Vibe vs. Astra

[b train]

Gona be lookin at replacing the wifes aging accord in a year or 2. Debating between the Vibe and the Astra. In my dreams she would take my Vibe and I would have an 09 Camero, but I gota thumbs down on that.I figured I'd start a debate about it here

[redlava]

As far as looks it is a toss up. I like the looks of both, the new Vibe and the new Astra. But I think the Vibe wins in the functionality department. But the Astra has a little more power in the base model and fuel economy looks to be a bit better as well.Personally I would take the new Vibe over the Astra, but that is only because it has a good and proven track record here in the states. And I really like mine.

[ramenboy...]

i was about to ask people what they thought of the astra. i remember there was some banter back and forth here before it was offered in the states.personally, i like the design of the astra better than the new vibe. ok here come the lightning bolts. i can feel it....

[Celtic_Curse]

Whats the Astra look like?

[Neouka]

I think the Astra is a lot smaller than the Vibe, isn't it even smaller than the Focus hatches?

[NSimkins]

Quote, originally posted by Celtic_Curse »Whats the Astra look like?http://www.saturn.com/saturn/v...x.jsp

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by ramenboy... »personally, i like the design of the astra better than the new vibe. ok here come the lightning bolts. i can feel it....Me too, I'll get zapped along with ya. It's a nice looking car, saw 'em at the NY auto show. I've read many good things about the Astra from the folks overseas who have been enjoying it for a few years now, I think it will be a decent little car. Certainly much better than the ion it replaces. Methinks its European roots may make it a more interesting drive than the Vibe, but I can't say since I haven't driven one.

[Kamikaze]

2 doors just won't do it for me, that and I would like the Opel badge.

[Whelan]

I personally love the way the Astra looks and think it will be a good seller for Saturn alongside the VUE and Aura. They are hitting the hatch market at a time when it's exploding with potential. It's a good looking car and when they come out with the redline version and drop the new Cobalt SS engine (Saturn Sky redline/Solstice GXP engines) 260hp turbo, it will be a screamer!

[lovemyraffe]

Those of you who are against the Vibe should be taken out back and shot. The Astra does look good, but significantly smaller than the Vibe. My vote would go to the Vibe.

[jake75]

DO the Saturn dealers still follow the policy of no dickering; pay the MSRP or walk?

[Whelan]

Pretty much, from what I know they don't haggle on price.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »Those of you who are against the Vibe should be taken out back and shot.Thanks! Go ahead, fire away.

[Celtic_Curse]

Cute car. The Specs say 1.8L VVT engine butthe pictures show ecotec engine??? Didn't know GM has a 1.8 with VVT thought that was just the Vibe.

[Whelan]

May have taken the specs from the Opel version overseas. The Opel Astra may use a 1.8L. The Astra has yet to be officially released in the US, so most of its numbers are based on the Eurospec car.

[TJinPgh]

Just some general thoughts.I really like the looks of this car. And, based on looks alone, it is one of the few cars in the GM lineup that would make me consider buying an actual American car again. And, by that I mean an American car, not a rebadged Japanese car, like the Vibe.Power output seems similar to the Vibe. Within 10 HP for the same size engine.I'm a bit disappointed by the fuel economy. 30 mpg highway isn't very good in this class of vehicle. It's right in line with the new specs for the 08 Vibe (30/24 versus 31/25). A little better than the Doge Caliber. A little less than the Ford Focus.So, I'm not suggesting it's not competitive in the fuel economy category. But, it doesn't excel in it, either. There's going to come a point where people are going to start expecting better fuel economy from traditional combustion engines (meaning, non-hybrid). 30 mpg on the highway isn't going to cut it.A base price of about $16k for the 5 door XE isn't bad at all. That will price it less than the Vibe and actually puts it in line with cars that are probably smaller. I say probably, because I couldn't find any specs on weight, length, width or cargo area (though they may well be there, just haven't found them yet).A lot of people may initially question why the 3-door XR costs more than the 5-Door XR. If they are both XR trim packages, then the specs should be more or less the same. Further investigation shows they aren't, and that could be a bit confusing.It would be nice if they offered the 3-door in an XE package for those looking for an entry level sport hatch. A sunroof option for the 3-door would be nice as well.Ultimately, other than the fuel economy, it's not a bad looking entry into the hatch market. I'd need to know more about the quality before I'd buy one, though.

[Petrucci914]

Quote, originally posted by Celtic_Curse »Cute car. The Specs say 1.8L VVT engine butthe pictures show ecotec engine??? Didn't know GM has a 1.8 with VVT thought that was just the Vibe.A lot of cars have VVT. It's just that certain manufacturers give it a special name like VVT-i or VTEC. The VVT isn't a proprietary technology.

