GM's flailing Rethink brand is holding a contest that just BEGS to be punked, on every possible level. You can almost hear the titters at GM as the brand managers read the irony-free press release. "Contestants can kiss their own Astra, a friend’s Astra or drop by any Saturn retailer and kiss their Astra, and then upload a photo of the kiss at www.ImSaturn.com [strapline: UR2]. The contestant with the funniest, most creative photo – as selected by the online Saturn community – will win a 2008 Saturn XR 5-door." And if that isn't enough of an open invitation to chaos, yes, that is GM Car Czar Bob Lutz putting flesh to metal on the Belgian-built vehicle that racked-up all of 888 sales in June, 4365 year-to-date. There's plenty more hilarity where that comes from (click here). And MAN what I wouldn't do to see the photos that didn't make the site. But I won't do that. No I won't do that.
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And next week “Show us how you handle a Hummer”
It really is too bad that the Astra is becoming the butt of all of these jokes. I truly had high hopes that a European-built compact (especially Opel-I’ve a soft spot in my heart for the Blitz) would do well here. So far, I’ve seen two on the road.
I doubt if the next generation Astra with independent rear suspension will even make it to the US, due to the Dollar/Euro rate and GM’s preference to bring Daewoos stateside.
threeer
I think I’ve seen one so far, but it was within 2 blocks of the Saturn dealer, so that might not count.
Meanwhile the VW place next door can barely keep their European cars in stock. Which leads me to believe Saturn would simply be better off if they just came out and pitched the Europeanness of their cars. Or just called them Opels.
“MMMWAH! Luck be a lady tonight!…this quarter…this year?!”
With panel gaps like those, you could french kiss it.
Cicero – panel gaps? Really? While the comment is pretty clever (made me chuckle) I have to point out that this isn’t an old-style plastic Saturn, the gaps are pretty tight. Poor Saturn, they’re flailing and getting nowhere…
Not to be a nit-picker (yeah, right) butt…
“…that is GM Car Czar Bob Lutz putting flesh to metal on the Belgian-built vehicle…”
Can’t say for sure but that looks like the bumper of the car coming up to the tail light. In which case that would NOT be metal.
For, perhaps, a worthwhile comment…if GM had kissed a few more of their customer’s asstras along the way they might not be looking bk in the facia.
Guess I should have used this one for the “Got Puns?” item.
Why are they only giving away one car? Figured they’d have plenty to offload.
Cicero
Excellent!
Swish from 3-point range.
Osculation is getting nasty.
Bunter
I test-drove a five-speed manual Astra. I thought it was nice. It seemed on par with a late-model Golf I’ve driven — in characteristics, functionality, and road behavior. I would purchase one. I’m surprised it’s not selling. I’ve been thinking for quite a while that all Saturn dealerships ought to convert, en masse, to Opel dealerships. It would be a boost for GM, I think, to show that they make these very decent cars elsewhere. Market it this way. But…they probably won’t do that.
“Ralph SS Says:
Can’t say for sure but that looks like the bumper of the car coming up to the tail light. In which case that would NOT be metal.”
+1
It’s the bumper. And that gap is kinda normal even in japanese cars.
The gap with the tailamp is very tight in the 3-4 mm range.
Jeez, what next? SAAB’s “Suck my exhaust pipe”?!
I saw an Astra on display at the mall months ago, but beyond that, I don’t think I’ve actually seen any on the road. GM has done a fantastic craptastic job of letting people know this thing exists.
I’d say I’ve seen four or five different Astras on the road (a couple base four-door models, and a couple two two-door models), including one that lives a few blocks from me. This is in a Canadian city of about 200k people, with a Saturn dealer that’s generally horrible to deal with.
Have seen two Auras and no Astras…
Years ago GM ran a TV spot in which a businessman goes for a exciting drive in his Aurora.
When he rejoins his well-dressed associates in the boardroom, one of them ventures to speculate positively on some attribute or other of the car.
Our man turns to him and says,
“You bet your ascot.”
Funny…I just got back from Mexico where all these Saturn cars are badged as Chevrolets…as it should be.
i think i counted about 20 pictures. really shows the popularity of said car, contest, and ultimately, brand.
Following GM’s lead, the new owners of Jaguar and Rover are conducting their new promotional campaign…
“Show us your Tatas!”
Yours, your neighbor’s, your friend’s…whoever shows us a Tata or two in the most amusing or creative way will win a date with Bob Lutz.
