Fit Sport vs. Saturn Astra XR

Mmmk well I almost bought a Fit Sport last Friday. Decided to wait and check out the Astra as well. I went and test drove the Astra 3-door XR. I like the exterior looks of the Astra a lot better, the interior isn't as great and the space it offers isn't that great as well. The Astra feels a bit more sporty tho. The benefit to buying the Fit is that I get my employee discount and I can do all the warranty work and etc with similar things. The benefit to the Astra is that I get a GM College Grad discount, instant $2000 off, I know my GM cars, etc. The Fit will most likely hold it's value way better than the Astra just because of the Saturn badging. Astra has more power and an ECOTEC, you don't see them all over the place, and I can get some cool UKDM parts to make it look like a Vauxhaul. HONDA = JDM I can chagne the Fit badging to Jazz and be ubercool. I'm am really on the fence about this one.

ecotec parts bin would be calling my name. The astra is soooo much cooler than the fit, it's almost not fair.

my 65 y.o. aunt bought a fit. she reupholsters furniture.

Slightly used Astra?

I don't know why, but I'm so solidly impressed with the Astra that if it came in a Redline version, it'd be my after college car.

Astra with a Turbo Ecotec (HHR SS/Cobalt SS) swap...

Add on the UKDM parts and hells yeah!

Not to mention the new Fit looks like it was squeezed as a child so all the lights are popping out. It sure is one FUGLY mother!

Whatever I get it will be my car until I graduate, and until I find a decent job where I'll hopefully make more than I'm making now. After warranty runs either one will be made into something fun as in K20 Swap in Fit or 2.0 DI Turbo Ecotec lol.......well maybe.

After discounts they come out to be like the exact same price for me. The dealership sold the Fit I was going to buy, it's a long story, but it makes me want to take my business elsewhere, but I am still considering one.

Edit: I have yet to see an Astra on the road, I doubt I can find a used one.

Did you drive the brand new Fit, or the old one?

I test drove the old Fit and I thought it was a blast! The amount of cargo room is also a bonus. It wasn't fast by any means but it handled well, and the engine made some wonderful noises for an economy car.

Having never driven the Astra, I can't say anything good or bad....but resale value on the Honda is something worth considering. I can't find a Fit anywhere for a price much lower than MSRP, new or used.

I work at Honda, so both

saturn vs honda?

hahahahahahahahahhahahhahahahqhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I haz had saturn it was a good car

i haz had honda it is good car.

ok..

So my buddy had one of those in the UK.. Vauxhal version. Sold it for a PT cruiser, much happier with reliabilty, if you can believe that. He had the turbo version(astra) and said it was so thirsty it wasn't fun to drive.

I say screw it all find yourself a good used Honda and then spend the xtra on a play car.

I have a play car it's a Pontiac Trans Am. I have another play car that my dad and I built for the challenge it's a Honda Civic. I need a car that I can drive everyday, that no one else has beat on, and so on. Driving a "camed" V8 everyday has it's perks but I'd rather have it for the weekends. I'm almost done as far as the Trans Am goes as well until I come upon a large sump of money in which it will turn into a new project.

I already weighed out the pros and cons of new vs. used, I decided on new. Now I'm deciding on these two.

I own an Astra, so I'm a bit biased...

It is a damn good car so far - had it 5 months, and only one minor issue that was probably my fault. The interior room is more than you'd think - I've put a whole lot more stuff in there than anyone thought would fit. As far as power, no, it won't win any drag races, but that thing will corner with the best of them. I think stock it will outhandle my modified S-series. I always have a smile after driving.

The gas mileage kinda sucked for the first 4k miles, but in hte last 2,5k has gotten to be damn respectable.

There are lots of little nice features that it has that I'm sure are going to break the first day the warrenty is over, but I like them now

Do you have the XR or XE 3 or 5 door? Not too concerned with all kinds of gizmos and gadgets. Just decent mpgs, fun little car to drive, and versatility (hatch).

