you are pretty much the only person i have encoutnered online to have said this...care to elaborate? what do you expect a car of this caliber to do exactly, other than handle amazing, like its been proven to?

surely you dont expect it to hold a candle to your fit...its an unfair comparsion. in stock form, and in the hands of the same driver, the astra leaves the fit behind on any twisty road.

 

the brits saying anything is terrible quality is hilarious. even the switchgear on any aston martin feels out of place.

but in all seriousness, i have only heard postive things about the opel's reliability. i told some older folks (older than me at least) at work about the car and they all remembered opels from the 70's and were like, "oh god becareful!" and silly things like that.

from what i understand, the reliabity has been pretty rock solid.

 

They are not going to make a 2009 Astra but going to start making them in 2010 in a plant in the US. It does not come with a lot of features that the Fit has. The time is only in 24 hours but going to change that in the future and does not have a roof rack even though they have the spot for them. When I was in Germany this summer I saw them everywhere.

 

My dad sells (sold?) these. He said just about everything you said about how well they drive, however, I took him around in my '09 Fit and he was floored. He loved the Fit and was impressed by it's handling and the inclusion of paddle shifters (which we played around with). He said he was glad I got this car instead, and he sells the damn things. But, like you said, they are not really comparable cars.

He also said they have issues with initial quality and long-term quality. He said they are solid mechanically, but have a bunch of stupid small issues that crop up quite often. Saturn dealers are some of the best dealers though with top notch salespeople (not just because Dad works there) and a pretty decent lineup for GM.

Put me down for liking the exterior but not the interior.

I was also considering this car but comparably equipped my Fit was cheaper and holds its value a lot better, especially considering all of the incentives and deals they were willing to give to get the price under $20K.

My two cents.

-P

 

i've heard of the inital bugs, but the 100k warranty was what made me feel better about them.

you are right though, the fit does hold its value a lot better. in the end i'm glad i didn't get it, as after a couple of years, the fact that i did not get myself into what i REALLY wanted would have reared its ugly head anyway.

its a nice car though!

 

That is true--forgot about that warranty. It'd still be annoying to have to file a warranty claim every couple of years though, if these cars are as buggy as I've heard. It's nice looking vehicle though, and a cut above most GM vehicles (too little too late?). I think they could've sold a ton of these if they marketed them better--I didn't even know about this car until I talked to my dad. All they had to do was play up the euro feel, might have cut into some of VWs market.

I think my biggest issue with this little hatch (and the rabbit, which seems to be its most direct competitor) is the MPGs. I hear they average about 26-27. Meh. I can get 10mpg more in my Fit, but again they are completely different vehicles.

I'd like to see more of those other Opel cars here.

-P

 

The Honda Fit definently has more room to put things in my experience.

 

good points. this was the best small car gm ever gave us, but they never marketed it the right way. granted, even if they would have given the attention it deserved, people would still be a bit on the reluctant side given that its a 'saturn' even though its not really. (the astra forums are rife with people de-badging their astras and throwing on opel logos. its awesome.)

as far as mpg goes, i think the only car that is in that class that gets fit like mpg (and exceeds it) is the civic. but even then, its def one of the lighter cars in that segment and has, if not THE, smallest (and best sounding) engine. but out of the hatch-only group, the astra got the best. there were still some things like no ipod hookup and the course engine and 4speed a/t that needed adressing, but still a valiant effort...too late.

my rabbit actually got pretty decent mileage, i averaged around 27, and 30 on long road trips. the range was about the same as the fits though, so either my fit doesnt FEEL as fuel efficient, or the rabbit never felt as thirsty.

 

i like the astra, but i think gm is cutting saturn unfortunately. I read that they are only keeping Chevy, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac. (Two trucks, and two AARP cars)

 

Nice on the de-badging. I would probably do the same thing. Oh GM...

Of course, the rabbit is a wolf in sheep's (rabbit's?) clothing. It is definitely a performance machine that comes in small enough and just efficient enough to be considered a compact. I test drove the rabbit twice and loved the ride, but it was the 19 mpg city that scared me away (spend most of my time in the city). Absolutely great car though, and solid as heck. If the TDI had been available, I think it would've given my Fit a run for my money.

