2008 Saturn Astra ..FE?

[canhonkey]

Somebody talk me out of this please! I know its much better in the long run (if you're mechanically inclined) to stick with used vehicles..

There's adds in the local paper now for the '08 Saturn Astra, the European 4 door. It's got my attention, as it has near the same hwy FE as my firefly and almost 3 times the power! And probably 5 times the comfort (its heavier) for long hauls..though we use the Integra for that.

In the paper , they start at $14400 Cdn (Cash Price) for a 5 door XE model. That's including a 3500$ Holiday Cash bonus..! 125 ft lbs Torque, 138 Hp. Curb weight: 2850lbs
In the add they claim :
-6.1L/100km City (38.5 US MPG)
-8.5L/100km Hwy (27.6 US MPG)

It is a sleek looking ride..but I'm wondering really how good its FE is!? Anyone out there own one or know of it? They say its comparible to a Yaris..


Ken

[SVOboy]

It might do pretty well. I'd take a scangauge and go for a test drive,

[MetroMPG]

Have you checked here?

Browse On-the-Road Fuel Economy Data

Not scientific, but looks like 10 mpg (US) lower than your 90 day average.

[cfg83]

canhonkey -

Here is an article I posted last July :

Saturn Astra: 37 MPG tank

I'm always a fan of thrifty compact "mini wagons" and Saturns, so I am biased. As you probably know, it's just a re-badged Opel Astra, made in Belgium. The cost reflects the Strong Euro. If I were to get a new or used car, it would be on my top-5 list of candidates.

If you want, I can post an MPG question on the Astra forum in saturnfans.com

CarloSW2

[SmittyNC]

Here are some real-world user reports:

Browse All Saturn Astras | Fuelly

[Peter7307]

Sold here as the Holden Astra (Holden is the local division of GM) they have a good reputation for reliability and FE.
My niece has the earlier version and gets about 9.0 / 8.0 in city / urban running and about 6.5 / 7.0 on the highway in the auto version.
She doesn't drive for economy but she is a fairly conservative driver none the less.
No idea how they go for modding for better FE if that is of interest.

Nearly forgot...she bought hers used with 80 000 kms on it and it has just gone past 230 000 kms with no problems so far.

The only complain is the a/c struggles in the Australian summer with ambient temps of 40 C. The car is black inside and out with leather seats.
May not be a problem where you are.

Get the service history and especially the cam drive belt.
Not a weak point but not cheap to replace and some owners skip it in the service schedule.
The other thing to check is the IAC (Idle Air Control valve).
They can stick and stalling engines is the result. A clean out is all that is needed but some dealers replace it instead since it is quicker for them but more expensive for you.

Cheers , Pete.

[canhonkey]

Thanks everyone,
Yea that was the attraction at first for me, the reputation of Holden and Opel and the fact that its a true European Hatch. Beautiful ride, though it seems these numbers in the paper are fairly optimistic then. Very interesting to see some real world numbers! Great tips too..if I really was in the market for a newer vehicle right now, this would def be in the running.

Side note: It's tempting to buy a new car..but the main drawbacks are the increased insurance and back to monthly payments..as the only way I would have that kind of money sitting in the bank would be in savings or for a reno for the house!

Ken

[Katana]

Here in england it's the Vauxhall Astra and i've test driven one a few times with a friend who is getting one soon, very comfortable ride, well balanced controls though the indicator stalks need a bit of practice to get used to, and has a nice amount of engine power even though that's not what you are interested in. Go test drive it a bit, the dealers here let us have the car for 1 hour without supervision to drive around.

You might want to check the mileage as for the first couple of thousand miles the MPG will be absolute crap, probably half the claimed numbers till the engine is worn in.