# Vauxhall Astra vs Saturn Astra **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** astra, saturn\ **Created:** [February 25, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096 "2008-02-25T01:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dramdavies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dramdavies](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dramdavies)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/1 "2008-02-25T01:43:40Z")
Hi, Can anyone answer this question. Saturn has brought out the Astra, based on the European Vauxhall/Opel Astra. They are as far as I can tell the same car. Vauxhall Astra- Engine Capacity 1796 cc, Cylinders 4, Valves 16v, Power 140@6300 ps/rpm, Torque 129@3800 lb/ft and can get 44mpg 2008 Saturn Astra 3-Door XR Engine: 1.8-liter, four-cylinder, 138 hp. Torque: 125 pound-feet at 3,800 rpm and only gets 32mpg Adrian So why does the American version get such terrible fuel economy. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Bill\_Russell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Russell)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/2 "2008-02-25T01:49:25Z")
the engines seem slightly different, perhaps the US one is detuned for polution control. More importantly, MPG Measurement methods are almost certainly different. In the US, the government mandates a very specific method. I don’t know what the europeans use, but I doubt it is the same. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/3 "2008-02-25T01:50:56Z")
The British have come up with a very ingenious way to increase their MPG’s: the imperial gallon! ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Bill\_Russell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Russell)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/4 "2008-02-25T01:51:46Z")
aha! unless it’s metric, km/liter. from my calculator: 44 km/l = 144 MPG 44 mi/ImpGal = 37 MPG ---
**Author:** ![dramdavies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dramdavies](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dramdavies)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/5 "2008-02-25T01:59:48Z")
[http://www.carpages.co.uk/guide/vauxhall/vauxhall-astra-1.8-16v-sri-5dr.asp](http://www.carpages.co.uk/guide/vauxhall/vauxhall-astra-1.8-16v-sri-5dr.asp) [http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=121207](http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=121207) If it helps, these are the pages I got the data from. I had not considered the difference in the gallon. US gallon = 3.8L, Imperial = 4.5L, good point ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/6 "2008-02-25T04:39:13Z")
Last I was there, Europe uses liters not imperial gallons. Canada used imperial gallons and liters. I would doubt the numbers. I rented a Vauxhaul and while an OK car, I was stopping for petro all the time. The thing would be running at about 3000 rpm on the expressway at 80-85 KPH, and that was in 4th gear. Maybe they added a 5 speed transmission or something. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/7 "2008-02-25T14:56:36Z")
Beyond the difference in gallon unit you also have to consider the US EPA fuel economy testing vs the British or EU based fuel economy testing is vastly different. I notice even by magazines like Consumer Reports(CR) or Car & Driver don’t really match the EPA often(even revised figures). For example everyone’s golden child ‘Honda Accord’ gets 21MPG(below EPA) in CR in their 150 city/highway loop that is essentially same test across cars. Somehow the the terrible to many fuel economy Subaru Legacy manages 23MPG in the same CR test(\>EPA). Its hard to correlate different tests. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vauxhall-astra-vs-saturn-astra/11096/8 "2008-02-26T01:08:17Z")
Continental Europe, yes, but the UK is actually if anything less metric than we are. They rate cars in miles per Imperial Gallon, although they do sell petrol by the liter. In most of Europe, they present it as Liters per 100 Kilometers, with less being better.