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2008 Saturn Astra Review
New Saturn is GM's best small car.
2008 Astra Review Summary & Specifications
Saturn Astra brings one of GM's more popular cars stateside without losing any of the good qualities in the trip over the pond. And it has plenty of good qualities to choose from, not least being an economy car that doesn't feel like one. G.R. Whale filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com after test driving Astra models in Los Angeles, Detroit, and Germany.
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| Vehicle Category | Compact Cars |
| Editor | G.R. Whale |
| Model Lineup | Saturn Astra XE 5-door ($15,375); XR 5-door ($16,925); XR 3-door ($17,875) |
| Engines (standard) | 1.8-liter dohc 16-valve I4 |
| Transmissions (standard) | 5-speed manual |
| Engines (optional) | 138-hp 1.8-liter I4 |
| Transmissions (optional) | 5-speed manual; 4-speed automatic |
| Safety Equipment (standard) | frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, 1 year OnStar Safe & Sound, active front headrests, pedal release system, ABS, traction control, tire pressure monitors |
| Safety Equipment (optional) | Electronic Stability Control |
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Assembled In | Antwerp, Belgium |
| Manufacturer Phone | 800-553-6000 |
| Manufacturer URL | www.saturn.com |
| Base Price MSRP | 15375 |
| Model Tested MSRP | Saturn Astra 3-door XR ($17,875) |
| Standard Equipment | cloth upholstery, air conditioning, power steering, power disc brakes, power windows, power locks, console, cruise control, floor shift, tilt/telescope steering column, split-folding rear seat, lighted visor mirrors, fog lamps, rains-sensing front/intermittent rear wipers, power heated mirrors, alloy wheels |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) | leather upholstery premium package ($745); advanced audio ($595); 18-wheels with Pirelli PZero performance tires ($495) |
| Destination Charge | 620 |
| Gas Guzzler Tax | |
| Layout | front-wheel drive |
| Price as Tested | 20330 |
| Horse Power | 138 @ 6300 |
| Torque | 125 @ 3800 |
| Fuel Economy | 24/32 |
| Wheelbase | 102.9 |
| Length/Width/Height | 170.5/69.0/55.8 |
| Track Front/Rear | |
| Turning Radius | 36.9 |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room | 37.8/51.3/42.3 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room | 36.6/51.0/35.0 |
| Trunk Volume | 37.8 |
| Payload | |
| Towing Capacity | 1388 |
| Front Suspension | independent, coil springs, anti-roll bar |
| Rear Suspension | torsion beam, coil springs |
| Ground Clearance | 4.6 |
| Curb Weight | 2768 |
| Stock Tires | P215/45R18 |
| Brakes Front/Rear | vented disc/disc with ABS |
| Fuel Capacity | 11.9 |
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