[NibCrom]

Whatever you do, don't buy the Vibe. What a piece of junk!J/K I was actually considering buying an Astra when I bought my Vibe, but I wanted to buy used, and I knew I wouldn't be able to buy a used Astra before they had even been released. I would definitely consider the Astra, it seems like a really nice car. If you're looking to buy used though (which I would recommend) you could save money by buying a Vibe.

[northvibe]

if they had the turbo awd one...id be all over it, since they arent...i wouldnt get it :/

[michaelgt]

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »Those of you who are against the Vibe should be taken out back and shot. The Astra does look good, but significantly smaller than the Vibe. My vote would go to the Vibe.What is your definition of significantly smaller? 2008 Vibe DIMENSIONS All dimensions in inches (mm) unless otherwise stated. Specifications 2SL26Vibe A Wheelbase 102.40 (2601) B Overall length 171.90 (4366) Body width 69.90 (1775) D Overall height 62.20 (1580) Front track width 59.60 (1514) Rear track width 58.90 (1496) Head room, front 40.60 (1031) Head room, rear 39.80 (1011) Shoulder room, front 53.20 (1351) Shoulder room, rear 52.60 (1336) Hip room, front 51.70 (1313) Hip room, rear 47.80 (1214) Leg room, front 41.80 (1062) Leg room, rear 36.30 (922) Published dimensions indicated are without optional equipment or accessories. Additional accessories or equipment ordered at the customer's request can result in a minor change in these dimensions. 2008 ASTRA DIMENSIONS All dimensions in inches (mm) unless otherwise stated. SpecificationsZAT083-Door XRZAR485-Door XEZAT485-Door XRA Wheelbase 102.90 (2614) 102.90 (2614) 102.90 (2614) B Overall length 170.50 (4331) 170.50 (4331) 170.50 (4331) Body width, with mirrors 80.00 (2032) 80.00 (2032) 80.00 (2032) Body width, without mirrors 69.00 (1753) 69.00 (1753) 69.00 (1753) D Overall height 55.80 (1417) 57.40 (1458) 57.40 (1458) Front track width 58.60 (1488) 58.60 (1488) 58.60 (1488) Rear track width 58.60 (1488) 58.60 (1488) 58.60 (1488) Head room, front 37.80 (960) 38.90 (988) 38.90 (988) Head room, rear 36.60 (930) 38.30 (973) 38.30 (973) Shoulder room, front 53.90 (1369) 53.90 (1369) 53.90 (1369) Shoulder room, rear 52.70 (1339) 52.80 (1341) 52.80 (1341) Hip room, front 51.30 (1303) 51.80 (1316) 51.80 (1316) Hip room, rear 51.00 (1295) 51.40 (1306) 51.40 (1306) Leg room, front 42.30 (1074) 42.00 (1067) 42.00 (1067) Leg room, rear 35.00 (889) 35.30 (897) 35.30 (897) Published dimensions indicated are without optional equipment or accessories. Additional accessories or equipment ordered at the customer's request can result in a minor change in these dimensions.

[TJinPgh]

So, it's essentially the same size at a slightly lower pricepoint.All things considered, it should do well for GM.As I said, the only things that might make me look the other way would be average (mediocre) fuel economy and my own hangups about GM quality.Having said that, there are some things they may want to consider adding for future models.More horsepower. Nothing wrong with the 140 ponies for the base models. They could definitely attract the younger crowd with a high performance version. Especially of the 3 door.AWD. Adding a sub $20k AWD model would make it competitive with a lot of smaller SUVs. It would also fall in with cars like the Suzuki SX4 and a couple of the Subarus (at a better price).

[keithvibe]

i like the astra... cuz it's has projectors... HAHA... you know me and my HIDs lol

[TJinPgh]

I wonder if Saturn will be marketing the new hardtop convertible coupe version of this car that Opel has.I'd also settle for either the GTC Turbo Charged 2.0L version of this (200hp)Or, perhaps the GTC with the Panoramic Windshied!!

[savedbyzero]

Astra Redline would be a fun ride...other wise the looks are great, but not enough go for me.

[TJinPgh]

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero »Astra Redline would be a fun ride...other wise the looks are great, but not enough go for me.The Red Line, if produced, would probably be the same as the GTC with the 2.0L.As for not enough go, I have to assume you wouldn't buy a Vibe now days either, since the base Astra has 18 more horses than any Vibe currently available.And, you can bet that if they become popular (especially the 3-door) that there will be plenty of aftermarket parts available that will boost that up.

[savedbyzero]

No, I definitely wouldn't buy another Vibe with the current numbers on both models. It's really unfortunate the turn the GT took.I love the car I have now, but looking at the rest of the market, there are a few more cars with equal features and more HP for same price or a little more than were available when I purchased my GT in 2002.

[ajflan]

+1 to that zero.