Cars.com Faceoff: 2008 Mini Cooper S, Saturn Astra, Volvo C30
In one of the toughest Faceoffs in recent memory, Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder matched up three premium hatchbacks. It was a tough fight, with each car having strengths that won us over. The Volvo had the style, the Mini the go-kart goods and the Astra the practicality. Check out the winner and let us know if you think we got it right.
I was surprised to see you included the Astra in this as I didnt think it'd really qualify as premium. I figured it's more of a Civic competitor.
I guess there aren't many other premium hatches out there. Maybe an Impreza would be better placed to compete but I dunno what else...
Posted by: Mart | Mar 10, 2008 2:26:32 PM
Mart,
Yeah the Imprezza would have worked but the other two didn't have AWD.
Posted by: Dave T. | Mar 10, 2008 2:28:18 PM
Wouldn't the VW GTI or Audi A3 be a closer fit? An Acura RSX would really be the perfect fit for this comparison if only Acura still made it...
It looks like the Astra did hold its own remarkably well against two much higher-priced competitors.
Posted by: Brian E | Mar 11, 2008 10:37:58 AM
Brian E,
Yes those are good matches but we try to match up new cars on the market. Plus we've had the GTI in previous matchups.
Posted by: Dave T. | Mar 11, 2008 12:24:53 PM
Well it's good to see a car that is in no way premium, and has been on sale elsewhere for several years can still compete so well against truly brand new (and more premium) vehicles.
It bodes well for the new Astra, which will be hitting european shores in a year or so (and here, probably in about 15 years!)
Posted by: Mart | Mar 11, 2008 1:59:26 PM
You can find the Astra on GM Opel's website - it has been produced for more than a decade already in Germany and is popular in Europe. I'm not familiar with their current models, but they used to have a Sport line that handled great both in dry and icy conditions.
Posted by: Brad | May 8, 2008 5:48:32 PM