What's inside?

We now come to the interior, which if I'm brutally honest, falls down a little after the exterior. However, one has to remember that the Astra range starts at under $20k, so you can hardly expect a full GTI package. That said, it compares favorably to the interior of a Rabbit, and in my opinion, is an improvement on anything that the Japanese brands can offer today for approximately the same price.

Don't expect bells and whistles like power seats for this price, but like many Euro designed vehicles, the manual seats adjustments make finding a comfortable driving position a breeze.


On the road

We now come to the drive, and this is where the Saturn Astra picks up the pace again.

Power comes from a 1.8L 16 valve DOHC 4 cylinder with VVT (Variable Valve Timing). This engine produces 138hp and yet it feels much livelier than that number would first have you believe. It loves to hit the red line, and yet it still manages to be rather frugal on fuel, which is not surprising if you've ever looked at what that stuff costs over there! (And we thought that we had it tough!).

I'll have to be honest here, my tester carried a 4 speed automatic, and all I can say about that is, "learn to drive stick"! You see, most Europeans like playing with a joy stick, and to such extent that many manufacturers there tend to place more emphasis on designing the standard transmissions than they do the automatics. The hum-drum 4 speed auto with no manual nudge up-nudge- down feature just doesn't do anything for this vehicle. No, if I were advising anyone towards purchasing an Astra (which I will be doing) I'd have to say "Plumb for the 5 speed". It will not only enhance your pleasure from the vehicle, but it will be better on fuel, and the exercise is good for your arm!

We now come down to the vehicles handling and where I get to use one of my favorite lines...It is very European in feel.

But what does that mean? Well, simply put, it means that Europeans understand what shock absorbers are meant to do! The ride might be a little on the firm side, but once you get into the corners, you start to appreciate why. The Astra, especially with the optional sport handling package ($930 on the 5dr, although most of the package comes standard on the 3 dr model), is a nice little performer in the twists and turns. In fact, I would say that it was possibly the best handling vehicle for its price on the market today.

Speaking of price, there's a lot value in the Astra. However, it's a vehicle which you really have to study the features list before comparing it to competitors such as the Civic, the Versa, or the Matrix. If you do that, then the Saturn Astra starts to look like a great buy because you'll find lots of check marks on the Astra's list which are missing from the others.


Conclusion

Without a doubt, I was very impressed with my week in the Astra. It is a great handling car for the money. Now if they would only bring over the sportier models which I've seen in the UK (Oh, sorry GM, I guess that you're fed up hearing me say that!!).