According to Scott Burgess, auto critic of The Detroit News, General Motors Corporation has been successful in bringing their award-winning Astra over from their European brand Opel to their American brand Saturn.

Besides some minor tweaking for compliance with U.S. regulations, the Astra only had its labels changed, as it is already such a fine ride. “It just goes to show you,” stated Burgess, “an Astra by any other name is still an Astra.”

Looking like a low-lying puma just before that fatal pounce, the Saturn Astra has its wedge shape silhouetted by clean and crisp lines for that distinctive athletic appearance. More aggressive than most of the other compact cars around in the market, it really looks as fast as it is.

For a 2,900-pound compact, the 2008 Saturn Astra packs a lot of punch by sporting a 1.8-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder engine with 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. This power is matched by the stability brought about by the combination of the MacPherson front struts and torsion-beam rear together with the vehicle’s rigid frame. The auto critic “gleefully whipped the Astra through corners and tight turns” and let the shocks and gas-charged struts absorb the bumps without having to sacrifice a tight line. Moreover, the Astra’s electro-hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering allows the driver to feel the road and thereby maneuver the car with precision.

Burgess describes his enjoyment as “kick-in-the-Astra fun;” and claims that, with a price tag starting just under $16,000, the 2008 Saturn Astra is “more than a deal, it’s a steal.”

Source: The Detroit News: Autos – reviews (detnews.com)

Primarily due to our busy schedule, my friend and I were unable to come up with comic strips for the past weeks. This, however, is one of the two strips we were able to think of while we were busy with other things. In this one, we tried to look at other effects of having bad shocks, which includes a person enduring a bumpy ride and having a nice hairdo after absorbing all the shocks. To prevent this from happening, visit the Bilstein shocks website. Have fun reading!

Time surely pass quickly. Twelve years has already gone by since Toyota released its RAV4. After those twelve years, Volkswagen is proud to introduce its small and yes, a ca-based SUV. This latest innovation from VW is tagged as the Tiguan. With the introduction of Tiguan, VW is sure to compete as well as take consumers from its rivals Honda and Toyota.

The VW Tiguan is expected to hit the American market next spring. It is powered by 200 hp, 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Those who will avail of it have an option of either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. One of the features of the VW Tiguan that makes it a must have for most people is that it makes use of diesel and as a diesel-powered vehicle, it has vigor that no other gasoline-powered vehicle can measure up to. According to the drive test done by the people in Volkswagen, the diesel Tiguan has the capacity to go beyond the 30 mpg mark. They even believe that the vehicle could reach up to 40 mpg when on the highway.

As is expected from a Volkswagen vehicle, the Tiguan is stylish and is quite good-looking. In other words, it appeals to the eyes. It has a well-executed cabin that features a navigation screen cluster. Aside from this, it has comfortable front and rear seats. Those who will avail of the Tiguan can even opt to have a full-length sunroof. When it comes to the suspension system, it boasts of Vw shocks that ensures one of a comfortable and smooth ride. For more information on shocks and how it is able to function, visit the Bilstein shocks website.

Some say that the Tiguan is the mean between the BMW X3 and the Honda CR-V. It has class and style but looks casual enough for an everyday ride. The best part is that as a sport utility vehicle, one can drive this vehicle to snaky forestry roads with no apparent difficulty. Now that’s what we call style that is deeply synched with functionality.

The 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser is the seventh of its generation. It continues to hold out the model’s prestige and build further its reputation. As a Land Cruiser, the 2008 model carries the three traits of a bonafide Land Cruiser, namely, reliability, quality, and durability. As the executive vice president of Toyota Motor Sales in the United States Jim Lentz said, “The Land Cruiser asserts its position at the very top of the Toyota SUV lineup by building on our core heritage - durability, capability, fun-to-drive, and value. For more than 50 years, the Land Cruiser has delivered on off-road capability and performance, and this generation will raise the ante for overall capability and comfort.”

Featuring P285/60 R18 tires that are installed on five-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, full-time four wheel drive that has locking center differential, one can really expect a lot from the 2008 Land Cruiser. Aside from this, the vehicle also features Multi-terrain Anti-lock Brake System or also known as the ABS. It has Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) as well as Brake Assist (BA), Active-Traction Control (A-TRAC), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). What’s so special about the Land Cruiser’s VSC is that it has a cut-off switch that enables one to have more control of the vehicle.

As for the vehicle’s interior, one can relax with the music or information provided by the JBL AM and FM radio that also has a dash of six CD or DVD disc changer. The vehicle is also equipped with MP3 and WMA capability, an auxiliary mini-jack, in-glass antenna, 14 speakers on which six can be found on the doors (the front, rear, and the back door), one on the subwoofer or the rear passenger’s quarter trim panel; four tweeters are found at the a-pillars and rear doors; two squawkers are to be found on the instrument panel that is relatively close to the A-pillar, and last but not the least of the 14, the center channel speaker is found at the instrument panel’s center.

The people behind Toyota, driven by a goal to develop the next generation of Land Cruisers to be the toughest thus far, designers as well as the engineers slowly and meticulously developed the frame and body of the latest Land Cruiser. It is equipped with Toyota shocks that will surely dampen any unnecessary up-down movement of the vehicle caused by road bumps. To have great comfortable rides, check out Bilstein shocks for more information and options.