-P

 

yeah, see i spend most of my time on the highway, so it was not that big a deal. i had the 150 hp version and it was torquey as hell, i can only imagine the 170hp version! the solidness was sublime. its the one thing that i will always think the rabbit will own my fit on time and time again. granted i hear the 09 is much better....how would you compare the rabbits 'solidness' to your 09 fit trick?

 

The 170 hp version is, well, fast, and quite a bit of fun. It was a bit beyond what I needed, however, but still a great car. TDI...if only.

My '09 is pretty solid, perhaps not as solid as a Rabbit, though that could just be a function of how open the car is on the inside. It's like a greenhouse on wheels. The way it hugs the road (no body roll, at least not in the sport version) and the torque you can wrestle out of it (using the paddle shifters) makes it feel quite solid and competent. I feel like it should feel more dense, but, again, I'm thinking that's just the openess of it. I don't think it'd feel as zippy with a denser feeling though.

I've only driven the GD a couple of times, how does it stand up?

-P

 

the gd reminds me of like an older ek hatch with regards to the solidness. i remember riding in my buddies eg hatchback and when we got home and i got on the freeway with my fit, that was the only time i had ever driven it and said, man my car feels SOLID.

i love tearing up corners, but the fact of the matter is that i spend most of my time on the highway, and do a lot of road trips, so high speed stability is important. vw's in and german cars in general are made for the autobahn, so traveling fast and solid is in their dna.

i can see how the new fits greenhouse would emphasize its apparant lack of 'density' and the rabbit, while roomy, is not as expansive as the fit is on the inside. the GD doesnt feel as tiny as other cars in the class, it just feels less substantial than my rabbit did.

i guess that was the reason for my question. the ge8 is rumoured to ride more smoothly and be a much more competent highway partner than the gd3. i know it may never be the rabbit/golf, but it could be close enough to merit a look. how is the road noise on your ge8? is it much louder compared to the rabbit? i kinda liked the feeling of isolation the rabbit gave me, without being lexus-like in its driving manners.

oh! and the tdi is coming back for the next gen rabbit btw. its already been confirmed. and that car is said to be even more solid and quiet than the rabbit its replacing.

 

To be honest, there wasn't an astronomical difference between the GD and the GE in terms of highway performance. I will say that my GE did feel a little more confident and competent on the highway in comparison to my friend's GD. I don't, however, feel insecure driving the GD at all.

I half expected the GE to be a little less solid than the GD just because of the openness but the opposite turned out to be true. I still treat it like it's made of glass, but that's just because that's the way I roll with new cars.

I also enjoy whipping my fit around corners--it's definitely a car built to do so.

I heard about the TDIs, and I was quite pleased that they were making a comeback. It would've been a knock down drag out between the fit and the rabbit had they made it here before I bought my fit. I'm interested to see what the MPG is on it, and what kind of premium it caries in price over the gas version.

-P

 

In terms of noise, I didn't really notice it as much in the GE. On the highway, it is pretty quiet--going up hills on the other hand...

When accelerating, it is a bit more noisy than a rabbit, however, they are pretty close on the highway. I don't really notice it.

-P

 

cool gotcha. i personally would love a ge8 right now. but i'm not in a financial situation to do so. and when i am, i will probably get a different car altogether. its one of those things where i just wish i would have waited for the ge8 in general.

i'm anxious to see the specs on the tdi as well. granted that the jettas version is rated at 30/40, i can imagine it would be a bit more, simply because it weighs less.

 

Holy Frijoles!

VW launches new range of highly efficient Golf models

I'd like the 62 MPG version please...

I'm guessing the US will get one that gets around 45 and is more powerful than we need?

Price?

-P

 

yeah the 2.0 tdi is what we will get. pricing? the golf will probably start aound 16.6-17k...i'm sure the tdi will be top of the line. 21-22k?

 

The wife picked up a new 08 Astra 5 dr auto this spring. Big sunroof, heated seats, moisture sensing wipers and 30 mpg in stop and go freeway commute. It reminds me of my 95 BMW 5 wagon. Solid. Sweet and smooth. But I still like my 09 Fit Sport MT. We trade cars now and then. I like the variety.

 

awesome! i think the astra makes a great highway commuter. its solid as a rock.