The '08 Astra

[99SL2_Modder]

Remember when no one believed me about a year and a half ago when I said that the Opel Astra was coming stateside and being rebadged a Saturn? And that Saturn facilities were being retooled to make them?

http://www.saturn.com/saturn/vehicle...cles/index.jsp

Hopefully, all the model options come over too.

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/carsand...randName=astra

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/carsand...e=astratwintop

[Ender81]

There was a reason for people not to belive you? I thought that it was happening was pretty common knowledge.

[NOPSTNS]

i like how the top of the first page says "rethink american"

o the irony

[Raven18940]

Originally Posted by NOPSTNS

i like how the top of the first page says "rethink american"

o the irony

Indeed, I'm sad to see Saturn losing it's distinctiveness, but I'm happy to see Opels coming to the US.

[99SL2_Modder]

Originally Posted by Ender81

There was a reason for people not to belive you? I thought that it was happening was pretty common knowledge.

No idea man. Some people don't read up on what's going on.

Originally Posted by NOPSTNS

i like how the top of the first page says "rethink american"

o the irony

Extreme irony.

Originally Posted by Raven18940

Indeed, I'm sad to see Saturn losing it's distinctiveness, but I'm happy to see Opels coming to the US.

This started happening when GM bought them out completely. They were always a GM funded company, but pretty much a lone horse since the 80's. The S series of cars were their bag. GM learned of a v6 S series in production called the SL3 and that the engine in it would shame most cars in its class. So GM instead "influenced" them to axe the project and bring out the worlds worst luxury car...the L series. (L100, L200, L300...also referred to as the LS1, LS2 and LS3). The car had so many issues that it started to bankrupt Saturn, and made GM available to buy it out. This was somewhere around 99 to 2k. The v6 project came back into light while GM was finishing up changing some things, so they axed the S and brought out the Ion and the Vue. Then, a few years later, decided that the plastic exterior...Saturn's selling point, needed to go in light of hydroformed steel. So, the Ion is being remade as hydroformed steel, and so is the Vue in the future. But they decided to take the Vue and make a bunch of cars dealing with looking, so they created the Sky (Opel/Vauxhall Roadster with a detuned engine. Not the Tigra.), the Aura (brand new chassis, supposedly. Haven't found it's counterpart), and the Outlook. All hydroformed, all very luxurious instead of sport compact, making Saturn the newest entry level luxury car in GM's line, quite possibly to replace another line that they may axe soon.

/history

But to be honest, the changes aren't too horrible, but the prices skyrocketed when GM took over. You used to be able to by an S series for 12-15k depending on options.

[Raven18940]

The aura's German counterpart is the Vectra, but I think some of the engines (mostly the pushrod ones) are unique to saturn (though not unique to american GM).

[99SL2_Modder]

Originally Posted by Raven18940

The aura's German counterpart is the Vectra, but I think some of the engines (mostly the pushrod ones) are unique to saturn (though not unique to american GM).

Pushrod? When did saturn start using a pushrod engine?

I'm confused...

[Raven18940]

Originally Posted by 99SL2_Modder

Pushrod? When did saturn start using a pushrod engine?

I'm confused...

The 3.5 V6 is listed as OHV, GM talk for pushrod.

[99SL2_Modder]

Originally Posted by Raven18940

The 3.5 V6 is listed as OHV, GM talk for pushrod.

My bad. I forgot about the lesser option.

You're correct, the LZ4 is a pushrod, and it's in the 06 Chevrolet Impala/Monte Carlo and the 07+ Chevrolet Malibu/Chevrolet Malibu Maxx/Pontiac G6/Saturn Aura. For now, anyway. It was based off of the LZ9 (3900 series) that made 240/240.

[92dxman]

Cool looking car. Nice to see Saturn step up and come out with a hatch to take over the Focus category since Ford has killed the Focus hatch and they won't bring over the European one or the Focus RS. If Saturn can price this decently, I think they may have a winner on their hands..

[gpzjack]

Remember when Saturn made good cars and were not merely rebadged gm garbage?

[Raven18940]

Originally Posted by gpzjack

Remember when Saturn made good cars and were not merely rebadged gm garbage?

When did they make good car? j/k

[OzerMan]

Originally Posted by Raven18940

When did they make good car? j/k

WHOA haha, saturn has some great cars!!!!
the ion redline was voted best car in the whole world twice...

[gpzjack]

My sis-in-law had one of the early ones and you couldn't kill it. My friend just got rid of his at 120k plus with no problems....my wifes aunt had one that she totally abused for years and it wouldn't die. Read consumer reports and you can actually see over the years when they started goint downhill. My friend just traded in his "L" It was a total POS. I'm pretty sure that was actually another Opel rebadge which seems to be the norm for GM. I have been a chevy guy all my life an wouldn't touch a GM car these days. Saturn started out to be different...not sharing parts with other gm cars but eventually that ended. Now they are all just rebadged chevy's. Really sad but typical GM

[NOPSTNS]

ford secretly sells the euro focus here. its called the mazda3
over one million sold since 2003

[gpzjack]

That astra looks like a 3 hatch

[99SL2_Modder]

Originally Posted by gpzjack

My sis-in-law had one of the early ones and you couldn't kill it. My friend just got rid of his at 120k plus with no problems....my wifes aunt had one that she totally abused for years and it wouldn't die. Read consumer reports and you can actually see over the years when they started goint downhill. My friend just traded in his "L" It was a total POS. I'm pretty sure that was actually another Opel rebadge which seems to be the norm for GM. I have been a chevy guy all my life an wouldn't touch a GM car these days. Saturn started out to be different...not sharing parts with other gm cars but eventually that ended. Now they are all just rebadged chevy's. Really sad but typical GM

Yeah, as they were going down, it was GM's influence. They were steadily rising until the concept SL3 came out. Like I said, GM didn't like it, so they influenced the L. (seperate platform, severely detuned opel v6 engine in some models, and a ****ty 2.2l in others). The L was such a piece of trash that it killed Saturn as a company and GM fully bought them out and axed the practically unkillable S series. (Yes, they're VERY hard to destroy. Maintain them and they'll treat you well. They all burn oil because of an engine design flaw that can be fixed without fully rebuilding the engine. The piston has no oil returns drilled into the oil control ring groove like all others. Take it to a press and just stick 6 holes relatively evenly spaced around the piston and it'll fix the oil burning issue. The engines are VERY tight clearances.)