It's really strange, then, that the rest of the car seems like it needs a nap. While the front end responds quickly to a twist of the steering wheel, the back end feels like it's being trailered along against its will. In all, the Astra feels flat-footed instead of frisky.
Mind you, the car I was testing was the so-called "five-door" not the smaller, lighter "three-door" version. (In a bit of shady math, car companies insist on counting the rear hatch as a door.)
Also, my test-car was equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission rather than the five-speed manual, which could have added some excitement. With five-speeds automatics now the norm, the Astra's four-speed seemed anachronistic.
To make matters worse, it was slow to downshift. When I insistently pushed down the gas pedal, the Astra would comply by shifting to a lower gear only after a long wait, when the car would finally take off with a roar
The rest of the time, the engine made aggressive growling noises while providing adequate, but not terrific, power.