Rumor has it that of the regulars on this site, the only qualified contestant is KatieP.
Sometimes, i just don’t know. Nope, I’m really not sure why.
There’s all this storm about how GM “missed the small car market.” And yeah, they were caught with their pants down. But they were caught with billions in those pants pockets after they were right on the pinnacle of the SUV boom. Hey, who really does know what this economy is going to do NEXT month?
Bueller?… Bueller?…
Right; you get the picture.
GM had the SUV thang nailed, and nailed well. While at the same time, same channel, the “FAVE” Jap brands were flailing and drowning try to hustle a BIGGER vehicle to market. Yup, the Asian Suburban was being fast tracked to market. By many Asian manufacturers. Yes Penelope, they got caught with their kimonos down.
And truth be told, they’re still in the learning phase since they’re still not Escalade level in luxury or power. Most importantly, economy.
A Jap big truck??? Still a wet dream. They can’t tow. Read the Toyota manual and they tell you it can’t tow above 86 deg F.
And now that they might be close, THEY TOO had to shutter all development and production in the face of rising fuel and falling sales.
So chatter all you want, No auto maker, foreign or domstic has a crystal ball. No one…
I’m just still with the home team come hell or high water.
Is there an intentional Meat Loaf reference at the end of this post? Please say it is. Stuff like that is why I read TTAC.
Philip Lane:
Is there an intentional Meat Loaf reference at the end of this post? Please say it is. Stuff like that is why I read TTAC.
Will you love me ’til the end of time?
Robert Farago:
Will you love me ’til the end of time?
No way!
:-P
Not a single Astra sighting in Austin yet for me…and as all y’all know this is a big time college town. Sad, sad, sad. Mazda 3s everywhere, though.
The local Saturn store has delivered over 70 this year and considering that there has been no support for the vehicle it is not to bad. They just started to get all their cars. Can you imagine how many Astra Sedans would be sold if Saturn had them? There was a day not to long ago that Saturn delivered over 300,000 S series sedans in a year. GM had screwed the brand, without a compact sedan Saturn does not have a chance in the market. We Saturn/GM needs a compact sedan the most they do not have one.
Just got an Astra XR and just love it. Starting to see more and more on the streets of Mtl. Main reasons for buying the Astra was VALUE. I was looking for a solid Euro feel car inside and outside with all the safety gear and it had to be a hatch and the XR came loaded. The competition was strong like the Mazda 3 and the Rabbit but they all lacked on the overall feel of the Astra. The 3 is a good car but you see one on every corner and the exterior metal felt very thin with too many shiny interior plastics. The Rabbit had the power but would be a pig on gas and the reliability questionable.My two cents.
I recently drove an Astra XR three door that was fully loaded (including an auto trans) and came away with mixed feelings. While I thought the car handled very well and felt very solid, I also think that the car was underpowered and sluggish with the auto trans. Also at a sticker price just under $22,000, I didn’t feel the car represented as good a value as a Honda Civic Coupe which has the same HP rating and feels better (with an automatic) than did the Astra. And while the level of amenities in the Civic didn’t reach the level of the Astra (no leather, smaller wheels and tires, no “performance” suspension), the sticker price of the Civic was much lower.
Overall, I personally feel that despite being a pretty good car, the Astra will have a difficult time selling just based on these observations.
Nino,I got the 5 door Astra and the manual that makes all the difference for power. Yes it needs a 6th gear for highway driving but not a deal breaker. I looked at the base Civic and could not get a real seat split 60/40 unless I got the fully loaded version. That was the deal breaker for me, with one child and occasionally needing the split seat it just wouldn’t work and the dash was also a no-no. So a similar equipped Civic like the Astra was way up in price and a boring ride to boot.
Hmmm… it would be an interesting comparo to have the Rabbit vs. Astra vs. 3.
VW & Mazda may cooperate. But I’m not sure if the General would play ball.
Yes call it Opel. ALthough most US public never heard the name, its “European” and or “German” and starting off with new US brand image would be better than flaying Saturn brand.
They are advertised at $13,995 around Boston. In line with stripper Mazda3 and likely similarly equipped.
Mazdas rust pretty fast, this makes me hold off for now. Our 2001 Protege is an aged shipwreck underneath, no apparent corrosion protection at factory except for the unibody. Need a torch to cut off any item needing service.
Discounts have disappeared on MAzda 3s, used to be 2500 off, just a few months ago.