Full Test: 2008 Saturn Astra XR Three-Door

Like the musical stylings of David Hasselhoff or a dinner of bovine organs smothered in vinegar, the premium-class hatchback is a concept that Germans love, but Americans can't quite understand. The 2008 Saturn Astra XR hopes to change all that.

When you consider the hard-core audience for the Volkswagen GTI in the U.S., it shouldn't be that hard to counter the image of entry-level crumminess that the hatchback has acquired over the years. Of course, BMW failed with the 1995 318Ti and Mercedes-Benz failed with the 2002 C230 Sport Coupe. But Saturn, the no-haggle lifestyle brand from Tennessee, has an ace up its sleeve. Or should we say ein ace.

GM has raided its Opel and Vauxhall brands in Europe to bring back a quality small car, then give it a brand that inspires trust plus a price that doesn't inspire fear.

German, Only From Tennessee by Way of Belgium
Everything you need to learn about the character of the 2008 Saturn Astra XR can be found in its key fob. The switchblade style favored by VW lets you know that Saturn is thinking GTI here. Of course, there are consequences for thinking in German, as you can tell by the key fob's cryptographic buttonry. There are two slash marks in parallel on one side of the face, two slash marks at approximately 45-degree angles to each other, and you're supposed to figure out that one button locks the doors and the other unlocks them. And then there's the clock, which reads only in military-style 24-hour time.

It's a clear sign that GM hasn't been tampering with the original German recipe, which has been derived from the Opel Astra. And now that gasoline costs $3 per gallon, it seems smarter to have a European recipe for a small hatchback than it used to be.

Premium means this hatchback comes with everything, so it's fully electrified with convenience features, though not an auxiliary jack for your iPod. There's a full complement of airbags, including a head-protection curtain for both the front and rear seats. Even OnStar is standard and free for one year.

The Belgian-built three-door XR is set apart from its four-door counterpart by a full sporting makeover, with unique bodywork, a special interior with a sport steering wheel and high-bolstered sport seats, a firmer sport suspension, electrohydraulic steering with a quicker ratio, and standard stability control.

The Look of Performance
Bridging the gap between sporty and classy, the Astra's smartly designed exterior is highlighted by a sharp crease that defines the rising beltline. The steeply raked front end is all business, an impression reinforced by the prominently flared fenders. The optional 18-inch star-spoke wheels also seem to sit at the extreme corners of this car, making it look more compact than you'd guess from its 102.9-inch wheelbase.

Of course, what you probably won't notice until you're sitting snug in the driver seat is the lack of visibility produced by the rising beltline and a roof that angles sharply toward the front. Or at least the perceived lack of visibility.

When you're looking through the bunker-style slit of the windshield and trying to check blind spots over your shoulder, this lack of friendly visibility seems like a deal breaker in a car that's really meant for the city. But despite what outward appearances imply, the visibility in practice is functional. Not good by any means, but we spent a weekend in famously parking-challenged Santa Barbara with the Astra and paralleled-parked our way into small slots fairly effortlessly more than a half-dozen times. So don't sweat it.

Lots of Growl, Not Much Bite
This 1.8-liter version of the Ecotec inline-4 seems a little low-tech with its iron block, yet its weight is comparable to that of an aluminum-block engine (so Saturn claims) and it features variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. But it all adds up to no more than 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 125 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm, which is not exactly the sporting power we were hoping for.

The overall propulsion is pretty good, and the engine has a wide, generous power band, but it's always growling and grows coarse as you approach redline. There's not much snap to this engine, and when you rev it to the power peak, you bounce right off the rev limiter at redline, which lies only a few rpm higher at 6,500 rpm.

As in most German cars, the shift action of this five-speed manual combines long, light-effort throws with strong but notchy gear engagement. It's not as intuitive to find the path between gears as we'd like and the 2-3 shift in particular requires the accuracy of a Golden Gloves jab and can't be rushed.

At the test track, the slightly heavy 2,814-pound Astra XR plods to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds and then crosses the 1,320-foot mark in 16.8 seconds at 82.5 mph. (This happened in 3rd gear instead of 4th, a rare occurrence among cars like this.)

Geared for There, Not Here
As with most Euro-specification transmissions, this one is geared for low-rpm cruising in 3rd gear, and this is fine for driving around town. But carving through the corners will leave you wishing for 2nd-and-a-half and 3rd-and-a-half. As it is, the revs run out too soon in 2nd, and then the power peak is too far away in 3rd.

If you drive in sub-45-mph commute traffic, the gentle throttle tip-in and easy clutch action make it a breeze. But if you drive as hot as the Astra looks, you'll find the throttle response lethargic and the clutch engagement of the did-I-just-step-in-something? persuasion, so the XR bogs off the line.

It's too bad because the Astra XR's chassis is really up to something. It has the heavily damped poise on the road that makes European cars so distinctive. And when you're in a hurry, the 215/45R18 Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires really stick to the pavement, managing 0.88g on the skid pad.

With a quick 14:1 steering ratio, a linear buildup of steering effort and good feedback from the 18-inch Pirellis, the Astra XR can be hammered confidently through canyon sweepers or inner-city on-ramps. Quick responses (enhanced by a lack of bodywork overhang) and plenty of tire grip made short work of our slalom course at a stunning 69.1 mph, a speed on par with the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mini Cooper S. Push really hard and the Astra XR will pivot around its outside front tire and lift the inside corner of its torsion-beam rear axle just like an old-school VW GTI.

And when you've got your game on, you'll be glad you're backed up by brakes that seem up to this slightly heavy package. They have plenty of initial bite and the pedal stays firm as you lean into them, pulling the car up in just 112 feet.

Hot or Not?
The 2008 Saturn Astra XR's racy good looks are both its best feature and its biggest source of disappointment.

It looks hot. But it's not just hot; it's hot in that hot hatch way that screams "Small car, big fun!" Unfortunately, the XR just can't quite cash the check its appearance writes, as the engine and transmission seem to be on a mission to deliver only the thrifty 25.2 mpg we observed despite our best efforts.

For all that, this is a fun car to drive, but it's not sharp enough to make you overlook the Mini Cooper and the Volkswagen GTI. Then again, this Astra XR's bottom line at $20,330 makes it look a lot more interesting.

We're waiting for the Astra Red Line that has to be waiting in the wings. If the Holden Astra VXR is any indication, it should be great.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.