Posted by wannabeotaku 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.

the Cobalt was the same damn car as the Astra underneath... why does everyone hate the Cobalt, but love the Astra? Grrrrr.

I never understood the hate for the Cobalt. Too many people seem to have a cousin that got one as a rental one time and it was some clapped out POS. Normal, non-rental Cobalts seem to hold up well, and they drive pretty damned nice, too. I have worse things to say about Astras than I do Cobalts.

I'd never heard of the Astra until this forum. Not sure if they were ever imported out west. Seen maybe 2 Saturns that fit the description.

A friend recently got an 08? Vibe with manual trans. Seems like a decent mid sized similar? car. I followed him to the crusher in his '86 Subaru wagon with negative rear wheel camber about 5 times more than a stock 70's Beetle. Something sagged the day before.

Parked the 80 Malibu wagon, and put a do not crush sign in the window, while he did paper work to get a coupon for 500.00 off an electric bike for is car. He did well. So did I. Detroit 1 Japan 0

Actually my car was built at the Leeds plant in St. Louis. Found an awesome build sheet stuck to the roof when I ripped out the headliner last month. Tons of info, but no exact date. Is this common to leave build sheets in the car?

Posted by A. Lien A friend recently got an 08? Vibe with manual trans.

it's a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac emblem.

Parked the 80 Malibu wagon, and put a do not crush sign in the window, while he did paper work to get a coupon for 500.00 off an electric bike for is car. He did well. So did I. Detroit 1 Japan 0 Actually my car was built at the Leeds plant in St. Louis. Found an awesome build sheet stuck to the roof when I ripped out the headliner last month. Tons of info, but no exact date. Is this common to leave build sheets in the car?

in the 70's and 80's, yeah, it was common to find build sheets in the cars.

Think of the Astra as a less goofy HHR, and you're pretty much spot on. They really are nothing to write home about, but a TON of them have leather interior, a nice stereo, and a lot of soft touch surfaces that people seem to jizz all over these days.

I found a build sheet in our old '92 Camaro. It didn't look like it was supposed to be there, because it was crumpled up and snagged in something. Of course, it was mostly bits of paper by the time I found it, but it was in there.

Posted by Samurai the Cobalt was the same damn car as the Astra underneath... why does everyone hate the Cobalt, but love the Astra? Grrrrr.

(Jeremy clarkson voice) Cause cobalts are rubbish.

Posted by Samurai the Cobalt was the same damn car as the Astra underneath... why does everyone hate the Cobalt, but love the Astra? Grrrrr.

Nothing was the same aside from the geometry. Everything between the Cobalt and the Astra had a different part number. The Astra had wheel bolts and ATE calipers for fuck sakes. And nothing fell off of it when you drove it! I'm sorry, but the Cobalt was just soooooooooo disappointing for build quality. The Astra was a nice, tight feeling little car. The Cobalt drove and felt like a miled out '88 Dodge Shadow with an engine and suspension upgrade.

Posted by Samurai it's a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac emblem.

Best car GM never made.

Posted by bandi Nothing was the same aside from the geometry. Everything between the Cobalt and the Astra had a different part number. The Astra had wheel bolts and ATE calipers for fuck sakes. And nothing fell off of it when you drove it! I'm sorry, but the Cobalt was just soooooooooo disappointing for build quality. The Astra was a nice, tight feeling little car. The Cobalt drove and felt like a miled out '88 Dodge Shadow with an engine and suspension upgrade.

then why didn't either one of mine fall apart, sunshine?

You own magic GMs.

Sam, what the fucks with the steering clunks on the cobalt/Malibu/etc. they clunk when you don't even turn, or hit a bump. Ive had them do it with like no miles on them. If I bought one of those piles of junk and gm refused to fix that clunk in the front end I would drive my slowbalt through the showroom.

Posted by sleeperspirit Sam, what the fucks with the steering clunks on the cobalt/Malibu/etc. they clunk when you don't even turn, or hit a bump. Ive had them do it with like no miles on them. If I bought one of those piles of junk and gm refused to fix that clunk in the front end I would drive my slowbalt through the showroom.

neither one of mine did that... what the 07 SS DID do was the sway bar links started rattling. they were replaced with a better part. never made noise again. In fact, the car was still rattle- and thump-free when i traded it at 113,000 miles.
one car that GM fiddlefuck stupid was the N-body Malibu and the G6. I thought the G6 was the biggest piece of shit ever to wear a GM emblem. my mom had an 07 1SV G6 sedan... i fucking hated that car.

Posted by Samurai I thought the G6 was the biggest piece of shit ever to wear a GM emblem.

We agree on something!!!!!!!

Posted by bandi We agree on something!!!!!!!

Plus one.

Posted by bandi We agree on something!!!!!!!

it was... 20,000 miles it needed brakes and rotors. the transmission had down syndrome or something when it would shift. the suspension thumpy bumped and banged and there was so much road noise a normal conversation sounded like a fistfight. And don't get me started on the fucking seats... a park bench was more comfortable. Fuck the G6. Fuck it right in it's ugly fucking ass hard.

And what sucked was they had a home run with the G8 but were still building cars like the G6. Oh and who was the G5 fooling? Helloooooooo.... we tried this with the Cavaliers and Sunfires!!! No one likes blatant badge engineering anymore.

and you know, GMC and Buick could've sodded off into the sunset too.

theres a sexy ass black G8 gt running around over here... even sexier girl driving it too.

Posted by sleeperspirit theres a sexy ass black G8 gt running around over here... even sexier girl driving it too.

drive. one.
they're a fucking blast!

Posted by Samurai And what sucked was they had a home run with the G8 but were still building cars like the G6. Oh and who was the G5 fooling? Helloooooooo.... we tried this with the Cavaliers and Sunfires!!! No one likes blatant badge engineering anymore. and you know, GMC and Buick could've sodded off into the sunset too.

There's a G8 around here with a Borla exhaust system, it sounds pretty fantastic.

And yeah, I know Buicks apparently sell, but I couldn't care less if the brand fucked off for good. They haven't made an attractive car since the 60s. (Sorry, the Grand National is just another mullethead's dream car.) And GMC is just silly, again with the badge engineering.

Posted by bandi There's a G8 around here with a Borla exhaust system, it sounds pretty fantastic. And yeah, I know Buicks apparently sell, but I couldn't care less if the brand fucked off for good. They haven't made an attractive car since the 60s. (Sorry, the Grand National is just another mullethead's dream car.) And GMC is just silly, again with the badge engineering.

i did drive the new Regal with a manual shift and I have to say, it was honestly fun to drive. It's the kind of car that you had kind of hoped Pontiac would've built had they been spared instead of Buick. But as I was powershifting it through third gear, I was thinking, "Who did they build this for? What person is going to be a Buick customer and feel the need to do some stoplight to stoplight, no lift shift street racing?"

I mean, what are you going to say? Gramma let me have the car to race tonight?

I said the exact same thing. It's the wrong brand to have a turbo car with a manual tranny... my grandparents wouldn't care if it's available with a turbo, let alone a tachometer or an FM radio. (And my Grandfather drives a '97 Caravan that refuses to quit, so he just keeps driving the shit out of it.)

The Terazza was a bad idea, too. Buick is the #1 choice for the "Last car before you die". People in that demographic aren't exactly starting families.