So, I'm thinking about replacing our aging Astra with a new Volt. They have attractive lease offers right now that we qualify for, leaving us with a lower car payment than we currently have. We really don't mind carrying a car payment on something I don't have to work on. Having no car on the other end of the term doesn't bother us.

Do you guys think I'm crazy for wanting one as an appliance car?

If I could afford the Volt I would get one, I think they are fairly stylish and cool looking.

Posted by wannabeotaku So, I'm thinking about replacing our aging Astra with a new Volt. They have attractive lease offers right now that we qualify for, leaving us with a lower car payment than we currently have. We really don't mind carrying a car payment on something I don't have to work on. Having no car on the other end of the term doesn't bother us. Do you guys think I'm crazy for wanting one as an appliance car?

Bandi and the others will disagree with me, but I find the Volt (for an appliance) very attractive. However, with the Cruze Diesel coming down the pike in late summer, that too is another attractive, efficient option.

As a sidebar, how has the Astra performed for you guys?

Don't they have spontaneous combustion issues?

Posted by Samurai As a sidebar, how has the Astra performed for you guys?

Could be better. The transmission is getting crunchy, for the lack of a better term. GM US claims the trans is "Sealed for life", while GM EVERYWHERE ELSE states that the fluid needs a change at 50,000km, which means I'm over twice overdue at 78,000 miles.

If we keep the Astra and the trans isn't covered under powertrain warranty, we then decide whether or not we keep it. If we trade it, we don't fix anything, just drive one in, drive a different one out, done. If we sell, I have to fix the transmission well enough that it can be passed to the next Joe Blow that's going to drive it into the ground. We'd likely pick up something like an early 3rd gen Integra to be our daily. The third option is to install a 6 speed from a Cruize and keep the car. We owe less than $7000 on it now, with just over 2 years left to pay on it.

Posted by sleeperspirit Don't they have spontaneous combustion issues?

Only if you slide it into a pole, then tip the car 90 degrees. They've fixed the issue with some extra steel around the battery. The ONLY Volts that spontaneously caught on fire happened during crash testing. It never happened to an owner's car.

Now, Fisker Karmas have a burning desire to leave you with a pile of ashes. Several of those have fairly recently gone from original recipe to extra crispy while parked in an attached garage. How about that for some dinnertime shenanigans?

One thing that is a must for me, mostly because I am an attention whore, is that my cars are different. I have a rare for North America Astra and an '89 Accord that's going to end up with a turbo installed. When I go to the gas station, I expect at least one person to ask about my car. That won't happen with the Cruize unless it's badged as a diesel, in which case, I'll get the same kind of people that talk me up about my Astra.

Posted by wannabeotaku Could be better. The transmission is getting crunchy, for the lack of a better term. GM US claims the trans is "Sealed for life", while GM EVERYWHERE ELSE states that the fluid needs a change at 50,000km, which means I'm over twice overdue at 78,000 miles. If we keep the Astra and the trans isn't covered under powertrain warranty, we then decide whether or not we keep it. If we trade it, we don't fix anything, just drive one in, drive a different one out, done. If we sell, I have to fix the transmission well enough that it can be passed to the next Joe Blow that's going to drive it into the ground. We'd likely pick up something like an early 3rd gen Integra to be our daily. The third option is to install a 6 speed from a Cruize and keep the car. We owe less than $7000 on it now, with just over 2 years left to pay on it.

those transmissions are most certainly not sealed for life despite the claims in the owners manual (i always HATED that shit, especially with the automatics)... Any GM dealer will work on that car. The fill point is in the same place it normally is... they had to fill it at the factory, right?
If you transaxle is getting notchy, definitely time to have a synthetic fluid put in. I wonder if your Astra take synchromesh fluid?

I recently worked on a Saturn 2dr hatch thing, six speed I think it's a rebadged Astra? Looked quite foreign under the Saturn badges

Posted by sleeperspirit I recently worked on a Saturn 2dr hatch thing, six speed I think it's a rebadged Astra? Looked quite foreign under the Saturn badges

Yeah the Astra is just a rebadged Vauxhall. They're so foreign they even have wheel bolts!

Posted by bandi Yeah the Astra is just a rebadged Vauxhall. They're so foreign they even have wheel bolts!

the 1.8L out of the Astra is under the hood of the base Cruze, i think.

The engine in the Cruize is the same basic engine, but it has a different engine code. As far as we have found, it seems to be revisions for different sensors.

The Astra never came here with a 6 speed, but it will theoretically bolt right in. If I get this promotion at work, I'll do the 6 speed swap and keep the Astra. I really don't think a fluid change will help this transmission because it's primarily driven by 2 people that don't know how to drive with an ailing transmission. Apparently, the transmission has been grinding gears for months. I've never noticed it because I drive it like it should be driven. Right now, my best guess is 50/50 on making that transmission decent again.

It has a fill hole, but an oil pan that I can't find a gasket for. If I can't find one by the time I'm arsed to screw with it, it'll be sealed with Hondabond. There's a TSB for an overfill from 1.7 litres to 2.4 litres. In order to get to the speed sensor to add the extra .7 litre, you pretty much have to be a contortionist. I'm not particularly looking forward to it. A 6 speed swap seems more appealing than trying to revive the 5 speed in there.

My Astra when it was new:

will the Cobalt 5speed bolt to the 1.8L Ecotec? the one from the 2.2L car?

I'm not sure if it will, but a junkyard replacement for the current transmission is under $500 shipped. There's one on eBay at that price with only 18,000 miles on it. There's a 4,000 mile Cruze 6 speed on eBay for $675.

Still, the Volt intrigues me. Hell, Grassroots Motorsports has one as a project car.

the thing that struck me most about the Volt was how sophisticated it was trying to be. Mechanically, it was trying to be better than a Prius, but style-wise, it wanted to be sexy. Personally, after riding in a Prius and riding in a Volt, the Volt is the more comfortable of the cars. It's the kind of car that you can take on a road trip and not worry about getting blown off the interstate by a stiff wind or truck going by you at 80mph.

honestly, though, for mileage, wouldn't a Diesel Cruze be more interesting?

I'd have to see how they're equipped. Our driving habits are also perfect for a plug-in hybrid. We drive less than 40 miles a day, and it has plenty of idle time to charge. It would almost never see the gas station.

I surprised myself with how much I liked the Saturn Astra. I'd drive one.

Posted by CDSbigsby I surprised myself with how much I liked the Saturn Astra. I'd drive one.

_same.







it hurt me to say that

It's what you'd get if GM built a Golf. I was glad they didn't ruin it when they brought it here. I feel that the Volt shares a lot of the qualities I like in my Astra, though.