Opel Astra On Sale RIGHT NOW In North America

Second rate? Really, I thought the Opel Astra was the third best selling compact in the European Union (after the Golf and Focus). If they are second rate then what does that say about Peugeot, Citroen, Honda, Toyota, Fiat, Skoda, SEAT and Mazda?

When you're right, you're right. Girlfriend rented an Opel and the interior quality was, well, american. I had flashbacks from the Chevrolet Alero "sports sedan" I was forced to ride in sometimes around the turn of the century, traumatic stuff. The poor corsa was slightly better put together then the Calibra my friend drove in highschool and the Kadett my late grandmother drove in the early nighties, so they are moving in the right direction, by the time all cars are powered by fuel cells Opel will be on par with a 95 Audi A4.

@mike978 I'll give a detailed answer: Honda is better than Opel, Skoda and Seat are Volkswagen, Toyota is better than Opel, Fiat is... well they DO have the Panda, Mazda is better than Opel if you manage to avoid the rust models they built some time ago, Citroen is worse than Opel, but more interesting, and Peugeot is the third circle of car hell. The reason why the Astra sells well is: Opel is dumping these cars. They are therefore good value for money (look at street prices, not list prices), especially if you know about build quality and compare them to PSA's offerings that start to rust right out of the factory. But Opel has made a profit only once in the last dozen years (2006). Burning GM money is not a viable long-term business model. And now, the Koreans top Opel in value for money. There is no longer a reason for Opel to exist in its current form. We (Europeans) don't need it, and you can see this clearly in their problems (read Bertel's industrie comments). I have driven a lot of miles in Astras in the last two years. I recommend against this car. If you are looking at an Astra, buy Korean (i40 is nice if you just want a car, not character). We could compromise on "second-rate German car". Because every other German car maker does everything better.

@MeaCulpa Let's hope that Opel doesn't do the slow Saab death, so when your fuel cells arrive, we'll be rid of them.

@mike978 Thanks for the detailed answer - I have never owned an Opel, although my step-mother has had several generations of Vauxhall Astra's. They are cheap but so are Fords, Citroen's, Peugeot's and Skoda's. I know Skoda and SEAT are VW's, however when I owned a SEAT Ibiza 10 years ago it was clearly cheaper inside than the equivalent VW (Polo). It all depends on how you define best - car sales, reviews (like Whatcar.co.uk), or ...... I also agree that Opel hasn`t made a profit in many a year but the same can be said for PSA and for Ford. As for interior quality, well I think all manufacturers have improved greatly following the introduction of the Mk IV Golf back in the late 90's.

@mike978 Okay, definitions may vary. But you will be very hard pressed to find a German who will say an Astra is the best Germany can do. If you do find one, kindly submit his adress so we can have him shot for treason. Yes, Skoda and Seat are cheaper inside, but not by much, and you have a solid car around this inside. You are right about PSA: I hope Peugeot will vanish along with Opel. There is a niche for Citroen, for interesting luxurious and/or funky European cars in the long term. It could work. Ford is different from Opel in an important way: Ford has a new horizon of truly great cars. We want this 2013 Mondeo ("Fusion" you call it afaik). We want these Turbo-Triples that churn out power and torque for a small amount of fuel. We want Ford SYNC with Nuance's voice recognition for roundabout 500 $. We don't want an Opel "Adam". It's too little too late. After everyone has bought a VW Up already, Opel are still in the process of choosing a crappy name for their uninteresting (non-)alternative. It's hopeless.