2008 Saturn Astra Review

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Performance

With 138 horsepower charged with motivating all of the Saturn Astra 3-door XR’s 2,833 pounds, you might think that acceleration isn’t exactly breathtaking. You’d be correct.

Though our staff came together as one to recommend that Saturn boost power by at least 20 ponies, the horsepower rating isn’t necessarily at the core of the Astra’s performance problem. At 125 lb.-ft., the four-banger’s torque rating is satisfactory, but the four-speed automatic transmission saps power down low, which results in sluggish off-the-line starts. Simply put, no matter what Saturn adds in the form of aggressive suspension setups and deeply-bolstered seats, “sport” is the last word that comes to mind when the light turns green and the driver nails the go pedal. Let off the gas after a lengthy stop and the powertrain vibrates for a second – much like a hybrid; get under way and you’ll experience mostly smooth yet premature shifts that don’t allow the engine to rev to its power peak.

To make matters worse, the automatic gearbox doesn’t offer a manual mode or paddle shifters. We worked around this obstacle by clicking the shifter into 3, 2, and 1 to manipulate the power delivery, but GM could make the driving experience much more enjoyable by adding a sport mode that lets enthusiastic drivers run near redline – you know, where all the fun’s had.

That being said, the Astra’s powertrain transforms out on the open road. At higher speeds the engine comes to life, allowing the driver to easily cruise at 80 mph and above, with confident passing power that’s simply not available at slower speeds. After a week of varied driving, we recorded 23.3 mpg.