Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hatchbacks Saturn Astra Saturn Astra
96 messages, Last post on May 30, 2009 at 7:02 PM
You are in the Saturn Astra Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
|
Replying to: socalbmmr (Aug 30, 2007 1:43 pm) Here is my personal problem with it. I tried to buy one. GM put every hurdle in the the way they could. I'll be buying something else. First, I am exactly the kind of person Saturn, and the Astra in particular, exists to capture supposedly. I drive an import. I have good credit. I have a GM Platinum card. I just got out of college. Well, although there is $750 conquest cash on the Astra to lure people to become GM owners and ostensibly to get them out of imports, my 1998 VW is one year too old to qualify, since the cash is only good for 99 and up owners. Now, you don't have to trade anything in, you just have to OWN a 99 or newer non-GM. Well, I have a 1998 non-GM, and they said too bad, you are not, then, a conquest. Also, most car companies have recent grad rebates. Saturn does, but only if you live in certain states. What?! I live in Missouri. Iowa, a hundred miles north of me, they get the rebate. Illinois, directly east of me, they get it. Missouri, nope. So my degree is apparently from the wrong side of the tracks. $500 lost. GM card points. I've been a loyal GM cardholder for years. I have 1600 some odd points racked up. Oh, wait. Saturn is excluded. Now, you would think that at least some small portion of the points could be used, just to make GM card owners feel better. Nope. Zippo. You have to have a slightly different GM card than my platinum card, the extended family card. The Saturn store tells me, no problem, just call and have your card changed to this style. Ok, I think, I just did that the other day with my Discover card, they transferred it to the open road version with no loss in points. So I call the GM card folks. Nope, can't do it. We can transfer your card to an extended family card, but you lose all your points. Nice. Funny how Discover could do it without batting an eye. So, I lose my points, the college grad cash, and the conquest cash. If you live 100 miles from me, and have a VW that is a year newer, you count, and you get $1150 toward an Astra. I guess GM is doing SO well that they can afford to slough off the exact person they should be selling an Astra to. A little effort or flexibility would have been nice. I guess it will be more worth their while when I buy a Toyota. I sure won't shed too many tears over the seemingly neverending negative news coming out of Detroit any more, that's for sure. Nobody at GM was willing to lift a finger to try to get my business. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: bricknord (Feb 21, 2008 1:15 pm) Can't blame Saturn for limiting the conquest cash. However, you deserved the college grad rebate and the GM points, absolutely. Is anyone actually buying this car??? Plenty of lookers, no takers. I've seen the Astra. Like all Saturns, the seats are again too small. The 1.8L Ecotec is too small too. (Why didn't they just use the 2.2L?) And no temp gauge! Made in Eastern Europe--but Saturn has always trumpeted its U.S. roots. I don't "get" this car.....and no one else is getting it either. Sorry, but I'll take a Cobalt with the 2.2L and save $3k to boot....
|
|
|
Replying to: walterquint (Feb 21, 2008 10:31 pm) |
|
|
Replying to: saturn_comm (Feb 07, 2008 11:12 am) Aren't new cars fun?! It's good to see them at last! |
|
|
Replying to: bearcrkrd (Feb 10, 2008 8:44 am) 
|
|
|
Replying to: walterquint (Feb 21, 2008 10:31 pm) Maybe it'll be a good change. The Vue is already a better-looking car than it was before. |
|
|
Astra Armrest No armrest=No Sale There is now available an acessory armrest that will be available thru Saturn dealers and will be covered by 3 year warranty when installed by dealer. It looks to be a quality unit. |
|
|
Replying to: irismg (Feb 26, 2008 11:08 pm) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: bricknord (Feb 21, 2008 1:15 pm) I guess the sales person at the Saturn you went to did not explain why you encountered these hurdles. 1. The conquest is paid to the dealership by GM, the dealership gives you 750 off and then is paid back by GM, they cant bend the rules or they don't get the $750 back. 2. The markup on saturns is the lowest in the industry, as a matter of fact the GM employee price on a saturn is lower than the invoice! 3. Saturn does not honor the GM card because they do not pack 500-1000 more dollars on the price of each car to cover the discount the card provides. They pass that savings on to all the consumers...even the cardholders because you are not overpaying to begin with, for example; the outlook, acadia, and enclave are all the same suv. The outlook is 2500 less than the gmc, and 3500 less than the buick apples to apples. 4. Can't help you with the grad rebate, but keep in mind that gm is LOSING $2500.00 per astra sold. the same astra you get here for 21k costs 27k(USD) in europe (source: the wall street journal). 5. Good luck with any toyota, the markup is robbery, the product is nowhere near the quality it was in the past, and the warranty is half that of a saturn. Just wanted to give you the straight facts. Saturn has the highest satisfaction, service, loyalty, and resale of any domestic vehicle. Sure they have some issues like all car companies, but come on... they are one of the most honest and fair priced car companies in america.
|
|
|
|
| According to ONSTAR the Astra can not communicate with onstar for onboard vehicle diagnostics or service. Have tried to find out from Onstar & GM when they plan to overcome this problem, but have gotten nowhere. Has anyone gotten any information on this problem & is GM going to extend the service to compinsate for the lost Time? | |
You are here:
Forums
Hatchbacks Saturn Astra Saturn Astra
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2008 Saturn Astra
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