I have nothing to contribute to this thread other than when I was reading through the "Latest Topics" out of the corner of my eye I read "Flat Spot vs. Saturn Astra XR"

That is all.

Seeing as you work for Honda, sticking with them would be a safe bet. It seams that the Astra is the gamble here.

thats just my $.02

Kevin, what is your 'real world' mileage?

Look at my avatar. Buy the Honda. That should tell you which is the better car.

Look at my avatar, I'm a bigger UF fan. That should tell you which is a better school. But I'm stuck at this one.

I just need to win the lottery so I can get a new CTS-V. That will solve a whole bunch of problems for me. Room for 4-check, spacious trunk-check, handles well-check, hauls ass-YES.

Ooh, tough choice. I liked the Astra I rented a while back a lot, but I only had it for a couple thousand km. then again, the Fit is like a new Wagovan and I loved my old '86 Wagovan. Do you guys get the Astra VXR over there?

DirtyBird222 wrote: I just need to win the lottery so I can get a new CTS-V. That will solve a whole bunch of problems for me. Room for 4-check, spacious trunk-check, handles well-check, hauls ass-YES.

I'll take an old one now that their value will go down ever more. Giant black HRE wheels with some sticky Goodyears on them, a supercharger kit for the motor, and you'll have a car just as fast as the new ones for way less money, and you'll still have three pedals.

Although the old one's shifter is TERRIBLE.

If I won the lottery I wouldn't buy a used one lol. I HAVE a Trans Am as well, its my muscle car! We don't get the VXR over here. I've heard rumors about making a Astra Redline with the 2.0L turbo DI engine in it, but it might take GM 10 years to do that. I'm surprised that they got it in the Cobalt in under two years.

My opinion - Get the one that is more fun to drive. The Astra will be more unique over time and I think its a classier looking car compared to the Fit. There are 3 Fit's on my block. I haven't seen an Astra in ages.

I approve that message.

gjz30075 wrote: Kevin, what is your 'real world' mileage?

highway using cruise - 33.5

general around town mix highway/surface streets - 29

And I can fit 5 adults in the car comfortably.

When GM was advertising "Employee Pricing" on EVERY car they sell, I went and looked at Saturns: both Astras and Auras. Because of the VERY poor Euro/Dollar exchange rate, GM WASN'T discounting the 3 door Astras a dime (I think the 5 door had a discount), so I am curious as to the amount of discount a recent college grad gets...not that I'm eligible.

I would be inclined to strongly consider an Astra, mostly because I never see them...except outside the Saturn dealer here. Europe gets a model of the Astra, that private tuners have modded for over 200 horsepower. I think it's a shame there isn't an optional 2 liter engine for the 3 and/or 5 door, as my 17 year old Integra gets a few MORE horsepower from it's 1.8 than the Astra does...tho under changes to hp measurements of a few years ago, it may actually be less.

The Fit would be a good choice because of the aftermarket support, and you do work for Honda.

I really wanted the Astra but I was worried about re-sale value down the road. I was also afraid that I would want to do way to much to it when all I needed was a new DD that no one else has owned. We got a couple of Fits in today and I decided to go with one. It was late once I got it, but it is a dark slate gray, Fit Sport Auto (thats all our dealership is ordering right now). I think I'm going to be very happy with it. It has a lot of cool features, gets way better mpgs than the Trans Am, and handles pretty damn well. I don't plan on keeping this car for a really long time, I intend on buying a new Camaro or CTS-V in a few years when I'm out of school and doing something with my life, but for now this will work.

Oh and this thing should work awesome for tailgating for football, going to racing events (Rolex 24, Sebring, etc.), and hauling stuff around. This past weekend when tailgating for the UCF game with my friends Charger it sucked the big one. Going to the 12 hours of sebring with the Trans Am was a nightmare due to space and worrying about the car.

Now I will have time to keep the Trans Am down so it can get some much needed work. It needs paint, pinion seal, rear diff gasket, new weatherstripping, exhaust work, etc. The good thing is I have most of that E36 M3 already. It really wasn't the car to drive around everyday.