this car, I can only draw one of two conclusions:
1. People are actually raving that GM have made an OK car worth buying.
or
2. The standard of car in the United States is REALLY poor!
I’m going to be driving in the US in January and am really worried about what kind of bag of bolts I’m going to get! If anyone is interested, I’ve been allocated a Chevy cobalt, even though I wanted a Toyota Corolla……dang!
#2 Katie…#2…
We’ve covered this many times before but….the standard of car expectations in the US was defined by Henry Ford’s affordable transportation for the masses theme; this has never been the case in Europe. Doesn’t make it right or wrong—or poor—it just is what it is.
BTW Katie—-you won’t notice much difference in a Cobalt vs. Corolla in the US—-so it should not be a major disappointment. Now—if you were promised a Mazda 3 or Civic and then had to go to a Corolla or Cobalt—-another story.
Katie, Merry Christmas, sorry that you will get a “Cobalt” a sorry excuse for a vehicle, its a replacement for the Cavalier! Its noisy and fuel thirsty too, have fun! once I was on a trip to Scotland, had asked for a German Car, like a Jetta,instead I got a BMW instead, maybe your luck will change too, one can hope eh!
Scott Burgess, you’re not making any sense. Is tea actually grown in Atlanta? Or Great Britain? No? Then how can “British” tea be better than “Atlanta” tea? And what about those of us who just don’t like sweet drinks?
Are you Phil’s long-lost brother?
KixStart,
Tea isn’t grown in the UK but some of the best blends are British (Earl Grey and English Breakfast)
Hamburgers orginated from Hamburg in Germany and Frankfurters came from Frankfurt in Germany. But Americans use them as icons of Americana.
Doesn’t matter where the ingredients came from, it’s what you do with them, that counts!
One only has to look at the X-Type Jaguar for evidence of that.
Jeez, I’m hungry now……!
“Astra adds zip to Saturn.” What a perfect title. Zip, as in zilch, nada, zero, nothing, etc., etc…
A fourth German, automotive option in the US is THE big deal here, and that, no media outlet seems to understand.
Whether or not GM earns money on the Astra, is not a concern of mine. What is important is that finally, I have the option to see, drive, and possibly own, GM’s effort from Europe. And if it only cost $100M to bring it over, so be it, and shame on GM management for not doing this five or ten years ago (God… the amazing incompetence there).
The power/acceleration of the Astra seem to take a lot of flak. OK. Fine. Racing pimple-faced kids at traffic lights is probably not a good idea here. (I’m not that type of adult, so I say, “so what.”) And the 24 hour clock? Enjoy the difference.
Another great thing about the Astra is it’s not a homely GTI. It’s not a cramped/frantic Mazda. It’s not a plan-C Nissan, not a rough/noisy/smug Honda, not a crappy Subaru, and not a bland/fading Toyota. It’s different, right out of the box, for the US.
I hope the Astra, and the Opel models that may follow succeed, sell well, and help GM.
Hmmm… My 2002 Saturn SL2 has 138 horsepower also. And it’s about 2400 pounds. It must be a real rocket!
Yet another new “Small Car” that isn’t small at all. I’ll say it again, if a new Accord LX can be built at 3,100 lbs. (with a 170hp four) and it’s EPA classified as a FULL-SIZE car, what are they making cars out of now, LEAD? I would understand if they were being made in China…
Detroit-X :
…
I hope the Astra, and the Opel models that may follow succeed, sell well, and help GM.
I hope the Astra and Opel models succeed because of their merit and not just because they are sold by GM.
The DTN has a long and wonderful history of brown-nosing to the Detroit 2.8 and, in effect, enabling the dire situation they’re in.
CeeDragon- Ditto on “enablement”. I would add that anyone who “bought American” when they knew they were getting a lesser vehicle is culpable too.
If more people had bought quality/value over the last several decades Detroit would have gotten a stronger signal when they had money, time and a market share pad to work with.
We might today have a robust domestic industry that we could all be proud to buy from with confidence. Opinion.
Merry Christmas,
Bunter
KatiePuckrik: I seem to remember that Hamburgers were invented at the St. Louis World’s Fair or some big exposition there. Still hungry?
Mr Niedermeyer,
That’s a bone (no pun intended) of contention. Ask most Germans and they’ll say it was created by peasants in Hamburg.
And it doesn’t matter how hungry I am…..I don’t eat beef! Health reasons…..
Yeah, you have a car with an engine that makes less power than a Civic (albeit slightly) and weighs a bit more…it must be a real rocket. I do think the car will sell well in five door form for those who dislike mazda 3 milage. Other than the hatch, I see little benefit of not getting a civic coupe over the 3 door.
People who still contend that GM loses money on the Astra would be well served by thinking through the difference between variable and average cost.
Ummmmm…I thought GM said themselves that it would be a money loser.
Lutz said it, not someone who understands numbers.
I’m all for more realistic standards regarding mass-market vehicles’ acceleration (Camrys *do not* need to do 0-60 in 6 seconds, Corollas do not need to do it in 7, I don’t care what anyone says).
That said, the Astra disappointed me. I was initially impressed by GM’s foresight in bringing the Astra to market with a 1.8–I thought they might be taking the eco trend seriously. Then I read the fuel-economy estimates–something like 23/31 MPG. Nope. Sigh.
It’s possible (fingers crossed) that the Astra’s “real-world” (USA Terrain) mileage will beat the EPA’s numbers by a greater margin, thus semi-justifying its weak motor. CU tested the Mazda 3 2.3 with the Auto, and got low 9’s in the 0-60… That’s who the Astra stickshift owners will be “racing”.
guyincognito,
One of the better fake ads they ever did.